Official Declaration of Principles
Adopted by the Supreme Lodge, Knights of Pythias October 14, 1958

Pythian Knighthood had its conception in the exemplification of the life test of true friendship existing between Damon and Pythias.

Friendship, or mutual confidence, being the strongest bond of union between man and man, and only existing where honor has an abiding place, is adopted as a foundation principle.

As the ideal knight of olden time was the personification of all the higher and nobler attributes of man's nature, the candidate for knighthood had to prove himself worthy of acceptance by those who valued friendship, bravery, honor, justice and loyalty.

The Order of Knights of Pythias--founded On Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence, which it proclaims as its cardinal principles--strives to gather into one mighty fraternity worthy men who appreciate the true meaning of friendship; who are cautious in word and act; who love truth; who are brave in defending right; whose honor is untarnished; whose sense of justice will prevent, to the best of their ability, a personal act or word injurious to the worthy; whose loyalty to principle, to family, to friends, to their country and to the constituted authority under which they enjoy citizenship is undoubted; and who, at all times, are prepared to do unto others as they would request others should do unto them.

The Knights of Pythias is dedicated to the cause of universal peace and is pledged to the promotion of understanding among men of good will as the surest means of attaining it.

Brief History of the Order of Knights of Pythias

In studying the history of fraternal societies, we find that many of the claims of the ancient existence of various orders are based upon the existence of the principles and the discovery of certain signs and symbols, rather than the actual incorporation of those principles into a working lodge. While the Order of Knights of Pythias is generally known and regarded as a young North American order, it as not only renascent of the ennobling spirit of chivalry, the best sentiment of the past, but it goes beyond the middle ages for its sanction and its ordination. It emanates from and in the revival of many of the features of the Pythagorean Brotherhood, which flourished in southern Europe more than five hundred years before the birth of Christ.

Reviewing the history of the order chronologically, these are three important epochs for consideration.

1.The Pythagorean epoch

2. The Banim epoch

3. The Rathbone epoch

The Pythagorean Epoch:

Pythagoras was born about the year 582 BC, on the island of Samos, one of the most beautiful islands of the Aegean Sea. History states that his early years were given to assiduously to study that, even as a boy, his dignity and wisdom commanded the attention and respect of older minds, and many declared him to be of divine origin. Desiring to perfect himself as far as possible, he traveled extensively in search of knowledge. He spent twenty-two years in Egypt, where he acquired the secret of learning of the Egyptian priesthood, which stands out as the highest, the richest, the most venerable and the most powerful sect the world has ever known. It possessed the entire stock of traditional history, carefully written down, indexed and tabulated. Pythagoras also lived with the Arabians, the Phoenicians, the Magi of Persia, the Druids of Gaul, and the Brahmans of India, studied all of their learning, laws, religions, and secret society rites and ceremonies. Through years of study, he became admirably equipped for that which he accepted as his life work -- the giving to man that interest in life which appeared lacking; that philosophy of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence which we, as an order, profess today.

About the year 530 B. C., Pythagoras moved to Crotona, in southern Italy, and there founded the school of moral and religious thoughts known as the Pythagorean Brotherhood. This was an age of violence, rapine, plunder, licentiousness and superstition, when might was right, and naught but injustice reigned in the hearts of men, yet Pythagoras, whose great heart was filled with love for his fellowmen, contemplated with no mean pleasure the fruitage of a purpose for loftiest inspiration - a fraternal brotherhood of man. Few, indeed, there were to appreciate and encourage and opposed, but time, in its cycle of thousands of years, has vindicated the man and his purpose.

To become a member of the Pythagorean Brotherhood, certain very rigorous tests were demanded and applied, some of which are very similar to the ritualistic work of our Order today. The object of the society was the moral uplifting and purification of communities. Only those who were found worthy were admitted and initiated. Strict morality, absolute truthfulness, honor and integrity, were thoroughly inculcated in the minds of its membership. It was a a maxim of Pythagoras that the two most excellent things for man were, "to speak the truth and to render benefits to each other". The outstanding feature of the cult, however, was the marvelous friendships and loyalty which bound the brotherhood together with hoops of steel, which was so remarkably demonstrated in the incident which forms the historic basis of our order.

This is the order into which Damon and Pythias were initiated sometime around the year 412 BC
Some historians tell us that Damon was the soldier and Pythias the senator, and that in the drama from which the story in our ritual is taken, the names were reverse. Damon becoming the senator and Pythias the soldier. The names, however, are immaterial, the symbolism remains that these two friends actually existed and were members of Pythagorean Brotherhood.

The Banim Epoch:

John Banim, the Irish poet and dramatist, was born of humble parentage at Kilkenny, Ireland, April 3 AD 1798. At the age of six he gave evidence of his genius and his right to be enrolled as a "child wonder" by writing a fairy tale. His literary experience did not end with the writing of the fairy tale, however in his tenth year he produced two immense manuscript volumes and a number of poems, among them being one of a thousand lines, entitled. "Hibernia."

