THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS COMPLETE MANUAL AND TEXT BOOK
Book Details + Condition: Momentum Publishing Co. (Canton, OH). Early printing, 1886. Hardcover. Octavo. 492 pages. Brown blind-stamped and decorated cloth with bright gilt titles to both front board and spine. Colored chromolithographic frontis, colored plates and numerous black & white illustrations, diagrams and portraits. Founded in 1864, the Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. The author, John van Valkenburg, was the first to publish a complete handbook outlining the entirety of the organization ideals, core values, membership, rituals, and most importantly iconic symbols of the society. The author emphasizes the value of friendship and camaraderie within the lodges, and provides examples of philanthropic duties to be carried out. This edition includes beautiful, colored figures of symbols, banners, and flags along with full-page sheet music scores of songs important to the Knights of Pythias. An overall firm and clean copy, with tight binding (inside spine cracked but firm); rubbed corners and spine ends; interior is clean and free of markings, save small stamp on front free endpaper.
