Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-11
AouARTEn OF 4 oENrURx.

the Odd Fell0wss Mutual Aid Asso.
cfation-Features of the Annual
Keports-Omcers Elected-Interest.
ing Amendment A dopted-A Glance
Retrospective by Secretary Moses
After Twenty five Years.
Yesterday afternoon the twenty fifth
annual meeting of the Odd Fellows Mutual |
Aid association was held In this city in the |
new I. o. o. F. building on Grown street.
Judge Demipg, the president, presided and
opened the meeting with brief address of
oongratulatory nature. There was a
large attendance at the meeting and ell
parts of the state were represented. Many
of the visitors took the opportunity to re-
new old friendships and call upon old &C.
quaintances.
The annual reports were read and showed
the association to be fourishing. Mr..
Moses, the efficient secretary, in his report
makes appropriate allusion to the fact of
the associations twenty-five years of ex-
istence. It was twenty five years old on
the 10th of November last. In his retro
spective remarks he says:
Twenty five years ago on tho 10th of
November last, ifty-three members of the
order, residing in the city of New Haven.
| organized what is now so well known
| throughout this jurisdiction, the Odd Eel
lows Mutual Aid association, believing
| that they saw in an organization of this
character an opportunity of promoting
great good to those of their fellow mem
bers who, they hoped, would join with
| forward their plan of aid and assistance to
| one another and their dependent heirs.
Let us briefly review few of the salient
| points of the work and results th4t have
been attained since these few earnest
workers launched that enterprise upon
what might by them have been regarded
as an "untried sea-" Of the honored
charter members before alluded to, thir-
teen have been called to the grand lodge
thirty two still prove steadfast in their
faith and remain with US yet, varying in
age from forty seven years to ninety, this
last figure representing the age of our
esteemed and honored brother, Thomas G.
Hollis, for many years our treasurer.
The organisation of the association was
effected by the choice of Joseph K. Bundy
as president, Alfred W. Phelps, vice presi-
dent; Ellery Camp, secretary, and Samuel
b. Harris as treasurer, and of this number
all but Brother Harris are left to US and
stIA Icudlu III SOOu standing on our
books, evincing their faith in the orgsni-
zation by their continued good works and
wishes for its welfare.
In these years that have now passed in
to histo 644 of our members have been
called from earth and its trials, and to
their widows and other heirs there has
been paid the goodly sum of one million
and forty nine Thousand dollars Isl, O49,
00O. Truly goodly sum, distributed ss
it has been.
The first among the charter members to
pass away was Samuel B. Gorham, who
died December IA, 1868, and the last OF
that honored list was our venerable
, brother Aaron Belden, whose death &C.
Cured November 20, 1892, both, for many
years, earnest and active members of Quin.
nipiao lodge, No. 1.
Certifcats of membership have been is
sued to the number of 4, 455, and deduct
ing the deceased from these figures. il
would appear that some $40 had, from
divers causes, largely unknown to us
J deemed it expedient or necessary to dis
, solve their connection with us.
| My observation on this point during thu
twenty years I have had the honor to hole
this important position, leads me to bs
lieve that but small portion of these sus
, pended members were obliged to take tina
course from necessity or inability to pay
the calls for assessments laid by our boarC
of directors.
The average age of the GA deceased
members find to be So years, months
and 26 days, ranging in age from "a to 8;
!, years, the youngest being F. R. johnson
) of Harmony lodge, No. 5, and the lsttel
Harleigh Skinner of Naugatuck, No. g.
In our work and its results for the yea
just passed think We can all feel justif
able pride. large degree of interest hs
been T., tn 5y the directors generally
they been rewarded largely in their en-
deavors to increase our membership roll
f This renewed interest and zeal, taken IL
connection with the good work of on
, agent, Brother Hart, has had the crafty
1 ing result of adding to our list large
t number of members than has been receive,
during any one year since the early histor
of our association, and the clsss of mel
thus added seem to be of character tina
Q will greatly benefit US.
MEMBERSHIP.