Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-12
THEAEABAMA OOD FELLOWS sHave Assembled in the Marvel s :ii:..n. City  FIN ANNUAL CONVENTION, sThePubiic Reception Yesterday a Grand Sue ! ,4 cess Rebekah Assembly Meets To- , t5--. day-0ficers Elected.

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 .The Odd Fellows are still holding forth sin Bessemer with an exceedingly large %attendance ard every train brings in ad- z st4ona4 4@delegates. S The public reception was held yester- q day morning at 10 o'clock at Rebie hall. v The hall was well filled with ladies and E citizens long before that hour and at Il - o'clock. the Odd Fellows marched. in i body to the place. The grand officers Mand Daughters of Rebekah occupied seats on the stage. zBS . Past Grand J. A. McCluskey was mas 2. ter of ceremonies and splendid ofncer Z. he made. Mir J. Madoc, of Birmingham ' formerly of Bessemer, led in the opening za and closing odes. Grand Cnaplaih C' n; s@ Davidson offered up an appropriate ana 's touching appeal to the Creator and the = ceremonies were opened. . James Trotter, Esq, was then intro duced and in behalf of the mayor and al Y derfnen, delivered an eloquent ana nap py address of welcome to the delegates. .. 7Iahe eloouent speaker seized the oppor- tunity to sing Bessemer's praises and ne = did so in pleasing and highly appreeiat- e ed manner.
 = Rev. E. H. Hawkins, in behalf of the 6 z the address of welcome in hls usual nap ss py style. e,a c. Grand Master H. L. McKie, of Selma, = responded to the addresses of welcome Tn 70 a pleasing manner lie nas mag a,ld itil, Q s- cent presence, rich. round voice ana a ~ ready repartee, with deep flow or hu- e+ nor and ready wit and is, all In all, an % ideal speaker. He was especially pleas sA ing in his response of yesterday. sr s@sFshe programme of the opening eXef- A O with an Oue, leu py '. MT. Madoc and a brief prayer by Rev. d. ;. M. Donnally, of Dethan. N THE FORMAL SESSION q Of the grand lodge was called to order ~ at 2, o'clock in the afternoon at Odd fel- - lows hall The attendance was very ss large -.id the elegant home or the bes- es semer Odd Fellows was beautfully ar s. ranged.
 Ss This session was devoted to the trans s- action of the regular routine business which consisted in the assigning ot the 2 various committees to their dutles anu ~ the filling of all existing vacancies. The 9s meeting was harmonious to the extreme s and never even the slightest hitch oc- E qurted. e., g. the exemplification of the work Of the = order. and this will be done at o'clock = today Alt that hour all third degree s members will be admitted during the ex- = emplifica ion, and all those d siring to at L teTA1 are reQuGSleu u DC iOhiPe'J # hand This is done in order to admit the members who are nol. delegates.
 The ceremonies promise to be most <, impressive and instructive, and many ln- z terested outsiders have signihed thelr intention of visiting the Marvel Ctty I = order to witness them.
 X A THE REBEKAH ASSEMBLY,
 held an informal session in the parlors at VI the Grand hotel. The ladies are very a~ much in evidence and are very enthusias- aic over the outlook for the coming year.
 -The final session of the R5Dekah de- gree lodges will convene this morning at~1O o'clock in Myrtle hall and much business of great importance will be txAamsacted
 ee@The officers of the Grand Lodge of Re- @bekah assembly are as follows
 Mrs. Lizle Wegelin, of Birmingham president.
 Mrs. F. c. Musgrove, of Jasper. vice. president.
 Miss L. K. Doron, of Montgomery. sec retary
 Mps J. H. Gillespie. of Hancevilia. treasurer.
 Mrs. Hattie Moncrief. of Birmingha m, -. chaplain.
 Mrs. A. T. Jones, of Birmingham, mar shal
 Mrs M. J. Lanier, of Blocton, con- ductor.
 Mrs Annie Lemon, of Avondale, inside guardian.
 
 side guardian.
 '"' THE GRAND BNCAMPAIENT 4-iff.- their session Monday elected officers, and after transa citing the usual routine of business, adjourned. During the ses- sion new constitution and bylaws were adopted.
 The officers elected are as follows:
 Grand chief patriarch, John T. Rus sell, Mobile; grand high priest J. c. Jones, Huntsville grand senior warden F. Gigley, Montgomery; grand junior warden, John Ellis, Anniston; grand scribe, Robert West Montgomery; grand treasurer, E. Erswell Birmingham; i; grand marshal, J. P. Brodie, Wylam; grand sentinel J. W. Gosson; grand deputy sentinel, A. A. Harris. Bessemer.
 CONVENTION NOTES. Past Grand Master and Grand Repre- sentative Oliver J. Semmes of Mobile, is one of the best known men in attendance. He is an enthusiastic Odd Fellow and Is always found hard at work for the ad- vancement of the order.
 Why do they call them Odd Fellows?" asked a pretty girl. innocently, at the public exercises yesterday morning. T don't see anything odd about them. Seems to me some of them are real good looking"-Odd Fellow.
 The visiting delegates, as well as the home Odd Fellows, are very indignant over the false report circulated concern ing the reputed action of the hotel keep CTS The report is strenuously denied on all sides.
 Everything in the public reception yes- terday was in most excellent shape and the committee deserves great praise for the manner in which it conducted affairs.
 Mrs J. M. P. Ockenden, one of the most prominent literary women in the state. is aadistinguished visitor to Rebekah as sembly.
 The red, white and blue is displayed prominently everywhere in Bessemer in honor of the Odd Fellows.
 MIA ARE LIE AGEMIC E0Q