Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-01-11

Is our brother or his family in distress.
We 90 forth 10 comi~rt and relieve, and I
,r,ng sunshine and joy where before q
we're clouds and sorrow. Has the angel I
If death taken away our brother, agai" I
We stand ready to perform the last rites,
O mingle our tears with the bereaved Il
am'ly, aud pay necessary expenses OF the
burial. Is the bereaved family. lett In
poverty or Strengthened clrcum stances,
again our order is ready With money and
Sympathy to aid and comfort; and that
lle orrhau children of our brotherhood
may not grow up in Ignorance aud vice,
we pledge our support to educate the
orphan and fit them for life of honest
usefulness.
Tnat we may more fully comprehend
The benevolent work Of our order, let US
again take few facts from the report
above referred to: In the year 1879, the
Iudepe ndent Order Of Odd Follows reliev-
ed 43,O76 brothers, 1926 widowed. families,
paid for the relief of brothers 81 .062 4663
for relief of widowed families $14O,322 81. |
for educating the orphan $13, 10O.32, paid |
for bu-yiug the dead $685., $685. OF, special
relief $62 1888 10. making a grand total for
the year $3.50, 310.38; and since 1881 |
more than $50, O00, 900 have been dedi.
Gated to the altar of benevolence by our
order.
How many tears have been dried, how
many heart-aches have been removed. how
many sorrows lifted, how many pains driv-
en- away, by the benevolent contributions
of our Fraternity? They are as numberless
as the stars of heaven, and as countless as
the ages of eternity. Surely, may not
every Odd Fellow say: "For was a hun
gered and ye gave me meat; was thirsty
and ye gave me drink; l was stranger
and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed
me; was sick and ye visited me-"
But our principles demand still more OF
US; we have other work to do. We are
an educating fraternity; we are required to
80 deport ourselves that the nobler charac.
teristics Of the mind and heart may be cul-
tivated. TO do this requires right living,
right motives, right actions. 1t requires
the putting forth of exertion to expand our
knowledge of ourselves, to know our desires
and appetites; to know the effect OF the
qualifications of our desires and appctites
upon our physical and moral natures. 1t
is by this self-knowledge alone that we are
enabled to have proper conception OF our
capabilities for good. This self-knowledge
enables us to better sympathize with others,
to appreciate the difficulties with which
others strive to reach noble manhood; it
enables US to be more charitable to others
and to bear with another faults.
Our principles enjoin sobriety; it expects
each will live exemplary lives; to be honets ;
to be truthful; to be models of noble man
hood that the world may know that the Odd
Fellow has grand principles, not only in
theory, but living example of their true,
noble character.
/ Our principles require US to watch over
and correct the erring, and lead them te
see their errors and bring them back tt
ways of correct living. Perhaps there il
no one here tonight but can call to nind
some brother who had strayed from the
path of virtue and living in debauchery anc
drunkenness and rapidly wasting the vita
forces of his manhood, when the restrain
ing influence of our order was throwr
around him and he was led back from hi
vices, clothed in his right mind and be
comes loved and model member of ou
fraternity. On ornament to society, and re
ceiving the confidence and honors Of hi
fellow citizens.
Thus many life has been saved from
ruin by the restraining influences of Od'
Fellowship.
: Brothers, we have frequently thought q
, we met with you week by week, that "
forget this great work Of our order an!
neglect the opportunities, grand opportuni
ties, for self-culture which it affords.
J. We devote ourselves too much to busl
, ness routine and attend to the charitabl
r work, but neglect to bring with US on
Z hearts and minds full of thoughts to en-
courage each other, and expand our know
edge Of the principles we profess to prac
/ tice.
!. The Holy Bible is our text book. From
it eminate the principles we profess. From
j. it come those grand historic characters W
love to initiate. We need to study it
> teachings; we need to know more Of thos
$. noble men revealed to US through 1t; "
!. need to study more the character Of Moses
the great law giver aud leader of Israel
e we need to know more of David and Johr
y athan and that wonderful friendship f.
J.. each other; we need to know more Of th
1 noble women Of the Bible-of Sarah, g
Rebekah, Of Marian, of Naomi, Of Rut
and of Mary; and above all we need t
know more of that greatest of oil ME
;. Jesus Christ; we need to know more of Hi
u life, how He taught to His disciples tn
great principles of the relation Of man
!, man; we need to know better that parabl
- - of the Good Samaritan, that teaches U
. "who is our neighbour" We need to fo
!. low Him up and down through Gallilee an
9 sec how He brought comfort and Joy b
4 healing the sick, making the dumb
:. speak, the lame to walk, the blind to sex
Yes, We need to stand by the grave ,
:, Lazarus and mingle our tears with Maj
It and Martha and Jesus; we need to behol
the dead brought to life and sorrow an
9 mourning flee away: we need to stand
l. the bier Of the only son of the widow
n Main; we need to hear the kind word
" "weep not" and see the dead restored
- his loving mother.
81 1t is by the study Of the words of tn
great teacher Of mankind, and by the i'm
il tation of his noble deeds, that We can b
Dff come Odd Fellows in lte truest, noblest ar
ID highest sense. There is a life beyond Il
present. The work Of our order ends vii
= death, yet the practice Of our prineipl
70 ought to lead US, and may aid us in Il
d preparation for that life which is beyor
e the grave.
a The words, Friendship, Love and Trut
u have been our watchwords, emblasoned {
~ our banner since l775. In the year It's
&c ut q public demonstration of Odd Fellow
q the banner was flung to the breeze inscri
" ed with our motto, Friendship, Love al
n TRUTH" The sight Of these words inspir
10 the poet, Montgomery, to pen the folle
of ing First Odd Fellow Song:
l. When 'Friendship, Lave aud Truth" abound.
h Among band of brothers,
:, The cup Of joy goes gaily round,
'. Each shares the bliss Of others.
III Sweet roses grace the thozny way