SHELBY – The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), an international non-profit organization, was established in 1898 and first referred to as the Order of Good Things.
According to the organization’s website, the FOE was established to unite fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice and equality, as well as promote peace, prosperity, gladness and hope.
In total, there are more than 1,500 locations across the United States and Canada, including close to 800,000 members, it says on the FOE website.
The months of November and December are major fundraising months throughout the United States, widely referred to as Giving Season.
Furthermore, more than 30 percent of annual donations occur between Thanksgiving and the new year, according to the Assistance League, a national nonprofit organization.
Local FOE #763 wants to make a difference in the community
The Shelby Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) #763, 46 E. Main St., has made it a mission to participate in charitable giving year-round.
Steve Morris, who’s served as secretary for more than 20 years, said making a difference in the community is what the FOE has always been about.
“It’s not about a pat on the back,” Morris said. “It’s just trying to do the right thing. To leave it (community) all better than when we got it.”
The Shelby FOE #763 includes more than 500 members as of this year, when combining memberships from the all-male group and Ladies Auxiliary.
“We’ve always tried to benefit the community and the youth,” Morris said. “We have a slew of people and organizations that we donate to.”
Charitable donations go to several local organizations and causes
During an interview with Richland Source, Morris listed several examples of donation recipients, including the Shelby Community and Senior Center, YMCA of North Central Ohio – Shelby, and the Community Improvement Corporation amongst others.
Other charitable giving includes donations to Shelby City Schools athletic and extracurricular programs, as well as academic scholarships for graduating seniors.
Additionally, FOE #763 makes yearly donations to the Shelby Whippets Alumni Association.
Tom Armstrong, president of the alumni association and FOE #763 member, recalled a particular donation made to help upgrade the science labs in Shelby’s recently constructed PK-8 school building.
“We had a goal set for the money we wanted to raise,” Armstrong said. “I came to the Eagles and asked if they’d participate.”
Armstrong said the alumni association awarded FOE #763 with a small plaque of appreciation, expressing its gratitude.
“The Eagles is one of the reasons why Shelby is such a great place to live,” he said. “It’s just a place I’ve always felt like I’m welcome.”
Where does the money come from?
Morris said the funding that fuels donations comes from legal forms of gambling, including charitable gaming such as bingo.
“It’s as simple as that,” he said. “It (gambling revenue) has to be given away and that’s what we concentrate on.”
Morris said the Ladies Auxiliary is unique to the private club because the funding is separate from the money made at FOE #763.
“They don’t have the funding we (men’s club) do,” he said. “They do fundraisers throughout the year to earn the money, so they can do things for the community.”
FOE #763 Ladies Auxiliary raising the bar
Stephanie Guthrie, conductor of the Shelby Eagles Ladies Auxiliary, said there isn’t a better club to be a member of.
“If there is a club in town to be a member of, it should be the Eagles,” she said. “We take it seriously and we definitely want people to know we’re out here.”
Guthrie said the Ladies Auxiliary hosts holiday meals and community events, as well as organizing food drives and donating to sponsorships.
“The fact that the club is open 365 days is special,” she said. “So there’s not someone sitting at home lonely.”
Returning to normalcy following large structure fire downtown in August
Towards the end of August, a large structure fire burned the property connected to FOE #763 in downtown Shelby.
Morris said despite needing to replace the roof, carpeting and ceiling tiles due to smoke and water damage, the club was only closed to members for three days as a result of the blaze.
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“After two months, we’re done with it (repairs),” he said. “We wanted to get things back to normal as quickly as we could.”
A former firefighter of 25 years, Morris commended the response of the Shelby Fire Department and surrounding mutual aid, who fought the downtown blaze and prevented further destruction.
“They knocked it down so quick and had four departments here,” Morris said. “They did a phenomenal job.”
While gathered around a table at the club, Morris, Armstrong and Guthrie all agreed the FOE #763 looks forward to continuing its mission.
“We’re just trying to help take the burden off of everybody and help everybody,” Morris said.