History of the Rebekah's
The pioneering story of women's empowerment, leadership, and fraternal equality within the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Discover how Rebekah lodges revolutionized women's participation in fraternal organizations, established a separate degree system for women, and created opportunities for female leadership decades before women gained broader social equality. Explore the founding, structure, principles, and enduring legacy of the Rebekah degree and its sister lodges.
Start Learning
History of the Rebekah Degree
The Rebekah degree represents one of the most significant achievements in women's fraternal history, providing the first formal avenue for women to participate equally in a major international fraternal organization.
Origins and Founding of the Rebekah Degree
From the earliest days of Odd Fellowship's establishment in America, women sought to participate in the fraternal movement alongside their husbands, brothers, and male relatives. Throughout the 19th century, wives of Odd Fellows members repeatedly petitioned their lodges for the ability to join, participate in ceremonies, and access the moral and social benefits that Odd Fellowship offered to men. However, the all-male structure of traditional Odd Fellows lodges created a significant barrier to women's participation.
In response to this persistent demand and recognizing the injustice of excluding half the population from fraternal benefits, the leaders of Odd Fellowship made the remarkable decision to create a separate and parallel degree system specifically for women. In 1851, the Rebekah degree was officially established, making Odd Fellowship one of the first major fraternal organizations in the world to formally include women as full members. This groundbreaking decision occurred more than seventy years before women gained the right to vote in the United States, making Rebekah lodges pioneers in women's equality and empowerment.
The naming of the degree itself carries symbolic significance. Rebekah was chosen from the biblical character—the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob—known for her wisdom, independence, and spiritual strength. This choice reflected the high regard in which Odd Fellowship leaders held female members and the ideals they hoped would characterize women's participation in the fraternity. The Rebekah degree was designed to be fully equivalent to the male Odd Fellows degree system, with comparable ceremonies, governance structures, and opportunities for advancement.
Women's Petitions
For decades, women sought admission to Odd Fellows lodges through petitions and requests. Male members generally supported their wives' participation, but the formal structure did not allow for women membership. This period saw growing recognition that excluding women from the fraternity limited its potential and contradicted its professed principles of universal brotherhood.
Rebekah Degree Created
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows officially establishes the Rebekah degree, creating a parallel female-led degree system with its own autonomous lodges, governance structures, and advancement opportunities. This revolutionary step made Odd Fellowship a pioneer in women's participation in fraternal organizations.
Growth of Rebekah Lodges
Rebekah lodges spread rapidly throughout North America and internationally. Within decades, thousands of Rebekah lodges were established, with hundreds of thousands of women members participating. Rebekah lodges became centers of community service and social engagement in towns and cities across the continent.
Major Charitable Initiatives
Rebekah lodges became recognized leaders in charitable work, founding hospitals, children's homes, care facilities, and scholarship programs. Rebekah members organized relief efforts during natural disasters, supported widows and orphans, and pioneered progressive social welfare initiatives.
Adapting to Social Change
Rebekah lodges adapted to changing social conditions while maintaining their core values. Many jurisdictions established co-ed lodges, allowing men and women to participate together, while preserving traditional gender-segregated lodges in areas where they remained vital. Rebekah members increasingly held positions of authority in the broader IOOF structure.
Modern Rebekah Movement
Today, Rebekah members continue their legacy of charitable service and fraternal fellowship. Modern Rebekah lodges focus on community engagement, youth development, health initiatives, and disaster relief. Rebekah women hold prominent positions throughout IOOF governance and lead significant charitable programs.
Structure and Organization
Rebekah lodges operate as autonomous organizations within the broader Odd Fellows structure, with their own governance, leadership, and charitable missions.
Organizational Hierarchy
Rebekah lodges maintain a parallel structure to Odd Fellows lodges but operate independently. Each Rebekah lodge is governed by elected officers including a Chief Sister, Vice Chief Sister, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and other positions. These officers are elected annually by lodge members and are responsible for conducting lodge business, conferring degrees, and organizing charitable activities.
At the jurisdictional level, Rebekah members elect a Rebekah Assembly or Rebekah State Grand Lodge, which represents member interests, coordinates inter-lodge activities, oversees ritual standardization, and manages charitable programs. Rebekah Assemblies maintain financial independence and control substantial resources dedicated to Rebekah charitable initiatives.
The National Rebekah Assembly represents Rebekah members internationally and coordinates with the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the IOOF. This structure ensures that Rebekah members maintain autonomous control over their affairs while remaining connected to the broader Odd Fellows movement.
Membership and Participation
- • Initiation: Women become Rebekah members through a formal initiation process into a Rebekah lodge, typically sponsored by a current member.
- • Degree Progression: Members progress through the three foundational degrees: Friendship, Love, and Truth, then advance to the Royal Purple degree.
- • Leadership Opportunities: Members can serve as lodge officers, committee members, charitable coordinators, and representatives to assemblies and national conventions.
- • Financial Autonomy: Rebekah lodges collect dues, manage their own budgets, and control resources dedicated to charitable work and member benefits.
- • Social Engagement: Lodges organize social events, educational seminars, and community service projects that strengthen member bonds and serve the broader community.
Principles and Values
Rebekah lodges uphold the foundational Odd Fellows principles while emphasizing women's leadership and empowerment.
