The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-22
THE |. 0. 0. +. RULERS
SOVEREIGN GRAND LODGE NOW IN
SESSION.

Many Proposed Changes in the Constitu-
ton of This Powerful Order-one Con-
Germs Patrlarchs Militant and Re
bekahs.
Springfield, ILL.,, Sept. 2l,-The seven
ty-third annual communication of the
Sovereign grand lodge, /, o. o. F., in
session in this city, to-day, promises to
be one of the most enthusiastic annual
sessions Of that body since its organ
ization in the city of Baltimore in 1925,
cal or state jurisdictions whose repre-
senstatives, to wit Thomas Wildey, the
founder Of the order, and Charles Com
mon, representative of Maryland;
Maurice Fennell, proxy representative
| for Massachusetts,; Thomas Scotch
burn, proxy representative for New
York, and John Boyd, proxy represen-
| tative for Pennsylvania, were present
when the grand lodge was organized,
there being at that time, all told, the
! following: Thomas Widely, John
Welsh, William Williams, Thomas
Mitchell, Charles Common, Maurice
Fennell, Thomas Scotchburn and John
| Boyd, all of Maryland, who organized
| and We're recognized as members of the
first grand lodge, now known as the
Sovereign grand lodge, Tie first Off
| GERS elected and installed on March 80,
1925, We're Morris Wildey, G. NJ; John
WEIGH, L. G. NJ, William Williams,
G. s., and Thomas Mitchell, q. e.
| There had previously existed parent
body, known as the Grand lodge of
Maryland and the United States, which
| was organized at Baltimore, February
| o. 1921, with Thomas Wildey as grand
master.
This was within two years of the
time when the first lodge of Odd Eel
| lows in America, called Washington
lodge, No. /, was instituted, at Balti-
more, which was on the 26th of April,
1919. Now there is one sovereign grand
lodge, four independent grand lodges,
to wit: German Empire, Australasia
Denmark and Switzerland, and fifty
four local grand lodges in the various
states, territories and provinces, nav
| ing jurisdiction over 2651 subordinate
encampnents and 1922 subordinate
lodges, with a combined membership
of $685. besides 4,117 Rebekah lodges,
with a membership of males and fe-
males amounting to 1858 4S9, as appears
by the annual report for 1896 The re-
port for this year will add considera-
bly, to these figures There are, in adj
dition to the grand officers and past
grand sires 159 representatives from
this country and the Canadas accredit-
ed to the sovereign grand lodge at this
| communication. The independent
grand lodges of the German empire,
Australasia, Denmark and SWitzer-
land are not privileged to take part in
the legislation of the Sovereign grand
lodge, hence they are not represented
at the annual communications. To
those jurisdictions has been granted all
the powers of the parent head, except
those which relate to the secret tokens,
| passwords, signs, lectures or charges
or other work of the order, and the an
nual travelling password.
MANY PROPOSED CHANGES.
Among the reports, that of the COM
mittee on appeals will, perhaps, excite
been in session here since last Wednes-
day morning, considering and decid-
ing an unusually large number of APP
peals from the action of local grand
lodges and encamprhents, principally
relating to sick and funeral benefits
alleged to be due For this reason
nearly every member will be anxious
to learn what disposition has been
| NV ha lie ,r,,it
tee in the case or cases in which his
constituents are directly interested
Notwithstanding those reports are
generally approved by the grand lodge
it not infrequently happens that siren
uous efforts are made, sometimes sue
cessfully, to reverse the committee
decisions Resolutions will be submit
ted intended to improve or make more
perfect the Patriarch Militant system
and to render the laws governing the
Rebekah branch of the order less am.
biguous and more distinctive and
| binding in their character. Not q
few of the most influential members
of both of those branches of the order
are outspoken in their belief that theil
success and prosperity would be best
subserved by conceding to each full
| leSlslatlVe authority, so that they
would not only enjoy quasi independ
ence from the Sovereign grand lodge
but could also convene at stated peri
DDS in convention and legislate for the
cantons and lodges over which they
would then have jurisdiction, subjec
to such restrictions as are imposed up
on the independent grand lodges O.
Odd Fellows in foreign countries.
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aAaaaassaaaaaa OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES