American Fraternal Alliance

The American Fraternal Alliance (AFA) is an umbrella group of fraternal orders in the United States. It was founded as the National Fraternal Congress of America in 1913, in Chicago and adopted its current name in 2011.

History
The origins of the AFA go back to November 17, 1886, when a congress of sixteen fraternal orders representing 535,000 members met in Washington, DC. The original meeting was called by the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the pioneer fraternal insurance society, to establish uniform insurance legislation in all states. The meeting formed a permanent organization, the National Fraternal Congress (NFC).

On March 21, 1901, several fraternal orders created the rival Associated Fraternities of America in Chicago. It was created "as a protest against the workings" of the NFC. The two groups re-merged in 1913 as the National Fraternal Congress of America.

Another group the competed with the NFC for a time was the American Fraternal Congress, which was organized in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898. This group differed from the NFC in that it only allowed orders that had adopted the legal reserve system to be members.

The NFC adopted a Uniform Bill for state insurance regulations in 1893. In 1910, with the assistance of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners – it promulgated the Mobile bill, which was modified in 1912 as the New York Conference bill. It also created a mortality table in 1899.

Publications
The NFC published a magazine, Fraternal Monitor and an annual Statistics, Fraternal Societies.

Membership
The current members of the AFA include:


 * Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons
 * American Mutual Life Association
 * Association of the Sons of Poland
 * Baptist Life Association
 * Catholic Association of Foresters
 * Catholic Family Fraternal of the State of Texas (KJZT)
 * Catholic Financial Life
 * Catholic Holy Family Society
 * Catholic Ladies of Columbia
 * Catholic Life Insurance
 * Catholic Order of Foresters
 * Catholic Union of Texas, The KJT
 * Catholic United Financial
 * Croatian Fraternal Union of America
 * CSA Fraternal Life
 * Degree of Honor Protective Association
 * Employes Mutual Benefit Association
 * Everence Association, Inc.
 * First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association of the USA
 * First Catholic Slovak Union of the USA and Canada
 * GBU Financial Life
 * Gleaner Life Insurance Society
 * Grand Court Order of Calanthe
 * Greek Catholic Union of the USA (GCU)
 * Independent Order of Foresters
 * Knights of Columbus
 * Knights of Peter Claver, Inc.
 * KSKJ Life, American Slovenian Catholic Union
 * Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union
 * Loyal Christian Benefit Association (LCBA)
 * Luso-American Life Insurance Society
 * Modern Woodmen of America
 * National Catholic Society of Foresters
 * National Mutual Benefit
 * National Slovak Society
 * Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas
 * Order of United Commercial Travelers of America
 * Police and Firemen’s Insurance Association
 * Polish Falcons of America
 * Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America
 * Polish National Union of America
 * Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
 * Polish Union of the United States of North America
 * Portuguese Fraternal Society of America
 * Providence Association of Ukrainian Catholics in America
 * Royal Neighbors of America
 * Russian Brotherhood Organization of the USA
 * Serb National Federation
 * Slovak Catholic Sokol
 * Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of the USA
 * Slovene National Benefit Society
 * Sons of Norway
 * SPJST
 * Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum
 * Thrivent
 * Ukrainian National Association, Inc.
 * United Transportation Union Insurance Association
 * Western Catholic Union
 * Western Fraternal Life Association
 * Woman’s Life Insurance Society
 * Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association
 * Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society
 * WSA Fraternal Life

And in Canada:


 * ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society
 * Grand Orange Lodge of British America Benefit Fund
 * Independent Order of Foresters
 * Knights of Columbus
 * Order of United Commercial Travelers of America
 * Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association
 * Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum
 * Teachers Life Insurance Society
 * Toronto Police Widows and Orphans Fund
 * Ukrainian Fraternal Society of Canada