The San Francisco call., 1898-10-19
|. !. |. r. GRAND
 ENCAMP PMENT Annual Session Opens
 at San Jose. REPORTS VERY ENCOURAGING J. W. HARRIS OF THIS CITY FOR GRAND PATRIARCH. Congratulatory Message to President McKinley-Exemplifcation of
 Degrees, Followed by
 a Banquet.
REPORTS VERY ENCOURAGING
J. W. HARRIS OF THIS CITY FOR
 GRAND PATRIARCH.
Special Dispatch to The Cali.


 SAN JOSE, Oct 18-All the grand of- ficers and about 200 delegates were present this morning at the opening or the forty-fourth grand encampment or the I. o. o. F. of California in Odd Eel lows Hall. Besides these there are about one hundred Patriarchs Militant in the city and about the same number of ladies who accompanied the visitors.
 The grand patriarch called atten- ton to the position of Past Chief Patriarch Ernest Bunker, for many years sentinel of the Grand En- campment. Bunker Is now an inmate of the Odd Fellows Home at Thermo- Tito. He has some means and 1t Is sug- gested that the Encampment appro- priate sufficient additional sum to purchase him 5000 life membership. It is suggested that the Encampment give its moral and pecuniary indorse- men to the golden jubilee celebration of the order in California next year. Decisions, appeals and other matters were also dealt with.
 Grand Scribe Barnes report gives the number of encampments as ninety-one, with a membership on December 31, 1897, of 5334-a gain of seventy-one for the year, which, in view of the sur roundings and also of the fact that this branch of the order in many other jurisdictions has lost, Is very gratify- ing and encouraging.
 Grand Treasurer Lemont shows the receipts of the year to be: General fund, with balance of s6s1 91 on hand October l, 1897, $3541 61; disbursements, $2S96 72; balance on hand October l, 1898, $644 S9. Mileage fund, including balance October l, 1897, S4208 40; paid mileage of Los Angeles session, 1897, S2623 75; balance in fund October l, 1898, s1584 65. Net resources of the Grand Encampment. $2362 80.
 The grand representatives, report shows that there are 54 Grand Encamp- 2656 subordinate bodies and 128.- $50 patriarchS; total assets of subordi- nate camps. $1.s29, 131 59. The assets of California encampments are s156,- 462 39, or more than one-tenth of the entire assets of the national jurisdic- ton. Total relief paid by the patri. archal branch throughout the national jurisdiction, $265,965 15; paid by Cali fornia, $17,458 15. The new encamp- ments instituted during the year were: Pacheco Encampment No. 90, at Hollis ter, San Benito County; Redwood En- No. 67, at Fort Bragg. Men docino County; AZusa Encampment No 54. at Azusa, Los Angeles County
 The following past chief patriarchs have died since the last session: An drew McAleer of No. l. c. H. Mead of No. l, Hugh Mccoy of No. 6, William J. Tilley of No. 26. J. L. Brown of Mo- 34, G. E. Johansen of No. 57. Jacob Ven- devate of No. 58, and Richard Siddan of No. S2
 The reports of the grand trustees, committee on bylaws and finance com mittee were adopted. Those of other grand officers were referred to commit tees.
 The following resolution. introduced by Grand Representative Duran, was ordered forwarded to President McKin- ley:
 Resolved, That the Grand Encampment l. o. O. F., of California. in annual ses- sion In the city of San Jose, send greet ing to William Mckinley, President of sailors of our army and navy, congratu- lating them upon the wonderful and speedy victories achieved by their brav- cry In the late war with Spain To the sick and wounded brave boys our heart felt sympathy is extended. May their re- coyery be speedy and their restoration to home and family assured.
 This afternoon the following nomina- tions of officers of the Grand Encamp- ment were made: Grand patriarch. J. high priest, Joseph Foster of San Diego; grand senior warden. P. D. Gummoe of Nevada City; grand scribe, William H. Barnes Qncumbent) of San Francisco; grand treasurer. George w Lemont Qncumbent) of San Francisco: grand junior wardens, c. H. Wever of Alameda, A. c. Bates of San Jose w. E. Dubois of San Francisco, J. E. Har- ris of San Jose, James Ashman of Los Angeles; grand representative, O. w. Erlewine of Sacramento: grand trus- tees, H. s. Vim, F. A. Week. w. S. Potter, all of San Francisco. The only contest Is over the office of junior war den and the other officers will be elected by exclamation tomorrow afternoon.
 An amendment has been proposed by which a patriarch wishing to join an- other encampment can do so without taking a withdrawal card or without losing his membership in his original encampment in the event that the en- campment he makes application to should reject him.
 l. O. o. F. Hall is crowded this even ing with visitors. The patriarchal de- gree is being exemplified by Occident No. 42 of Sacramento, and the golden rule degree exemplified by Oriental Encampment No. 57 of San Francisco. Both degree teams are noted all over the coast. The Oriental degree team Is sixty strong, has the finest paraphernalia in existence and is said to present it's work in a manner unex- celled on the coast. A banquet follows.
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