Ladies of the Orient

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{About|the women's appendant body to the Rebekahs|the similarly-named women's auxiliary associated with the Shriners|Shriners#Women's auxiliaries}}

{{Odd Fellowship}}

The Ladies of the Orient (L.O.T.O.) is a women's fraternal organization in the United States and Canada which had its origins as an appendant body to the Rebekahs. The first unit, Pioneer Zuanna No. 1 was founded in Syracuse, New York in 1915 by Emily Voorheis for the purpose of having a group dedicated to recreation and amusement as a pleasant diversion from the serious charitable work done by other groups to which the ladies already belonged.National Royal Zuanna Built by Vision of Syracuse Women Syracuse Herald Syracuse: August 13, 1925, p 4. It was first incorporated in New York in 1921 under the name "Supreme Royal Zuanna of the Mystic Degrees of Persecution and Purification Ladies of the Orient of United States and Canada."[https://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_INFORMATION?p_nameid=18594&p_corpid=16454&p_entity_name=%7A%75%61%6E%6E%61&p_name_type=%41&p_search_type=%43%4F%4E%54%41%49%4E%53&p_srch_results_page=0 NYS Supreme Royal Zuanna] NYS Department of State Division of Corporations Entity Information While it has a close relationship with the Odd Fellows appendant body known as the Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19830808&id=oKkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eUUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5222,1121067&hl=en Samaritans Begin Rome Convention] Rome News-Tribune Rome: August 8, 1983, p 1. it is not a true women’s auxiliary, but rather an independent organization founded entirely by women and requiring no affiliation with its men’s counterpart.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19310804&id=oVohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q4UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4318,3916772&hl=en Order of Samaritans, ‘Ladies of the Orient’ Open Annual Convention] Schenectady Gazette Schenectady: August 4, 1931, p 13. Local units of LOTO are referred to as "zuannas" and are presided over by a "Great Ashayhi."[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19360812&id=hBgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PYUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3501,4706917&hl=en Orient Women to Meet in City] Schenectady Gazette Schenectady: August 11, 1936, p 20. The basic regalia of the group is a white fez with a "Z" inside a triangle and crescent bearing a yellow tassel, though there are more advanced fez and tassel colors for higher-ranked members, such as a white fez with a purple tassel for Past Ashayhis.[http://fezmuseum.com/odd-fellows/ Ladies of the Orient (LOTO)] fezmuseum.com As with AMOS, the group has a particular charitable focus on Cognitive disabilities.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19740206&id=eworAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AJoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2041,2951471&hl=en State School Gets Dryers] Reading Eagle Reading: February 6, 1974, p 40.