The Gleaners were the first fraternal society incorporated under Act 119, a law regulating insurance passed by the Michigan legislature that year.
A newspaper man himself, Slocum published the group's first four-page newsletter that eventually became The Gleaner, a "large and influential farm journal".
[3] Initially, membership in the society was restricted to farmers, gardeners and related occupations in towns with fewer than 3,000 residents.
[4] By the 1970s, membership criteria expanded to include individuals of good moral character, over the age of sixteen who believed in a "Supreme Being, the Creator and Preserver of the Universe".
[8] The Gleaners had a structured ritual system consisting of four degrees: Initiatory, Adoption, Ruth, and Dramatic.
[9] In addition to providing insurance benefits, The Gleaners sponsor scholarships and volunteers at the Arbor level.