Emblems for Royal Crown Lodge No. 22, 1810/15. Sign, probably from an English lodge of the Odd Fellows, an international fraternal organisation founded to promote mutual aid, charity, and moral responsibility. The symbols include a heart in hand, denoting openness and sincerity, and an hourglass, suggesting life's transience. Latin inscription: 'Amicitia, Amor et Veritas', (Friendship, Love and Truth). Chartered groups developed in the United States beginning in 1819. While the English orders had long admitted black members, several American lodges broke away in 1842 to enforce white-only membership. The English continued issuing charters to African Americans, who built an influential network of inclusive Odd Fellows lodges.
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