The Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, a patriotic, non-sectarian, non-partisan, and philanthropic Canadian womens' organization was founded in Canada in 1900. In 1901 the Royal Edward Chapter was organized in Prince Edward Island. Growth in the number of primary chapters composed of a minimum membership of ten led to the forming of a Provincial Chapter in May of 1962 which could then answer questions previously referred to the national body. Involved in many areas of volunteer and charitable service, the I.O.D.E. has been particularly active in the fields of education, hospital and health care, citizenship, commonwealth relations, and national and international disasters. The Provincial Chapter has purchased equipment and supplies for Island hospitals, awarded educational bursaries, provided books and other materials for local schools, organized citizenship courts, and contributed funds and volunteer assistance for programs such as Anderson House, the Upper Room, the Red Cross, family services bureaus, etc. In 1992 the number of active chapters of the Provincial I.O.D.E. stood at nine.