The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-31
FRATERNAL NOTES.
Mem bership Gain in the X. Of
III. During Last Week.

California Lodge, No. l, F. and a, NJ, at
its called meeting last evening had a raising,
The entertainment and social Of Valley
Lodge. No. 80, A. o. U. W., on Wednesday
evening was an unqualified success in every
respect. The attendance was very large
and the programme Of exercises presented
of the best possible kind. Dancing was en-
joyed by many of the guests until a late
hour. The committee having the affair in
charge are entitled to every praise for the
splendid entertainment ttfered.
At the late session Of the Grand Encamp-
ment, l. o. o. F., Of this State, the admis-
sion fee was reduced to a minimum of So.
1t is cOntenGed that this is not for the best
interests of the order, as a small admittance
fee neither induces persons to join nor
brings III desirable class of members. Any
person who wishes to join an organization
can just as well pay high as low price.
and many prefer the latter for the reason
that when good article is cheap 1t loses its
Intrinsic value, and becomes common The
Chicago Odd Fellow, in its edition of the
18th inst, has this to say about cheap ad-
mission fees: whatever costs but little is
valued lightly as a rule. The admission fee
OF our Western lodges is too low; and the
odd Fellow does not mean TO advo-
cate any measures that would shut out
what may be called the poorer classes,
among which may be found the very
Test Odd Fellows that we have ever had.
But no man should object 10 paying higher
fees when he is pretty certain to draw out
of the lodge considerably more than he ever
puts in; aud, besides, he would be doubly
paid for his extra payment by the higher
feeling Of regard which he would have for
the order When initiation fees get down
as low as S. or even $40, the outside business
man thinks that al order with such an Until
knew a lodge that adopted tie Illegal course
of admitting members tor nothing. A
friend of outs, a clear cut business man,
was asked to become member under
these terms. He replied that he would
| like to become a member, but not u Il
lodge that charged no initiation fee In some
of the Eastern lodges the fees ior the initia-
tory degree are $50. They are prosperous
lodges and stand high in public esteem. 1t
is barely possible that in the West we have
been striving too hard to get something for
nothing" We do not believe that there is
to-day member of the l. q. o. I. in Cali
fornia who is not pecunidrliy able to pay
SO, and even more, to join the Patriarchal
branch of the o1der, and We also believe
that the majority OF those members would
much rather prefer to see the Tee fixed at a
high than low rate. Cheapness has moth
ing to do with Odd Fellowship. 1t is the
broad principles of the order that men join
it for. and as business men they know that
1t cannot be run on cheap basis.
Fidelity Lodge, No. 100, +. and A. NJ, at
its called meeting last evening had work in
the Master MasGn's drgree.
B. F. Nelson. Supreme Reporter of the
Knights Of Honor, announces the following
gain of membership in the jurisdictions
named for the week ending 18th inst. Ala
bama 4, Arkansas 4, California 9, Connecti-
cut 1, Florida q, Georgia 4, Illinois 4, Iowa
|, Indiana Z, Kentucky -, Louisiana S.
Massachusetts /. Michigan 3, Mississippi
Is, Missouri 6, New Jersey Z, New York -,
North Carolina l, Ohio q, Pennsylvania o.
Rhode Island /, South Carolina I, Tennes-
see 3, Texas IS, Wisconsin 4 total 212.
Junior Court Pride Of California, No. 5,
A. o. f. of A, will hold its fourth opeu
meeting on Friday evening, November 2lst,
at $685. Market street. The success of the
former entertainment has encouraged the
committee to Use their most endeavors to
| make this equa to any previous meeting,
ii not better. Court Defiance, No. 754O has
been invited TO attend, aud will be the
guests Of the evening.