Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1892-04-29
ODD FELLOWS ANNIVERSARY.
A Synopsis Of an Address on the Sew
enty-Third Anniversary Of the
Order.

SYNOPSIS Vi All AuQreSS Oh Tie ScV
enty-Third Anniversary Of the
e Order.
On Sunday, April 24th, the Littl
Falls Lodge OF the I. O. o. F. met a
the Congregational church to hear
= sermon by the pastor, the Rev. Davi'
, Donovan, on the anniversary of tn
founding Of the order in the Unite'
States.
The church was largely attended
. every available seat being occupied
The brotherhood in simple but. beau
e tiful regalia made fine appearance
a goodly company OF thoughtful, in
telligent men.
The choir effectively sang some O
the familiar but beautiful hymns o
, the Pilgrim church.; and when tn
brotherhood joined in, as they did OF
that grand old hymn, "Nearer my
God to Thee" the effect was wonder
, fully impressive, nearly a hundred
accustomed voices rolling the solemn
refrain Nearer my God to Thee
The pastor read as the Scripture
lesson of the day that portion of the
twenty fifth of Mathew from the 31st
to the 46th verses, describing the
Judgment scene where Christ 50 i'm
pressively cOmmends to man the
duties OF benevolent care Of his fellow
man, closing with the words "Verily
| say unto you inasmuch as We did
it not unto one of the least Of these
ye did it not unto me-"
The text for the occasion was found
in Romans: 10Th chapter and 10th
verse, ''Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love. in hon
or preferring one another
The speaker noticed first, the most
evident thoughts of the text, sympa-
thetic, loving brotherhood, and then
a certain natural, justifiable limiting
of the strongest impulse of the feel
ing among the mutual membership,
in the phrase Tin honor preferring
one another.
But before dwelling on the thoughts
OF the text the reverend speaker no.
ticed the prominent, suggestive facts
of the occasion. The varied congre-
cation, members Of the church and Of
the lodge could alike find profitable
guidance in Gods word; and the
spirit OF this text is the soul, the life
of every fraternal, social and sacred
organization, that they be bound in
| bonds of mutual love.
| The Day of the Lord appealed to
men by it's sacred and grand associa-
ton. The Sabbath is the oldest, and
| one OF the best institutions given to
the family of man. 1t antedates
mans own existence, being made and
blest of God even at the very dawn
OF history. 1t is a day of rest from
weary toll, day OF social greeting,
of warm hand-clasps and kind inquiry
for mutual welfare. 1t is a day of
high and grand cOmmuning between
man and his maker, God.
The day, too, had special sugges-
ton to the Odd Fellows. This is to
them commemorative day, the an-
nivelsary of the founding OF the order
in the United States, by Thomas Will
dey, in the year 1919, when the order
was instituted in this country by the
organization at Baltimore of the
Washington Lodge, No l. The order
was first definitely established in Eng
land in 1743, and grew out of the evil
dent need of men for mutual help in
the things OF daily life, for sociability
in intercourse, for mutual care and
help in travel, for help in sickness, for
sympathy in sorrow, and co-opera-
ton with survivors in death.
Its prominent objects are mutual
help in sickness. care of the brother
hood, care OF the family, burial OF the
dead, protection of the widow and
guidance OF the orphan, and such CO.
operation of the membership as will
develop and exercise an honorable
and manly benevolenc;. Already
over 800, O0O, 900 has been spent to aid
in these benevolent purposes, over Il
million men have been led to higher
plane of life; thousands Of orphans
bnx-o l,on,, tro;pod op1 .ru;11oI nv, tho
fraternity, and widows been blessed
by it's helpfulness.
The order now numbers over 1000
lodges in the United States and has u
membership of over 100000. 1t has
at present an annual income of more
than $4,000, 900, and spends annually
over $2,O00,0oO in exclusively benevo-
ent lines.
1t directs bencvolence by business
methods; and puts benevolence into
business; and what ever helps individ-
ual men to higher lives of sobriety,
order, industry and mutual helpful
ness must be beneficial to them and
to society at large.
The Bible repeatedly commands
the spirit of brotherhood. When
Cain asks: Am I my brothers
keeper" He negatively but strong
~ states Il human duty. This
mutual helpfulness was a patriotic
passion among the Jews. David
gives it sublime utterance in the
133rd Psalm, beginning "Behold
how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity"
Christ anticipates the Judgment scene
it's observance or neglect. Paul
says, mo man liveth to himself"
and our text is definite authority
for the exercise of brotherhood
benevOlence.
There is certain degree Of secrecy,
some object. SO there is in business
life, so there is in the family and
even in the church.
But from the preachers standpoint
members of these benevolent societies
make the mistake, in common with
others, of too often letting an
earthly interest shut out the higher
and grandcr one of the soul. In the
words Of the Book, "This We ought
to have done, but not let the other
| be undOne." 1t should be remember