The Van Buren press., 1872-01-30
ADDRESS Z:
BROTHER OrFIcEKs ELECT :

You are now fully Installed into your
rasnertiye Offices. and o, t"N'E prs %Ne'
and qualified to discharge the dnues IN
cident TO your respective positions, from
the nresent time. until the expiration OF
the torn, and until your successors are
duly elected and qualified, this Lodge
will be under vour management and con
troi and upon YOU will dcvolYe the re-
sponsibility OF administering the laws OF
our Ordsr OF guarding the principles oil
our Fraternity of explaining the objects
Of our insttuti0n, and OF governing the
Lodge in accordance and in harmony
with those laws, principles and objects
The positions to which you have been
chosen, have been bestowed, because
Of the confidence, entertained by your
brethren, of your ability to fill them, and
because they feel, that YOU have high
appreciation Of their respective duties,
In entering then, upon the discharge Of
these duties, you should do so, and !
have no doubt but that you do) with a
high regard for the compliment, that you
have received, and with determination,
that the confidence reposed in you, shall
be merlted.
And while we all feel, that the admin
istration Of our affairs. under your man
agement, will be such as to reflect credit
upon yourselves, and upon our Lodge ;
and that no instruction, either as to your
responsibilities or 80 your duties, is, at
tho present time, necessary still it.may
not be amiss, to take advantage Of the
present occasion, for the purpose Of re.
viewing, and recalling TO your minds,the
principles and objects OF our Fraternity.
Of learning better your duties, and what
should be your department as members
Of it, and thereby he 6sttsr enabled, TO
fulhl the trust, conlded to your care.
TO a good and energetic man, who will
make proper use of the facilities, our
Order affords for selfimproyement and
well doing, its means aud advantages are
30 numerous and its agencies 50 far
reaching, that my Ian Zvage may appear
faint and cold, compared with the reality {,
and to those who fail to make use of the
means at their command, they arc entire.
Is bayond their comprehension.
dd-Felowship Is not simply the re-
gala or decorations Of its officers and
members. nor the banners and decora-
tons Of its Lodge rooms. These OF
course have their meanings and uses, but
they are not Odd Fellowship. YAeg arc
proper, and should be used and valued,
for their teachings but they could all he
changed or dispensed with, and Odd
Fellowship would still remain.
Neither is it, its form fgovernment,f FOR
that has gone through great and almost
total changes, (and may be as greatly
changed again, and yet Odd Fellowship
Surripes, essenhaHy the same as ersr, in its
priacipl1 And it is not for Us TO be
over critical, about any defects in the
forms, in which its power i. lodged, ol
the means by which its power is main
tanned, or operates. These it is true,
should manifest fully the beneGcqnt spir.
it of our Order, and conform 10 the insti.
tutons of the land, and to the spirit OF
The age. in which we live, and should
operate, in the most kind and effective
manner, to elevate the condition and
amelioraLc the present wants and suffer
ings of our race Our Order is indeed
a progressive one; hut under every form
OF government through which it has
passed, it has always, consisted Of the
same general principles, and wrought out
the same general good
Neither, is Odd,Followship, its mere
ritual aud ceremonial Whatever Ian
guage may be aoel i. tAo lectures and