The Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire The Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire is a non-denominational women's organization formed by primarily educated, middle-class English-speaking women who were loyal to Britain. IODE is a Canadian women's volunteer organization founded in 1900 to encourage public service and patriotism. Today's IODE is a national service organization which promotes projects in the areas of education, social service and citizenship. There are over 380 Chapters in as many towns across Canada. When there are more than eight chapters in an area, a Municipal Chapter is formed to assist in the co-ordination of projects and communication between those chapters. There is a Provincial Chapter for each province (except Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland) and territory. The National Chapter of Canada has offices in Toronto, Ontario The mission of IODE, a Canadian women's charitable organization, is to improve the quality of life for children, youth and those in need, through educational, social service and citizenship programs. More history. http://www.geocities.com/iodemarkham/IODEhistory.html