Moose FAQ

The Loyal Order of Moose (also referred to as LOOM) is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, with nearly 800,000 members in roughly 1,800 Lodges, in all 50 states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda.

Along with other units of Moose International, the Loyal Order of Moose supports the operation of Mooseheart Child City & School, a 1,000-acre community for children and teens in need, located 40 miles west of Chicago; and Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community for its members near Jacksonville, FL. Additionally, Moose Lodges conduct approximately $50 million worth of community service (counting monetary donations and volunteer hours worked) annually.

Additionally, the Loyal Order of Moose conducts numerous sports and recreational programs, in local Lodges and Family Centers in the majority of 44 State and Provincial Associations, and on a fraternity-wide basis.

Locally, the Sylvania, Ohio Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge #1579 was chartered on January 25, 1976 and has been active in supporting youth-oriented community programs ever since.

Dedicated members of the Loyal Order of Moose continually look for ways to provide even greater service to our children at Mooseheart and our senior members at Moosehaven. The Moose Legion provides a venue for these enthusiastic members to direct and lead special programs that accomplish this fraternal mission.

Moose Legionnaires come from all walks of life and occupations. They are leaders in their communities and they prevail in positions of responsibility and leadership within the Moose fraternity. Each Moose Legionnaire believes strongly in doing some good thing for someone each day.

That which we send into the lives of others comes back into our own in many ways. Lives change when we do this. Membership in the Degree of Service offers you additional opportunities to serve childhood and old age and opens the door to you and your family for theme parties, sporting events, community service projects, and other unique activities available only to members of the Moose Legion. Be the leader you want to be and can be!

Membership in the Moose Legion is the stepping stone to the Honorary Degrees of our Order - the Fellowship Degree of Honor and the Pilgrim Degree of Merit. Being called to receive these Honorary Degrees within the Loyal Order of Moose is only possible through recognized achievements in the Lodge and Moose Legion.

A member is eligible to apply for membership in the Moose Legion if he meets either of the following criteria:

• -   Completed six (6) months of Moose Lodge membership
• -   Sponsored one (1) member into the fraternity.

Simply complete and sign a Moose Legion Application and present it, along with the required fee and dues, to any Moose Legionnaire. He will endorse your application and start the membership process. The Moose Legion Secretary will verify your eligibility and process your application. You will then be notified as to the date, time and location of the next Moose Legion Conferral.

The Women of the Moose (also known as WOTM) originated as the Women of Mooseheart Legion in 1913. In the early years the group had little structure above the Chapter level. In 1926, Katherine Smith, the Director of Public Employment in the Department of Labor, was appointed the first "Grand Chancellor" of the Women of the Moose. Under her direction the WOTM grew to 250,000 members by the time of her retirement in 1964.

Local WOTM units are called "Chapters". Officials on the state level are given "Grand" designations and on the national level "Supreme" designations, ergo, "Supreme Secretary", "Grand Secretary" etc. Currently there are approximately 1,600 chapters in all 50 states and four Canadian provinces, with a membership of more than 400,000.