Friendship
Rebekah lodges foster deep bonds of sisterhood among members. Friendship transcends social divisions and creates networks of support where women from diverse backgrounds form lasting connections based on shared values and mutual respect. This principle emphasizes the importance of loyal companionship and fraternal affection.
Love
Love in the Rebekah context encompasses compassion, charitable action, and genuine concern for the welfare of members and community. Rebekah members demonstrate love through service to others, support during times of hardship, and dedication to alleviating suffering and promoting human dignity.
Truth
Truth represents integrity, honesty, and moral courage. Rebekah members commit to living according to ethical principles, maintaining transparency in lodge affairs, and upholding the highest standards of personal conduct. This principle emphasizes the importance of truthfulness in all dealings.
Women's Empowerment
Rebekah lodges actively promote women's leadership, decision-making authority, and personal development. The degree system specifically teaches women's capability and worth, providing role models of female leadership and creating pathways for women to develop skills and exercise authority within their communities.
Charitable Service
Service to the broader community is fundamental to Rebekah identity. Lodges organize relief efforts, support vulnerable populations, and work to address social problems. This principle manifests in scholarship programs, care facilities, disaster relief, and direct assistance to those in need.
Sisterhood and Equality
Rebekah lodges affirm the equality of women and their right to full participation in fraternal life. Members are equal stakeholders in lodge governance, degree work, and decision-making. This principle reflects the progressive values that prompted Odd Fellowship to create the Rebekah degree more than 170 years ago.
Charitable Legacy and Modern Work
Rebekah lodges have established a remarkable record of charitable achievement, creating institutions and programs that serve vulnerable populations and strengthen communities.
Historical Charitable Initiatives
Throughout their history, Rebekah lodges have founded and supported numerous charitable institutions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rebekah members established orphanages, children's homes, and care facilities for widows and the elderly in many cities and towns. These institutions reflected Rebekah commitment to caring for the most vulnerable members of society and demonstrated women's capability to manage complex charitable operations.
Rebekah charitable work expanded significantly during the 20th century. Members organized hospital-based care, initiated scholarship programs for deserving students, and created support systems for military families. The Rebekah Relief Corps mobilized members during natural disasters and humanitarian crises, demonstrating that women could organize large-scale charitable responses comparable to any male-led organization.
Disaster Relief and Emergency Response
Rebekah lodges respond quickly to natural disasters, floods, fires, and humanitarian crises. Members organize fundraising, collect supplies, and provide direct assistance to affected communities. This rapid response capability has made Rebekah lodges recognized first responders in many regions during emergencies.
Youth Development Programs
Rebekah members support youth through scholarships, mentoring, and educational programs. Many lodges award annual scholarships to high school graduates and support youth activities including leadership training, service projects, and cultural enrichment.
Support for Vulnerable Populations
Rebekah lodges provide assistance to seniors, low-income families, and individuals facing hardship. Members organize meals programs, healthcare assistance, emergency financial support, and companionship services that address the practical needs of vulnerable community members.
Health and Wellness Initiatives
Rebekah members support health-related causes including hospital care facilities, mental health initiatives, and disease research. Many lodges partner with healthcare organizations to promote community wellness and provide health education programs.
The Royal Purple Degree
The highest honor within the Rebekah system, conferring advanced knowledge and recognizing exceptional service and moral development.
Significance and Purpose
The Royal Purple degree represents the pinnacle of Rebekah advancement and is considered one of the most beautiful and meaningful degrees in all of Odd Fellowship. This degree is conferred upon Rebekah members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to fraternal principles, significant service to their communities, and outstanding moral character. The Royal Purple degree is not automatically conferred but is earned through demonstrated dedication to Rebekah values.
The degree ceremonies associated with Royal Purple are elaborate and impressive, featuring symbolic teachings related to women's strength, wisdom, and spiritual significance. The purple color itself carries deep meaning—historically associated with royalty, dignity, and authority—reflecting the high regard in which the degree is held and the elevated status it confers upon recipients.
Royal Purple degree holders often serve as leaders within Rebekah lodges and the broader IOOF structure. These women become custodians of Rebekah traditions, mentors to newer members, and ambassadors representing the organization's values in their communities.
Royal Purple Degree Requirements and Leadership
- • Prerequisite Status: Members must have completed the three foundational degrees (Friendship, Love, and Truth) and typically demonstrate several years of active lodge participation.
- • Service Recognition: Candidates are selected based on their service to the lodge, charitable activities, moral standing, and potential to advance Rebekah principles.
- • Leadership Development: Royal Purple degree conferrals emphasize leadership development and prepare recipients for positions of authority within Rebekah organizations.
- • Ceremonial Excellence: The Royal Purple degree ceremony ranks among the most carefully preserved and traditionally conferred degrees in Odd Fellowship, maintaining its original beauty and meaning.
- • Organizational Role: Royal Purple degree holders participate in governing Rebekah assemblies, coordinate inter-lodge activities, and serve as representatives to IOOF functions and international conventions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the Rebekah degree, women's participation in Odd Fellowship, and the structure of Rebekah lodges.
Comments & Discussion
Have thoughts or questions about this topic? Share your feedback below. All comments are moderated to maintain a respectful community.