TigersGrand Lodge

A private, member-based social and fraternal organization.

Become an Affiliate Lodge

Bring a Tigers Affiliate Lodge to your community

Community leaders and hosts may apply to have a location approved as an Affiliate Lodge within the Fraternal Order of Tigers.

Start Preliminary Questionnaire

The preliminary questionnaire is the starting point for every prospective location. Submitting it is a request for consideration only. It does not create an Affiliate Lodge, and it is not an approval, license, affiliation or statement of legal or tax status.

The arrangement

You provide the gathering place. The Grand Lodge provides the system.

Grand Lodge provides

  • Central membership system
  • Approved branding
  • Operating standards
  • Training
  • Policies and procedures
  • Reporting systems
  • Compliance framework
  • Ongoing compliance support
  • Ongoing Lodge support

Affiliate Lodge provides

  • A suitable, approved gathering place
  • Required licenses and permissions
  • Insurance
  • Trained people at the location
  • Compliance contacts
  • Adherence to Grand Lodge standards

Ongoing compliance support

You are not left to figure it out alone

The Grand Lodge works alongside each Affiliate Lodge on an ongoing basis, providing standards, training, recordkeeping systems, periodic reviews and guidance so the location can keep meeting Grand Lodge requirements as they develop. This support is organizational assistance under the written agreement with the Grand Lodge. It is not legal, tax, licensing or regulatory advice, and each Affiliate Lodge remains responsible for its own obligations.

  • Published standards, policies and procedures, kept current by the Grand Lodge.
  • Onboarding and refresher training for the people responsible at the location.
  • Centralized recordkeeping, reporting tools and document tracking in the portal.
  • Review of proposed events, materials and public content before publication.
  • Periodic check-ins and reviews, with guidance when standards or requirements change.
  • A Grand Lodge contact for questions that come up between reviews.

The process

The Affiliate Lodge journey

One sequential path with one starting point. The full inquiry follows preliminary review and is issued by invitation.

  1. 1

    Learn about the program

    Read what an Affiliate Lodge is and what the Grand Lodge provides.

  2. 2

    Review how affiliation works

    Understand the responsibilities held by the Grand Lodge and by the Affiliate Lodge location.

  3. 3

    Review qualification criteria

    Compare the proposed location, premises, licensing and suitability against the published criteria.

  4. 4

    Complete the preliminary questionnaire

    The single starting point. A short form covering contacts, the proposed location and initial disclosures.

  5. 5

    Preliminary review

    The Grand Lodge reviews the questionnaire and may request additional information.

  6. 6

    Invitation to the full inquiry

    If the Grand Lodge chooses to proceed, it invites the applicant to complete the full inquiry. The full inquiry is available by invitation only.

  7. 7

    Portal access

    Advancing applicants are issued portal access by the Grand Lodge.

  8. 8

    Diligence, agreements, training and onboarding

    The applicant supplies diligence materials and completes agreements, training and location preparation.

  9. 9

    Activation decision

    The Grand Lodge decides whether to activate the location as an Affiliate Lodge.

Reaching or completing any stage does not guarantee advancement to the next. The Grand Lodge decides each stage at its discretion and makes no promise of approval, licensing, legality, tax treatment or affiliation.

Start Preliminary Questionnaire

Status language

How the Grand Lodge reports progress

Every application carries one of these statuses. A status describes where a file stands today; it does not indicate what the Grand Lodge will decide next.

Submitted
The questionnaire has been received by the Grand Lodge.
Under preliminary review
The Grand Lodge is reviewing the questionnaire.
Additional information requested
The Grand Lodge has asked the applicant for more detail.
Invited to full inquiry
The Grand Lodge has issued an invitation to complete the full inquiry.
Full inquiry in progress
The applicant is completing the full inquiry.
Due diligence
Business, ownership, premises, licensing, insurance and compliance review.
Agreements and training
Written agreements, training and location preparation.
Approved for activation
The Grand Lodge has approved the location for activation.
Declined
The Grand Lodge has decided not to proceed.
Withdrawn
The applicant has withdrawn from the process.

Turnkey materials for approved locations

Approved Affiliate Lodges receive standardized materials from the Grand Lodge. All branding and public messaging remains under Grand Lodge ownership and control.

Signage & environment

Produced and supplied by the Grand Lodge. Artwork is locked.

Print membership kit

Prospect-facing materials using approved boilerplate only.

Digital & social

Fixed layouts. Lodges supply text; the Grand Lodge approves it.

Event & promotional

For approved events only. Submit through the member portal.

The full material library is issued to approved Affiliate Lodges inside the Affiliate Lodge portal.

What an Affiliate Lodge is not

  • The designation does not create a separate Tigers organization.
  • May not claim separate Tigers nonprofit or tax-exempt status.
  • Not an owner or licensor of the Tigers name, emblem or materials.
  • Not permitted to modify branding or public messaging without written Grand Lodge approval.
  • Not permitted to maintain a separate website. Each approved location receives a standard page within the Grand Lodge website.