Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-09-01
FRATERAL NEWS.
The Objects and Aims Of the Independent
Order Of Odd
FELLOWS BRIEFLY OUTLINED.
News About the MaSOnS, Knights Of Honor
and Knights Templar.
MOBILES OF THE MYSTIC SHRINE.

NJ GRW% der of Odd Fellows is
GESJSs1a secret, charitable or
gsnization. 1t provides the means
to meet the claims of its sick and
distressed members, to bury the dead,
to relieve the widow and educate the or
phan. It's secrecy consists in the posses
sion Of an unwritten aHd unspeakable Ian
guage, Ineligible only to members, which
serves simply for mutual recognition.
In the early years of the last century,
one of the English organizations held for
awhile to the tradition that the name of
Odd Fellow was given TO this order by
Titus Caesar in the year Of 70 Of the Chris
tian era; but, regardless Of the old.world
traditions, says Mr.. Julius L Clarke of
Yves: Newton, past grand master, it may
truthfully be stated that the Independent
Order Of Old Fellows is a comparatively
modern institution, and of humble orr
gin, though fact gaining a prominent as
cendsncy in numerical strength aud far
reaching influence. However, it may suf-
flee 70 say in this connection that among
the earliest reliable "reminiscences of the
order, dating back to the year 100, or ear
lier, were unions of various trades or crafts
subsequently known Gs Odd Fellow Crafte-
men, and still later as tine Ancient and
Honorable Loyal Odd Fellows, from whom,
early in the present century, there came
several orders of kindred associations, all
prompted by considerations of social and
fraternal interest. Chief among these was
the Manchester [ atty, organized in Egg
land 10 1872 and having present mem-
bsrship of ever 100000. From this last
named institution came American Odd
Fellowship through It's first representative
body, Washington lodge No. 1, organized
in Baltimore in 1919 by FIVE English Odd
Fellow immigrants OF humble calling and
pretension, but inspired by fraterral sym
patty AID noble purpose. Their names
were Thomss Wildey, John Welch, John
Duncan, John Chestham and Richard
Rushworth, and Washington lodge No. l,
THEFT faithful mother Of the order in
America, still survives. From little
brotherhood Of five loyal men, the order
has grown into a membership of many
huDdred thousands in this country.
Previous to 1920 the military white,
blue and scarlet degrees were the only
ones conferred by subordinate lodges, but
in that year two more were added, the
pink and green, called the covenant
and remembrance" degrees. They all
represent q code of moral Lessons. Before
1927, the patriarchal, golden rule and
royal purple degrees were conferred only
Id do
alone, but in that year the first encamp'
ment was instituted at Baltimore, known
as Jerusslem encampment No. l, and EN-
powered to confer the sublime degrees
upon each scarlet degree member. In
1851 the Rebekah degree, principally the
work OF Hon. Schuyler Colfax) was
adopted by the grand lodge of the
United States for the use of ladies
legally connected with subordinate lodges
by male membership. A few years ago a
new degree was added, called the uniform
degree, but this has recently been super
seeded by a degree called patriarchs mill
tant, intended to be purely military and
for purposes of display. 1t is organized
and differed as nearly as possible like the
United States army, and is proving very
popular.
Since 1843 the order in America has had
no connection with that ia Great Britain,
and no previous year in its history has
witnessed such large increase in member
ship. receipts and relief disbursements as
the last.
Candidates for admission to the order
must be free white males of good neral
twenty-one years Of age or over,
who believe il supreme intelligent being.
The fee for initiation is from So to Sl5;
dues about SO per year, and cost of de-
grees IN subordinate lodges So each.