Early in his life he was stricken with spinal trouble, from which he never recovered. Most of his life was spent in pain and suffering, misery and woe, poverty and wretchedness. As the years rolled around his disease and pain advanced with more violence and tenacity until he became a hopeless cripple. Still he wrote on - even to the very last hour of his life he continued his literary efforts. During the period when he ran the gamut of earthly woes, he wrote twenty successful novels, five successful dramas, and at least triple their quantity of matter in periodicals no three pages of which, according to his own statement, were "penned free of bodily torture." Following his paroxysms of pain he was always cheerful and full of hope, his soul like a lark - always soaring - and had Omniscient wisdom spared his health as fully as it bestowed upon him energy of mind and ability, he would have been the Scot of Ireland indeed.

No one can read the history of his life, as written by his biographer, Patrick Joseph Murray, without acquiring a profound impression and sincere admiration of the man. His life, with its struggles, trials and achievements, furnishes abundant food for thought, especially as we apply his temperament and love to the meaning, mission, intent and purpose of our Order. His prophecy in a letter to his father, after he had completed the dramatization of "Damon and Pythias," is a valuable and significant heritage:

"I am slow to encourage in you or myself, sanguine hope of success; but a presentment
which I cannot force from me, says that this play will do and produce fame
and more tangible good."

" Damon and Pythias' was first produced at Covent Garden Theatre, London, England on the 28th day of May, 1821. It was a success from the start, and was repeated seven times during the remainder of the season, which closed August 7th. All of the London papers were unanimous in its praise.

The fulfillment of Banim's prophecy is evidenced by more than two and one-half millions of men who have been privileged to worship at the shrine of Pythian Knighthood, and by millions of people who have been entranced and enthralled by his delineation of the friendship of our immortal prototypes - Damon and Pythias.

In our teachings of the "love of home," was there ever an incident more pathetic, one which pulls the heartstrings of affection with greater force, than the last request of John Banim when he lay dying, his eyes turned with eloquent appeal toward his brother, his counsellor and strong arm through all adversities, "I have only one request now: Lay me so that I will be next to my mother, with my left side next to her;" which request was complied with.

From a Pythian standpoint there is little of particular moment in the last twenty years of the life of John Banim. In July 1842, he quietly passed away, and was buried in the little churchyard at Kilkenny, Ireland. And thus passed out of life one God's noblemen - a man among men. Thus he lies, with no stone to mark the spot; with no greater testimonial or monument than the admiration of the great order, to which he gave a pulse and a life in his drama - "Damon and Pythias".

The Rathbone Epoch:

During the years of the Civil War, when the ties which bound the United States together had been sundered in twain, and anger, hatred and revenge throughout the land, it was felt by all that some influence, outside of the purely political, was urgently needed to rekindle the brotherly sentiment which had been all but stamped out under the merciless heel of human passions, and it appeared that the church was impotent in its effort to bridge the gulf.

In this crisis, Justus H. Rathbone, realized the growing necessity of the moment. He knew that the spark of brotherly love kindled by the old Pythagorean Brotherhood, which had been so ably dramatized by John Banim, still burned deep down in the hearts of men; that the story of Damon and Pythias still had the power to quicken the pulse and to arouse in man the spirit of comradeship. He decided that, by fanning the spark into a flame, the old spirit could be revived under a new organization (as set forth in our Declaration of Principles), seeking to gather under one common banner, in a mighty fraternity, men who would thoroughly appreciate the true meaning of human friendship. With this object in view, he proposed the organization of a fraternity based on the glorious trinity of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence, and proclaiming "Peace on earth, good will toward men."

It seems almost providential that, under such circumstances, men would stop and listen to the dream of a clerk in one of the departments of the government in Washington, but listen they did, and the result the organization of our great humanitarian order, which had done so much toward bringing together the estranged portions of the country. Founded on the grandest principles known to man, it could not help but appeal to the hearts of men, and as a result the order had gone forward, spreading its influence for good, bringing sunshine, and gladness to hearts in gloom, rendering aid and assistance to those in need, until it has become one of the grandest benevolent institutions in the world.

Justus H. Rathbone was born in Deerfield, Oneida County, New York, October 29, 1839. His father was a distinguished jurist practicing in Utica, N.Y. His mother, Sarah Elizabeth Dwight, was a lineal descendent of the well-known Presbyterian divine, Jonathon Edwards, and a member of the justly famous Dwight family of New England.

