The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-18
BUSINESS OF THE GRAND ENCAMP.
MENT NOW IN SESSION.
Mr.. Stem and the Plans for the
New BuiIding-Membershi
and Finances.

| ceived, but was not discussed. 1t will be
acted upon to-day. This report gave an
| explanation of the action Of the building
| committee in rejecting the plans of Vonne-
| gut & Bohn, of this city, after they had
| been selected as the best plans by Reed e.
| Stem, of St. Paul, to which firm the COM
| mittee had referred the two sets of plans
| for expert judgment. The terms of the
| agreement under which the plans were thus
referred provided that the names of the
makers of the two sets OF plans should be
| unknown to the experts and the names of
| the experts should not be known to par
ties other than the building committee and
the experts. The building committee re-
ports that John Stem, of this city, broth
| er of Hartzel Stem, of the st. Paul firm of
| experts, went to st. Paul and suggested to
| his brother that certain plan ought to be
| recommended. On account of the fact that
| John Stem knew who the experts were the
! building committee claims the agreement
was vitiated and that it was necessary to
place the plans in the hands of another
expert firm. This was done, and Clark &
LOOMS, of Louisville, chose the plans of
Rush & Son, of Grand Rapids.
GRAND MASTERS VIEW.
| hard touches upon the building muddle in
| the following language:
cat the May communication of this grand
| body it was decided that the project of
erecting a new building in place of the old
| one in which our meetings have hitherto
! been held should not be abandoned, but
| should be carried out as previously deter
| mined. 1t is apparent from the repeated
| expressions of the representatives of sub
| ordinates lodges of this Grand Lodge that
10 Of 1n1 fONff
| the Odd Fellows of Indiana that we shall
| have a new building of the character of the
| one outlined in the reports of the building
| committee at previous communications 1t
| is, therefore, my earnest desire to aid in
| every way the accomplishment of the will
| OF the majority thus expressed, and doubt
not this will be the aim of the worthy
| brother who will be chosen by you during
! this session as the grand master for the
ensuing year. The only point in which
| there may still be difference of opinion
| between members of this Grand Lodge is
as to the sum to be invested and the means
| that may be adopted for securing the
money with which to build. Whether it is
best to go in debt to the extent of $3.50 900
or more and provide the money by securing
mortgage loan upon the building and
grounds, If this may be done. or by some
method whereby the indebtedness may be
Kept within our own ranks, IL this IS prac-
ticable, are questions for you to determine,
IL, indeed, the matter has not already
passed beyond your control. For my own
rowing the entire sum required of some
individual or company not connected with
the order and pledging the building and
ground as security, unless this may be done
at a very low rate of interest. am decided
ly of the opinion that unless loan can be
secured at a very reasonable rate it would
be far preferable to attempt raising the
means within our own membership, as in
the event of financial distress, or in case of
failure to realize fully up to the measure
of our expectations upon our investment in
fIf - 4a4-
called upon to sacrifice that also. which
by previous frugality has enabled US to
meet in a home of our own and keep prac-
tically out of debt"
OTHER OFFICIAL REPORTS.
According to the report of Grand secre-
tary w. H. Leedy there are at present CPS
effective subordinate lodges in the State
with a membership of a. 1856. The Access
sions during the year we're 2076 and the
abatement 1923, a net gain of 553 There
are 1886 past grands. The resources of
the lodges in cash on hand, loans, value
of lodge buildings, investments in United
States bonds. value of furniture, regalia,
ETC., are $2411, 115.06. The total relief paid
during the year to members of the order
widowed families. burial education and
special purposes was $164,264.0S. The num-
Der of members relieved was 1885 and the
number of widowed families relieved 1885,
The total expenses, not including relief
were SIG, S07.63. From these figures the
grand secretary made the following de-
ductiOns
1.-THE resources average s55SS a member;
the receipts, including income from dues,
investments and all sources, average SAT-
member; the expenses. $216 a members
due to Grand Lodge, 14.S cents a member.
One brother was given relief CT every 1879
members. The average sickness of broth
ers relieved was 5.5 weeks. The average
amount paid to sick brothers was 1913
The average relief to all members was S.
The average to all members for relief and
expenses was $4.17. The disbursements for
the year for relief were $164, 264.O3, being an
average of 36S6.67 a month, $315S.92 a
week, $45O.O4 day and $3.50 an hour. The
average an hour by the subordinate, en-
campment and Rebekah branches exceeds
$21"
The grand secretary made a summary re-
port since 1876 to June 80, 1897, as follows ::
limitations. 101,637; by card. % 432; reinstate-
ments, 1929; total acceSsions, 40 19S The
attachments We're: Withdra walls by card,
$1,000; dropped for nonpayment g ,es 55,-
314; explosions, 1858: deaths, 9,72t spend
ed for cause, LOIS; total, 97.012; RI relief
paid. So. PA, 50535. The grand seCre ary pre-
dicted that the gain for the yea but por-
tends the greatest growth the order has
yet experienced" Three veteran Odd Eel
lows have held continuous membership for
| twenty-five years-Peter Keegan, Bunker
Hill, thirty-two years; Frederick Fry Ma
Piles, twenty-seven years; John Curry New
Castle, twenty-five years. Mrs. M. r. White,
of Terre Haute, has been Z. Daughter of Re-
bekah since 1879.
Grand Treasurer James A. Wildman re-
ported the receipts of the year to be $1S-
441.T and the expenditures $16 S59.54, leaving
a balance in the treasury of 81, uS2. %. with
no outstanding warrants against the Grand
Lodge. John T. Wallick. George Shirts and
Benjamin Franklin the Grand Lodge trus-
tees, reported their receipts for the year
to be 81, $50, dividend from Grand Lodge
Hall Association stock. The report of the
grand representative to the seventy-third
annual communication of the Sovereign
Grand Lodge, held in Springfield, ILL.,. con-
sisted mainly of a copy of 125 decisions on
questions affecting the order as rendered
by the Supreme Grand Lodge and a brief
record of what was done at the Supreme
Grand Lodge The report of the mileage
committee consisted of a table of shortest
distances to Indianapolis by rail from the
cities, towns and villages from which the
nine hundred representatives of the Grand
Lodge come and the fair mileage conse-
Quently due to them.
Last nights session was devoted to dis
cussion or some points in the report of the
grievance and appeals committee. Nothing
or interest was done and the session was
| committee will be disposed of and officers
| will be elected. 1t is probable that some
| opposition to the erection of a new building
| will arise, and it is by no means sure that
| the project will go through. 1t depends on
| to-day's session. Arrangements have been
made for borrwing $250,0 900 at less than
per cent interest If the Grand Lodge desires
| to go in debt.
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