“It is well time to consider our status as Rosicrucians” opens this text, ourselves (as I asume) refering to the Golden Dawn.
A short text from Westcott speaking about the Rosicrucian history, dating it back to “Chaldean magi, Egyptian priests, […] Hermetists of Alexandria […] the Jewish Kabalists and […] Christian Kabalists”, in short, the western esoteric tradition. He regards the (probably mythical) Christian Rosencreutz from the early Rosicrucian texts (reviewed elsewhere) as the founder of the order.
Further you can read about some old and no-longer-existent and recent Rosicrucian orders from different parts of the world. Especially online a nice read.
Available online from the Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn page.