Brother Rathbone was reared amid excellent home surroundings. He attended various schools in the vicinity of Utica, and graduated from Madison University, at Hamilton, N.Y. He developed early a fondness for music, sang well, and played a number of musical instruments. He was also a composer of no mean ability. One of his compositions, a Mazurka, was played at President Garfield's inaugural ball and received high praise among musicians. In addition to his musical attainments, he was a versatile writer, and possessed a great deal of dramatic ability. He was a great Shakespearean scholar and often took part in amateur plays.

In the fall of 1857, being in poor health, and acting on the advice of their family physician, Dr. McCall, of Utica, in company with Thomas W. Shapely, he started for the upper peninsula of Michigan, but lowing to the lateness of the season and the hard trip by boat, he remained in Detroit until the spring of 1858, when he went to Eagle Harbor, Michigan where he was engaged in teaching school for more than two years. While teaching school at Eagle Harbor he organized the Stevens Dramatic Society, and among other plays which were examined by him for productions was the well-known popular drama, "Damon and Pythias."

Brother Rathbone was so impressed with the story of Damon and Pythias, that he determined to do all in his power to induce men to follow their example. He said that the high type of friendship therein portrayed seemed to him to be the basis upon which a fraternal society could and should be established. It was while teaching school in the schoolhouse at Eagle Harbor, that Brother Rathbone wrote the ritual of our beloved order.

Brother Rathbone's father died in May 1861, which caused him to leave the Lake Superior country, never to return. Shortly after the funeral of his father he went to visit his sister at Germantown, PA., and while there he accepted employment as citizen nurse in the United States hospital at that place, which position he held until he enlisted and reported for duty in Washington, DC. From the time of his enlistment he was connected with various departments of the Government in Washington until March 26, 1889, when he resigned on account of ill health.

While Brother Rathbone was in the U.S. hospital at Germantown, PA, he became acquainted with Robert A. Champion to whom he read the ritual of our Order. Champion thought well of it, and said that when the proper time should arrive he would help him organize a lodge. Early in 1864 Brother Rathbone felt that that time had arrived to organize a lodge and on February 15, 1864, he called four of his friends together, took from his pocket a little Bible given to him by his mother, administered to them the obligation, and read to them the ritual which he had prepared in manuscript form. Four days later, on the 19th of February, 1864, in the city of Washington, DC, assisted by the four friends whom he had obligated on the 15th, Brother Rathbone instituted Washington Lodge No. 1, the first lodge of this order, with thirteen charter members, at which time his ritual was adopted with scarcely any change in context.

Brother Rathbone passed away on December 9, 1889, at Lima, Ohio, while on a lecture tour for the order, death resulting from a malignant carbuncle. He was buried with full Pythian honors in New Forest Cemetery, Utica, NY.

The next important step in the history of the order was the organization of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, on April 8, 1864.

After two preliminary meetings, the Supreme Lodge was organized on August 11, 1868.

Auxiliaries

Since the inception of the order, several departments and auxiliaries have been added to take care of the various demands for which there appeared to be an insistent call. In 1877 the Insurance Department was organized. The Military Department, commonly called the Uniform Rank, was officially recognized by the Supreme Lodge on November 1, 1878. The order of Pythias Sisters was founded by Joseph Addison Hill , October 23, 1888, and was officially recognized as an auxiliary of the order on August 24, 1914. The Princes of Syracuse was officially recognized as an auxiliary of the order on August 27, 1927. The Junior Order of Knights of Pythias, authorized in August 1960, was officially recognized as an auxiliary in August of 1962 and already has forty-five chapters organized with one Grand Chapter and another Grand Chapter seeking a charter. The Nomads of Avrudaka is an independent auxiliary of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorrassan. The Pythian Sunshine Girls is an independent auxiliary of the Pythian Sisters.

Principles and Purposes

The basic principles of the Order are Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence. The flag of the country and the Holy Bible have an important place in its ritualism.

All of its influences are for morality, education and obedience to law.

Its aim is to develop a more complete, sympathetic and responsive brotherhood.

It selects its members without prejudice or preferment; distinction of race and religion, occupation and profession are forgotten.

It is the foe of the outlaw, the anarchist, and the Bolshevist.

It is the enemy of every organization that seeks, stealthily and imperceptibly, to sap the foundations of the government. It inculcates patriotism and good citizenship.

It is not a religion. It is Christianity in every day life, stripped of cant, dogma and creed.

Benevolence

The order is a great mutual relief corporation, founded on the glorious doctrine of love and mercy. Its holy mission is to relieve the miseries of human life, to seek out distress, bind up wounds, assuage grief, feed the hungry, to minister to real wants. The charitable and benevolent features of the order are carried on quietly, without ostentation or display, hence the world at large has no conception of the great humanitarian work of the organization.

Three Pythian homes are maintained for aged members, wives, widows and children. All association of eleemosynary methods is eliminated. Those who go to these Homes, go, not to receive alms or charity, but to share the comforts which are their due because of membership in this great fraternity.

Fourteen grand domains have relief funds that amount to upwards of $1,000,000.00.

The Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan has an educational fund of half a million dollars which is steadily increasing.

The Supreme Lodge maintains a substantial relief fund, so that in case of calamity, money is available immediately. It is to the credit of the order that in all major disasters or calamities, it has been one of the first fraternal organizations on the ground to render aid and succor to those in distress. In addition to thousands of dollars worth of foodstuffs, clothing and supplies furnished, more than $7,000,000.00 have been expended by the Supreme Lodge for relief purposes.

During the time the Insurance Department existed as a department of the order, it paid out to beneficiaries of deceased pythians the sum of $66,683,898.36.

In addition, the American United Insurance Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, successor to our insurance department, continues to pay claims each year based on policies issued by the insurance department.

Up to December 31, 1963, there was expended for relief purposes, through the exchequers of the subordinate lodges, $87,757,651.89. This sum does not include the benefactions of Grand Lodges, amounts expended for the maintenance of Pythian Homes, by relief bureaus, nor donations for the multifarious undertakings of an altruistic nature for the communities in which the lodges are located, such as purchasing property for children's homes outside the order, homes built, cottages furnished, mortgages paid, playgrounds equipped, parks donated, crops harvested, clinics arranged for schools and for crippled children, innumerable Christmas trees and Thanksgiving Day baskets furnished, countless poor relived, chautauquas handled, entertainment given for orphans' homes, old peoples' homes, tuberculosis sanitatiorium, hospitals, etc., neither does it include the amounts expended by the Military Department, the Pythian Sisters, the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan, nor the amounts unstinted and bountifully poured forth by the membership for the relief of sufferers in cases of fire, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes or other disasters which have swept over portions of the country from time and time. If all of the expenditures of the order for the relief of mankind could be tabulated, they would pass the magnificent sum of a quarter of a billion dollars.

A Leader

The Order of Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal order to receive a charter from the United States Government under a special act of Congress.

It was the first to require that the flag of the country should be displayed and saluted in our castle halls.

It was the first to start to raise a fund for our soldiers and their dependents in the great World War.

It was the first to purchase Liberty Bonds.

It was the first to open its doors to boys eighteen years of age.

It was the first fraternal order to say that its ritual could be printed only in the English language.

It was the first to say that a saloon-keeper could not become a member.

What Pythianism Does

It promotes co-operation, friendship and good will.

It points the way to happiness through the path of service.

It makes benevolence, kindness, generosity and tolerance a reality.

It broadens views of the life by opening channels for contact with others.

It affords opportunity for true sociability and mutual helpfulness.

It molds character and makes real men.

It shows the young man the clean, honorable side of life.

It places home ties above everything.

It teaches that friendship is the most essential thing in every walk of life.

It teaches patriotism of the most exalted type.

It teaches its courtesy, kindness, natural sympathy and helpfulness in the trials and difficulties incident to human life; and the love of fair dealing between man and man.

It teaches its members to be interested in public affairs-national, state and local; to be eager for the social betterment of the communities in which we live; to be honorable and just in business; to be loyal to home and fireside; to respect the law of the land; to love our flag, and to uphold our government.

What the Order offers

It offers to all who will embrace its teachings, study its philosophy and heed its words of wisdom, the guarantee of a cleaner, better life.

It offers association with warm-hearted, red-blooded men, whose influence will lead to a higher plane of living and thinking.

If offers, particularly to young men, an opportunity to meet upon an equal footing the highest class of our citizenry, and to cultivate friendships which may be, and usually are, life-long.

It offers a liberal education to any man in the art of speaking in public and absorbing ideas as fine, expressed in words as beautiful, as were ever penned in the English language.

It offers, through its ritual, lessons so impressive that they will never be forgotten, and which may be of use in every transaction of life.

It offers unlimited opportunities for unselfish service to mankind.

It offers, at moderate cost, all that can be found in any fraternal organization.

It offers opportunity for fellowship between men of every known religious belief.

Finis

The accomplishments of the order during its existence mark an epoch of fraternal endeavor, the fruition of which has recorded in history the successful carrying forward of the splendor of its tenets-Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence.

The teachings and practices of the order have furnished the world with a mighty brotherhood, which has aided every movement for the promotion of education, loftier patriotism, better government, and in all things making for the happiness of the human family.

This order can and should become the greatest fraternal force in the country; favored as it is, with a birthright unequaled and unapproached by any society of its class, based on historical facts and truths, well organized and well equipped, appealing to the intelligence and patriotism of the people of this continent, possessing practical and elevating ceremonies, favored by a jurisprudence unequaled in the realm of fraternal government - why should it not become the greatest and most popular agency for the dissemination of practical fraternity?