FPA?

[Mike Dwyer]

This item is being offered for sale on eBay. Any idea what the FPA means?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Yellow-Gold-En...1QQcmdZViewItem

Edited January 1, 2007 by Mike Dwyer

[sptregalia]

Probably ,Architects.Very unlikely to be Masonic.

Alan S

[Mike Dwyer]

Probably ,Architects.Very unlikely to be Masonic.

Alan S

Alan,

Excuse my ignorance, but do you mean some type of fraternal organization called Architects?

I can't see a professional architects organization using the Holy Bible on their badge, which is why I'm asking.

[sptregalia]

Alan,

Excuse my ignorance, but do you mean some type of fraternal organization called Architects?

I can't see a professional architects organization using the Holy Bible on their badge, which is why I'm asking.

From your State,It could be.Florida Public Architects.I am pretty sure its Non Masonic.

Alan S 3714

[FireMedals]

Mike,

What you found is one of the dozens of fraternal organizations that sprang up in the US in the late 19th and early 20th Century. It is NOT Masonic in the sense that it is part of Freemasonry. What most of these organizations did was to copy the use of Masonic images, even to the point of widely using the Square and Compasses. What most groups did was to put their own logo or special insignia in the center. My grandfather belonged to a group called the Junior Order United American Mechanics [mechanic meaning anyone who worked in a trade...not like an auto mechanic today]. The JOUAM used the S&C design, but to keep out of trouble with the Masons, who protected the use of the letter "G" in the center, the JOUAM used an arm holding a hammer.

I can't be sure of this group, because there were so many, and there are so few recorded histories, but it could be an organization like the Fraternal Patriotic Order of Americans [FPA]. I know, the "O" is missing, but many of these groups don't appear to have been sticklers for detail. The Fraternal Patriotic Order of Americans was founded about 1913, probably short-lived, and I believe long gone today. They believed in (1) separation of church and state and (2) promoting the reading of the Bible in public schools. [Think about it... kind of an oxymoron, but not to different than today where some groups want the government to stay out of their church, but want their Bible read in public school classes everyday.] Many had watch fobs, rings, lapel pins, and other jewelry produced for the membership.

Anyway, I think this would be the general class of organization your looking at. There were other groups who called themselves Protective Associations, such as the MPA, or Masonic Protective Association. These groups acted like insurance companies at a time when there were few protections for workmen killed or injured on the job. The PA's would collect dues and pay after and injury or death, and were quite common. My grandfather's JOUAM had such a provision. However, due to the presence of the Bible and a school house on the medallion shown, I would go with the groups as described above.

The piece is probably "rare" in that few were ever made and fewer still survive, but the opening bid is way out of line unless you're a hard-core collector.

Also, for anyone looking for a research project that will take a few years to complete and offer nothing in financial reward, just the satisfaction of doing some serious research on a little known area of medals and organizations....this is your project.

FireMedals

[Mike Dwyer]

Mike,

What you found is one of the dozens of fraternal organizations that sprang up in the US in the late 19th and early 20th Century. It is NOT Masonic in the sense that it is part of Freemasonry.

..................

FireMedals

FireMedals,

Thank you very much for your reply. It certainly makes sense to me.

[wm5806]

All

I suspect that Firemedals has just about got it right. I had a search myself for organisations using the initials FPA but found nothing (although there's an outside chance it may be PFA, too, I suppose).

Indeed, I have a medal/jewel from the JOUAM that I hand around a Lodge when I give a lecture on Masonic jewels, just to show how the emblems have been used by other fraternal organisations.

Kind regards to you all,

[Buterbrodov]

"Discovering Friendly and Fraternal Societies: Their Badges and Regalia" by Victoria Solt Dennis.

http://www.letchworthshop.co.uk/products.p...9&g2=16d2b3

Richly illustrated, this book includes sections on the Freemasons, The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB), the Oddfellows, the Druids, the Ancient Order of Foresters and many other societies together with their regalia, badges and other artefacts.

[FireMedals]

Buterbrodov,

Welcome to the Club, and the Masonic-related section. Thanks for the link for the book, and several other nice references of Masonic interest.

While we're giving reference works, I'll add my main source of information;

The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies & Fraternal Orders, by Alan Axelrod. Published by Facts On File, Inc, 1997. The ISBN number is 0-8160-2307-7. It's mostly about US related organizations, but also covers many of those with a foreign connection, and some really obscure ones.

FireMedals

[Buterbrodov]

Buterbrodov,

Welcome to the Club,

Thanks FireMedals.

[wm5806]

This links in quite nicely with a previous thread which illustrates jewels from several other fraternal orders and which use emblems also found in Freemasonry:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=6139

I can also vouch for the book mentioned by Buterbrodov (Welcome to our little group, by the way!), which is beautifully illustrated. Other books for collectors of Masonic jewels were the subject of another thread:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4772

If there are any others not mentioned, please feel free to add to this list.

Richard