St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-24
The Grand Lodge of Pythian
Brothers Begins Its Sew
enteenth Session.
Weighty Matters Demanding
the Careful Attention of
Delegates.
Reports Of Officers Exhibit a
Wonderful Record of
Progress.
Ten Thousand Uniformed Men
Take Part in the Great
Parade.

KANSAS CITY, Aug. 23.-Ihe supreme
lodge of the Pythian order for the world
is in session. At IL O'clock this morn
ing the big doors of Scottish Rite hall
were opened, the supreme chancellor
and the representatives who compose
the supreme lodge passed through, the
doors closed with bang, the supreme
outer guard assumed his station, and
thus the complicated machinery which
moves the order was put in motion.
In the preliminaries leading up to the
formal opening of the first session were
included reception to the supreme
lodge at the Grand opera house and adj
dresses Of welcome by the mayor of the
city and the governor of the state and
oy dlgnltarieS high in the order of Pyth-
IAN Brothers. The public reception
concluded, short march to the hall
was made, aid promptly at the hour ap-
pointed every member of the supreme
lodge, all the supreme representatives
ana the supreme chancellor, who tenn
porarily will WELD the gavel until his
successor shall be chosen. were in their
places. Then in executive session, the
deliberations of the first supreme lodge
which ever convened west of the Mis-
slssippi formally began.
The Lawmaking.
This evening, when the supreme
lodge now in session shall have COLI
cluded its deliberations, laws for the
order for the next two years will have
been made, from which there is no ap-
peal. 1t is the supreme body. and as
such its deliberations at this time will
possess the keenest interest for every
member of the order. Today's session
comprises oDlythat portion of the sched-
ule business which mandatory laws re-
quire to be done at the first days ses-
sion. The report of the committee on
credentials, grand lodge divisions and
comforting of the supreme lodge rank
were the only matters considered.
Until the departure of the uniform
rank little real business will be done.
Even members of the supreme lodge,
dignifed and staid though they be, find
1t difficult to get down to work while
the uniforms are being worn and the
swords are flashing in bloodIess strife
out OF Camp Shaw. but when the play
is over business will begin, for the SUI
preme lodge has weighty matters tc
consider. Its deliberations involve
good or bad for the order, which has
now membership of more than 100000
valiant knights, and whose growth
has been the marvel of the quarter
century in fraternaI ranks.
Grave problems are waiting to be
solved, and questions which require the
incest exactitude are piled high upon
the desk OF the supreme chancellor,
who must in turn hand them down to
be disposed of by the body which, in
its biennial sittingS, either makes or
mars the prospective increase in the
growth of Pythian principles.
A Splendid Army.
The entire days session was devoted
to the reception of the reports of the
officers, which in most cases are bulky
documents filed with detailed statistics.
In his report to the supreme council
the chancellor congratulates the order
upon its steadily increasing progress
and its continued prosperity and npon
the harmony which universally pre-
walls. The order enters the twenty
eighth year of its existence. says the
report, with splendid army of more
than 100000 men marching steadily for
ward under the tri-cOlOred banner of
PythlanlSm.
One year ago 263, 0G0 names were en-
rolled upon the rosters of membership
throughout the supreme jurisdiction.
Within the past twelve months this
number has been increased to 3OS, 200,
making an increase during the year of
A 900, or about One-Sixth. No fraternal
OrgaiZation in the twenty-seventh year
of its existence has ever been able to at
tain such percentage of increase. The
development of the uniform rank is
marvel. The record shrws an increase
of 153 new divisions during the past
year. with total membership exceed
ing $4,000. being an increase during the
year OF 5000 members, or over One-fifth.
The Endowment Rank
is in healthy condition, and has safely
weathered the storm of mortality which,
during the past SIX months, has caused
many of the older and longer estab
liShed associations to shorten sail, and
is now entering, as l believe, year of
unparalleled prosperity. At the time
Pbythian congress was last in session,
July, 1890. tho numerical strength of
the order, as shown by the official re-
ports for the year ending Dec. 81. 1889.
was as follows: Number of grand
lodges, 479; number of subordinate
lodges. 1924; membership of the order,
~OOsOtts OLICldl lOpOitS July L, lSJZ,
show: Number of grand lodges, 81:
number of subordinate lodges, 1857:
membership of the order 393,6l6, or an
increase in the two years, ending July
l, 1892, of 10, III, being at the rate of SO
per cent.
The report of Supreme Treasurer
Kennedy states that on July l, 1892, the
endowment rank consisted of l.4l7
active sections, comprising 90, 4O7 men,
bers, with endowments in force amount
ing to S62, 952, 600, and an increase since
the last biennial report of 500 sections.
5000 members and Sl7,000.000 endow-
ments. The resources of the rank are
stated to he SS6.S6l, and the liabilities,
/ representing death losses accruing be-
fore July l, 1892, SlS7, 000 Much of this
liability is represented by proofs in
processes of completion and adjustment,
and which will be met by the usual as
SeSSmept.
Carnahan's Report.
/ The report of Maj. Gen. Carnahan
covers in detail all matters pertaining to
| the uniform rank. The report shows
the rank to have made splendid progress
during the past two years aud to be now
in most hOuriShing condition. The
rank has grown beyond the expecta-
tons of even Gen. Canadian, its found
er. 1t can no longer be considered an
experiment, says the report. but must
be regarded as an Accomplished fact
and as a most important branch of the
Pythian order.
Illustrative of the growth of the rank,
tie report says: Feb. 10. 1890, the rank
consisted Of SOS divisions; year later
of SIS divisions, and on Feb 10, 1892. OF
925 divisions, with 80 divisions for the
Institution Of which applications have
been approved since the date last named
above. making a total this date of LOIS
divisions. with an aggregate member
ship of more than 10000, and with
brigade and regimental organizations in
nearly every important grand lurisdic-
ton.
Minneapolis and Louisville are at OBJ
DOSiIe ends of the rope in the great tug