Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-17
THE ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS
Communication OF the Grand
Encampment of Delaware.
HELD IN THIS CITY ON TUESDAY
Interesting Reports Submitted
by the Officers.

stasissies Regarding Expenditures for Re-
Wilmington Elected Grand scrikef for
Thirty Successive Years.
The Grand Encampment Of Delaware,
I. D. O. F., held its 49th annual COM
munication at Odd Fellows Hall Tues
day night The annual reports of the
grand officers were read and considered
with much interest
The report of Grand Patriarch W. @.
Abbott was encouraging. He reported
that during the year he had not'been
called upon to make any decisions.
Grand Scribe Edwin Hirst reported
the following financial condition: Bal
anoe available at last report, s97 90;
receipts during the year, 1857. 55; ex-
penditures, s170. 80; balance available,
Sis. "a; due from encampments, S72. o.;
amount overpaid by Christine Encamp-
ment, 90 cents bills to pay s35; total
assets, S150.32 Mr.. Hirst concludes
his report as follows: "And now, fell
low pilgrims and patriarchs, In sub
hitting this perhaps my last) report
to you, after more than 80 consecutive
y years, nearly third Of a century or
the life OF a generation of continuous
service in your behalf, please accept
my sincere thanks for your long con-
tinued confidence in my earnest efforts
to serve you acceptably, and your fra
ternal forbearance with me in my reri
odical physical infirmities, and permit
me to indulge briefly in a reminiscent
and contemplative mood. As con.
template the scene, | miss the faces OF
the pioneers who were active in this
grand body at the time of my admis-
sion in April, 1865. We had with us
Foulk, j. d. Pierson, Allen Smith,
Philemon Chandler, William P. Will
lialns, A. B. Logan, Henry Eckel,
John l.. Thompson, Edward McIntire
and Isaac X. Shortman. or this num-
Der three only are now in the encamp-
ment branch of the order Patriarchs
Foulk, Chandler and Smith, while
Foulk alone of the number remains
active in this grand body. Where are
the others? AS with the flight of time.
the weight of years, and of physical
affection bears more heavily on me, ]
am impressed with the feeling that in
the natural course Of events, the time
" is not far distant when the official
w mantle with which, in your prefer
h ence, you have kept me SO long clothed.
must be removed to other shoulders
and when that time does arrive,
whether or not by your elective choice,
or the running out of the sands Of life,
satisfactory knowledge that have
performed the important duties in
trusted to me with the best ability al
my command, and that my life's work
In and for our beloved order has been
at least faithfully If not well done. "
The report of Grand Treasurer
Hubert A. Roop was as follows:
!, balance in bank at last report. .....s 1o5 0t
Cash received from Grand Scribe... 1875;
~. 5000
/, Disbursements - Checks for
this term cashed. ........,.$ l7o.s0
Outstanding check for last
term cashed...... $40
Cash iii hand. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ..$l1S.S-
George H. Taylor, Grand Representa-
tive, made an interesting report of the
session Of the Sovereign Grand Lodge,
which was held in Boston, Mass, last
September. In the report Mr.. Taylor
told OF the royal. manner in which the
N visitors were treated.
He quoted from the report of the
grand sire's report rs follows: while
the membership OF the order has not in.
4 creased during the period covered by
this report to the extent that was de-
sired, yet there is much to encourage
us, for the country where the great
= has not entirely recovered from the
4 financial and business depression of the
4 last few years, which accounts, to a
large extent, for our increase not being
la ger than 1t is The membership o.
the subordinate lodges shows yer,
substantial increase, as does also thai
of the Degree Of Rebekah, while the
encampment branch, notwithstanding
the remedial legislation Of the last two
sessions of your body, shows small
decrease The condition of our order
in Europe and other lands not on thu
continent Of North America is good.
The following quotation. was taker
A rom the report Of the grand secretary
The table comparing the returns fol
\ 1887 with those for 1896 is an interest
A ing study. While the gain in the sub
ordinate lodge membership is Sigh
a improvement over that Of the previous
year, the slackening in the growth o
the Rebekah wing Of our peaceful arm,
~ is phenomenal, the gain there being bu
vi little more than half that reported
for 1893. Another disappointing fact il
M noted in the loss Of nearly 1000 in en-
campment membership. This some
what depressing state of affairs is &C
w counted for in general way,by repeat
"a ing what was said n year ago Of the en-
forced idIeness in some sections ant
4 unremunerntive employment in man,
others, by the financial stringency St
universally complained Of among tn
laboring people and those Of moderat
Means YEA N4
The following statistics Of the orde
In the United States, Australia, Ger
many, Denmark, Switzerland AM
Sweden, from 1880 to December 3lst
1897, were also given:
limitations in subordinate
lodges....t.4t.........- 49, "a 2lbt ~
Members relieved. ......... 2 Jug. 10
Widowed families relieved. 2st. 70
Members deceased. ......... 2ll 30
Total relief. $T7.aS0, 656
Total receipts, sol ,o6f, iboa
CONDITION oP THE ORDER. pEcEMpER, 81, ls9i
W.T. Sovereign Grand Lodge. ............
..x Independent Grand Lodges German
M Empire, Australasia, Denmark.
YM Switzerland and Swedor). .........
n Subordinate Grand Encampments.
Subordinate Grand Lodges ..........
.kA. lt..ns - E.s..