Devin Thomas O'Shea

“In the early nineteenth century, collectively sponsored education was just one of the powerful services provided in Freemasonry; other perks included property and travelers’ insurance. A collection of local Masons formed a financial professional network complete with a built-in small claims court, and their financial leverage was considerable: Even a medium-sized lodge could exercise a significant boycott force. Most importantly, a Masonic lodge was a boys’ club, a social space. Masonic colleges were run for the benefit of the children of deceased Masons, as well as, oddly, any child named “Mason.” All members of the Missouri Freemasons paid a small per capita tax to fund this orphan education program,”
― Devin Thomas O'Shea, The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis