Amaranthus Grand Chapter of Nebraska Eastern Star (Omaha, Neb.) [RG4250.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG4250.AM:  Amaranthus Grand Chapter of Nebraska Eastern Star (Omaha, Neb.)



Records:  1921-1986, mostly 1950s-1970s

Omaha, Douglas County, Neb.:  African American women’s fraternal organization

Size:  4 reels of 35mm microfilm



BACKGROUND NOTE



Nebraska’s Amaranthus Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star was founded on Oct. 15, 1921 in Omaha, Nebraska.  The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is the women’s auxiliary of the Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.  The Amaranthus Grand Chapter, a black organization, was affiliated particularly with Prince Hall Masonry, the black arm of Free- masonry and was the thirty-third OES black Grand Chapter to form in the nation.  As Grand Chapter of the Nebraska Jurisdiction, it possessed judicial, legislative and executive power over subordinate chapters in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Grand Island, Alliance and South Sioux City.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of four reels of 35mm microfilm.  It has been arranged in two series:



1) the Amaranthus Grand Chapter; and  2) Subordinate chapters.  Items in Series 1 include correspondence, financial records, minutes, annual addresses, organizational histories and constitutions and by-laws.  Of special interest are transcripts of the oral history interviews of five chapter members.  Series 2 contains financial records, correspondence, minutes and charters.  There are materials from fifteen Nebraska OES chapters in this series, although the bulk of the material is from Shaffer Chapter #1 in Omaha.  For more information about Prince Hall Masonry and the OES, see Nebraska History (Spring 1995, Vol. 76).



(Acc.87-76; 1992.0487; 1993.0237)



DESCRIPTION



Series 1 – Amaranthus Grand Chapter



Historical Materials



Reel 1



Item 1:  The History of the Order of The Eastern Star Among Colored People

Item 4:  50th Anniversary of Amaranthus Grand Chapter, 1921-1971 History, 1921-1971

Proceedings of the Organization and First Annual Communication, Oct. 4-6, 1922

Item 5:  Book of Instruction of Eastern Star Chapters of Nebraska

Item 6:  Constituent Chapters



Constitution and By-laws



Reel 1



Item 1:  1921

Item 2:  1940

Item 3:  1970

Item 4:  undated



Oral Histories, 1986



Reel 1



Item 1:  Sister Viney Walker

Item 2:  Sister Susie Jones

Item 3:  Past Grand Matron Mattie G. Henry

Item 4:  Sister Ivory Johnson

Item 5:  Sister Dolores Brown



Proceedings of Annual Grand Communications



Reel 1



Vol. 1:  1916

Vol. 2:  1917

Vol. 3:  1920

Vol. 4:  1926-1928

Vol. 5:  1978

Vol. 6:  1980

Vol. 7:  1982

Vol. 8:  1983

Vol. 9:  1984

Vol. 10:  1976



Programs of Annual Sessions and Communications



Reel 1



Vol. 1:  1931

Vol. 2:  1932

Vol. 3:  1941

Vol. 4:  1943

Vol. 5:  1944

Vol. 6:  1951

Vol. 7:  1951

Vol. 8:  1952

Vol. 9:  1955

Vol. 10:  1957

Vol. 11:  1958

Vol. 12:  1959

Vol. 13:  1960

Vol. 14:  1961

Vol. 15:  1962

Vol. 16:  1963

Vol. 17:  1964

Vol. 18:  1965

Vol. 19:  1966

Vol. 20:  1967

Vol. 21:  1968

Vol. 22:  1969

Vol. 23:  1970

Vol. 24:  1971

Vol. 25:  1972

Vol. 26:  1973

Vol. 27:  1974

Vol. 28:  1976

Vol. 29:  1977

Vol. 30:  1978

Vol. 31:  1979

Vol. 32:  1980

Vol. 33:  1981

Vol. 34:  1982

Vol. 35:  1983

Vol. 36:  1984

Vol. 37:  1985

Vol. 38:  1986



Annual Address of Grand Patron



Reel 2



1940

1959-1960

1968-1969

1970-1971

1971-1972

1973-1974 (version 1)

