The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-06-18
"A Few Thoughts on Odd Fellowship.

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exercises this evening as one to prepare
an essay, and knowing there would be
80 much said about Odd Fellowship,
both of good and bad, and as this is my
first attempt at anything Of the kind, I
hardly know how to commence or what
to write, but as never like to shrink
from duties I am assigned, have tried
to collect few thoughts on general
principles Of the Order.
Some one says, what is Odd Fellow.
ship? What are its objects7 This has
doubtless been asked by many.
Man has moral, as well as physical
nature. The wants of each being recip.
rocal, they keep equal pace and move in
parallel lines.
There is mutual dependence which
controls both. To supply this ever re.
curing want, Odd Fellowship addresses
itself, by combination of efforts in aid
of the moral as we'll as the physical
| man.
Its Secrecy-The term secrecy denotes
something hidden or concealed from the
common eye. There is no relation of
life or sphere of nature, without it's
proper and inevitable secrets.
| No science, no art, no philosophy,
nothing beneath the sun but what has
its secrets. So, the secret of Odd Eel.
lowship is no serious or valid objection.
But, apart from this view OF the gen.
eral subject, strange as it may seem to
the uninitiated, it is nevertheless true
that Odd Fellowship is not secret so.
ciety. The greater portion of its ritual
or work is in print, and is known to
thousands, yes, hundreds of thousands.
All of its general legislation, comprising
volumes, is accessible to the public eye,
and much of its ceremonials is constant.
ly displayed to public gaze. 'Tis true, it
possesses an unwritten and unspoken
language ineligible only to the member.
ship. This language is, however, unim.
portant to the outside world, since it
serves simply the purpose of mutual rec.
ognition between those to whom it is
known. The members of this great
family have exclusive claims upon the
supply which their joint labors and con.
tributions have stored.
So, it is very,necessary that safeguards
should be thrown around these claims.
How, otherwise, could mutual relief
society, in the secular sense of the word,
be sustained? This is all there is in the
secrecy of Odd Fellowship.
Its Objects-In whatever circumstances
in life men may be placed, there is none
so destitute of friends as not sometimes
to have the tenderest sympathies called
into active exertion in ministering to a
limited circle by merely mutual affec.
tions.
But, unhappily, as man travels along
the ragged journey of life, it too often
occurs that kindlier sensibilities either
become blunted by time, causing the
heart to contract, as friend after friend
is snatched away, or else, that selfish
pursuits absorb the mind, which, in the
mistaken hope of finding solid happiness
in them, forgets the sufferings, the in
terest, and sometimes even the rights o1
others, three of the most essential things
which are the inevitable lot of human
existence. There is no institution or
the globe, however admirable, can hope
to Danish them from society at large
Still, by the habits OF closer association
in life, much may be done without risk
of injury to individual fortunes, to make
, men more useful to their kind, more
helpful to the distressed, more regularly
: thoughtful of the happiness of those
around them. Such are the aims of Ode
Fellowship, and, by enforcing an oh
servance of social and human duties, w
strive to reanimate those purely benev
olent faculties which it has pleased al
allwise Providence to confer upon man
: and the practice of which contributes 81
eminently to the elevation and happiness
OF all.
1t has three golden links, representing
the three great principles of our order
Friendship, Love and Truth.
Friendship is truly noble sentiment
and one that we'll deserves the high, ex
alted rank which Odd Fellowship assign
r to it. Frindship is always necessary tt
happiness. Who could be happy with
out friend? Money can buy man!
things, both good and evil in life. Blu
all the wealth of world could not bu,
true friend, or pay for the loss of one
Friendship leads to brotherly love, which
r makes the strong to support the weak
the young to reverence the old, the ricl
to support the poor, and makes all goo'
men try to initiate the goodness of tn
Father OF all. Ofcourse, there are man.
so called friends. But, how often the.
are so in name only? Put them to tn
test and they are as broken reeds.
true friend is not to be weighed agains
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