Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-07
ODD FELLOWSHIP.

| ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Origin, Progress, objects and Presen
| Status of the Order-rheIr PabIiei
| tIOns-Their SENT Centennial Ami
Versary.
A few months less than fifty
| years ago april &c, 1919 Thomas
Wildey, the " father and founder O
| Odd Fellowship in America "brough-
about the organization of Washing
ton Lodge No. 1, l. o. o. F., at Bal
timore, Md. Prior to that tim,
several lodges of the Order wer,
started in other localities on thu
continent = Shakespeare Crane
Lodge having been founded in Thu
city as early as the year 1906, anC
met in a building located where
the Office Of the Commercial AdUer.
tiser now stands but the lodge:
that existed previous to 1919 did
not, for various reasons, prosper fol
any considerable length of time, sc
that it may be confidently stated
that the good seed of Odd Fellow.
| ship was planted in American
| ground by Father Wildey, as
above set forth.
The Order possessed "lOcal habit
alton and a name" in the Old World
for many years anterior to tho date
of its introduction upon the " est
ern hemisphere, but it was regard
ed century ago as a cOnviVial So
ciety Gndeed, all societies in the
'good old times" were conducted
pretty much on a spirit level,) al
though it was likewise benevolent
institution, operating, however,
without any definite system as to
aid or relief in eases of sickness
and distress.
Odd Fellowship is entitled to the
honor Of having taken the lead in
temperance reform in this country,
inasmuch as years before the Wash
ingtonian movement was started,
this Order adopted regulations for
bidding the use Of stimulating bev-
erages in lodge rooms, and stigma
tizing intemperance as a disgrace
full and ruinous habit. The ad-
vanced position thus taken by the
Order OF odd Fellows gave it a
favorable prestige, and rapidly did
it increase in numbers, respectable
ity, and influence. In 1880 the
Order had extended into six States
and the District of Columbia, com
prising total membership of over
5000. In 1910 there were lodges
in twenty -One States and Terrific
ries, with an aggregate member
ship of more than 1000; and in
1850 the organization had augment
ed to 10000 members, in 1850
subordinate lodges. The Order,
under the jurisdiction of the Grand
Lodge of the United States, now
numbers about 300, 900 contributing
members, comprised in 3, 300lodges,
and located in every State and Ter
ritory in the Union, in the Cana
dian dominion, in British Colum-
bia, in Australia, and the islands of
the Pacific Ocean. The rapid
growth of the Order throughout
the world is something remarkable,
the various branches of the frater-
nal family of Odd Fellows number
ing in the aggregate at least l ,OOO,-
600 men. The total revenue of the
Order in the New World during
the past year approximated s., $780,
900, and the disbursements in the
same time for relieving the wants
Of sick and needy brothers, burying
the dead, assisting the widow, and
educating the orphan, were not far
from 100000. The resources of
the Order are immense, probably
S50,000,O00; and many fine build
ings for lodge and encampment pur-
poses are owned by the brother
hood.
One incident, tending to show
the moral influence of the Order, is
that during our late civil war this
institution was the only one which
remained intact-masonry and the
churches of all denominations sece-
ceGed from each other-and when
the Grand Lodge Of the United
States met in Baltimore, at the close
of the rebellion, every State and
Territory was represented. 1t is
the only institution in the country
that has stood the test of time. Peo-
pie would have thought that in
South Carolina all the ties that
bound the people there to the Uni
ted States were severed, but, to their
eternal honor be it said, they al
waysrecOgnized the principal source
of power, and owned the authority
of the Grand Lodge of the United
States. When in Baltimore the
Wildey monument was inaugurated,
it was a grand spectacle to see the
men who were so lately seeking
each others lives, marching in the
procession, and all recognizing the
one word, Brother" This princi-
pie is really a power, and a mighty
power. A million OF men had been
in arms, and the fraternity survived
the shock.
Now, word about the objects
and operations of this organization
Its motto is, Friendship, Love and
Truth, " and its ministries are ''TC
visit the sick, relieve the distressed
bury the dead and educate the or
phan." That the Order practises
these things is shown by the large
amount expended in affording RELIEF
in a single year and it should be
borne in mind that this does not
comprehend the innumerable act;
Of beneVolence and brotherly kind
ness performed, which are treasured
in the heart, but do not effect the
treasury of the society. Every
member of the affiliation is entitled