Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-18
/. 0. O. F. IN SESSION
Sovereign Grand Lodge Meets
at Chattanooga.
WELCOMED BY GOVERNOR TURNKEY

Ptth OF the Grand Sire's Report-Shows
That the Order Is Increasing Largely in
Membership, Especially in the Southern
ststes-Over 100000 Men Belong to
the Order-Strength of the Daughters
OF Rebekah-Provision for the Aged.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Sept. lS.-The
assembly hall Of Lookout mountain inn
was crowded at the opening Of the seventh
eth annual session of the sovereign
grand lodge, Independent Order OF Odd
Fellows: The preliminary proceedings
were conducted with open doors. On be-
half OF the state, the visitors were well
coined by Governor Turney, while Mayor
George w. Ochs spoke for the city.
Greetings were also extended in behalf of
the Odd Fellows of Tennessee and Chat
tanooga by representative members Of the
order, and appropriate responses were
made by Grand Sire c. F. Campbell OF
London, Ont, and other delegates. After
these exercises the doors were closed and
the sovereign grand lodge went into ex-
ecutive session. The annual report of the
grand sire was long document, the read
ing lasting over one hour.
Increase In Membership.
The grand sire said that since the last
convention in the south, held in Atlanta
twenty years ago, the membership in the
southern states has increased from 5000 to
10000, and to the people OF the south Odd
Fellowship had become an established in
stitution. The total membership of the
| order was now 100000 or, including the
sisters of the Rebekah degrees, $50. 600.
To this should be added a men,
bership of $4,000 in foreign juris-
dictions. making a combined member
ship OF 10000 men and women. The
net increase in membership during the
year had been $4,000. This WAS less than
the year previous, but this might be &C.
counted for in the United States by a
| season of financial stringency that less
ened the resources of the people. In Cam
ada the order has made greater progress
| than in any year of its history. There
| had been no diminut;on in the work
| accomplished. and the expenditure Of
| three and third millions of dollars for
purposes of relief was a sufficient evi.
dence of the activity of Odd Fellowship.
Grand Lodge In Sweden.
A charter has been granted for grand
| lodge in Sweden, and it was recommend
ed that an application for district lodge
in Naples, Italy, be granted. Overtures
had been made looking to the introduce
ton of the order into India, but there
were evident reasons why the proposition
should not be entertained A charter
had been granted for an initial lodge in
New Foundland, the only part of British
| North America not hitherto occupied
Peace and harmony prevailed throughout
the entire jurisdiction except in Kansas,
where n number of lodges had invoked the
aid of the courts against an assessment
ordered by the grand lodge for the support
OF home. The military branch, known
as the Patriarchs Militant, was reported
as being in prosperous condition.
Numerous withered branches had been
Topped of during the year, the forces gen.
orally reorganized and eleven new cantons
mustered into service.
| Sisterhood Of Rcbekah.
The enthusiasm of the Sisterhood Of
| Rebekah had continued unabated, the
membership increasing rapidly. The laws
| covering this branch, however, required
careful revision, but the wishes of the sis
tiers themselves should receive full consid.
Grafton. In no department of the work
had there been such deci ded progress
as in making provision for the aged
members and orphan chill dred. In
many states new homes had been
| opened, while numerous jurisdictions
We're accommodating funds and preparing
buildings for the laudable work. The
grand sire paid tribute to the memory of
a number of brethren who had died dur
ing the year, including the grand marshal
of the sovereign lodge, Walter G. Dye OF
Minnesota, and concluded with an elo-
quent appeal to the delegates to hasten
the establishment Of the coming Altrurian
age. of which the poets have dreamed and