The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-07-23 00:00:00

' ODD FELLOWS' DEIiONSTRLTION.

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The Odd Fellows' Anatol Demonetnrion took
Ilene on Monday, the 15th nun, and Weymouth
put on quite a holiday dress, sad Asp waved in
,the breeze from not:neons housetops, and strainers
were &Impended across the streets. The Great
^Western Railway brought in upwards of a 1,000
ezeurrimirta, and hundreds erne by the packets
from Portland, and in various kinds of vehielee from
other parte of the county. Burner was almost
wholly suspended, and the street, in every part of
of the town were thronged with spectators. sever
&ince the Great Eastern lay in our roadstead have
weren so large an assembly of persons in Weymouth.
Fortunately the weather, notwithstanding it.
Wreathing impact in the early part of the day, was all
that could be desired. Had the "weather prophet"
himself been consulted, a better day could not
possibly have been selected. Shortly before ten
o'bloclr the members of the Order of Odd Fellows of
the Manchester Unity, began to assemble at the
Great Eastern lodge, and about half past ten, a
precaution was formed in something like the
following order—

Ensign.
Two Tyler+ with drawn sword'.
Union Jack.
Four Members, in full costume;
Blandford Band.
Weymouth (ISth Dorset) Rifle Volunteer Drum and
Fite Band.
Dispensation of United Brothers Lodge.
Officers and Brethren of the Lodge.
Banner.
Dispensation of the Excelsior Lodge.
Officers and Brethren of the Lodge.
Banner.
Dispensation of the Great Eastern Lodge.
Officers and Brethren of the Lodge.
Officers and Brethren of the Hand-in-Hand Lodge,
Dorchester.
Ogoers and Brethren from Portland.
Banneret.
Dispensation of the Bud of Hope Lodge.
Offioers and Brethren.
Banner.
Dispensation of the Victoria Lodge, Wareham.
Officers and Brethren.
Banneret.
Officers and Brethren from Blandford and Wareham.
Banner.

°Seers and Br—eilTreli. from Devises.
Poole District Banner.
°Moen and Brethren.
Yeovil Salo Horn Band,
District °Ricers.
km, &c.

The regalia worn by the officers and brethren
looked exceedingly neat. The various symbols and
insignia of the Order borne by the members had a
happy effect. as the procession moved along in the
' most orderly manner through King-street and down
the Esplxnade and St. Thornas.street to Trinity
Church, where a large congregation assembled tor
religious worship. The sermon was preached by
the Rev. Dr. Cottle, who took for his text Eccle-
siastes iv., S to 11—" Two are better than one ;
became they have a good reward for their labours.
For if they fall, the one shell lift up his fellow;
but woe to him that is alone when he falleth ; for
be bath not another to lift him up. Again, if two
lie together, they shall have beat; but how can
one be warm alone?" After explaining the words
of his text, the Rev. Doctor applied the principle
they contained to societies like the one assemLled
together —mutually uniting to assist each other
against the time of sickness and adversity. No
objection could be raised to their assembling once a
year for the celebration of their anniversary, bat he
exhorted them so to conduct themselves that they
might at the close of the day ask Cod's bleating on
all they had said and done. At the close of the
service the members reformed, and after passing
through some of the principal streets in the same
order they had gone to church, they proceeded to
the field occupied by them on a similar occasion
last year, on the Dorchester road, where the after
proceedings of the day were carried on.
Odd Fellowship is now so well known, that any
renter:re we can offer would be but to reiterate
what has been a thousand times repeated.
The principles of the society are explained in
their mottos " Friendship. Love, Truth," "Faith
Hope, and Charity," and its objects are such as must
commend itself to every lover of his species to all—
who feel an interest in the well-being of the
el NM of men who form the sinews and muscle of society.
That such an association should, in many parts of our
county, meet with the aid and enjoy the presence
of the highest classes of society is by no means
surprising; and it it sincerely to be regretted that
there should be so few in Weytnouth belonging to
that class who, in this matter, have failed to learn
the words of the great teacher, to "Go thou and do
likewise."
Arrived in the field, the members and their friends
propee-ded to a spacious tent, where an excellent sold
collation had been provided for them by Host Curtain,
of the Great Eastern Lodge. The chair was taken by
J•ilin Timed, Esq., supported by R. N. Howard Esq.,
Drs, Moorhead, Tigard, and Coacher. We need
iidly state that after the exertions of the
the company did excellent justice to the good thing*
placed before them. After the cloth had been re-
moved, the Chairman gave encoessieely "The health of
Her Majesty, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and
the rest of the Royal Family," and "The Army and
Navy," were drunk with groat applause.
Mr. DoarioN returned thanks on behalf of the Navy,
Sergeant White on the part of the Army.
The next toast was "The Clergy," with which was
connected Mu health of Dr. Cottle, and thanks to him
for the excellent sermon he lied that day delivered
before the members of that society.
'the Cismanan next gave the toast of the day—
" Freeport, to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows"
In giving this toast he was placed in • somewhat
peculiar and difficult position, as he was not • member
of the order. He might say, however, that their
motives were good, the society being formed for the
parpose of. assisting each other at a time when peat-
unary assistance wag most needed. But a short time
since Odd Fellowship was, so to speak, almost unknown
to them, but now they had notate than 3 lodges in the
numbering 145 usembers,the
-town, the greet Eastern,
• *ebbe Lodp, founded upon the same prinaple,but hold.
ing its meetings away free' a public house, and thereby
doing away with an objection whici. mite worl, raised
eln,n4 the.. nnil the Unite i Brothers Lodge.
Lob of theiv two s ieieties wonl nn iiiinbt eventually
• naiiihM•na ina•i• ineni4ert as the Groat Eastern.
Three and lt,iiilred societiio to them conferred great
Mewling. not only mon the ineinhere thenueletw, in
proloeing habite of c!refalneea, frugality. and fare_
thooglit, hut upon society large. ittioinitt”h no Many
who. ir they were cot metnhere he• • • 'lent society,
would he compelled 'o .poly for 'wroth • relief. But a
tem, who wa. a in...ob-r of an 0.1 I Fellows' lodge had
no used tint ply ti pipe relieving iiNl•or n•rish ;he
hid • fuad tower Is which he lied oileeribed to tall back
°lwo in five of need, and chili he could claim as •
right, awl ant aupilicate for se c'.•rity. Miler the"
Old Fellow-hip WAS an institution
which" im'atly relieved the bunions of the ratepayers,
,
wHialt deserved the onuntenance and support of
every rat.vcrer in the errantry. Flail he heen • metiber
of the Or-her he well have. no been able to
expatiate inere at aro on Oa 1111•. IV eleelhoicie+, but as
II wx*. he w.till rely contel)k bin-elf with giving,
- with three thnei thre,,. the toitiit he had 11 mod.
Mater, one of the nil era from Breda!, acknOW.
lodged the compliment, and bore hie teetisserty to the

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morning,

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