Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-30


NoBLE GRAND AND ODO FELLOWS, LADIEs AND
GESTLENEx
We celebrate by the solemnitics Of to-day
the FOrtieth Anniversary of the establishment
in the United States Of America, Of the Inde-
pendent Order Of Odd Fellows.
It shall be my purpose at this time to relate,
as briefly AZ possible, the rise aud progress Of
the Independent Order in this country; TO
publicly declare the leading principles and OBJ
jccts Of Odd Fellowship; to state some of the
reasons which justify our separate existence,
and to show to the world that the institution
which VIC so much cherish instead Ofbeing in
any way an object Of jealousy and suspicion,
is really entitled to the confidence, respect and
encouragement Of oil.
In the instance Of . society 80 extensive as
ours, which has its affiliations in every State,
and IN almost every county and city Of the
cOnfcdcracy, which has gathered to its EN-
brace so numerous body Of- the young, the
cntcrpI,ing and the intelligent, and which
holds its consultations and performs It's work
in secret, il il proper that those who are not
Of us should enquire, and it is proper that we
should publicly declare, the purposes and ob.
jccts Of our institution, and tie principles
which govern US in the conduct Of our affairs.
And will here state IN the outset that there
has never been anything either in our princi.
pies or in our purposes over which the
veil Of sccrcSy has ever been thrown, and we
challenge the scrutiny Of the world to point
to anything worthy OfreprOach in the manner
in which We have carried out the designs of
our association.
] atm conscious thai what shall say to you
to day will be but an incomplete aad imper-
feet sketch of the many objects and doings OF
the brotherhood that shall add little even
10 the knowledge Of well informed men who
have never been inductcd into our mysteries,
or taken upon themselves our VOWS. Those
wh0 have desired information, have always
found it accessible The only matters with.
drawn from the public view, have been, the
manner Of our work within the Lodge rooms,
and the machinery by which We accomplish
and carry out the benevolent purposes Of our
association. ! shall not at this time attempt
to relate in detail what is known Of the earlier
history Of Odd Fellowship, but shall content
myself with giving brief outline of the rise
and progress Of that branch known as the In.
dependent Order Of Odd Fellows in the Uni.
ted States.
Forty years ago to day, viz on the goth
day Of April 1919, the first Lodge in the Uni
ted States was duly instituted in the city of
baltimore, and was called Washington Lodge
No. /. It's membership consisted Of only five
individuals Of whom Thomas Wildcy, since
known as the Father Of Odd Fellowship in
this country, was the presiding officer In
the same year Franklin Lodge No. 9, was duly
established alSO in the city Of Baltimore
From this time, for two or three years. Lodges
continued To be established at various points
within the United States upon the self insti
tuition principle, there being during that time
no recognized authority anywhere in the
l'nion which could be looked to, as having
, tho right to regulate aud supervise the dOingS
Of the Order.
In the year \. D. 1920, a charter had been
issued from the Duke Of York Lodge Manches-
ter Unity Independent Order Of Odd Fellows,
directed to Washington Lodge No. /. creating
that Lodge into n Grand I.Olgc, styled 1.-The
Grand IDOdge Of Maryland and Of the United
States Of .iulrrica, giving it authority to grant
diSPenSatiOns for the institution Of other Lod-
gcE- This power was granted to Washington
Lodge for the reason as expressed in the Char
ter that that was the first established on this
side the Atlantic. But it was soon found that
a subordinate or working Lodge could not
well or conveniently discharge the functions
Of Grand or Legislative Lodge Of the Order
So that on the 22nd Of February 1921, Wash.
ingtOn Lodge surrendered all its authority rs
a Grand Lodge into the hands Of the Past
(;rnnds Of Washington and franklin Lodges
baltimore. and the Past Grands Of said Lodges
then organized under said Charter rs "thc
Grand Lodge Of Maryland and Of the United
States" and in the same year granted Char
tcrS to Washington and franklin Lodges as
subordinate IAdges Of the Order. From thence
until April 1923 those two Lodges were the
only ones in the United States working in
connection, but on the 18th Of April 1928,
| Massachusetts, Lodge No. l, which had pre-.
vi"usly been self instituted, pctitioned the
Grand Lodge Of Maryland and Of the United
States for, and received Charter as . subOr.
dinatc Lodge, and also with the powers of q
Grand Lodge During the same year Char
ters were granted upon petition to the Past
(irahds Of Columbia Lodge No. ], Of New
York, and Pennsylvania Lodge No. ], of Phil
adclphia aS Grand Lodge Of said States respcc.
lively. Sai,l Lodges having been previously
organized like all the others in the first in.
stance, on the self institution principle.
| On the twenty second day Of February, 1924
it was proposed for the greater symetry of the
government, and to place all the Grand Lodges
Of the several States upon an equality, to sep
aratc from the Grand Lodge Of Maryland its
powers as Grand Lodge of the United States,
leaving it to exercise its jurisdiction over Ma.
ryland alone, and committee was appointe,l
to digest plan by which that design might be
carried into execution. On the fifteenth dav
Of April, 1924, the Grand Lodge of Maryland,
acting in that spirit Of fairness, Justice and
anxiety to advance the good OF the Order,
which charactcrtxes all sincere Odd Fellows,
unanimously adopted the report of tho COIN.
mittec recommending the proposed change.
the reasons for which arc set forth in their
preamble Us follows:
"Whereas, Il is expcdicnt in sound policy
that the Grand Lodges Of tho independent
Order Of Odd Fellows in the United States
should hold close adherence and regular
correspondence With each other, and it Is i'm.
psEatiye ip strict justice to render the several
Grand Lodges in the Union independent ot
each other, and equally represented in the
Grand Lodge Of the United States, either by
representatives o. proxies; and that it is in.
exPedient as well Is invidiOus that the Grand
Lodge Of Maryland and the Grand Lodge OI
the Daitnd States should act under the same
charter, and be presided over by the same
Grand Master whereby the Office Of Grand
Master would be ecOnfined to the State Of Ma.
ryland TO the preference Of one State, and pos,
SibIy to the injury 6f the whole, Therefore. '
&c. il was, among other things. WResolved,
Sd. That the Grand Charter Of Maryland and
Of the United States hc yested in thC Past
Grands Of the Grand Lodges Of the United
States, and that Maryland shall receive Grand
Charter from the same, and thereupou resign