The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-23

| dence, that when com neTce and the industri c
/ channel, Odd Fe lowship will share with its ac-
| customed goO3 fortune in the common welfare.
CONCLUSION.
/ rejoice with ou, my brethren, that, BY the
| favor of a kind Providence, we are enbled
in our ffty-irst annual communication as the
| supreme council OF a brotherhood, united in a
cause which binds rs by the cords of love, and
which we cherish as among the noblest in which
men cou be engaged.
We are here in the beautiful capitol OF a great
commonwealth; great in the character OF its
people in the broadest sense of the term pre-
eminentiy great in the elements of wealth,
which make mp prosperous, enligh tened, and
| ment of that cause by the special invitation of
our brethren whose devotion TO ii has inspired
the generous hospitalities and fraternities
whleh nave everywhere met us since our so
Jou among them. The stranger OF our order.
perhaps; wonders at our presence and the
splendid welcome with which we are received;
doubtless he inquiries our purpose in being here,
far away from our homes and business pursuits.
word in response TO such possible inquiry
may not be inappropriate.
ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Odd Fellowship-its promotion, difus-
sion, and preservation alone, assem-
bles this body of citizens from every
state, district, and territory OF oar
confederacy. and from the neighboring nation
ality of Canada. Like all other institutions de-
viSed for the benefit OF MANKIND it is tue fruit
of progressive civilization. By this power il
h, has oeen wonderf1Iy m ADVANCED and deTelopea
largement oflts fed of labor. alter more than
fifty years of unre hitting effort in lis proper
sphere, it has become fixed institution OF 30
sure of suffering humanity. &c has grown, as
many other orders OF kindred character, formed
demand Tor auxiIiarIes. bv the physicsi. N a. ,S,i
as the moral needs OF men. Progress and civ
ilizatlon, which are proelieally eorTeiaive
terms, are Away moving under the light of ac-
cumulating intelligence, constrained by a con-
tinuous necessity as the mother OF invention"
All our lnstliutions, whether social, p-htical,
religious or moral are the creatures of this
mystic force, and have been cDntro led, mod
iiec, reformed and perfected under its
processes, so that their present excel
leDce has been graduated bom rude
and simple originals. Under this law of the So
the trials of life has been introduced. as alike
the instinct Of common humanity aud the |
men 10 uplift and succor each other in adver- ;
sity, free from public dependence and TO pro- .
mote spirit OF Il ern1ty which knits them to-
gether In spite OF the partition walls set mp 10
estrange and separate them. Although but I
feebiy supported in its inception, 1t has coz /
Quered its Way by persistent effort In the pres
ent century it has had grand success Every- |
where are such associations formed, and the /
principle l. universally recognized that Of all
the obligations of men 10 society none are para
mount 10 the duty of helping each oto er. AS \
practical illustration of this truth, millions are
contributed in this direction thF01gh lay !
uiar institutions Instituted esSclEiy ely in the !
interest OF an improved humanity. CitiZeU of |
H.,
educated in this school to ignore selfish COM |
blnatiOns and 10 come together on a common
platform for mutual support. The vast amor Dt
possibly, Tor personal aggrsndisement The |
most effective form in which this valuable |
auxiliary is exertsd, Is in the associated efforts
of men, who harmonize in This work however
differing in other respects especially is this the
case when such organizations are oonfederated
and systematically united, having their agen-
cles md subordinates multiplied in every city, !
town, village, and hamlet throughout the earth. |
otorr1a
tionR, net only 10 their imm ediaie membership, |
but as substantial public supports7 Their with |
drawal would be seriously Ielt, not only as the
also from the fact that their absence would |
neces sarlly tran sfer the burden which they bear
the general welfare af this character which aIe |
diffusing blessings upon men, from year 10 yesr,
noiselessly, yet most effectively, Odd Fellowship
by its widely extendeo resources has done a |
colossal work. A brief statement from our
records, without the aid of comment, will abur- !
dantly verify this fact:
From lS3) to December 81, 1874
Members SssoS
Widowed families relieved ............... 9lO95 |
Members eceased..........................- 6j776
Total So, ,42S 81
Total 20, q, ,494 II
At the present time. as reported December 81,
}eti. there are
Grand 81
Lodges. 5SI
Subordinate Encampments............-.. l,t30 |
odge 4so.J
The lodges in Aa.traiia and Germany are not
included IN the above statement.
These figures are presented, not as vindica- 4
tion of our order against aspersions which are |
sometimes cast against it, as selfish commu- /
agencies TO society at large, in strengthening the
arm of government, adding, as they do, immense |
power 10 II, by the moral supports which they |
supply. Not tnat we would boast or be vain |
glorious ct our good works, but that ne necessarily,
in describing our mission during half GEN. !
traie as a natural outgrowth, the divine princi-
pies upon which Odd Fellowship rests. Yet, not |
Withstanding this glorious record, has our path
have however, survived all opposition, and can
to-day congratulate ourselves that we have at
length enlisted the favor OF all good men In
church and state ofevery class and calling and
of every Eindred benevolent order, without ex-
ception, and have thus conquered every enemy
worthy of consideration. justly tDere-
fore, may we exult upon our signal prosperity ,es-
pecially when it has been rea ched by our own un-
aided labors Looking from the present stand
uoint upon the past OF American Otd tell0W-
ship, ard from these forming a rational esti-
mate or It's tut ture, our hearts may swell with
honest pride in the consciousness that we nave
not lived in vain. We are here then not 0rly 10
!egisa!e for the present needs OF TINS ,,, sTsat @
serve It's hea thful life, but transmit It VII h
increasing power and cap9bility TO our descend
ants In another half century II Viii IN a., az
den chain, and diffnsed its blessings upon
millions. Can IL be a matter OF wonder, that in
such cause, we should be here to counsel &c, to
gether for its welfare, TO renew vows OF hdei-
ity and devotion 10 ii, and to each other, and 10
supplcate with upliited hearts for the continued
favor of Him who has ever been its firm friend
and support, and T. the promotion OF whose
original intendment Of fraternity among men
it has unremitingly toiled for so many yeais?
Oh no, the wonder would be that we could be
such unworthy descendants of the noble sdres
who have bequeathed to MS the legacy, as to faii
TO realize It's value and our duty TO preserve and
perpetuate IL.
Ihe following are the items of the past
years work, by the subordinate lodges:
Number of weeks benefits paid....- l7s26s
iieyed. ...................... ........ $50
Nnnohar m hrof he rs huried - 3S78