The Knights of Pythias is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in North America, founded in 1864, and dedicated to universal peace and goodwill and the practice of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence. At our peak, the Knights of Pythias had several thousand lodges spread across every U.S. State and Canadian Province, with close to one million members. At last count, there were 624 lodges located in 44 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces.
Missouri membership peaked in the early 1900's when it was home to over 200 active lodges with more than 20,000 members. Like all fraternal organizations in North America membership dwindled over the years, but we are growing again. Click the 'History' button on the left for more info.
Kansas once had a large and active lodge base also, but we haven't been able to gather figures to post here. The membership in Kansas fell off so badly in the early 1960's that all their lodges folded and their Grand Lodge disbanded.
In 2001, the Missouri Grand Lodge voted to take the state of Kansas into our Domain. We have instituted new lodges in Topeka, Wichita and Anthony. (See the News page for more information.) Our goal is to establish enough new lodges in Kansas to be able to reinstate the Kansas Grand Lodge.
We have also formed a new lodge in Maumelle, Arkansas and one in the country of France! Both of these lodges are 'attached' to the Missouri/Kansas Domain, until they gain enough lodges and members to form their own Grand Lodges.
Do you possess the qualities of a Knight? If you are trustworthy, loyal, kind and brave, we want you! Find out what we are all about- use the E-Mail button to get more information on how you can be a Knight of Pythias.
Currently Missouri/Kansas has 13 lodges, known as Subordinate Lodges, including our "Home State Lodge" for displaced members. Our combined membership in Missouri/Kansas at present is approximately 300. Click the 'Lodges' button for info on our lodges.
Our Subordinate Lodges in Missouri and Kansas are governed by the Grand Lodge, officially known as The Grand Lodge, Knights of Pythias of Missouri. The Grand Lodge in turn, answers to the Supreme Lodge which governs the Pythian Order worldwide.
Friendship, Charity and Benevolence are the principles of the Pythian Order and we are pledged to practice these principles in our everyday lives. We are most proud of our charitable work- the number of organizations and individuals receiving aid from our lodges is impressive.
The Missouri Grand Lodge Archives are located at 10309 E. Truman Road in Independence, MO. Our Archives contain many items of historical interest, including journals of every Grand Lodge Convention since our formation, membership records of every active and inactive Lodge in the state, along with pictures, paraphernalia and curios passed on from defunct lodges.
We are constantly looking for old records and items of historical interest to the Pythian order. We are missing pictures of some of our Past Grand Chancellors, the charters and secretary minute books of many defunct lodges, membership records and old lodge paraphernalia.
If you have something we would be interested in, please send us an e-mail at KPInfo@MissouriPythians.org or give us a call at (816) 833-4577. The phones are answered noon to 10:00 pm on the weekends and during the day on Monday and Tuesday. If you miss us, our machine will take your message.
Check out the rest of our site by clicking on the links below or the buttons on the left side of your screen. News is updated bi-monthly.
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