Smyrna times., 1894-05-02
Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Odd
Fellowship.
AN INTERESTING EVENT.


with the order through the country,
celebrated the 10Th anniversary of the
order in this county on Thursday even
ing last, 26th inst. The Opera House
was well filled by promiscuous audi
ence of town and country people who
followed the program throughout with
evident interest.
When the curtain rose, little after
eight o'clock, it was upon an animated
stage-lillies and geraniums decorating
the front, the back ground we'll filled
in with those who during the evening
were to take an active part as officers,
singers or speakers, while suspended
above IN illuminated letters were the
ever present words with Odd Fellow
ip,-FRIENDsHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH
including the symbOlical three linked
chain.
G. o. Swinney, NJ. D., at this point
stepped forward and in a few well
chosen words as an Introductory to the
services, spoke of Odd Fellowship, its
first establishment in Baltimore rs
years ago by Thomas Wildley, how it
had grown and how the order had been
a blessing to hundreds and thousands.
The following was the order of exer-
cses:
PROGRAMME.
Opening Ode..........By NJ. e. Choir and Audience
E. H. HYnSOn
Recitation. Miss Margaret NJ Robinson
Antnem E. Choir
kecltatlOn Miss Kate W. Beckett
Lizzie Revis. Emma f. Stevenson,
ElwOod Redmond
W. X. MOwbray
anoies1ic,, ,.M E. Choir
Statistics of Morning Star Lodge. No. 6, l. o. o.
&c.
Closing ode and Benediction .....................
The choir sang two anthems with de-
cidedly good effect, the leader, w. O..
HOilecker, also taking charge of the
music in the opening and closing odes.
The chief feature of the evening was
the address of Rev. VIM. r. Mowbray.
which occupied forty-twO minutes in
its delivery and was especially relshed
for its directness and pungency in deal
ing with the fOibles of men. This is
said to have been the ReVerand gentle
mans first platform effort aside from a
pulpit, but while not having the latter
to fail behind he showed no trepidatiOn
IN directing shaft at transgressiOns
that needed piercing. and carried no
veil to throw over guided sins"
The framework of the discourse was
the three words that constitute the
motto of the Order-Fnendship Love
and Truth though considerable IL
cense was exercised in calculating and
tracing these or rather their deviations
from that which should form the right
basis of good society, be it Odd Eel
lOwship or what not.
In passing from a brief historical al
lusiOn to the rise of the order in Eng
land and the transplanting in this
country he passed on to it's benefits. so.
cially, morally sc, quoting the trite
and oft repeated expression that a
man could not be a good Odd Fellow
without being a good christian" He
admitted there were many who did not
measure up to the mark, in fact fell far
short of it taking on themselves the
obligation of the order when it was not
in their hearts to live up to it. 1t was
so with the church: there were men
VINO cOunterfeited it and assimilated
its virtues for purpose, which was it's
best endorsement, as a Valueless thing
would meyer be counterfeited. He
said he would not belong to a church
that hadn't hypocrits in it,
TRUTH" be held, should be what
was indicated by the brand, and not
corrupt under the surface: the man
who went on the principle that hon.
esty is the best policy" was only hon
est because it did not pay to be other
wise. Honesty, real and genuine, was
not regulated by any such mental pro-
cess,-it was principle and not a
policy. The man who by sharp prac-
tices wrOnged his neighbor was stopped
short of being a thief only for fear of
the law.
Men of unclean lives were severely
characterized as enemies of society.
especially those who would set up diff
ferent standards of morality for the
sexe2-haVing one for their wives and
daughters and another for themselves.
The pleasure of the evening was
somewhat marred by unnecessary
noises that should have been avoided :
this was by persons coming in and dis
tur0lng others in getting seated when
the eye and ear were bent on the stage.
and, by pratling youngster in arms.
that much of the evening divided at
tention with the performances on the
platform. The confusion of moving
| figures was more noticeable when Miss
Katie Beckett was declaiming, Some OF
her finest passages being lost on those
in the back part of the audience. AT
such times when only a very brief time
is occupied, the ushers would do a
n a
door until the particular item on the
stage is finished,
The last feature before the closing
ode and benediction, was paper read
by permanent Secretary Stevenson, on
the statistics of Morning Star Lodge.
Ihls lodge, it was stated, was Organi-
zed on the Sth of June 1912, with Henry
VanGaskeD, T. G. Palmatory, Edward
Streets, John Mustard and John Van
Gasken as charter members. The two
last named are still living, but have not
been for sometime member of the order.
The hall burned down December 10.
lS45 and the charter was renewed
April 18th 1946. The society has
moved forward steadily since, the pres.
ent membership being 98. The Odd
Feilows In this State now number 5000
and the order general over 100000.
The sick benefits of Morning Star
Lodge in the last ten years have been
81 ,604.34, or an annual average OF
SlS3 43. Funeral benefits for ten wears
have been $500, widows and orphans.
$46O.S5, other purposes So, ,343.5l. Total
in ten years for the Lodge, SS,2l9O4.
The amount expended in the State
last year for sick benefits was $II.ll4.-
80; burial of deceased members. So '544.
90; burial of brothers wives, SOS. .25:
other charitable purpose such as edu-
cation of orphans, 81, ,102.62.
In the order in general there were
94,953 brothers relieved, paying for
said relief $3,471, ,911.54. They also re.
lieved 1924 widows and families. nav
ing for the same $163, ,433Sl; brothers
during 1898, 8,222-expenses of same
$6l2,0Sl.59. Paid for education OF
orphans, $25, ,305.59; paid for special re.
lief, Sl87 ,236 O5-tOtal paid for relief,
$4, AGO, ,56S.58.
At regular meeting of Morning
Star Lodge, No. 6, l. o. o. F., of this
town, held on Friday evening last, the
following resolution was unanimously
adopted.
ResoLUed, That a vote of thanks be
extended TO Brother VIM. r. Mowbrav
for the able and instructive addresses
delivered; to Mr.. w. o. HoHecker. the
NJ. e. Choir and organist for their
Kindness in furnishing music; to the