PIN, FRATERNAL

Description: CONVENTION DELEGATES PIN, FOUR PIECES OF GOLD COLORED BRASS LINKED WITH SMALL COPPER COLORED WIRE LOOPS. TOP PIECE ENAMELED WITH RED, YELLOW AND BLUE BANNER WITH TWO SHIELDS ON EITHER SIDE MARKED “F,C,B.” TOP PIECE ALSO DEPICTS KNIGHTS HELMET BETWEEN HILTS OF TWO SWORDS, ALSO SHOWS “STATE HOUSE.” SECOND PIECE MARKED “C.F.P. CONYBEARE, ALBERTA.” THIRD PIECE MARKED “KP, BOSTON 1908,” “KP” IS ENAMELED WHITE, FOURTH PIECE HAS BLUE ENAMELED CIRCLE MARKED “SUPREME LODGE… CONVENTION.”

History: ACCORDING TO DONOR, CARLA SAMUELS (NEE CURRIE), AT THE TIME OF DONATION, SHE ACQUIRED THE PIN IN 1991 UPON THE PASSING OF HER FATHER WALTER CURRIE. DONOR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PIN'S EXISTENCE PRIOR TO HER OWNERSHIP OF IT. SAMUELS WAS UNABLE TO GAIN CONTEXT FROM HER MOTHER WITH REGARD TO HER FATHER'S ACQUISITION AND OWNERSHIP OF THE PIN. SAMUELS' FATHER WAS THE SECRETARY FOR THE KNIGHTS OF PHYTHIAS (KOP) LODGE FROM THE LATE 1960'S TO THE EARLY 1970'S. IT IS PRESUMED HE ACCUMULATED THE MATERIAL AS A RESULT OF HIS MEMBERSHIP WITH THE KOP. ITEM WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY C. F. P. CONYBEARE. ON JUNE 21, 1889, CONYBEARE, WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER LODGES OF THE KOP, SET FORTH A PETITION FOR THE INSTITUTION OF "ALBERTA LODGE NO. 5." THE LODGE WAS FOUNDED ON APRIL 16, 1890. THE KOP INSTITUTION WAS FOUNDED ON THE BASIS OF THREE IDEALS: FRIENDSHIP, CHARITY AND BENEVOLENCE. THE ORDER AIMED TO PROMOTE FIENDSHIP AMONG MEN, UNIVERSAL PEACE, AND RELIEF FROM SUFFERING. AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY THE LETHBRIDGE KOP IS THE PLACEMENT OF THE "CANADIAN CREED" IN SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT LETHBRIDGE. THE CREED WAS WRITTEN BY CONYBEARE. SEE P19850024000 FOR MORE HISTORY ON C.F.P. CONYBEARE. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION. SEE ARCHVES 19720072001, 19754226026, 19821006028, 199110764117, AND 199110764118 FOR MORE INFORMATION.