What is a mutual aid society?

A mutual aid society, fraternity, friendly association or mutual aid society is usually a group, an organization or even a voluntary organization formed for the purpose of giving mutual assistance, aid, for example medical insurance for immediate relief from illness. Such associations and societies may not provide extended social service. But in most countries, such associations are generally governed by a board of management which meets periodically and decides on the services to be offered.

The members of such societies may be individuals who have signed up for the membership, organizations, public or private agencies or government departments. The main purpose of a society is to extend their help to each other in time of need. It might be voluntary or it might be obligatory. Usually, though not exclusively, this service is extended to people from ethnic, religious, linguistic or national backgrounds.

How do you become a member of a society? There is no formal initiation process. The fact that you want to get involved in a society does not mean that you have to go out and enrol yourself as a member. Anyone can simply take the initiative and mention that they want to help others. Once you have decided to make it a point to be part of such a society, it will be up to you to make the effort to join one.

Once you have signed-up, how do you get involved? You can attend regular meetings of the society in order to discuss issues and problems which affect the members of your community. By going to these meetings you will also be able to learn about the achievements and successes of other members. The society might also decide to hold activities and events that bring members together. These events can be used as platforms for community projects and activities.

What are some examples of mutual projects that you might be involved in? Interventions are often held where you play the role of mediator between two parties who are at loggerheads over something. You will then play the role of ‘remedy’ to help the parties come to an agreement. If you are in medicine, you might help patients who are in pain due to some physical ailment. In the social service realm you may be responsible for helping those who are stuck in long queues.

How do you find out more about what is a mutual aid society? To answer your question, you need to look into the possibility of going to one. If you do not know where one exists in your neighbourhood then you should ask your neighbour, your co-workers or friends if they know of any. If you find out through the grapevine then there is a good chance that the person to whom you are talking to knows a good deal about what is a mutual aid society. The internet also provides some interesting examples of such organizations.

What is a mutual aid society? Mutual aid is one way of helping and offering assistance to others in times of need. It is not charity or anything that says that you give when you want help. Rather, you voluntarily offer your help in return for something being done for you.

Now that you know what a mutual aid society is, you should make it a point to volunteer for such organizations where you can offer your help in return for something happening for someone else. You might be amazed at how much good the volunteer work does. If you want to go one, get in touch with a local aid society and volunteer today. There is no reason why you should not be able to help others today!