The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-10
GOLDEN RULES ANNIVERSARY.
ODD FELLOWS AND FRIENDS ENJOY
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.

n AA@tAAAAbAhEA a wv
Pleasing Programme in the Lodge
Room Followed by Lunch-Charter
Member Tyson Reviews the as
tory of the Lodge During the
Tvcnty-Threc Years of Its Exist
ence-It Has ThFived and Accom-
pIished Much for the BepeGt of Its
Members ana the Order.
Golden Rule Lodge of Odd Fellows cele-
bra;ed its twenty-third anniversary last
night. There was good attendance of
the members and their wives and lady
friends. with a number of invited guests.
A pleasing programme had been prepared,
and the celebration proved thoroughly en-
joyable.
After the opening ode by Organist James
S. Van Berschot. p. G. J. s. Tyson de-
livered a short address on the history Of
the lodge,
IN the period just preceding the in
stitutiou of Golden Rule" said he, while
elsewhere under the jurisdiction of the
Sovereign Grand Lodge ODD Fellowship
was advancing and displaying its banners
to many who scarcely knew of its exist
ence, the conditions in Savannah were
widely different one OF our lodges here
had gone down in membership from l75 in
1871 to less than 100 in 1875. With this
unfavorable state of things staring us in
the face, it became manifest TO few
of US that something must be done 9th
erwise our membership would continue to
decrease. Realizing the importance of the
step we proposed to take, we believed that
a new lodge would stimulate everybody TO
renewed activity, and a result do the or
der some good. A few preliminary meet
ings were held, our plans perfect
ed, name and number agreed upon,
and the grand master Thomas
]. Simmons, now chief justice of Geor-
gia, came at our bidding and on Wednes-
day evening, Nov. 10, 1875, duly instituted
Golden Rule Lodge, No y. The institu-
ton took place in the old lodge room at
the northeast corner of Broughton and
Bull streets. The restless spirits who or
ganized the movement were John Y. Dix
on, L. p. Dupont, John Evans, j. w.
FretWell, D. Hops, c. f, Law, r. r.
Minis, Edward Mcintyre, George N. Mich
OILS, ]. S. Silva, ID. A, Spring, J. $. Ty-
son and E. S. Zettrouer from Live Oak
Lodge, No. 3; f. d. Bloodworth, s. F.
Dupont, A. c. Harmon and w. X. Pearee,
from DeKalb Lodge, No. 9, and George
r. Robertson, from Haupt Lodge No 5S
The first officers were: g. N. Nichols ~
G.; +. ID. Bloodworth " G.; j. w. Fret
well, secretary; r. E. Minis, treasurer; W.
X. Pearce, warden; Edward Mcintyre,
conductor; S. F.. Dupont, o. c.. e. S.
Zittrouer /. c.; d. A. Spring, r. S. to N.
G.; G. r. Robertson, l.. s. TO N. G.; A.
c. Harmon, r, S. to V. G.; John Evans
i. s. to V. G.; c. f. Law, r. S. s.; j.
Y, Dixon, l.. S. S.
"At that time the lodge room was so
by the other lodges and encamp-
ment that we could only meet twice a
month, and not until 1886, after moving
into the new temple did we have the OPP
portunity of meeting weekly
I'VE have had S77 regular meetings, re-
ceiving into membership during that time.
by charter IS; by card, Is; by reinstate-
ment, 16; by initiation, 215; a total of 277.
We have lost by expulsion, 3; suspension
for non-payment of dues, SO; Withdrawals,
Co. deaths, %: leaving present member
ship o."
My Tyson then showed the varied char
acter of the membership the lodge has
'-NN-F ~ AhiANA teAANAS AhdtlltnlSNS, naval
stores inspectors, joiners, clergymen.
plumbers, timers, BARRIERS, tailors, mana
gers, cashiers, moulders, we have had one
each; collectors dentists, editors. engI-
neers, planters, masons, insurance agents
bank officers and real estate dealers. two
each; carpenters and statesmen, four each:
druggists, physicians, printers and con-
duetors, five each; lawyers, 6; railroad off,
GERS, IA; bookkeepers, "a; merchants, 81:
clerks, lis; unclassified, 90
Since its institution there has been maid
INTO the treasury $AS42.S1, or an annual
average of $6S7.43. There has been naia
out for relief S2,549.G6, being an annual av-
erage of Sl13.s2. Our per capita tax to the
grand lodge has been an average OF S69. az
or total of $1,56O.4s our
annual returns to the grand LODGE
VIII show you the changes in
the number of members. Our first returns
DEC 81, 1915, was 81, our last, that of Tune
~, 1898, was 50, and the average has hem
o. twenty of our past officers have been
elected representatives to the grand lodge
some OF them serving one year, some two
ana some three. Several of them have
attained honorable positions in thar grsnd
pody, the present district deputy being
one of our members.
OF the charter members all were nativa
Georgians save two. Spring was a native
OF Wisconsin, and Dixon of the Emerald
Isle. One-half of the original eighteen are
stiA in membership"
4he remainder of the programme was as
fohows: Song by Mrs. May Silva; violin
solo by Prof. Wiegand with piano accom-
paniment by Mrs Wilson; recitation by
Mrs. Gugle; recitation by Master Charles
Bishop; piano solo by Prof. Wieaand: duet
oy Mrs, May Silva and Mrs. Gray; song by
MRS. May Silva; whistling solo by Mr. /.
lehman; address by Rev. DR.. Schaeffer.
Reireshnents We're afterwards served
in the supper room. An excellent mncb
was served to over one hundred. past
Grand George n Nichols presided at one
table, and Grand Secretary ], S. Tyson
at the other.