The Travelers Protective Association of America is a fraternal benefit and service club in the United States.
In January 1882, a meeting was held by a small group of traveling salesmen at a hotel in Chicago to discuss forming a cooperative society to address the issues facing their profession.
Its original goals were to obtain special concessions from hotels, railroads and transportation agencies and advocated on behalf of their members if they had a grievance.
By 1890, however, the group was on the verge of financial collapse and felt that it could only remain active if it added an accident insurance benefit.
[6] The initiation ritual is simple and brief – the chairman of the post leads the members in prayer and reads a short discourse.