The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-27
Odd Fellowship follows Il


| ciples are revered by its votaries, but
Only passing recognition of its teachings
| is granted by the busy public. Its aims
and practical workings have not been
sung in song nor told in story; no Shakes
| speare has ever decked them with flowers
| of rhetoric and fancy or public parade; no
| Cicero has held the listening thousands
| spell-bound upon the subject. As the
great rivers run silently to the sea. so does
the influence of Odd Fellowship. for good,
affect the currents of public thought.
! Modern Odd Fellowship is truly an
American Institution. No legend of an
| tiQuity lends its enchanting power to
| cdptlvste the mind. II IS true that the
| original idea of association and mutual
relief was born beneath the English
| banner Whatever credit is due TO its
| birth place is overshadowed by the re-
| organization in this country. Its former
| teachings were eclipsed by the progressive
Anglo-Saxon. The march of empire
westward carried the principles that had
made English institutions withstand the
! storms of centuries
| common law principles were planted
amidst the primeval forests of the new
! world, and the beautiful fabric of law
! that clothes our government was woven
! therefrom. The spirit OF liberty and
| equality pervaGed the network Of the new
! civilization. The clash OF contendiDg
I
| sphere was Re organized and the lines of
national progress marked out Primitive
! Odd Fellowship was represented only by
! the consent OF the English parent. But
! there came a time in the quick march of
events, when men who had Joined the
| organization in England asserted the
| dignity of their manhood The battle OF
western ideas for supremacy was won,
and soon thereafter the flag of friendship.
! love ana truth became American in all its
/ features. The same spirit that dominated
the men who fought for national indie
/ pendeuce guided the scattered lodges in
/ the United States in their demands for
! separation. Boston harbor had been made
a tea pot, English interference made myth.
/ A new nation had barely turned its
! quarter century mark when recognition
came. In 1919 Thomas Wildey and four
! others created the new lodge of Washing
| ton No. in the state OF Maryland. Ever
! since Odd Fellowship the world over, has
| been practiced under our forms, clothed
! with the spirit that permeates our order
In the United States. So Odd Fellowship
/ pTacticed in every cline IS thoroughly
! American in character. Throughout the
union public attention is being called to-
/ day, TO the beneficial principles of our
! order. For over three score years and ten.
silently and effectually has public thought
been directed and guided by our order
into channels for good, that will widen
and deepen as the ages roll along. The
/ theme OF Odd Fellowship is known IN all
lis beauty by some one in every hamlet
From where rolls the Oregon" to the sandy
beaches of FlorIda's eastern coast. and,
Wherever friendship, love and truth abound,
Among band of brothers,
The cup of JOY goes gaily round,
Each shares the bliss of others;
Sweet roses grace the thorny way,
Along the vale OF sorrow,
The flowers that shed their leaves today,
Shall bloom again tomorrow
Americans are nation OF admirers. We
worship at the shrine of distinguished in
dividuals who have left the impress OF
their characters upon the masses. We are
the French of the west. Odd Fellows
present the founder OF their organization
MS worthy of niche in the temple OF fame.
As promoter of the principles OF the or
der, recognizing its widely scattered
forces, creating and guiding the first
grand master, developing and bringing
into being the grand lodge of the United
States, honored as its first grand sire,
| Thomas Wildey rises to the eminent and
proud position as one of Americas great
est benefactors. Recognized as the father
of Odd Fellowship, he founded an order,
based upon certain truths which are
alike aXioms among all nations, tongues
.
influence, gathers within its orbit antag-
ouistic natures, controls the elements Of
discOrd, stills the storms and sootheS the
spirit of passion, and directs in harmony
mans united efforts to fraterniZe the
world" Such is Odd Fellowship and he
who lives nearest the line of DUTY, sits
nearest Him in whom alone we live, and
move, and have our being" On this &C.
casion when the opening blossoms OF
! spring symboliZes the truitage OF coming
autumn, when Kansas Odd Fellowship
/ Is entering upon new era, IL Is behttlng
that we should renew our fealty to the
principles of our order. In this splendid
city of western thrift and enterprise, noted
! for her schools, newspapers. churches aud
her Odd Fellows, broad gauged and liberal
minded to fault, surrounded by affluence,
| and marked with every feature of pros
perity, the crowned queen OF the western
prarieS: in the presence OF this assembly
( of worthy brothers whose checkered
, careers can be read on the mile-stones that
mark the pathway through the wilder
| ness" past the robber infested districts of
Jericho that borders upon the plains of
Abraham" in the presence OF that dis
! tiuguished auxiliary the daughters of
Rebekah, the recital of whose deeds of
charity and benevolenCe thrill with adj
miration and achieve for them the bright
est page IN the history of Odd Fellowship,
(
liers.
Adorned with gems so richly bright,
They'd formed a constellation.
Where every star with modest light,
Shall guild its proper station"
ChevalIers whose Biblical history makes
them warriors of renown, but whose
proves in modern times consists of gal
liant Charges upon banquet boards where
festal bowls 60 round living IN time
that blends in touching sympathies the
fading sunset aud the purpling dawn
when the voice of wisdom, speaking from
old age and experience" reminds pre-
sumptuous mortal5 that IN the practice OF
friendship, Love and Truth IS found the
best safeguards against the ills OF life. =
On this our anniversary day let US pledge
anew cur lives TO visit the sick, relieve
the distressed, bury the dead and educate
the orphan"
Odd Fellowship IS no selfish institution.
Though we sit behind barred doors, no
selfish motives prompt our actions From
all walks of life come our members, and in
the Tod sc room we meet upon common
/ level He who crosses our Threshold
must come with a pure heart and clean
hands He who asks equity must first do
equity Before me are men who have COM
Piled with the requirements From De
hind the stone eel they have seen John
athan shoot three arrows a II az mark, !"
aud have witnessed the drama OF the loftI-
est characters Of all the ages Odd Fell
lows you are the real actors IN this great
drama OF life In the shadows OF the
tallest columes of the centuries you were
made an Odd Fellow. Your own person
has illustrated noble history. Standing
in the presence Of royalty you have listen
ed 70 the voice OF praise. our merit pro
voked enmitv. You were hunted down -
a traitor, when You were fall OF truth and
honor Ever remember that envy Is the
malicious Toe OF yITiure. and Is ever really
10 destroy what II cannot initiate or sur
PASS that X = the vice % the weak a3d the