The morning call., 1894-05-03
ANNUAL SESSION CLOSED.
Good Work Done by the Various
Subordinate Courts.
MANY MEMBERS ARE BENEFITED
BY Unanimous Vote the Grand Court
Decides to Meet Next Year at
San Jose.

FRESNO, May 2.-Ine second days SeS-
sion of the Grand Court, a. o. +. of A,
opened at 9 o'clock this morning. The
principal business of the morning session
was the consideration of the reports of the
executive council and grand secretary.
These documents show that the order is
still on the onward march and steady and
healthy growth are the results OF the un-
firing efforts of those who have held the
reins of government for the past year. The
order when entrusted 10 the care of the
present administration boaSted of a men,
bership Of 12,307 and ia subordinate
courts. The increase during the year
has exceeded the must sanguine expecta-
tons of the executive council, and to-day
the order has 139 courts with membership
of nearly $4,000, showing which when the
prevailing srDgency in financial circles
and the depressed condition of business
generally is considered is gratifying in the
extreme.
During the year the courts have paid
out to sick and disabled members the sum
of $40. 769 and for medicine and medical at.
tendance S37,SOO, while in few cases
when brothers were unfortunate and
through neglect or inability to meet their
obligations became ineligible to receive
the benefits Of The order the sum of S2240
has been donated. The reports of the
deputies show that the subOrdinates are in
a good condition. The work is done in
systematic manner and The com bnation
of fraternal principles with good hard bust
ness sense in placing the order on solid
footing.
In the report of the grand chief ranger
are two items in particular which will be
of interest to the membership at large.
The first, relative to an evil which all fra
terual organizations have to contend with.
that is, the use of the name of the order
for advertising private business enter
prises. Members are prone to pIace upon
their business cards the announcement
that they are members of certain courts.
While this is not strictly against the letter
of the law, il is against the spirit OF it.
ard cannot be too severely condemned.
TIE second subject is relative to the mat
ter of Sunday picnics given in the name
of the order. This is an indirect violation
of the law, and the courts and individual
members are warned that such violations
will be severely punished. Financial sec
retaries and treasurers who have been
such for three successive years will be
pleased to know that they are entitled to
be enrolled upon the Grand Court records
as past chief rangers. This is point that
has been discussed for the last three or
four years and many decisions have been
given and reversed. but the matter is now
definitely settled.
Since the issue of the Grand Court laws
various requests have been received from
courts working in the German. French and
Spanish languages for permission to have
the laws translated into their respective
languages. The executive council is
heartily in favor of this, and the proba-
bilities are that this time legislation will
be effected to that end.
When the afternoon session opened the
principal business was the reports Of the
committee on laws and supervision, to
which had been referred the numerous
o. opposed amendments to the constitution.
A special visiting committee was ap
pointed to call on Sir Knights Doolittls
and Cronise, of the uniformed rank, K. of
P, who were severely injured during the
parade yesterday by runaway team, and
tender the sympathy of this Grand Court.
anu 6AteHQ ouCu dlN VI dooiotdACO 40
be necessary.
On account of illness Grand Chief
Ranger Ryan was compelled to vacate the
chair, which was filled oy G. p. Rendon of
Stockton. specia committee of five was
appointed to prepare suitable funeral
ceremony for the order, the same to be
submitted for approval at the next ses-
sion, in 1895. The consideration of fixing
the next place of meeting, which was made
a special order of business for this after
noon, resulted in the selection of San Jose
with unanimous vote. The question of
safe and recoverable bond for grand
and subordinate court officers was dis
cussed. and in future bonds will be so
fixed that the usual technicalities of law
cannot be thrown in the way of collecting
from the sureties of any defaulting officer.
The Grand Court funeral fund was abol-
ished. Some Of the decisions of the grand
chief ranger will be of interest to the
various subordinate courts. No business
of the order except attendance at funerals
can be transacted on Sunday. Members
who join by clearan ce-cards must pay dues
from the date OF so joining.