Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-27
TUE PYTHIAN SISTERHOOD.
The Sessions Will Begin in the G. A.
n. Building Tomorrow

At the Hotel Richmond corner of nth
and H streets northwest, the officers of the
Pythian Sisterhood are CHARTERED, prepar-
ing for the convention of the order which Is
to be held in the rooms of the Woman's Re-
lief Corps, in the G. A. r. building, begin
ming tomorrow morning at ~ o'clock. The
officers of the sisterhood who have already
arrived are its founder and supreme chan
cellor, Mrs. A. A Young, Concord, N. H.;
supreme vice chancellor, Mrs. Geo. W. Be
mis- of Worcester, Mass, and past grand
chancellor, Mrs. w. d. Lovid of Providence
r. 1. The Pythian Sisterhood is not. as it
has been represented, SecederS from the Py-
THAN Sisters, according to Mrs. Young, who
granted a Star representative an interview
this morning. The founder and supreme
chancellor is handsome woman of middle
age, of particularly pleasant manners and
excellent conversational powers.
Sketch of the Order.
1.-THE sisterhood was organized in Concord
on February q, 1885, said Mrs. Young,
land was eight months old before the first
temple of the Pythian Sisters was insti-
tuted. We had five sublodges and a grand
lodge before the order was submitted to the
Supreme LoGge of the Knights of Pythias,
in 1883.
I'VE had no dissatisfaction with the sis
ters then, and have none now. The only
difference between us is that We do not
admit men to membership, while the sis
tiers do make sisters out of their brother
knights. When the Supreme Lodge in
1883 received our application, 1t gave us
partial recognition as an organization, and
recommended that we should use the Hill
ritual, which is the one used by the Ply
THAN Sisters. This action led to all the
difference that now exists between the
sisters and ourselves, as the Hill ritual
provides for the admission of gentlemen to
/ mamhPrqhin q int
which the two branches differ. The sister
hood continues the use of the ritual origi-
nally prepared for it my myself, because
1t was believed that the women Pythians
should be allowed to conduct the secret
affairs Of their own order without the as
sistance of the stronger sex. l don't want
you to think from this that am what is
known as g. woman's rights woman.
Don't Want Gentlemen to Participate.
IT have rights enough and am satisfied
with them, and certainly respect those of
my husband, but do not care, and neither
do the other members of the sisterhood to
have gentlemen participate in our secret
work. The sisterhood Is founded as nearly
as possible on Pythian principles, so far
as we can understand them, but 1t is en-
tirely independent of that order. 1t now
comprises Il membership of over 5000 in
cluded in lodges that stretch from Maine to
Nebraska, and is In a very prosperous con-
dition. We are financially well off and
don't owe dollar in the world, and as our
organization was built up by women en-
tirely, and has had six years of unqualified
success, we are confident of our ability to
keep UP its prosperity hereafter. Mind
you, we have no feeling whatever against
the Pythian Sisters, and they are in no
way to blame for the differences that exist,
The Supreme Lodge mixed the matter up
and is entirely responsible for It,"
ALI visiting sisters from subordinate as
semblies are invited to attend the session
Of the Hsterhood convention Wednesday
forenoon, when the work Of the subordinate
lodges will be exemplihed