The Irish standard., 1890-04-12
VIC JIM EN- AS MEM B.E,RS..
The. Catholic Benevolent Legion
zs55s May Admit Them.

G a
at the Last Session Of the Supreme
! Council-Many Of the Delegates in Favor
| of the Suggestion. 81 43
| AT the last session OF the Supreme
Council of the Catholic Benevolent
Legion, held in Brooklyn, n. X, an
Interesting matter was Informally dis
cussed. st. Stephens Council, Of Mead
VILE, Pa. / came forward with q PROPOSE
| ton to throw open the door Of membe
| ship to women.
Representative from every State in
which the Legion is organized were
present and the matter was pretty
freely discussed. A circular, In which
the proposition was set forth, reached
every member of the Supreme Council.
It read as follows:
DEAR S1Rs AND CoMRADEs:-In COM
pliance with the direction of our
council we submit to your careful con-
sideration the proposition contained in
| the following resolutions, adopted at
regular meeting, February 27, 1890.
Our comrades unanimously voted in
favor of mourning any expense to place
this matter before the whole Legion at
once:
Resolved, That this council i'm
1nediately urge upon the supreme of
fcers the wisdom of submitting to a
vote of the subordinate councils the
following questions:
First-Shall women be admitted to
membership in the councils now COM
posed of men, and to be hereafter in
stituted in the Legion, on equal assess
ment footing with the men ?
Second-Shal the subordinate coun-
ellis be permitted to fix a smaller charge
for dues to said women?
Third Shall Section l, Aarticle 6,
Subordinate Constitution be so amended
as to strike out the word imam and
insert the words "male or female per-
SON?
Resolved, That if a twothirds vote Of
all the members voting be cast in favor
Of the first OF these propositions, the
quested, without delay to call special
meeting OF the Supreme Council to take
the necessary action to carry out the
will of the members, provided that the
regular meeting Of the Supreme Council
following the receipt Of the last vote
cast will not occur within sixty days
from said last ment toned date, in which
case notice to be given that the neces-
sarv action will be taken at said regular
session.
Resolved, That the secretary OF St.
Stephens Council be directed to send a
opy of these resolutions under seal,
to the supreme president supreme sec
rotary, the c. B. l.. Record and to each
subordinate council Of the Legion, re-
guessing early action, and that the sub
ordinate councils Will adopt similar
resolutions and forward the same to the
supreme officers, president and score
tary.
II was unfortunate that the matter
could not be decided On, but the, ctrcu-
lar did not reach the governing board
until within the prescribed period OF
thirty days from the date OF meeting,
thus precluding the possibility OF final
action In the informal discussion
that resulted from an Interchange OF
views on the subject 1t was found that
many delegates favored the proposition
Of the Meadville Council. The matter
will no doubt be brought before the
Supreme Council again In the proper
manner. and then final action will be
taken.
Jurisdiction over the councils in
Washington, D. c.. was conferred on
the American State Council, aud after
prolonged argument II was resolved
to eliminate what is called the disa-
bility clause from the charter Of the
org anization Under that clause a
mem Der who was disabled was ostensl-
bly, entitled to weekly payment from
the funds, but the section was so
worded that no one ever reaped any
benefit from it.