The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-08-18
meeting of the COMMUNICATIVE Chief between
Aug. Is and Sept. 80 of each year."

| meeting of the Commandery-in-Cb Chief between
| Aug. Is and Sept. 80 of each year"
DIVISION OF OKLAHOMA.
| On July 25 1891, there being six Camps in the
Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory, the
Division of OkIahoma organized and Division
officers appointed. Shortly after assuming COM
| mand, not having received any reports L wrote
/ Commander Allison, and have been in constant
| communication with him endeavoring to obtain
| some official information of the condition of the
Camps in his Division.
Noreports have been received from said Division,
| and the Division Commander has informed me that
| they unable to hold an Encampment
Recommendation No. 9. therefore recommend
| that the charter of The Division of Oklahoma be
| revoked, and that the Camps in the Indian Terri
tory and Oklahoma Territory be rentacled TO the
Division of Kansas for jIrisdiclional purposes
GROWTH OF THE ORDER.
| The early date of holding this Encampment
| heretofore referred 10 renders it impossible 10
make any comparison other than upon the mem
bersiIip for the quarters ending Sept 80 ls9l, Dec
| 81 1891, and March 81, 1892
Although there were reported to be 81 12s men,
bers III good standing: and l0.s6i members s"s-
pended ut the close OF June. 1891 the quarterly re-
port received by this administration W thin one
| month after assuming command showed only
! 5osI9 members in good standing with ll19S mem
| bers suspended.
| The report for the quarter ending Dee. 81, 1890
| showed 53,5l9 members IN good standing, and
1856 members suspended, while the report for the
corresponding quarter in 1891 shows 50. s05 MEM
| bers in good standing and 1850 members sus-
F., pended
Its especially noticeable that the larger Divisions
| are n rule, the that show the least i'm
| provement III fact, many of them show loss.
OF the Divisions reporting over $500 members in
| good standing at the end OF the first quarter OF
| 1891 Ohic illinois, Indiana and Iowa show losses
ranging from 81 90 IL per centun while pennsyivA-
| nia massachusetts, Kansas and New York show
| gains varying from % Is percenium
The rumber mustered into the Order during the
last three quarters oil 1891 and the first quarter Of
| 1892 22959 yet during ihe period the actual
mem ership in good standing was decreased 1433.
During that period 3s me hers were suspended
l ratft atnI al
Like my predecessors am unable to reach any
satisfactory conclusion to the cause OF this lack
| most noble and unsefsh that Can be conceived ;
our membership. think it can he said without any
fiattery se!f-concet includes the flower OF the
! young men of our countryside blue blood o! the
| Iepubiic-because there flows in their veins the
| loyal blood of the heroes who preserved Our Union
Can it be possible that sufficient care is not exer
| cised in the examination of applicants. aud that we
| admit to membership those who do not appreciate
| the privilege, who do not realize that in being
mustered into our Order and in taking the obiiga-
ton of membership they enlist in the noble work
| which banded together TO carry on; and
that in permitting their membership to be ierm-
| mated by being dropped they place themselves in
the same category with those who in the troubiou5
| times of '6l-'65 were branded "deserters." In
| those days the enlistment was for the preservation
of our Union i'm our Order the nent is for the
preservation and perpetuation of the memories OF
| those who fought the Nations battles and handed
down to US the priceless heritage OF q free and
| united country.
Were deserters in Order treated as they de-
| serve. would they not be fewer In number!
| hope that during this Encampment a full and
free discussion of this question will be had and that
the Commander of each Division will express,
without reserve his views of the of this lack
| of growth and his remedy therefor.
| Recommendation No. IL. therefore recommend
| that time be devoted to such interchange of
| views and that eneh Division Commander be re-
| quired to speak fully upon the subject.
RELATIONS WITH THE GRAND ARMY.
During the past year friendly relations heretofore
/ existing between the Grand Army of the Republic
and Order have continued without interruption,
and am indebted to the officers Of that organiza-
| ton for many courtesies. Many Post Commanders
| of the Grand Army have applied for information
relative to the organization Of Camps and have
| Department Commanders have always shown the
kindliest interest In success. and have con.
tributed In many ways to our advancement. Com
| manderin-Chief Palmer has never failed to ex-
press his belief in the principles and purposes of
our Order and intends to present to the National
Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic
| a statement Of the work that We have accom-
| plished.
Our Order again contributed to the decoration
| Of the graves Of the unknown Union dead who
| lie buried in the Department. of Georgia, and
| relieved q number of veterans and their families.
and the Division OF Massachusetts has decided
| to furnish each Memorial Day the flags with
! which to decorate the graves Of those who died in
| the Andersonville Prison pen.
Adjutant-GeneraPs Report.
The following shows a comparison of the men,
bership at the end Of the second quarter of 1891
with the membership at the end of the first quarter
of 1892: