The San Francisco call., 1895-12-30
Independent Order B'nai Birth.

The following lodges have elected officers for the
ensuing term; the other lodges will elect during
the current week: Ophir No. 2l, Pacific No. 4S,
Oakland y o. 252 Hope No 126, Ariel No. 24S Of
San Jose Miriam No Sc. Nevada No. 90 OF Vir-
ginia City, Baron de Hirsch No. 420 OF Butte,
Mont, and Seattle No. 342.
There will be installations during the month of
January by the grand president and other grand
officers. Next Thursday Pacific No. As and Cali
fornia No 163 will install their officers: Monday,
January g, Columbia No l2a; the same night
No 81 will have Joint installation; Tuesday,
January 7, Occidental No. 345 and Modin No. AZ,
and Wednesday, January 8, Golden Gate No. 129
and Ophir No. 21
Preparations are being made for the Grand Lodge
session TO be held on the last nday in January.
Three important matters will come up for discus
sion during the session.
One OF the laws of the order is that members
shall pay per capita tax of s. so per month
which money goes to an endowment fund which
in this jurisdiction amounts at this time to $780,.
000 livery member who is single has the option
OF taking out beneficiary er,ificate, but every
married member must take GU such certificate
for the benefit OF his family. There is one class of
members who at the session of the grand lodge
will endeavor to have the per capita tax raised,
giving as reason that the number OF old men in
the order increasing and that the death rate will
increase so rapidly that the sinking fund will not
De sufficient 10 meet the demand for s. 600 for
each death. The other class OF members hold that
such action would be an injustice to the members
who for about thirty years have been paying The
regular per capita tax. They are in favor OF allow
ing the 10 remain as 1t is. 10 those who are
members this time, but have no objection that a
higher rate be fixed for those who may on here
after.
The B'nai Birth Free School originally Or
ganIzed for the purpose of imparting religious in
struction and instruction in Hebrew to the chill
dren Of the members of the order of B'nsi Birth
exclusively, and for that purpose there set
aside annually the sum OF $500 10 pay the teach
and. In addition room for the of the school
in the B'nai Birth building was furnished free, as
also the gas necessary to LIGHT the school
rooms. This equal 10 $1,000 year. The
school was diverted from its original purpose and
children not those of members Of the B'nai b rith
were taken in. There is one party that at he next
session " ii endeavor to have the school carried
as it was originally intended abolished. This
party holds that the several congregations, each
having school of religious instruction, decline TO
receive children into their classes unless the par
ents are members of the congregation, and that
they say that the Bnai Birth school is the proper
one to take charge of such children and instruct
them. The fight will be as 10 the maintenance OF
the school as it is now being conducted.
The third matter will be The secretary ship.
There are a reat number Of members who are in
favor OF continuing in Office the grand secretary
Jacob Levison. who during his term has proved
himself panstaking, careful, efficient and cour
teous official. There are others who are friendly to
the officials who continued in Office the late sec
retary, Louis b ank, after he had acknowledged
his defalcation funds of the order Blank is the
man who some time ago committed suicide. The
officials who were considerate to Blank nc
longer in power, but the coming session they
Will try regain that lost power and the greatest
fight will be for the secretaryship.