About Us
WELCOME
On behalf of the Knights of Pythias, Grand Domain of North Carolina and in the spirit of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence you are invited to look at what our Domain has to offer.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Belong to an order that can make a difference in your Life and the lives of others. Your gift is greater when you can share it. Come join our journey. If you share our dreams and hopes for a better mankind then let us know and contact us for more information. We have several lodges in our State and perhaps one is in your area. Come Visit Us!
HISTORY OF KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Knights of Pythias was instituted in Washington, DC on February 19, 1864. This order was the First Fraternal Order to receive a charter from the United States Congress. This is truly an American Institution which brought order out of chaos after the War Between the States. We believe in a supreme being and uphold our country above all others. We have set aside personal differences and continue to work together for community, our state and nation. We have always been there for community and nation when disaster strikes since our founding.
FIRST LODGES
Knights of Pythias, Grand Domain of North Carolina was instituted December 21, 1871 in Wilmington, North Carolina by the Supreme Chancellor Commander Samuel Read. The first five lodges chartered were the following:
Stonewall Lodge #1 - Wilmington, NC
Clarendon Lodge #2 - Wilmington, NC
Germania Lodge #3 - Wilmington, NC
Centre Lodge #4 - Raleigh, NC
Cumberland Lodge #5 - Fayetteville, NC
NORTH CAROLINA GRAND LODGE
The Grand Lodge of North Carolina eventually grew to 280 Lodges within the State of North Carolina.
William Kennedy said of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, "The Grand Lodge of North Carolina has been singularly blessed, and while among its executives, there have been men of varying caliber and mental strength, yet all of them have been earnest and faithful servants. Among themselves, the North Carolina Pythians have been indeed, a happy family. Once, the writer was a 'stranger within their gates', and experienced a hospitality that knew no metes or bounds."
This statement is true today just as it was One Hundred Years ago- You will find no strangers among us.
Our Order is THE Leader in FIRST
FIRST: Fraternal order to receive charter from United States Government under special act of Congress
FIRST: Require that the US Flag be displayed and saluted in all our castle halls.
FIRST: Raising funds for our soldiers and dependents in the great World War (I)
FIRST: Purchase Liberty Bonds for our War cause.
FIRST: Open its doors to men eighteen years old
FIRST: Fraternal order to state that ritual could be printed only in the English language
Our order is a model of our founding father's concept of government. We are well organized and equipped, appealing to the intelligence and patriotism of its citizens, possessing practical and elevating ceremonies, favored by jurisprudence unequalled in the realm of fraternal government-why should it not become the greatest and most popular agency for dissemination of practical fraternity?