Equitable Reserve Association

In the 1890's, the problem of insurance protection for the average citizen was one of deep concern for founder E. L. Barnes. He organized a grassroots group of nine professional businessmen in Neenah, WI, to form a fraternal insurance society. On August 17, 1897, with the required 500 members secured, a charter was granted by the state of Wisconsin. The name of the new society was Equitable Fraternal Union.

MERGERS

It merged with Fraternal Reserve Association (a fraternal society in Oshkosh, WI) on January 1, 1930, taking the name of Equitable Reserve Association.

In 1949, Germania Mutual Life Assurance of Wisconsin (a fraternal society) merged with Equitable Reserve Association, and in 1970 the Royal League of Berwyn, Illinois, also merged with the Association.

ASSEMBLIES THROUGH THE YEARS

Each Equitable Reserve Association client is a member of our organization and is invited to join one of our active local groups called Assemblies. Through these Assemblies, members volunteer their time and talent to help others in their local communities.

As you can see from the old photographs to the right, Assemblies have had a rich history of pageantry. Early members maintained rituals, such as uniformed drill teams, to promote a sense of commonality. Fraternal societies were important social structures for their membership. In addition to welfare, civic and patriotic activities, they held dinners, dances and picnics as well.

The classical Greek-style home office building still echoes its memories from its grand historic past - the gracious marble stairway where women glided up to the third floor ballroom in their long formal gowns, the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the dressing room where they powdered their noses between dances, the china dishes, the engraved silverware - a place where friends and neighbors met.

"You got to work with them and you got to know them. It was something that was wonderful to belong to," says long-time member Ruth Liska. Her grandfather purchased their first family policy in 1905.

Today, though our Assemblies have laid to rest much of the ritual of old, our members are just as dedicated to making the community a better place for them to raise their families. With a sensitivity to the busy lives our members lead, Assemblies plan both social and volunteer activities with family appeal. Fundamental understanding and cooperation between generations is encouraged through the opportunities offered.

TODAY

Equitable Reserve Association proudly grows, continuing the vision of our founders. Financially, it maintains the required legal reserves to guarantee fulfillment of all insurance contracts. Equitable Reserve Association meets the rigid solvency requirements of the state laws, and its invested assets are highly rated. However, we measure our success not solely on our highgrade investment portfolio and strong surplus position, but by the positive impact we have on our members' families and communities.