Social Order of the Beauceant

The Social Order of the Beauceant was originally started at the suggestion of the Commandery in Denver, Colorado. Asked to host the 25th Triennial Conclave for the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar which was to be held in their city in August 1892, the Sir Knights felt with only one Commandery and a membership of just over 300 they needed help. Their wives agreed to supply the help.

At the first official meeting which was held in February 1890, the ladies adopted the name “Some of Our Business Society” and a brief ritual. The S.O.O.B. was organized solely for the purpose of providing aid and sociability for the Sir Knights and ladies who would attend the Triennial. The ladies so enjoyed the work that they never disbanded, but instead continued operating for the purpose of “making life purer, better and sweeter for others”.

The Society remained a small, loyal, local band of ladies, doing good, and assisting their Sir Knights until the 1913 Triennial when they decided to take action to expand. It was then that the first members from other cities were initiated. At that same time, a decision was made to change their name to something more appropriate to Templary while retaining the initials S.O.O.B. Derived from a banner used by the ancient Templars, the “Social Order of the Beauceant” was the result. From that small start, the order expanded to over 15,000 members. There are now 44 Assemblies in twenty nine states.

Beautiful and impressive, the Beauceant’s ritual contains many lessons which are exemplified by a cadre of seventeen officers in the local Assemblies and nineteen officers in the Supreme Assembly.

Eligibility to Membership – wives, widows, mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters of Knights Templar of United States of America, or mothers, sisters, daughters, and granddaughters of a member, who are, or were at time of decease in good standing in a Commandery or an Assembly are eligible to membership. A petitioner must be at least 18 years of age at the time of petitioning.

One of the most basic landmarks of the order is the admonition to “cultivate the spirit of love for and loyalty to each other, and the Order of Knights Templar, and the reciprocal consideration due the order”. With that in mind, the Beauceant in 1957 adopted the Commandery’s Knights Templar Eye Foundation as their official charity. Since that time they have donated over one and a half million dollars to the Eye Foundation.

Today’s Beauceant is an order with a long history of support to the Commandery, one that has proven to be a source of pleasure and benefit both to them and to the Sir Knights. It is a history they are proud of and one they wish to maintain. Therefore, they continue to cheerfully fulfill requests to assist with entertainment and hospitality at any level of their organization.