MS 1054 - Order of True Kindred: Trinity Conclave #3 (Toledo, Ohio)
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| Title | MS 1054 - Order of True Kindred: Trinity Conclave #3 (Toledo, Ohio) |
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| Introduction | The records of Trinity Conclave #3, Order of True Kindred consists of letters, postcards, and other minor documents of a Toledo, Ohio Masonic affiliated organization, primarily centered around Hazel Lafferty, one of the organizers of that conclave. The material was originally donated to the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library on August 7, 2004 by Pat Cannon. When it was determined that the collection was out of the collecting scope of the Library it was offered to the Center for Archival Collections through the cooperation of Paulette Weiser of the Hancock Historical Museum. Transfer of the material took place in November 2006. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. The register was compiled by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in February 2007. |
| Agency History | The Order of True Kindred is an adoptive division of Masonry, incorporated in Illinois in 1905. All subordinate groups of the Order are under their jurisdiction. Membership in the Order is limited to Master Masons in good standing in regularly constituted lodges of Masonry and to their Kindred who have attained the age of 18. These include their wives, widows, mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, granddaughters, blood nieces, half-sisters, and legally adopted daughters. As with most fraternal and social organizations, in addition to the rituals and degrees linked to the Order itself, True Kindred members were actively involved in charitable work, contributing to civic charities, orphans homes, homes for the aged, churches, hospitals, and the poor and unfortunate. A letter written to Hazel from the Supreme Conclave dated Feb. 25, 1935 indicated they specialized in children's charity, but did all kinds. As seen by the 1941 list in the collection, this activity could take the form of donation of clothing, cash, and furniture to the poor, providing magazines to shut-ins, and giving layette sets to those in need. On the local level, units of the Order of True Kindred are called "Conclaves", under the authority of "Grand" bodies along state jurisdictional lines. Generally the local units meet in Masonic Temples; in the case of Trinity Conclave #3 at the I.O.O.F. Temple in Toledo, Ohio. This collection centers on the work of Hazel Lafferty, who was involved with organizing activities in Ohio, centered around Toledo, but also with a commission to work in other cities such as Marion. Little is known about Hazel Lafferty directly from the collection, but according to the 1930 census, she was born in Illinois around 1890, making her in her 40s for the bulk of this collection. In the 1937 Toledo City Directory, her husband George, who is mentioned in a few of the letters, is listed as working for Toledo Edison Co. as a salesman. |
| Scope and Content | The collection of correspondence and other papers related to the Trinity Conclave #3, Order of True Kindred in Toledo, Ohio spans the years from 1934 through 1942 and centers on Hazel Lafferty who was an organizer of that conclave and was commissioned by the Supreme Conclave in Illinois as an organizer for the State of Ohio. Three series of correspondence make up the bulk of the collection, official communications from the Supreme Conclave in Illinois with Hazel as she began organizing a local conclave, letters to Hazel from local individuals as part of her activities, and copies and drafts of letters Hazel wrote during the period, most of them involving conclave business. The letters from the Supreme Conclave are the richest in details about the Order and the process followed by local groups in organizing their own conclaves. The first letters, dated Feb. 21, 1935 and Feb. 25, 1935 give detailed responses to questions from Hazel about installation of a local conclave in Toledo, touching on such issues as meetings, certification by the Ohio Secretary of State, supplies needed, and the ceremony of installation. Later correspondence covers administrative questions and a few unofficial words of advice and the local conclave settled into operation. The correspondence to Hazel from other individuals also deals with conclave business and activities, such as filling officer positions, scheduling events, and personal concerns. In many instances the draft or outgoing correspondence series matches with some of the letters received by Hazel from the Supreme Conclave and individuals, allowing a view of both sides of the exchange. The remainder of the collection consists of minor material such as an undated typescript of the Trinity Conclave #3 bylaws, and stray material and notes. Overall, although the time period covered by the collection is limited, it gives a good picture of the efforts, administration, and organization involved in typical women's lodge activities and of the association between the men's and women's aspects of Masonic groups. |
| Series Description | PROCEEDINGS BYLAWS - TRINITY CONCLAVE #3 CORRESPONDENCE CORRESPONDENCE TO HAZEL LAFFERTY FROM SUPREME CONCLAVE CORRESPONDENCE TO HAZEL LAFFERTY FROM OTHERS CORRESPONDENCE FROM HAZEL LAFFERTY RELATED TO CONCLAVE SUBJECT FILES MISCELLANEOUS NOTES |
| Inventory | Box 1 Folder
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