National Lodge

This collection documents the activities of various organizational levels found within the International Organization of Good Templars (I.O.G.T).  The records date from 1865 to 1979.  The materials are arranged in five series: International Lodge; National Lodge; Central States Lodge (Scandinavian Grand Lodge); Local Lodges; and Books and Memorabilia.  All materials related to the same lodge within the organization are housed together. ... Included in these materials are constitution/by-laws, correspondence, minutes, journals of proceedings and officer's reports, program booklets, periodical publications, and financial accounts.  Items in the fifth series relate indirectly to the entire organization and include books of ritual and degree, certificates, songbooks, photographs, Swedish and English publications, scrapbooks, and memorabilia. Because this collection was created by the Central States organization, the bulk of the materials relate to that unit.  Since Good Templar Lodges in the midwest were social centers for many Scandinavian immigrants, much of the earlier documentation is in the Swedish language. The addendum dates from 1884 to 2003 and consists of minutebooks, financial records, membership information, correspondence, programs, and newspaper articles.  The folders with the generic label of Central States Grand Lodge or the Jupiter Lodge are arranged chronologically and contain correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper articles, programs, and speeches. Researchers should note the existence of a major collection of I. O. G. T. materials in the Michigan Historical Collections at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  An inventory of Michigan's holdings is available: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhlead/umich-bhl-851519?cginame=findaid-idx;id=navbarbrowselink;subview=standard;view=reslist