The idea of starting a fraternal organization based on Ben-Hur had first been broached by D. W. Gerard and F. L. Snyder, both of Crawfordsville, Indiana.
[1] The popularity of Ben-Hur helped spread the order, and it gained members quickly in its early years.
[4] The Tribe spread quickly in its early years, and by 1897 it had a presence in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, California, Oregon and Washington state.
[6] The Tribe worked on a graded assessment program, whereby people who join the Order while between the ages of eighteen and twenty three were insured for a maximum of $3,000 and people who joined the Order between the ages of fifty four and sixty five had a maximum of $500.
Despite this men and women were supposedly admitted to membership upon terms of "absolute equality".
[5] In addition to these features, the Order kept a reserve fund, did not make assessments at death, had both southern and northern beneficiary divisions and required prospective members to take a medical exam.
The society also operated a monthly allowance program for eligible orphans from birth to eighteen.