Knights of the Maccabees

Most active in the U.S. state of Michigan, the group's fraternal aspects took a backseat to providing low-cost insurance to members.

The motto of the Knights of Maccabees was the Latin phrase "Astra Castra Numen Lumen" which means "The stars my camp, the Deity my light".

A group of business men in Michigan, where the order had a number of members, endeavored to put the Maccabees on a sound financial basis.

To this end a "grand review" was held in Buffalo, New York in 1880 to reorganize the society, drawing up a new constitution and laws.

In 1881 a meeting of the two factions representatives met at Port Huron, Michigan, and they agreed to reconcile their differences.

A committee was appointed, chaired by Boynton, to draft a new constitution acceptable to both factions, and this was agreed to in February 1881.

The Great Camp of Michigan was incorporated in that state on June 11, 1881, which was considered the foundation date of the reorganized order.

At the Supreme Tent in July 1881 the Michigan delegates obtained an amendment to allow individual Great Camps to establish their own beneficiary programs, anticipating that the national organization would become defunct.

A "Supreme Review" conducted in 1958, the Macabees became a mutual life insurance company effective 1961, though still kept some fraternal features.

In 1941 the Maccabees gained control of the Michigan Union Life Association, furthering its transformation from a benefit society into a modern, legal-reserve insurance company.