The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-10

rank ~ continued, a. The Sons Of vetsr-
ans Guards" are now organized, until the
naxt nAtiongl encAmpment, and that tho
Of $500 be appropriated for the pur-
poses Of said oraanization.'
rsc.ivsd from no division 81 Okl.hshoma.
six camps and comprising Ok
lahoma and Indian territory, the COM
mander-in-chtef recommended that thoy
be reattached 10 the division Of Knnsas for
juriadictionst. purposes.
The financial a6Airs Of the osdss. 40
tion, and the Recommendation il inside that
shs per capita tax payable to tha COM
mandsty-in-ch chief remain ~ herotofore--1G
csnts per annum. Referring 10 tho annual
sncampmsnt OF this o0mmandery, the re-
port say.:
ths expenses Of the
annual meetings of the COMMUNICATIVE
chief are very large. The cost TO the order
Of the ninth annual encampment, includ-
ing the expenses Of reporting and printing
tbs proceedings, was 81, 280.8 81. the cost Of
the tsnth annual noanpmsnt was e8,442.01,
and owing to tho distance which many OF
the commandery. in-chief officers will be
obliged to travel and tho additional ex-
penaes OF this advisory board of the >. ".
guards and tho committee on ritual, which
arc unusual, the cost OF this encnmpment
will probably bs four thousand dollars. II
has aeemed 20 ne that, notwithstanding
national e~noampmsnts, the order u large
10 not sufficiently benefited to warrant this
expenditure annually. The annual legis-
lation also, which always results in consti-
tutional changes. undoubtedly interfores
with the proper and harmonious working
themselves familiar with the amendments
OF the organic law, and confusion ofton
ensues. Despite the radical changes in our
constitution made al the Minneapolis en-
campment. which rendered IL of this first
importance that every member OF the order
should be supplied with q copy Of The
new constitution, there were only 4O, $50
copies ordered from these headquarters,
and, when Va consider that during tho past
year about $4,000 new members were mus
tered, every one of whom must have re-
ceived I copy, II becomes apparent that
man Of our members cannot be familiar
with the changes in our constitution made
by the commandery- in-chief at it, last
meeting. Thore seems to be a very general
feeling among tho rank and file of our
membership that our constitution il
amended too frequently. and that one OF
the evils from which We are suffering 10 too
much legislation.
II therefore recommend that our constl-
tuition be 20 amended AZ to provide for bi-
ennial sessions Of the ~commandery- in chief.
extending the terms OF officers. and making
such other changes ~ would be rendered
necessary &thereby. such amendment. how
ever, not to 60 into effect until after the
twelfth annual meeting Of the o~ommandery-
in-chief.
II have also been impressed with the ad-
vantaRes that would ACC. ne if divisions
we're represented by commanders who had
served during the major portion of their
term and had learned by practical expert
enoe the needs of their divisions and the
methods of COMMUNICATIVE chief head
quarters rather than by newly elected off
GERS who had not yet had time to become
familiar with the details of their own work.
Without making = formal recommendation
upon this sabject, l desire to present as 9
suggestion the ~desirability, after the
twelfth annual meeting, Of holding on
campmsnts of the n-chisl
between November 18th and December 18th
Referring to the growth of the order. tn.
commander-in-chief says: 1.-The early dat,
OF holding this encampment renders it i'm.
possible to make any comparison other thar
upon the membership for the quarters End.
ing Sept. 80. 1891, Dec. 81, 1891, and Marot