Order of Alhambra: Difference between revisions
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==Structure== |
==Structure== |
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Members of the Order are known as Sir Nobles after undergoing a "qualifying ceremonial." <ref>http://www.orderalhambra.org/home.html</ref> Groups of members are known as [[Camel train|Carvans]] and are given a number, as well as a name of Moorish/Spanish origin (for example, one [[Detroit, Michigan]] caravan is known as [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] #77, a northwestern region of [[Spain]]). Every two years, representatives from each caravan meet in what is known as the [[Divan|Grand Divan]] to elect Supreme Officers to serve on the Council of [[Vizier|Viziers]] and address other issues affecting the Order. The Council of Viziers provides support to the Order between Grand Divans, and is headed by a Supreme Commander. |
Members of the Order are known as Sir Nobles after undergoing a "qualifying ceremonial." <ref>http://www.orderalhambra.org/home.html</ref> Groups of members are known as [[Camel train|Carvans]] and are given a number, as well as a name of Moorish/Spanish origin (for example, one [[Detroit, Michigan]] caravan is known as [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] #77, after a northwestern region of [[Spain]]). Every two years, representatives from each caravan meet in what is known as the [[Divan|Grand Divan]] to elect Supreme Officers to serve on the Council of [[Vizier|Viziers]] and address other issues affecting the Order. The Council of Viziers provides support to the Order between Grand Divans, and is headed by a Supreme Commander. |
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==Purposes and Works== |
==Purposes and Works== |
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Revision as of 21:08, 23 January 2010
Template:New unreviewed article
The International Order of Alhambra is a Catholic men's fraternal organization founded on February 29, 1904, in Brooklyn, New York, by William Harper Bennett. Since then it has spread throughout the United States and Canada, with plans to expand throughout the rest of the world.
Name
The Order derives its name from the Moorish palace in Granada, Spain of the same name. It was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain conquered by the forces of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1492. It was after the completion of the Reconquista that the Spanish monarchs decided to fund Christopher Columbus' initial voyage. Spanish, and arguably European, culture changed significantly with this change of leadership, especially since the Catholic religion became the dominant religion in the Iberian Peninsula. The significance of the conquest of the Alhambra in the spread and free practice of the Catholic faith, in Iberia and the Americas, greatly inspired the founder, much as Columbus himself has inspired the Knights of Columbus.
The Moorish origin of the Order's name carries over into the fez and insignia worn by members, the names of parts of the Order's structure, and the titles given to leaders.
Structure
Members of the Order are known as Sir Nobles after undergoing a "qualifying ceremonial." [1] Groups of members are known as Carvans and are given a number, as well as a name of Moorish/Spanish origin (for example, one Detroit, Michigan caravan is known as Galicia #77, after a northwestern region of Spain). Every two years, representatives from each caravan meet in what is known as the Grand Divan to elect Supreme Officers to serve on the Council of Viziers and address other issues affecting the Order. The Council of Viziers provides support to the Order between Grand Divans, and is headed by a Supreme Commander.
Purposes and Works
At the caravan level, members engage in a variety of charitable works, usually related to the needs of their region. At a national level, the Order of Alhambra is committed to 3 initiatives, namely undergraduate scholarships, memorials, and the Alhambra House Project.
Ever since its founding, a peculiar focus of the Order has been finding, documenting, and memorializing persons, places, and events of significant historical value to North American Catholicism (including the Order's namesake in Spain). Over 160 bronze plaques have been placed throughout the United States and Canada, mostly at places of worship.
Starting in 1993, the Order committed to establishing and maintaining group homes for developmentally disabled individuals. Houses are currently established in Virginia, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.