, 1876-09-17

'ey some ldea OF the customs OF Odd-Fcllows
those times, we quote verse from one Of the
fayorite songs:
Oh. what pleasure for to meet
| with friends 30 blithe and iollY.
Who all delight for to dtspel
The gloom OF melancholy1
| Then let us throw all cure aside,
/ Let's merry be, and mellow;
May Friendship, Love, and Truth abide
| With every true 0dd-Fellow.
While it Is true that the fraternity did not &C
| cunnulate fund for benevolent aud Charitable
purposes, 1t is nevertheless q fact that they wer
IN the hablt OF taking up collection wheneve
t case Of sickness OF distress was made know1
to them, and It was no unusual occurrence fo
them to cut short their song or story, and TEN
porarny forget their pipe and glass; when somt
urgent appeal for relief was presented.
As the oreanlzation increased in years, it i'm
proved In status and standing. Many worth,
men, led by curiosity to pass the ordeal of tt,e
Order's mysterious ceremonies, became dccpl,
! interested III the welfare Of the membership
and were the means OF building up the organi.
| cation, and creating more favorable feeling
| among the nninitiated toward the Order. Thi:
moral anu social advancement has steadily pro.
! gressed up to the present time, until We observe
in the fraternity OF the United States as strik-
ing contrast to the Odd-Fcllowship Of the
eighteenth century as It is possible to conceive Of
! PROGRESS OF THE ORDER.
The ebbing and flowing tide of prosperity in
the Order cannot be better illustrated than bv
briefly citing few statistics OF it's status at dif-
terent periods in the history thereof This Or
der tirst gained permanent foothold on this
contingent s. years aGo III the month Of Febru-
Englishmeu then residing in Baltimore, Md,
Inserted in the Baltimore Americaa an adrer.
tiscment in the following words:
NOTICE 70 ALL opp-FELIoWs- FEW MEM.
meet brethren consultation npoa The snSees
Sa5 q s1en Of Tas se @sens 5 will be held on FRI
This advertisement vas continued for one
month, but failed to assemble sufficient num-
Der Tor the purpose, and the notice was relnsert-
ed on the 9th Of March, aud produced the de-
sired ST. elect. On the 18th April, 1919, John
Melch, John Duncan, John Cheathem, and
Thomas Whdey, and arranged with him the
prellnlnarles Tor the formation OF Lodge Of
Odd-Fellows, and on the 18th of April follow
ing the purpose was consummatcd by the iustitu-
tion OF Washington Lodge, No. l.
here let us inquire how many attempts to
regulate and reform society have been made
SINCE lSl3,-some by governments and others BY
ecclesiastical organizations; SOME by means OF
wealth, and knowledge, and eloquence, and
many thousands By the master minds Of the
century, backed By the magic forces Of fame and
cruditionf Yet Of these profound theories and
organizations how many hive survived to the
present honr-how many have left solitary en-
during impression upon the history Of the race4
No one at that time could have had pre-
science that an obscure lodge composed of 'fve
humble individuals was the womb Of one Of the
grandest institutions Of the nineteenth century.
It has lived and grown and spread out like
great cloud, beneath whose shadow the angels
Of CLARITY minister to the woes OF humanity, and
from whose teenling bosom gush forth the early
aud the latter rain Of love, sympathy, and fra
ternity, through all the homes and hamlets Of
the land.
THE GRAND LODGE.
The Grand Lodge OF MARYLAND and the
United States was informally organized Oh the
1th Of February, 1921 when it was
Resolred, That it ia expedient and necessary to
separate the legislative from the operative portion
3f the Order, d. well to insure system and uni
~ ~ gfaats5 efficiency in conducting the
ouader Of American Fellowship, was
.hosen to preside over the Grand Lodge. Feb. |
Z, 1871, the charter Of Washington Lodge, |
10: !, Of Baltimore, was surrendered,
With all its powers, into the possession Of the
irand Lodge, and on that occasion, the natal !
lay Of the great Washington, the regular busi-
ess Of the. Supreme Body commenced. The
riginal Washington Lodge still maintains q |
igorous existence. Aug. q, 1881. franklin |
.oage, No. ?, also Of Baltimore, which WAS self
astituted Nov:e 1912, made application for
Earter under the Jurisdiction Of the Grand
'odge, which was ir,lnediately granted. Nov.
:. lo2f, the constitution Of the Grand Lodge
as adopted, the first article Of which was as
,llows:
The Grand Lodge is composed Of Past Grands OF
u the lodges within the State that shall he acting
tuition Of the Grand Lodge, and must consist Of
least five Past Grands from one or more lodges
The tota, receipts Of the Grand Lodge during
re gear 1922 were s43.25. April IS, lB23 char
II was granted to Massachusetts Lodge, No /,
:ganized on eself-instituting principle March
J, ls20 and Father Wildcy was dcputcd to
'nrey said charter to its destination. June u, I
'113, applications for charters we're received
I'd PENNSYLVANIA Lodge, No. l., Of Pennsyl-
Enia, which we're duly granted. In the same |
:ar it was resolved that at the ope.ing and
osiag OF the lodges, the song HAL Culum-
a." be sung: Nov. p, 1923, charter was grant, ;
to COLUMBIA Lodge, No: 5, Of Baltimore.
neral anniversary Of the Order, and that the
lie be on the 2Gtl Of April.
April Is, 1924, the Grand Lodge Of the United
ates was regularly formed, and the City Of :
lltimore was selected as it's permanent seat.
le Order then comprised SIX subordinate :
ages-threc in Baltimore, one in Philadelphia, :
e In New York, and one in Boston. It wa, :
en- resolved that the Grand Lodge hail with ! :
ateful remembrance the day when the Grand !
larter was vested In the Past Grands, the | +
ath-blow Of schism and dissension, and the |
och OF prosperity In the Order. :
The first annual Communication OF the G. L. :
s. was held Feb. &C. 1925, Thomas Wildey, G. y =
, in the chair. In that year the number Of :
lges was nine. In the same year the title Of .
chief executive officer Of the G. l.. u 8. vas ),
:nged from Grand Master to Grand Sire, in >,
Ter to distinguish him from the principal -
ccr OF a State Grand Lodge. p,
n 1876 the number Of subordinate lodges had +
reased to II. 1p that year Grand Sire Wildey a
tied England, and while there he obtained al | a.
blem representing our forcfather, Adam, y,
ing the foundation-stone Of the ancient md =,
'orable Order Of Odd-Fe9lows, which On his n,
urn he presented to the G. L. +. S. Some Of q,
brotherhood at that time confidently be- ="
ed that Adam was the original Odd-F ellow;
Of course this Was the case until he WAS cf
De even By the creation OF Eve. y
q 1877 there were II lodges. In that year til
Encampment branch Of the Order WAS IN St
urated By the organization Of Encampment M
l, which afterward took the nane OF "Je- ca
alem." In 1880 the Order had extended al
sh States and the District OF Co IN,
bia, comprising IS subordinates, with en-
l membership of about, 5000 The reported
:nue was nearly S16,0W The present dis {
uished and venerated Grand Secretary Of