Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-05-24
ODD FELLOWS ANNIvER6AEY

L.
q. .. f., al Lewiston, April 20, 1883:
Noj'e Grand, officers and brothers,
sisters and friends:
The occasion which calls us together
at this time, is the commemoration of the
event which announced to the world the
| formation Of the first lodge of the hide
pendent Order of Odd Fellows in the
United States, which occurred on the
26th day of April 1919, at Baltimore,
Md, making this the 64th anniversary
While the subject may be unintercstine
to some, yet have thought it the most
appropriate enc for this occasion, to pre-
sent in Il brief manner as possible, histor-
ical facts pertaining to our existence, to-
gether with the principles and aims of the
order. Now the narration Of facts are:
Sixty-tour years is not great age for
a society that attempts SO much and whose
influence is so broadly extended But |
will call attention to the fact that the or
der had existed in some form since 1145
and perhaps before, but all beyond that
period is mere conjecture.
By some, who have had much pride
in claiming great antiquity for the order,
it has been asserted that it had prehistoric
existence, and the greatest cxertion of
tradition was to make our great, great
furetather, Adam, the founder, and this
would seem to be accompanied with some
degree of credcnce when we must see at
once that he was the oldest man then
living.
Many other traditions and tables have
been advelted to, to prove antiquity with
apparently no other motive than to secure
prestige, thinking that like wine its age
would recommend it.
These have all been discarded by a
more candid examination Of the prinoi-
pies which undcrlie our system.
1t is conceded, however, that lis ori-
gin, as an institution, is involved in OBJ
security, and while its rites and cercmo-
nics may have similtudc with those in
stitutions, yet in its principles We find
no correspondence
The first authentic mention Of the or-
der is made in l745, when it is spoken
Of AS place where every comfortable
and recreative evenings may be spent
Again in l1SS when John Montgomery
wrote II song beginning "When Friend
ship, Love and Truth abound among a
band Of brothers"
And we know this that when Odd Eel
owship came into the domain of certain
ty, it organized the Fathcrhood of God,
and the brotherhood of man, and upon
these fundamental principles rests the
foundation Of the whole superstructure.
1t is not claimed either that it started cut
complete in all its detail, Of its bcnef-
cent precepts and practices,
On the other hand it Is acknowledged
that for many years during Its early his
tory, Odd Fellows were addicted to prac-
tices, which greater light, a purer morali-
ty now declare to be inconsistent with
our laudable profession, and which, we
shall presently see, led to divisions, seces-
sions, and the final institution of indie
pendent order, as the institution origina-
nted in common circumstances Of want
and providence.
Mutual sympathy and relief were
doubtless the prime motives which actua-
ted mon to band together in societies, for
their protection against the cncroach-
mcnts Of bank and wealth, which ever
seeks to DEGRADE those who have to war
with adversely.
At that period, convincial practices
were common everywhere, among the
people, among societies and even among
the clergy their deliberations were stimu-
lated with intoxicating liquors and the
fumes OF tobacco 1t is no wonder then
that the early lodges became, to great
extent, Jolly Brothers Club, where song
and Jest excited their mirth and hlarty
1t is no wonder that the grand objects
OF their meetings were too often but see
ondary to sensual passions.
The singuila,ity Of its name, the hui
mlity Of its origin and influence in those
convisial practices drew down upon the
| institution suspicion and disrcputc and
this, together with defective organ
ization, involved it in trouble and discus
sion So in 1909 some Of the more in
telligent found it expedient to reform the
vices and protect its virtues and restore
it to its original plan. But after years
of agitation they found it impossible to
effect such reform, without an entire
change of the order.
Hence a convention was held in Man
chester, England, in 1913, when several
lodges seeded and formed the lndcpend-
ent Order of Odd Fellows, Under this
improved condition the order advanced
rapidly. In 1925 it had become the
principal institution. But even now dis
seusions arose and revolutions and soces-
sions occurred, aud many branches sprang
up, which, however, held NO intercoursl
with each other; although each claiming
to strive in the cause OF human benciac
ton, under the banner Of Friendship
Love and Truth. So we see that up tt
this period there was no well organizcC
order
We come now to the history Of Ode
Fellowship in America. Several attcmpt
were made to establish it on this cont
: nent, but each successively failed. III,
early mode was for any number of Ode
, Fellows tn unite form a lodge and ggt