1973-1974 (version 2)

1974-1975

1978



Correspondence



Reel 2



1962

1964

1965

1967

1968

1968 newsletter, Issue 1

1968 newsletter, Issue 2

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1980

1981

1982

1983

undated



Minute Books



Reel 2



Vol. 1:  1934-1941

Vol. 2:  1950-1961



Board Meeting Minutes



Reel 2



1985-1986



Financial Records



Reel 2



Grand Secretary’s reports



1971-1972

1974-1975

1975-1976

1976-1977

1977-1978

1979-1980

1980-1981

1982-1983

1983-1984

1984-1985



Treasurer’s reports



1971-1972

1977

1978

1984-1985

1986



Proposed budget



1981-1982



Jurisprudence Committee



Reel 2



Reports, letters, c. 1961-1972, undated



Youth’s Fraternity



Reel 2



Ritual and Constitution [3 items]

Second Annual Communication, 1978



Series 2 – Subordinate Chapters



Shaffer Chapter #1



Reel 3



Petition and charter, 1921



Constitution and by-laws

undated

undated (torn)

Item 5, 1954

Item 17, 1970

1968 (Nov. 13)

1978

Item 18, Nov. 6, 1968

undated



Cash receipt book (includes some minutes), 1954-1956



Minutes of meetings (all in one book)

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980



Reel 3



Financial records

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1956



Roster and beneficiaries

1949



Returns of Shaffer Chapter #1

1940

1950-1951

1952-1953



Quarterly relief and burial report

1940

1941

1946



Petitions for Degrees



Correspondence (miscellaneous)



Amaranth Chapter #3



Reel 3



Charter



Hiawatha Chapter #4



Reel 3



Charter

Photos, histories of members



Alliance Chapter #5



Reel 3



Chapter minutes

1950-1951

1954-1960



Financial records

1950-1960



Omaha Chapter #6



Reel 3



Charter

Program, fashion show



Ruth Chapter #9



Reel 3



Charters

List of members and dates

Photos

Correspondence



Sheba Chapter #10



Reel 3



Charter



Princess Oziel Chapter #11



Reel 3



Charter

By-laws

Minutes, c. 1931-1933

Yearbook, 1972

Correspondence



Queen Esther Chapter #12



Reel 3



Charter

Constitution and by-laws

Returns, 1954-1955

Quarterly relief reports

Correspondence



Adah Chapter #13



Reel 3



Charter



Electa Chapter #14



Reel 3



Charter

By-laws



Shiloh Chapter #15



Reel 4



Chapter minutes, 1952-1957



Deborah Chapter #17



Reel 4



Charter

Minutes, 1962-1984

Miscellaneous correspondence

Minutes, 1957-1962



Evening Star Chapter #18



Reel 4



Charter



Zaha Court #72 (Daughters of Isis)



Reel 4



Miscellaneous charters

Miscellaneous correspondence



Miscellany



Reel 4



By-laws, 1958

Memorial Service programs

Miscellaneous



 



AIP

kfk           12-02-1997



 



Subject headings:



Adah Chapter #13 (South Omaha, Neb.)

African Americans — Nebraska

Alliance Chapter #5 (Alliance, Neb.)

Amaranth Chapter #3 (Lincoln, Neb.)

Deborah Chapter #17 (Omaha, Neb.)

Electa Chapter #14 (Lincoln, Neb.)

Evening Star Chapter #18 (Grand Island, Neb.)

Fraternal organizations

Freemasonry

Hiawatha Chapter #4 (Omaha, Neb.)

Omaha Chapter #6 (Omaha, Neb.)

Oral history

Order of the Eastern Star

Princess Oziel Chapter #11 (Omaha, Neb.)

Queen Esther Chapter #12 (Omaha, Neb.)

Ruth Chapter #9 (Omaha, Neb.)

Shaffer Chapter #1 (Omaha, Neb.)

Sheba Chapter #10 (Omaha, Neb.)

Shiloh Chapter #15 (Hastings, Neb.)

Women — Societies and clubs

Zaha Court #72 (Daughters of Isis) (Omaha, Neb.)

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