Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-11-20
The Supreme Grand Lodge.

The most important businas.
transacted by the Supreme Grand
Lodge OF Odd Follows, recentl,
held IN Baltimore. was the adoption
OF revision Of tho uniformed do,
gree. The revision was based upon
report presented by John n. Al.
bin. OF New Hampshire. John q. I'm
derwood and Edward A. Stevens, oI
Kentucky. In 1859 the suprems
Grand Lodge adopted a degree 70,
uniformed patriarcbs. l, was In.
tended to help that branch and give
1t an organization OF it's own, or a
distinctive feature. II was found 10
be beneficial. There has been OF
late demand to revise the degree
and place IT spon a permanent ba
sis. Tho friends Of the degree
wanted to sec il perfected. They
clamored for an attractive degree.
hence tho appointment Of the com
mittee. In the preface TO the report
the committee says; Recognizing
tho fact OF the existence In young
men OF desire for display and lik
ing for military pomp and grandeur,
and being aware Of tho use made Of
such human characteristics by other
and rival societies, n military feature
has become necessary ss an adjunct
to the l. o. D. f., otherwise tho M
tural supply Of initiate ma terisl will
probably go to tho outwardly more
attractive and SNOWY orders. The
name OF tie members Of the revised
degree will be Patriarchs Mill
tant." The degree is based upon
the principal OF universal justice.
The degree is intended 10 be purely
military. and for tho purposes Of
display. The unit Of the organise
ton OF tho degree is tho I" Canton "
The canton shalt consist Of at least
Is members. Tho cantons through
out the world will he organized into
battslions. regiments. brigades. al.
visions and an army. -Four canton.
shall constitute q battalion; q regi.
ment shall consist Of three bss,al.
lions; three regiments shall form a
brigade; three brigades shall make a
division; the army shall embrace the
entire rank and file OF tho Patri.
arcbs Militant" The grand sire"
OF the /. o. .. +. will be on .oflicio
the theoretical commander In. chief
There will be ten commission ned OH
GERS, ranging from a Lieutepan.
GENERAL down TO an Ensign. There
will be nine n-commissio oned off.
GERS. When the membership Of q
canton shall roach l02. the body will
be termed q grand canton. A mill.
tary council consisting OF ,Ls field
and general officers Of the army.
will be held annually prior TO the
meeting Of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge. The 10th Of April Of each
year will be . day Of annual parade
in celsbration Of the anniversary ol
American Odd Fellowship. The
whole degree is q civic-military idea.
1t corresponds in it's details 10 the
United States army. Tho banner
and colors Of tho new degree were
on exhibition at Barnum's. The
banner is q perfect beauty. Il 10 30
inches wide and "a inches long. I,
is made OF silk. The front 10 scar
let. with white silk iambrsq uins,
trimmed with gold lace aud fringe.
The escutcheon shield rests In the
centre. 1t is Of gold body. The
motto. Justitia Universalis." runs
across the centre. The Asg or /" col
ors" 10 the same sixs a. fhs banner
1t consists Of three equal vertical
stripes, purple. white and scarls,
&c and NJ" in old English are su.
hroidsrsd In gold upon the purpl,
and scarlet stripes. The Gag h
trimmed with gold fringe. Tn.
workmanship 10 in keeping with Oh,
design. They we're made by the Pet
,ibone Manufacturing Company o
Cincinnati. The revision Of the do
gree takes effect II once.