The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-28
SECRET
SOCIETIES.

one IN the annals of Odd Fellowship.
The Sovereign Grand lodge has been in
annual session at Dallas, Texas, for a
week, and though It is too early to give
a full synopsis of the business trans
acted at that session, we will give our
fraternal readers such news as we
nave secured from the daily press re-
ports (Which were very meagre) 4
grand reception was rendered the Of
ficers and members of the Sovereign
Grand lodge on Monday, at which the
governor of the state, Hon. Charles A
Culberson, welcomed the visitors in an
/ appropriate address. The mayor of
! Dallas made them welcome TO that
/ city.
/ GRAND SIRE STEBBINS' REPORT.
The annual communication of Mr..
/ Stebbins is as follows:
The interests of over 1000. 600 noble
men and women engaged in one of the
grandest enterprises that can enlist the
energies of man, demand our best
thought and most considerate action.
The unity in the midst of diversity Of
this great brotherhood must be main
tanned. Within such limits as this
unity will permit, the broadest freedom
| or action consistent with that unity
should be guaranteed to every sub
ordinate. Individual opinion should
yield to deliberately formed aggregate
Judgment. An organization, developing
into maturity needs constant changes
in its rules and regulations to meet
its new conditions
The work before us Is to make such
changes as seem to be required Thus
only can the unity of our brotherhood
be preserved and its greatest useful
ness realized 1t is useless 10 try to
nAnffy the yolumialous la Dor annually
performed by this grand body, in meet
ing the necessary requirements of this
great and growing brotherhood The
Revised Journal, with it's over 400
pages, needs but a casual perusal to
satisfy any candid mind that a week
once year is fast growing quite in
sufficient, with the utmost industry, 10
properly dispose CT the matters de-
nlanding immediate action.
The condition of the business inter
ests and the prospective disturbances
in this and other countries, have had
their effect upon the order. Yet under
the surrounding conditions. our growth
has not been seriously retarded. Our
losses in membership through inability
to meet their obligations have been IN
usually large, though when the string
ency of the times shall. have passed,
many will return. The additions to the
all branches prosperity have prevailed
to an unlooked-for extent. In the sub
ordinate lodges the net gain has been
$3.50. In the subencampmentS there
has been a net loss Of 1856.
MEMBERSHIP HAS INCREASED.
In the Patriarch Militant branch
there has been a large increase, the ag-
gregate of which cannot be given with
accuracy-owing to delays in making
returns Department commanders
must see to it that these returns are
early forwarded If they would have
their branch fully tabulated. So far
as reported the increase is most graft
flying.
In the Rebekah branch the growth
has been phenomenal, there being a
net increase in membership of 1854.
This is in no considerable degree at
tributed and traceable to the opening
of the door to all unmarried ladies of
! good moral character. This last branch
| is rapidly outstripping aid of the others.
and the prediction that in the not far
future it viii lead them all in mem
bership, in labor, and efficiency seems
probable of realization.
1t is to be hoped that the Two things
now most needed for its greater eff
ciency-the opening wider the door, so
as to admit all of good moral character
and benevolent rnpulses-whether mar
ried or unrnarried-and the giving of a
universal password and sign, SO that
they may everywhere seek a. brothers
aid when required, will be provided be-
fore this session closes.
He submitted reports showing that
the foreign Jurisdictions were prosper
Gus. He recommended that the ques-
ton regarding the Northern Light
! lodge No. 1, be referred to the standing
committee on the state of the order,
that had the matter before them last
year, to report what further action
should be taken in the premises, to
whom cards should be granted upon
what evidence, what should be dt--1e
with the remainder of the membership,
and what. if anything, toward the re-
covery of the funds unlaWfuIy and
dishonesty appropriated.
POWERS SHOULD BE DEFINED.
Nothing can be more important to
the prosperity, harmony and unity of
the brotherhood than to have wel-de-
fined and universally understood the
powers, duties and limitations of the
grand sire, who for almost twelve
months Of the year must be looked to
for the proper guidance of its affairs.
That the proper presentation OF the
life and work in Odd Fellowship OF the
honored departed will ultimately en-
gage the earnest attention of this
grand body cannot be doubted. The
longer it is delayed the more difficult
will be the labor. AS large as were the
figures last year presented in the taibu-
lated statement prepared in figures pre-
scented from different grand juriscic
tons, they fell far below the real re-
cord Of them could they have been at
tanned.
The last session Of this grand body
made the gathering of the valuable
statistical information obligatory, so
presumed that the figures this year
presented through the grand sacre-
tary's report will more nearly approx
mate the real wealth of the order.
In the departments of homes for the
aged. the widow and the orptIan-tha.t
grandest fiela of all our labors-reports
were received of homes established or
of process of establishment in seven
teen grand jurisdictions, as follows
Number II; acreage, 8, 1914 cost, 1868,
1924; present value, S6S2, 727.01; in 4
debtedness, $4,000; residents, males, 50;
wives, 8; widows, S; orphans, 19S.
CONDITION OF THE ORDER.
Much other valuable information was
given in connection with these reports,
and when we recall the brief period
of time since the first effort was made
in esta blishing them we can but feel
encouraged at their great success.
Their growth and increase the last
year, both in number and residents,
have been. phenomenal. Doubtless the
grand secretary's report will be a 1