The National Haymakers' Association was a side degree[1] of the Improved Order of Red Men, similar perhaps to the Shriners within Freemasonry.
[2] Offices had titles like "Collector of Straws" and "Guard of the Barn Door", and candidates for initiation were styled "Tramps" and were overseen by a "Boss Driver".
The titles and terminology of the group included referring to its meeting place as a "Hayloft", its secretary as "Collector of the Straws" and treasurer as "Keeper of the Bundles".
However, as forage, hay is a vital component of the world's agricultural system, especially within the United States and at the time that this order flourished.
[5] 1912 is also the year that the Texas Haymakers' Association, apparently a purely agri-industry interest group, was founded.