The New International Encyclopædia/Honor, Knights and Ladies of

HONOR, Knights and Ladies of. A fraternal benevolent society organized in Kentucky in 1877 for social and beneficial purposes. A distinguishing feature of this society is that men and women are admitted to membership on equal terms. The central authority is the supreme lodge, and the chief officer has the title of supreme protector. The Order has sixteen grand lodges and 1160 subordinate lodges, representing a total membership of 63,000. Since its organization it has dispensed benefits to the beneficiaries of deceased members to the amount of $19,000,000, and during the last fiscal year the disbursements for the same object amounted to $1,178,000.