S. O. O. B.

Social Order of the Beauceant

The Social Order of the Beauceant was originally started at the suggestion of the Commandery in Denver, Colorado. Asked to host the 25th Triennial Conclave for the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar which was to be held in their city in August 1892, the Sir Knights felt with only one Commandery and a membership of just over 300 they needed help. Their wives agreed to supply the help.

At the first official meeting which was held in February 1890, the ladies adopted the name “Some of Our Business Society” and a brief ritual. The S.O.O.B. was organized solely for the purpose of providing aid and sociability for the Sir Knights and ladies who would attend the Triennial. The ladies so enjoyed the work that they never disbanded, but instead continued operating for the purpose of “making life purer, better and sweeter for others”.

The Society remained a small, loyal, local band of ladies, doing good, and assisting their Sir Knights until the 1913 Triennial when they decided to take action to expand. It was then that the first members from other cities were initiated. At that same time, a decision was made to change their name to something more appropriate to Templary while retaining the initials S.O.O.B. Derived from a banner used by the ancient Templar, the “Social Order of the Beauceant” was the result. From that small start, the order expanded to over 15,000 members. We now have about 4,300 members, with 85 Assemblies in thirty-five states.

Beautiful and impressive, the Beauceant’s ritual contains many lessons which are exemplified by a cadre of seventeen officers in the local Assemblies and nineteen officers in the Supreme Assembly. Our emblem which is the Cross and Crown and our crosses; The Passion, Patriarchal, and Salem; are the same as those used by the Commandery. As our ritualistic robes may not be worn outside the assembly hall, we adopted an informal dress for public use. Look for our distinctive black skirt, white blouse, and red jacket at the next Masonic function you attend. They will be worn by the ones lending a helping hand.

As the wives, widows, mothers, daughters, sisters, and grand-daughters of Knights Templar, we are the only ladies’ fraternal order whose eligibility is determined by membership in the Commandery. A new Assembly may be constituted wherever there is an active Commandery of Knights Templar of sufficient size to warrant it, and there are several interested eligible ladies.

One of the most basic landmarks of the order is the admonition to “cultivate the spirit of love for and loyalty to each other, and the Order of Knights Templar, and the reciprocal consideration due the order”. With that in mind, the Beauceant in 1957 adopted the Commandery’s Knights Templar Eye Foundation as their official charity. Since that time we have donated over one and a half million dollars to the Eye Foundation.

Today’s Beauceant is an order with a long history of support to the Commandery, one that has proven to be a source of pleasure and benefit both to us and to the Sir Knights. It is a history we are proud of and one we wish to maintain. Therefore, we continue to cheerfully fulfill requests to assist with entertainment and hospitality at any level of their organization.