Moose Legion

These Moose Legionnaires feel an increased level of pride in membership. Opportunities to be leaders and to provide additional support for the Order’s philanthropic causes in relation to Mooseheart & Moosehaven are recognized through involvement in this degree.

Each lodge is encouraged to organize Moose Legion Committees. These groups hold various functions for the social enjoyment of the local members. By so doing not only do the members enjoy their membership even more, but additional support is generated for the lodge itself.

Additionally, an area of lodge’s band together and unify efforts to form Moose Legion jurisdictions (sort of like a district). These jurisdictions then hold additional functions for members, set up by the boards of directors elected by the members. They raise significant funds for support of Moosehaven and Mooseheart as well as general support of the state and provincial associations and indeed the fraternity itself.

The Moose Legion is known as being the “Degree of Service” because of the many programs it supports. It is also possibly even better known as the “Fun Degree.” Our members do like to enjoy themselves! Our mission is: “To have fun while providing greater service to the Moose fraternity.” Our motto is: “To do some good thing for someone each day.”

Fellowship Degree

Membership is generally comprised of those who take an active role in building membership, serve on committees and volunteer their time and talents in service to Moose programs. Those who serve as Chairmen of various committees and as officers in the lodge, Moose Legion, district and associations are most often recognized and recommended for advancement.

November is Fellowship Honor month across the fraternity. The members of this degree are recognized for their services over the years through activities and programs. They also meet to discuss the possibility of recommending other Moose Legion members to be considered for the Fellowship Degree.

Recommendations are confidential until such time as the recommended Moose Legionnaire is selected and called by the Pilgrim Council to be conferred with the Degree of Honor. The opportunity to serve on the Lodge Fellowship Committee is one of the privileges of being a Fellow. This select group may meet as often as they like to socialize, raise funds for special projects or conduct other business beneficial to the Degree or to the Lodge.

The official regalia of a Fellow include a French-blue blazer featuring the Fellowship logo, coordinated necktie, white shirt, black trousers and black footwear. The regalia may be worn at any function of the Fraternity and is symbolic of the character and strength that these men have provided to the Moose fraternal structure.

A Fellow is someone who has been a leader and is now often an all-important mentor to newer members helping to guide them along a fraternal leadership path towards enhancing our existing programs. They continue to serve in various ways to keep their fraternal units strong, often through positive efforts in membership recruitment and retention.

Meet the SCMA’s newest Fellows raised up to the Fellowship Degree of Honor in Milwaukee at the 137th Annual Moose International Convention – Dennis Sheriff (left) from our Surfside Beach Lodge and John Fletcher (right) from the Beaufort Lodge.

Pilgrim Degree

It is a great honor to be recognized as a Pilgrim of the Fraternity. Only lodge members who have served their lodge, advanced to the Moose Legion, and volunteered further are considered for this degree. Generally, it is attained only by devoted members who have given many years of service to and for our program. They have volunteered to cook, clean, serve as an officer, mentored others, and been fraternal leaders along the way.

Like the Fellows, the Pilgrims are encouraged to meet and continue to perform good acts to assist our program at all levels of the fraternity. That includes helping to encourage and select good lodge officers, supporting programs of the districts and associations, and rendering what support they are able for our philanthropic cause of serving childhood and old aged.

The official regalia of a Pilgrim include a gold blazer featuring the Pilgrim logo, with coordinated necktie, white shirt, black trousers, and black footwear. It distinguishes them as men of meritorious service to the Fraternity. The degree remains with them for life, as long as both their Lodge and Moose Legion memberships remain in active status.

Congratulations to Frank Rendulic and Joe Estock. South Carolina’s newest Pilgrims raised to the Degree of Merit on June 1, 2024 in the House of God at Mooseheart.

Council of Higher Degrees

The Councils’ main responsibility and goal is to aid the Lodges, Chapters and Moose Legions in the retention of active dues paying members through personal contact. Our Council members run various social programs and do a fair amount of fund-raising as well. Support of Moose Charities initiatives and our fraternity in general is often very rewarding as done by these groups. After all, they are made up of past and current leaders who believe in our cause and know our needs and how to fulfill them.

Additionally, the Councils normally have an annual banquet and/or other events to honor those new degree holders who have advanced in the past year. These events recognize the individuals and offer a chance to publically thank them for their service among their peers. This in itself promotes benevolence and charity among all members.

As members of the Higher Degrees, these groups are generally in the forefront of support and promotion of Moose programs and lead the cause of fraternalism by example. These groups, at the Chapter, Lodge and Moose Legion level, may meet as often as desired to socialize, work towards building membership strength, raise funds for Moose Charities and help with various other fraternal endeavors.

The new Swamp Fox Council of Higher Degrees officers for 2025 are: Ron Comperchio (President), Cameron Forehand (Vice President), James Lambert (Chaplain); Don Adams (Sgt-at-Arms), Bob Pyle (Past President), and Carol Comperchio (Secretary/Treasurer).