The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-09
ODD FELLOWS MUTUAL AID.
TH HEANNUAL REPORT or THE STATE
 ASSOCIATION

Continued Progress and Sound Financial Standing of the Organization Despite the Year's Depression-A Most Pra seworthy Record.
 The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the Odd Fellows Mutual Aid associa- tion of Connecticut was held at odd Fellows hall, this city, yesterday after noon, the president, Judge Deming, presiding. The association was largely represented, about seventy-eight dele- gates being present, many places in the state being represented. The asso- clation continues in sound and pros porous condition. The report of the secretary, George N. Moses, points to the gratifying fact that despite the long financial depression, the effects of which still remain, the association has strong financial standing and an in- creased membership. The association he adds, "has withstood the storms and adversities of twenty-seven years and to-day Is better and stronger than ever before in it's history and in point of years 1t leads the column of frater- nal benevolent associations of the United States.
 This result has been attained by earnest, persistent, unwearying work and in the teeth oftentimes of deter mined opposition, which was not alone from the ranks outside the brother hood.
 Owing to it's splendid record the as Sociation has advanced even in the face of the hard times. The report adds; We have seen the good work going on steadily, if slowly, until the losses in the membership table of one year ago have been made good and we have the satisfaction of knowing to-day our members are somewhat in advance of any table in the reports l have had the honor to submit to you heretofore.
 This fact, coupled, with the fact that our death rate has been somewhat smaller and consequently our assess ment rate less than for the year 1893, is to my mind a cause for sincere con graduation and an incentive for more and better effort in the same general direction as have before indicated TOT the year just dawning upon us
 The opening of the year 1894 was gloomy in the extreme, and all We'll kyishers for our association were natur- allS exercised by the unsatisfactory outlook. The fear was very generally expressed that 1t was going to be almost an impossibility for many of our mem bers to keep up with the assessments That it would be necessary to levy m order to make our obligations gooo vvpvs those of our number who Woulu he called over to the great majority aur,ne the year. Labor was scarce and money hard to get, and what little labor there was had but measel recompence. Past experience hau taught us that death was no more resnector of times than he was of per, sons. and we knew the calls Woulu he constantly coming for the stipulateo benefits accruing through the medium o4 his most unwelcomed visits, all oi rvhich lead LIS to look for consloera, hla loss in our membership roll Ind' this expectation has not been as luils realized as our fears lead us to looR fo,. is one of the most cheering things 4ho+ has happened during this mosl rnemorable year. For the first haif ol the wear our losses exceeded our galhs from new applications so that al one time our numbers were soIn' twenty less than the report made at th' last annual meeting, but this we tounI was more largely owing to the lnapllltS to obtain many new applications rathel than to any large increase in the losses by failure to pay the regular assess ments levied, showing that the mem bers generally had confidence in tn