The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-22
SOVEREIGN GRAND LODGE.
Interesting Matters Touched Upon in
Their Session Yesterday.


Chattanooga, Tenn, Sept. 2l.-Upon
the resumption of business in :he
Sovereign Grand Lodge this morning, the
report of the commission on the patri-
archs militant was taken up. Repre-
sentative Rixey of Missouri sought to
amend the report by making all members
OF the Scarlet degree eligible for admis-
sion into the patriarchs militant, but the
proposition was defeated.
The preamble and resolutions from New
York touching the status of aged men,
bers whose lodges are dcfunct were re-
ported on ana adopted
The foreign relations of the order are
reported IN fine condition, and $500 was
donated to extend the work in Europe.
The report of the committee adverse
to allowing lodges the privilege of making
a minimum benefit of 81 per week for a
limited time, and to increase it to 81 after
wards, was lald over for another year
The judiciary commission reports that
support of widows and the maintenance
of orphans of deceased Odd Fellows is not
charity but legal obligation, and that
IN The discharge of this sacred duty a
grand lodge has full power to make rea-
sonable and necessary assessments upon
the subordinate lodges to provide and
maintain homes for such dependents
The special commission appointed to in
Vestigate the misappropriatio of funds
at Fargo, N. D., reported that the Fargo
local commission had received 1900 and
dlsbursed to the brethren s., 600; and that
the disbursement was not TO sufferers by
fire, but to those who were able to at once
donate the same to their lodge 10 be used
in payment of mortgages on lodge
property. The actual relief extended
was only about - POO and the balance
was used as above stated The commits
sion found that the action of the Fargo
brethren was censurable in the highest
degree and ordered the grand lodge of
North Dakota to at once sec that all at
tentiOn was given to relief of actual dis
tress the original purpose of the call
and all other funds at once re-
turned to the donors. The peculiar
feature of this case was that the
grand lodge of North Dakota found that
IL was misappropriation Of the donation,
but took no active steps to force a resti-
tuition of the money, and the report
adopted this day censures in emphatic
terms this apparent indifference done
the real sufferers, as we'll as those whose
liberality was so fraternally shown to-
ward them.
At the close of the afternoon session,
the kansas natter was reached, but
the body adjourned before wading into il.
This is question in which the Kansas
brethren are deeply concerned. To them
it involves their ownership or control of
property valued at 100000, and natu-
rally every Odd Fellow in Kansas, as well
as the civil courts of the country, are
looking anxiously for its termination
AT the third annual meeting of the ODD
Fellows National Press association held
to-day, the title of the organization was
changed to the Odd Fellows Interna-
tional Press Association, and the follow
ing officers were elected for the ensuing
year: A. L. Voorhis, Topeka, Kas., pres
ident; John Reynolds, Indianapolis, Ind
vice president; John BOurlet, Concord, n
H., secretary and treasurer.