Massachusetts Society
of the
The Order of Founders and Patriots of America
Background
During the first half of the 17th
century, a great migration of colonists set out from Europe to seek freedom in a
new land. In tiny ships they crossed the gray Atlantic to carve out settlements
on the east coast of what is now the United States.
It was a migration that would shape and mold the very character of this nation.
These pioneers were a hardy people - a God-fearing people whose love of liberty
sent them forth to brave the hardships of a new land rather than submit to
ancient tyrannies. They were a self-reliant people who believed that each
individual should be responsible for his or her destiny.
Their numbers included adventurers, traders, soldiers, craftsmen, clergy and
even a few ne'er-do-wells. But mostly they were a hardworking people who tilled
the rocky land and planted the seeds of a new country.
Their descendants (each bearing the same family name as a Founder Ancestor) were
among those who fought for and supported the cause of American Independence,
recalling that determination to be free.
The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America honors and seeks to preserve
this fundamental heritage.
The Order
Founded in 1896, the Order is made up of "Associates" who trace their ancestry back to those first colonists and who have forefathers in the same male ancestral line who served in the American Revolution. Today, as in the past, it is comprised of a wide range of individuals, all linked by a common heritage and dedicated to American ideals.
Organization
The governing body of the Order is the
General Court. The Court consists of the General Officers of the Order and their
Deputies, the Past Governors General and the Officers and Councillors General of
the State Societies.
Under the authority of the General Court, State Societies carry on the bulk of
the activities of the Order. State Societies are active in California,
Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Insignia
In keeping with its distinctive character, the Order provides unique decorations for General Officers, State Society Officers and Associates.
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