Honorable Order of the Blue Goose , International is a fraternal and charitable organization of men and women that work in the insurance industry . The 1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred on April 18 , sending shock waves through the insurance industry , threatening to destroy its entire existence . With this gloom hanging over the industry , the group was founded as a one-time joke to initiate three new unsuspecting insurance fieldmen into a fake lodge , the '' Ancient and Honorable Order of the Blue Goose '' , during the Wisconsin Fieldmen 's Meeting on the evening of June 19 , 1906 , at the Oakwood Hotel in Green Lake , Wisconsin , United States . The " fake lodge " soon grew to have thousands of members throughout the United States and Canada . International Headquarters are maintained near Milwaukee , Wisconsin , United States at the '' Wisconsin Home Nest ''
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International