Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-12-03
y. %. O. q. Column.
|. o. CT. DIRECTORY OF ADD.
SON COUNTY.
THE DOCTORS ADVICE.


She complains of weak back, indspo-
sition to work, and generally run down
feeling; is afraid she isn't going to live
long. Let's diagnose her case. In the
! first place you we're a spoiled child, and
/ thought you would get along through
! life without work, and that someone,
| you didn't know exactly who, was to
support you. Your education was ne
elected; you never studied any books
| than those your parents Grand Lodge
furnished you, and you never studied
those enough to remember much of
them. The other night when there was
a minstrel show in your town, you adj
journed your meeting so that your
children could attend the show; that is
to say, you had more interest in the
show than you had in the cause you
represent, and the public thus judged
you. Could you expect people to want
TO Join a family circle that had no more
interest in the cause they represent than
you manifest? When you initiated the
new member the other night your Of
| ficers read all their parts and didn't read
them very well either, and after the new
]
told whether it was ritual or dictionary
that had been read to him. During the
ceremony the marshal was chewing gum
and made many mistakes and some of
the members were grinning ut the new
member or at the mistakes that were
being made. DO YOU suppose the new
member realized that he was taking a
high and responsible obligation, with
such surroundings? And if he did, do
you suppose he had much respect for the
lodge? | believe if he had any conscience
at all he thought he would get out OF
that home circle as soon as possible, for
to belong to such an organization would
not be any credit to him or the cause.
You have some members who joined
Just for the fun. They never do any
thing for the good of the home, and un-
less you have a good literary program
they won't come. You have tried all
manner of ways to amuse them-any-
thing on the temperance question does
not interest them-and you even had a
dance in your home, contrary to the
laws; if the matter had come to the
ears of your parents you would have
lost your charter. Your children wear
regalia or not, Just as they feel, and
your Chief Templar permits it and thus
the children and the chief templar break
their obligation, and new members begin
to feel that the obligation is just form
that doesn't amount to much anyway
and is not supposed to be kept. You
have not held any public meeting or dis
tributed any temperance literature. You
have not taken any interest in your town
or state elections, or in any way done
anything to help elect temperance men
to office. Your members do not keep
the home business secret and anyone
can find out next day what was done at
your home the night before. You do
not correct those members who reveal
the work because it would make fuss,
and so you let them go. Instead of
training up company of writer's, poets,
public speakers, parliamentarians, mar
shals, ETC., your members can do the
work but little better than they did the
night your home was organized.
PRESCRIPTION.
In the first place you need exercise,
|
grand secretary for Lodge Manual and
learn to conduct lodge work properly ;
also get the Templar at Work, subscribe
for the International Good Templar and
Temperance Herald; send to the Nation
al Temperance Publishing house for cir
culars and price lists of books, tracts,
ETC., and load up so that when you meet
the enemy you will have some ammuni-
ton to use, and not sit quietly while he
does all the firing. Your strength will
improve and you will be surprised at
yourself Don't adjourn on any condI-
ton whatever; your business is the
most important on earth. Your work
is to save men physically, morally and
mentally. You are fighting to save
your home and your country from the
greatest enemy of mankind that the
world has eyer seen. When you show
yourself worthy of respect then the
public will respect you and will consider
it an honor to belong to your family,
Let every officer learn his part and learn
it well; make the initlatory service as
impressive as you possibly can, for first
impressions are apt be lasting. Put a
person in the marshaPs chair who has
some military knowledge if possible
and insist on his doing his work correct
ly, for laundering marshal spells the
beauty of the floor work. Never admit
a member who wants to join just for fun,
for they are of no earthly use and will
do more harm than good. Stretch forth
the helping hand to every one who
wants to help himself, and don't waste
any time or strength on any one who
won't try to help himself. Find some
thing for every member to do; if you
have member that has talent for any
one thing give him a chance to de-
velOp 1t. Never salute an officer or
obey his command unless he wears the
emblem of his office, for he is not en-
titled to recognition unless he has his
regalia on. Oblige your officers to en-
force the laws and rules of the order tC
] a., - g.. tI,ak T. 81,