The Loyal Order of Moose was
founded by Dr Henry Wilson in Louisville, Kentucky in. April of 1888. As
with most new endeavors, the organization grew very slowly. By 1906 the
Moose consisted of only 2 Lodges and 246 members.
At this point in our history, a Welsh immigrant from Pennsylvania, James J.
Davis, joined our fraternity. Davis, who served as a United States Senator
and a Secretary of Labor under three presidents was appointed to lead the
Moose organization. He realized that for this small group of members to grow
and prosper they needed to establish some goals.
His first goal was to provide a place where dependent children of departed
Moose members could live, in a homelike atmosphere, where love, guidance and
education was of primary importance.. .thus the founding of Mooseheart.
In 1913 the "child city" was opened along the Fox River near Aurora,
Illinois. The "city of children" has expanded its admission policies and
improved its operations through the years and now stands on 1,200 acres with
over 100 buildings. Over 10,000 children have taken advantage of this Moose
protection to achieve a new beginning in life. Every Moose member becomes a
"foster parent" that helps make this home, a place of love and hope for the
children living there.
In the early twenties, it became evident to Davis
and others, that caring for children was not enough, but indeed, we must
also provide security and contentment to the senior members of our Order..
.thus the opening of Moosehaven |
The first twenty-two aged
members and their wives entered the "city of contentment" on November 22,
1922. This quiet atmosphere of comfort and convenience located near
Jacksonville, Florida, along the St. John’s River provides a sanctuary for
our senior members to enjoy their golden years with loved ones and friends
in a safe, secure and carefree environment.
With these two cornerstones in place, the "family
fraternity", as we know it today, has prospered.
The Loyal Order of Moose, at the local level, has
expanded its programs to include community service projects, family
activities, sports and a variety o other endeavors of equal importance. Our
Lodge and Chapters offer the opportunity for every member to become
involved, have fun and share the benefits of their Moose membership.
South Lake County Moose Lodge #1614, located at 17335
Hwy. 27 in Minneola, was established on July 17, 1983. We are proud to serve
our community. Some of our projects are as follows:
• Provide Thanksgiving dinner to area nursing homes. During November and
December our Santa Claus House travels to each city in South Lake County and
present gifts to the children.
• Provide needy family dinners for Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas.
• Provide rides to Gainesville Veterans Hospital.
• Many other activities too numerous too mention.
We invite you to visit our Lodge Home for your
inspection of our quarters in the hope that you may want to join in our many
rewarding endeavors. |
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