The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-02
Its Annual Session in
Odd Fellows Hall.
GRAND OFFICERS REPORTS
There Are Ninsteen Encampments,
With 1859 Membership.
BOARD OF OFFICERS ELECTED.

The annual session Of the Grand En-
campment /. o. o. f., was held this
| morning, beginning at 10 o'clock in odd
Fellows hall, Weybosset street. The
meeting was called 20 order by Grand
Patriarch James ID. Lloyd, and there were
about 100 members present After the
regular formalities OF opening about
eighteen new members were admitted
and instructed and then the reports of
the grand officers were presented. The
report of the grand scribe showed
shrinkage of 60 IN the total membership
during the year. The report Of the grand
patriarch was an Intelligent cnd well
written document and IL called attention
To important matters.
GRAND PATRIARCH'S REPORT.
In the beginning of the report the
grand patriarch gave ao extract from the
report rendered to the Sovereign Grand
Lodge by Grand Secretary j. Frank
Grant. calling attention To some OF the
causes that led TO the falling OH Of the
| mein bership In this branch OF The order
| all over the country. lie was of the
| opinion that some OF the causes applied
| To the condition Of affairs in this Juris-
| uiction. He said:
AS we may reasonably expect the
| largest losses are found where the least
work has been done. and Justifies me In
| atiributing this condition somewhat To
apathy. Apathy is condition which
| was Il, scri led by the Stoics as the Death
| OF tie passions at the expense Of reason. y
| i am inclined to believe that tho modern
! apathy In the encan pmeDt branch of
| Odd Fellowship could DO more aptly de-
scribed as surrenler OF duty To in
| doleDce. Naturally, we hoped last March
b,a =
! time, and we are exceedingly disap-
| pointed in the result, but we feel sure
| you Will believe we have exerted ourselves
TO prove that we were worthy Of the high
trust you reposed in us, and tnat. with
the grand officers, you will rejoice that
we are In a better condition today than
we were one year ago. Dead wood Will
nccumuln on the most vigorous trees
| IL Is ths amount of live, healthy TISSUES
remaining, rather than the amount Of
| dead wood lost, tnat determines the life
and growth Of tho tree. let us hope that
| no dead WOOD has accumulated on the
| living tree OF Encampment OF Odd Eel
| lowship through our neglect, and that in
the necessary trimming ws have en-
| ployed sound judgment. In the opinion
! of your grand pstriart h, 10 Is u mistake
| TO indulge ourselves too much ia sorrow
| full views of the dead past. The lessons
| of tho past are important, and are most
certainly 10 be considered. There would
be very little hope for us individually, or
as society, il we did not natora ly seek
to understand the doings OF our prede-
cessoIs. acknowledg their mistakes, and
from them learn wisdom. But tt Is the
future which We have To consider, and M
which we are to live, and IL is because
of the hopes which our present condition
and the future hold out to us that We
feel encouraged.
Tue report also con aimed reference tn
the value Of tn patriaronai uniform and
tae benefit to be derived from the revival
of interest by the wearing of A. at tho
big den onstrati0n 60 be held in Boston
next September The grand patriarch
was of the belief that the restoration ut
the patriarchal uniform will be Just the
necessary agency required to dispel I'M
certainty and restore confidence. IL will
also have al influence for good In a /
branches of Odd Fellow shin in this state.
The report also referred to the mum Der
OF Official visits made during the year,
and the attendance Of the grand officers
Ii recomms msnded the payment of the tx
penses Of the grand scribe on the official
visits ana was In favor of establishing the
same system as Is In vogue in the grand
lodge at the present time. IL also had
something TO say regarding social courte-
sizes extended. degree work witnessed
proolamations issued, GORE sponuence with
the grand sire, the work of tbs district
Qonutles duu ClOstu VIVID paragraph
about the death CT Joseph O. Brown. who
was grand nigh priest during 1866 and
again In 1868; Hazard ID. Reynolds who
was grand senior warden In 1855.
GRAND REPRESENTATIVES, RE
PORT.
Tne report of the grand reprssen tatiyes
was q r.sume Of the work done at the re-
cent session OF the Sovereign Grand
Lodge, tho decisions rendered by the
grand sire, the general condition OF the
patriarchal branch, and new laws enacted.
GRAND SCRlBE'S REPORT.
The report OF Grand Scribe W. II. 4.
Mosley was as follows
/ regret To again report a loss in men,
bsrsnip. caused partially by business de-
preston, but more particularly because
OF on apparent lack OF energy, zeal, and
personal work. on the part of the patri-
archs generally.
Number Of enoampments, 10; number
Of members last report, 1859; Initiated,
80; reinstated, 4; error In last report, 3
total, 81, from which deduct dropped for
non-pay ment OF dues. SIS; withdrawn bv
card III deceased. %; total, I22; loss, 81,
total membership Deo. 81. 1897, 1874
average age OF members, 36; receipts.
s1025. IS; amount paid for relief, S3lg3. 80:
EXPENSE other than relief. s4555 20; total
disbursements, s7I5s So; excess OF dis
bursemepts over resoipts, S7S2 81.
OFFICERS ELECTED.
The annual election Of officers took
p1arn ri nom With tho Fnfl,.vg.,..