COF - Boy Rangers & Girl Rangers

The Catholic Order of Foresters was (and is) a fraternal benefit society - offering cost effective insurance to its members. Their Boy Rangers program was an off-shoot designed to enroll young boys (as early as 7) into the scout-like/sports program and their becoming active members in the Catholic Order of Foresters when they aged out of Boy Rangers at 16. 

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The juvenile division of the COF started in 1933, and was called Boy Rangers. At this time COF was male-only. All boys who were insured by the COF were called Boy Rangers.  When the "club" part of Boy Rangers started, with membership pins and ranks, isn't known. 

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A separate group, probably similar to an auxiliary, called the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters had a group called Girl Rangers.

In 1952, the COF began to admit women and girls, rendering the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters redundant. Soon, girls were allowed to join the "Rangers" program, which by now had dropped the "Boy" in their title and the program name became "Forest Rangers."

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There were 5 ranks to the Forest Rangers program; Hunter, Brave, Warrior, Scout & Chief.

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Catholic Order of Foresters   

Boy Rangers Pin, version 2

"Boy Rangers" on top banner

Catholic Order of Foresters   

 Rangers Pin, version 3

"Rangers" on bottom banner

Catholic Order of Foresters   

Pin, version 1

"Juvenile Dept" on top banner

Likely the first version offered

COF

Forest Rangers

Rank Pins

1) COF Forest Rangers Hunter Pin

2) COF Forest Rangers Brave Pin

3) COF Forest Rangers Warrior Pin

4) COF Forest Rangers Scout Pin

5) COF Forest Rangers Chief Pin

A rare and early mention of the Girl Rangers, prior to the merger of the WCOF & COF

Sports was prominent in the Boy Ranger program

Modern Forest Rangers COF patch

Ranger News, Volume 6, No. 1, March 1955, the official newsletter for the adults involved with Forest Rangers.

Name Change

For reasons not clear, in the 1950's, new members into the Catholic Order of Foresters Boy Rangers program were gifted a Star-Graph, the Foremost Educational Toy, from the Premium Toy Mfg. Co. of Chicago, IL. It was a toy that taught tracing technique of simple pictures and lettering. If the toy was sent to a boy too young to use it, a note inside said to just set it aside until the boy was old enough to use it. If the box arrived damaged, it was to be returned to the Premium Toy Mfg Co, not to the High Court of the COF. I have yet to find the reason for this tie-in.