Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-17
ARE YOU DOING ALL THAT YOU CAN,
From the Heart and Hand

lrOM tHc l1cuit anu IthHu.I u
The practical system upon. which
American Odd Fellowship works-the
completeness of detail, the ease and
perfect success with which the whole
machinery runs, the great results
achieved when emergencies arise
show that a grand power for good can
be exerted il we only make up our
minds to try.
Already have we SO perfected this
great institution that over a million
men, women and children, on this con-
tinent, are assured of certain relief aud
sympathy should dark days come
upon them.
Already the reputation of the Order
is of the best character, and a world
stands amazed at its achievements
and success. g
Every individual member has q
part and lot in this reputation, this
success; and whatever of good is done,
said individual shares in the good will
extended to the Order for it.
But every individual member does
not perform his share of work. True,
he may pay his dues regularly, but
that is the smallest part of an Odd
= Fellows duty. If he does y;this,
and absent ts himself from Lodge meet
fnes, serves on mo committees, takes
no part in the welfare and success OF
the Order, he lies open to the charge
that he only pays his dues SO as to be
eligible te the benefits and and that is
not the best kind of reputation to
have.
Circumstances are often such that
one cannot attend his Lodge regular:
old age, i'll health, distance, etc;
these are good reasons, and We will
tellyou one of the poorest reasons, and
one often heard: III belong to so many
other societies." at--
When man is in good health, and
is seen only once or twice year in his
Lodge, there is something wrong. If
a person has so much else to- do that
he cannot, at least, enthusiastically
attend to the objects and mission of
Odd Fehowshfp,by visiting his Lodge,
working in-its interests, and doing his
part in its transactions and duties,
then we advise him not to join, and if
I he is already member, and in this
& -Otherwise-engaged condi tiOn,
to take an honorable withdrawal
card. 1t is not right, in a body of one
hundred men or more, that a small
percentage should ''do everything"
We would not belong to any institu-
tien where we did not have a voice and
were practical, and we do not see upon
what principle men who call them
selves Odd Fellows, are always will
ling to take front seats at public dem
onstratiOns, always willing to come in
for full share of whatever honor
may attach to their Lodge or their
Order, and yet never are seen in the
Lodge, and never do a atroke of work
to help our mission along from one
years end to another.
What did they join for? Did they
not know what were the objects of our
institution before they came in? If
they did not, they certainly found out
the first night, or else the Past Grand
was absent. If they could not come
up to the requirements, why pretend
to? TO visit the Sick relieve the dis
tressed, bury the dead, protect the
widow, and educate the orphan is our
mission-or part of it. And it is time
brethren were finding out that, If they
would do their part in accomplishing
it, they have got to be present in their
Lodges. We frequently use the term
"worker" i'm connection with our
brethren. We take it from those busy
insects, the bees, and apply it to those
who are ever Jealous and faithful.
There is another expression connected
with bees, viz: sdrones," a class of
winged things that do nothing and
eat much.
We ask the brethren to look at their
drafts for benefits, and see who it is
that draws funds. Now and then
regular "workero gets sick, but nine
out of ten cases where relief is paid, it
is to those whose faces are rarely seen
in the Lodges. A good brother in
Brooklyn once made speech in our
hearing, in which he said: "Brothers,
if you want to keep in good health,
attend your Lodge regularly. No
faithful regular attendant ever gets
sick. If you think / make any mis-
take in this particular, look and see
who draws the benefits.n OF course
this meant the rule, and some careful
inquiry on this point has shown us
the brother was right.
Are you doing all that you can o?n
If you respond aiiirmatively, success
to you, say we. If in the negative,
then we say, study what the mission
of our Order is, and then go in with
will.
AS to what our mission is, and what
we may and can do, we invite perusal
to a well-written article in the COn,-
pdniop, by Bro. J. G. Gilchrist. 1t
has some good practical hits and sug-
sessions that may be of benefit: