Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-27
The ERAIeRNAL CIRCLE.
Annual Session of the Supreme Loogc-
The First Milestone Passed

Tho representatives of the Supreme
Lodge of the Order of the Fraternal Clr-
Gle. which has o large membership IN hicn.
mond. assembled in annual session iase
week In Ancient-Landmark Hall, Boyiston
place. Boston. Mass. Supreme Presiuen,t
William Hamilton presided, and after cail-
ing the delegates to order appo'nteu q
committee on credentials, conslst,nf ~
Past-Supreme-Preside Stillman n. AiP-
by, Supreme-Vice- President. AWE "a II
Glidden, and Supreme-Master A: IL. hIRciSu w.
Among the other representatives OF the
order were Supreme Secretary Isaac W E
Gammons, Supreme-Treasurer Charles a.
Barney. Supreme Medical Examiner John
A. Gregg. Nj d., SUPERNATURAL james
Morrison, Supreme-Chaplain Henry u ais
ietlv. Supreme Marshal Frank Thomas (oi
Somervile), f. +. Morangue (of the Po ar
of Supreme Trustees), ChaIrman-o1-.Gne-
Committee-on-Law j. W. Hamilton ou-
preme-Sentinel James A. frazer, ras.-
sey City). Past-Grand- President A. o.. bltz-
gerald. and Past Grand-Presldent John W.
McCarter (of Massachusetts,.
The morning session was devoted 10 rou-
| tine preliminary business and the lnltla-
| ton of the visiting representatives OF Ine
order present. After an adjournment Tor
| luncheon the delegates reassembled a, z 4.
NJ. The Supreme President then mace MS
| first annual report. In the course OF ms
remarks he said: lime, IN us nisn..
| has brought us to the first milestone IN our
history as an organization, we are here TO-
| day TO listen to the reports Of the ofncers
| into whose hands was intrusted the re-
sponsible duty of placing our order
PROPERLY BEFORE THE PEOPLE
of this continent. of deyising means to
10 IL and 70 helm place
the order in the front rank of fraternal en-
dowmept societies. Our success has been
greater than was ever anticipated. l can,
not embody in this report the trials and
tribulations the order has had to contend
with during this year; at first the opposi-
ton of Q certain portion OF the press, the
hostility Of old line insurance companies
and from various organizations tearing
compet;tion. But these difficulties were
ali surmounted, and the order owes much
| of its progress to the officers who have so
| faithfully performed their important du-
| ties. while the Supreme Executive Com
mittee upon whose shoulders the business
of the order falls has very largely con-
| tributed to our success
Supreme-Secretary Isaac w. Gammons
in his report said: Since our last convo-
cation we have witnessed what might nave
been termed an experiment by those VINO
did not really understand or appreciate the
magnitude of our enterprise, grow TO such
an extent that it is now one of the recog-
nized institutions of our time. During
the past year we have the remarkable re,
cord of 1856 lodges in the United States and
one lodge in Canada, aggregating a men,
bership of $500. In order to properly con,
duet our business and pay, all claims. II
was found necessary to levy but II assess
ments. We have paid out nearly Sl7 600 to
worthy sick members who have become IN
capactated. In addition to that we have
deposited with the State Treasurer OF Mas.
sacbusetts as o reserve fund the sum OF
ISL 900. The order is not confined to this
State, but at the present time IT'S member
ship extends to twelve other states. IL mas
been reasonably fair TO anticipate that be-
fore we will have again assembled the
order will extend into every State IN the
Union. Among the 165 lodges that have
received such benefits only two have drawn
ont a sum in excess of the amount the or
der has received from them. The order
has actual