The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-06-04
A BRIEF STATEMENT
FOR THE INFORMATION OF PERSONS rNAC.
QUAINTED WITH THE ORDER OF
|. O. O. F.

So'ii'1oil iit'llS lOf llS OBJECT the elevation
OF mankind, morally and intellectually. recoc-
nlzlng mans individual helplessness and great
need OF cooperation in all the affairs of life.
requires its members to aid assist and protect
each other. to visit the sick, relieve the dis
tressed, bury the dead and protect the widow
ana orphan. 1t teaches the fatherhood of
God the brotherhood of man, and place all
men upon an equality as members of one great
family-the human race 1t opposes all forms
of vice and immortality teaches temperance in
all things, and strives to lead man to the
cultivation of brotherly love and human SYM
pathy While the Order exerts a powerful
moral and educational influence which pre-
vents SO much unnecessary suffering and dis
tress, it also possesses an admirable svstem-
tor the dlspensatiOn of material aid to its men,
bers III times of sickness, distress or difficulty
when an Odd Fellow is Frustrated by sickness
his brethren are compelled to visit and care for
him, to watch by his bed side when necessary.
and to relieve his necessities, and the Lodge
of which he is a member pays him each week
regularly, sum of money as sick benefits -
Upon the death of member, his brethren are
required to follow his remains to their last
resting place and give them decent burial and
his Lodge pays to his widow a sum of money
as funeral benefit and the widow and
orphans become the object of its special care
This material aid in sickness or distress. the
Odd Fellow i'll good standing is always sure to
receive, whether at home or abroad The pro-
tecting arm Of the Order is extended all over
the land, and it is almost impossible to get be-
ifo Oh, ~, - I
is sure to find friends, who stand ready to as
sst him in time of need
This Order has now enrolled over HALF A
MILLION members i'll good standing, and ini-
tiates nearly FIFTY THOUSAND new members
every year.
Its Lodges are to be found in nearly every
city, town and village in the land.
1t has an annual revenue of over FIVE MIL
LION DOLLARS, and disburses for the relief of
distress over FIVE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED
DOLLARS PER DAY, more than TWO MILLION
DOLLARS per annum.
The Ord.r hes four tlaxchcs cy divisions.
these are:
l. Subordinate Lodges.
2. Rebekah Degree Lodges
3 Subordinate Encampments.
4. CantOns of Patriarchs Militant
These Subordinate Lodges confer four de-
grees, the Initiatory, the Degree of Friend
ship, Degree of Brotherly Love and Degree of
Truth. The business of the Lodge is trans
acted i'll the Degree of Truth member
who has received the Initiatory Degree may
apply Immediately for the higher degrees and
they will be conferred upon him at subsequent
meetings as he is prepared to receive them
The Rebekah Degree Lodges confer the De-
gree of Rebekah wives widows, unmarried
daughters and sisters of Odd Fellows Every
Odd Fellow in good standing, who has received
the Degree of Truth is entitled to the Degree
Of Rebekah, and the law requires him to be in
possession of it before he can be elected to any
official position in his Lodge
In Rebekah Degree Lodges, all the official
positions may be, and very generally are filled
by ladies. The work of the Rebekah Lodges
is very beautiful and their meetings generally
very interesting and highly appreciated
The subordinate Encampments confer three
Degrees, the Patriarchal, the Golden Rule and
Royal Purple. Any Odd Fellow who has at
tanned to the Degree of Truth may apply for
membership in a Subordinate Encampment
The Eneampment branch Of the Order has a
beneficial system similar to that Of the Lodges.
and each Encampmcnt pays sick and funeral
benefits to its afflicted members. thus the
odd Fellow vino is Il mcmler in good standing
OF I'm Encampmcnt is doubly insured against
distress.
The tantons Of Pstriarchs Militant confer
The Military or inform De gree Of the Order
They sustain the same relation to O6d Fellow
ship that thc Communicates Of Knights Tom
plal sustain to Missionary.
IN All lod ,e~ aud hueampmonts there is
!. standing committee ,t> lod Tie Relief Com
lnttcc which visits al sick and afflicted mc.n-
6cl> and pro, ioi,s Tor their wants being clothed
NiiA power 10 daw on The Treasury for funds
Tor Cat purpose and to proyida watcher, o'
nui., nncn needed. When All Odd IoHow
ia~ 4.0,Jy1.e ii thc sickness or di~ir~, OF
.uYs'er. !s' IS required to report tha .act' nl-
ncdiatglF 10 bi- Lodge or is Hciel Commit
tee. and tie ease reported is thcn promptly in-
vo~tiaat,d aol aI necessary relief promptly
extended. ;lG, ii IS uoJ extended rs c/nJHy,
tie odd l'ciiow IN distress is not made to feel
| that lie is an object OF charity but that nc is
the recipient OF that which he has a right 10
EXPECT ana demand OF the Order us an ODD
! yellow. and he has the assurance, also, that
MS distrcsses will not be published to the