RUMFORD – In 1905, the local paper mill was just getting going and people from many countries were flowing into town to go to work in it. Construction of St. John’s Catholic Church had started, and the economy was changing from agriculture to industry.
It was then that about five dozen men got together to form the 1,248th chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in what was the Cloverleaf Hotel on Rumford Avenue.
Now, 100 years later, the charitable organization has 1,072 members and donates more the $50,000 annually to local causes.
The centennial is being celebrated this weekend.
Leo Couture, longtime secretary for the local group, or aerie, said the organization originally started in Seattle by a group of theater people who named it the Order of the Good Fellows. That name soon changed to the Eagles because members wanted a symbol of power, said Dennis Arsenault, president of local club.
“Our main goal is to do charity work,” said Couture.
The motto, said Arsenault, is: “People helping people and having fun doing it.”
Membership has grown by about 300 during the past couple of years, said Couture, because of the variety of activities offered. Members can help raise funds, play cribbage, attend dances, bowl or play darts, among other things. The club has a bar, dance floor, banquet room and other facilities. Few restrictions apply for membership. Members must be reputable citizens, said Arsenault.
The Rumford club draws from Rangeley, Livermore Falls, Norway and elsewhere. The next-closest Eagles Club to Rumford is in Lewiston.
Besides supporting local scholarships, civic projects, churches, local food banks, Black Mountain, anti-drug programs and other causes, the local aerie supports national charities that support heart, Alzheimer’s, cancer, spinal cord and kidney research.
The club is one of 15 in Maine and 1,700 in the United States and Canada, said Couture.
For now, the local club is all men, with a 400-member women’s auxiliary.
Arsenault hopes to offer after-school movies for children, perhaps in the fall, and says building expansion will likely continue to take place. An expansion of nearly 1,000 square feet was recently completed, and Arsenault expects that a couple of the adjacent buildings will eventually be purchased and razed. A small portion of the original hotel building is still a part of the sprawling Eagles complex.
“We want to keep growing. When you stop, you stop getting better,” said Couture.
About 18 part-time and two full-time people are employed by the club.
The weekend’s events include music and other entertainment, a visit by Rep. Michael Michaud, casino day, and honoring past presidents and 50-year members on Saturday; and initiation of new members on Sunday. The grand secretary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Robert Wahls, will also speak during the birthday celebration. Events are open to members and their guests.
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