The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-01-16
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
SEMI CENTENNIAL Anniversary.
OF VAN CAMP LODGE OF OLD
FELLOWS,

iity JNo'S "bO iooh uOoid1
Van Camp Lodge No, i47 I. o. of o.
F. was established in this place and
the members decided to celebrate the
event by ceremonies appropriate to
the occasion. Invitations were ex-
tended to the surrounding lodges, and
when the lodge was called to order
the hall was filed not only with the
members of this lodge. but delegations
from eight adjoining lodges were
present. The evening was spent in
spec ch making, and conversation hav.
ing reminiscent turn.
c. +. Knapp gave a history, and the
significance of the emblems, which he
traced through Jewish traditions and
to the time of Moses AS one of the
principles of the order is to entertain
the stranger who enters your gate, ar
rangements had been made with c.
b. Chrisman to furnish the refre. h.
ments, which he did in such a way
that no one went home hungry. A
paper was prepared and read by Prof.
Mauser giving the history of the
lodge for the past fifty years, and as it
is very interesting to many of our
readers we publish the same.
THE WORK OF FIFTY YEARS.
Individuals and associations are
known by their fruits. No one can
divine what is in the heart of man,
whether Its intents are good or evil
but when mems acts are scrutinized
often even the innermost recesses of
the heart are laid bare and it is not
difficult to determine whether the
actuating motives have been such as
spring from sense of right, of Justice.
in short from universal love, or if the
ruling principles have been selhshness
and greed.
This is equally true of human asso-
Citations. 1t is often difficult or I'M
possible to determine if the influence
Of the relations which men assume
with their fellow men will be good or
evil, but when once the results of such
associations are known, we may form
an accurate judgment Of their in
fluence and freely determine whether
they merit our commentator and
support or our condemnation.
1t is eminently fitting them that we
consider the fruits of this tree which
We denominate Van Camp Lodge No.
I4o; not for the purpose of passing
judgment upon the merits of our Or
der, it has long since had the approval
of all fair minded men and we have
all already shown our appreciation of
its merits, and love for its principles
but that we may realize more fully
the support we owe it.
Permit me first very briefly to no
tice the growth of this tree. 1t was
instituted Jan. IA, 1916 just fifty years
ago to night, with seven charter mem
bers, most or all of them coming from
Concordia Lodge of Catawissa. OF
these original seven, two were after
ward suspended, three withdrew and
two died members of the lodge But
one of these seven is now living,
Geo. w. Abbott, who has reached a
ripe old age and has been totally
blind for number of years.
The first report of the membership
OF the lodge that l have been able to
hnd is for the term ending with Sept.
80, 1855, over nine years after the
lodge was instituted, when IS members
were reported. Taking the reports at
the ends of periods of about five years
each find that on April 6, 1861, 6S
members were reported, Oct. IA, IS
-72, Sept. 80, '7o-IoI, Sept. 80,
'75-IaI; Sept. 80, 'So-Ss; Sept.
80, $3.50; Sept. 80, 'oo--67 and
Sept. 80, $50. The highest point
that the lodge has reached in member
ship being IaI-reported for the
term ending Sept. 80, 1875,
The Lodge has had in all 332
members of which "a were admitted
on card and soS by initiation. S. of
Its members have died, ISL been sus-
pended, az reinstated, 7 suspended
the second time, 73 have withdrawn
and 8 have been expelled.
l have been able to find the ages of
234 OF the 33a members that the
lodge has had or about 2 of them.
Excepting where 1 state otherwise /
have taken these a34 members as the
basis in this report. ] find that the
Lodge has had I45 members under
80 years of age; $50 between 80 and
40; 81 between 40 and SO; As be.
tween so and 90 and IS over 60.
or the whole number of members
33a that the lodge has had, ISL have
been paid benefits. OF these II have
been paid or have had paid to their
families, funeral benefits only. 100 of
the 234 members whose ages could
be ascertained have received $Io,8II-
III. OF this amount $685. was paid
to members under 80 years of age or
9 per cent. $asIa. or a3 per cent.
to members between the ages of 20