The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-23
OPERA HOUSE PACKED.
Thousands of Odd Fellows Listen to
Many Addresses.

Thousands of Odd Fellows Listen to
Many Addresses.
The finale of the days celebration, in
the exercises held at Englishs opera
house. was characterized by an enormous
attendance, an interesting program and
an atmosphere throughout the house
which was little less in temperature than
the blast from the open doors of fur
mace. 1t was simply so insufferably
warm in the house that long before the
close of the exercises more than half of
the audience went out on the streets to
seek comfort in GOODNESS.
The program was opened with prayer
by the Rev. B. F. Foster, grand secre-
tary, followed by an address on odd
Fellowship by DR.. Clarence T. Campbell
of London, Ontario. grand sire of the
sovereign grand lodge of America.
He said he had become we'll acquainted
with the grand Jurisdiction of Indiana
and had formed a strong affection for
the branch of the order in this state.
He paid glowing tribute to the beauty
Of Indianapolis as the capital city of the
state and spoke in terms of praise of
the members of the orders whom he had
met in this city. He was no public
speaker. he said but from an experience
as an odd fellow. running through
twenty-Seven years, he had drawn some
food for thought and many ideas as to
the true significance of odd fellowship
which should serve as the basis Of the
address which he had been asked to de-
liver. There were many who looked
upon the order Of odd fellows as a So
cial organization, which afforded men
opportunity to get away nom home and
anuse themselves. Even as a purely So
cial organization, however. he suggested
the order would be doing a great service
in the community. There were many
others who considered the order as an
insurance organization and yet others
who spoke and thought of it as an ex-
clusively charitable organization. 1t was
not, said the speaker. an organization
maintained purely for the distribution of
charity. Indiscriminate charity caused
pauperism. 1t was not an insurance or
ganization for its most inherent princi-
pie was the spirit of mutual helpfulness.
which underlies the sub-structure of the
entire organization. Odd fellowship, said
DR.. Campbell inculcated I'm the hearts
of its followers spirit of willingness to
assist each other in distress and sorrow
TO zealously guard the weu-being of the
widow and educate the orphan.
Il believe" said the doctor, that
there is no organization which has done
so much for the state as the order of
odd fellows. for it has made its members
good citizens and educated the children
of the dead in those duties Of life which
have made of them good men and wom-
en-. During its existence more than $685.
900. 900 has been expended in this work
Cicero F. Northern Of Greensburg,
grand warden of the state, was next in
troduced and delivered a forcible ad-
dress-on the Foundation of Odd Fellow
ship" in the course of which he pictured
the order as a temple whose walls eX-
tended to the uttermost limits of civil
ization and whose canopy was heaven
itself. The great foundation rocks upon
which the temple Of odd fellowship rest
ed, he said, were as strong as the rock
Of ages and could not be better named
than as friendship love and truth"
Past Grand Representative Charles c.
Binkley of Richmond. in an address,
then traced the history of odd fellowship
from April 26. 1919, when Thomas Wildey,
with four other common and plain citi-
zens of Baltimore, organized the
first lodge of odd fellows in
America, to the present day when
with membership of nearly
nine hundred thousand. the order had
It's dSlAAlNNnN VI SclhiLal VI Tic paul
arehs militant, the great encampments.
and last. but not least. the splendid
sisterhOod of the Daughters of Rebekah,
numbering more than 100000
Enoch G. Hogate of Danville. past
grand master then talked in interest
ing and forceful manner with regard to
the Influence of Odd Fellowship in
Home, Church and State and was fol-
lowed by Mrs. Anna /. Henderson, who
told of the birth. development and ripe
maturity of THE Rebekahs'' as a branch
of the order. She concluded with the
sentiment that lit is woman's shining
influence which induces husbands and
sons and brothers to turn aside from
dark and forbidden paths into the ways
which lead up to a perfect manhood, a
we'll established citizenship and finally
to heaven"
Henry A. Stone, grand master of Iln-
nois, then described to the audience the
rise and growth of the order in his
state and was followed by John B. Cock
rum. past grand master, who paid a
glowing tribute TO THE Ladies'"
The exercises were int.E' persed with
vocal music rendered by the Clio male
quartet Of this city and several very
pretty instrumental selections rendered
by an orchestra of young ladies' known
as the Indianapolis Teursama club.
At Grand Lodge Hall.
The exercises at the Grand lodge hall
were held in the presence of an audience
which crowded the room and filled all
the approaches. The addresses, which
illustrated the history Of odd fellowship
and the benefits arising from the organ
ization, were as follows: "Odd Fellow
ship. the Tree" John B. Cockrum; Its
Branches Marcellus A. Chapman.
deputy grand master; Its Tenets and
Teachings" Uric u. Wiley, grand repre-
sentative; Its Benefits and Charities"
John B. Herman, past grand represen-
tative.
Mrs. Roxa s. Hathaway of New AL
bany described the work of the RE
bekahs," and Will Cumback responded
to the toast, 1.-THE Grand Lodge of In
diana"
Gen. J. p Elliott of Chicago talked of
Our Military" and Cicero F. Northern,
in happiest style, paid tribute to THE
Ladies'
The Rev. T. G. Beharrel dismissed the
audience with the benediction.
The grand lodge, I. o. o. F., closed its
semi-annual meeting Thursday after
noon. The business transacted was pure
ly routine and consisted in the hearing
Of reports and the nomination Of Off
GERS to be voted on at the annual meet
ing, which occurs in November. The
committee on the state of the order re-
ported:
That we commend the action of the
grand master in cOnceiVing and setting