Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-09
ABOUT THE SECRET SOCIETY BILL.


sembly: IA tt l'At
Having bean for 40 years an observ
ing, rs we'll as an actIve working mem
beg of two of tho oldest und greatest
beneficial societies in this country, it
may be reasonably inferred that l
know, or ought to know, something of
the workings and needs thereof, for the
protection OF the organizations and
their members. %itN
| was not aware, until informed by
the daily papers, of the pending action
of the Legislature on the Brasure bill
regarding unincorporated beneficial
societies. that Delaware had heretofore
had no such law as is herein provided,
but, sbcttor late than never,'' and.
being fayorably impressed with the
movement, l hope the bill will become
o law, rs it appears to BIO in perfect
accord with the existing general law
of tho /. o. o. e., which was found to
be necessary, and passed IN 1864, 30
years ago, by tho G. L. U. s. tnow
S. G. L. l. q. o. II. acomposed at
that time of 10 officers and members,
of whom IL IA per cent? were lawyers,
representing 20 jurisdictions. Three of
the five members who prepared the law,
were lawyers from throe different States
This proportion of lawyers in the mem
bership of the S. G. L., has gradually
increased until, at the last session,
held at Boston, Mass, in September,
1898, 40 Jurisdictions were represented
by 1877 officers and members. 40 of
whom, or more than 20 per cent. were
lawyers, who came from " jurisdictions.
With such o large percentage OF legal
talent in the S. G. L.. to watch over
and guide its legislation, 1t you'd be
safe to conclude that very few, il any
of its laws or decisions would be of
such character as to merit any attack
in the civil courts. VS. NV
The /. o. 0. F. law above referred
to is found on page 1913, section 342,
Whites New Digest, edition 1885,
and is as follows:
Are trust funds: This grand lodge
does hereby declare all attempts TO
divert the funds or property OF lodge
or encampment from the objects and
purposes for which they were, in the
name of our order, collected, by divid-
ing or appropriating them to some
other object or purpose before breaking
up or surrendering their charter, TO
be wrong and in direct violation of the
trust which they have voluntarily as
sumed. The funds and property col
lected under and by authority of a
charter duly granted to lodge or en-
campment of the Independent Order of
| Odd Fellows, are trust funds, and can
be applied only to the objects for
which they were collected. and when a
lodge or encampment shall fail, from
any cause, to continue as a working
body and yield up its charter, the
money and property, of whatever kind,
| of which it may be possessed, ard be-
longing thereto, must be surrendered
up to and paid over to the State grand
body from which it derived its
authority, and no diversion of the
| funds or property, or other disposition
of it, except for the legitimate oil j,cts
of the order, Can or will be recognized
or tolerated by this grand lodge. State
grand bodies are directed to enact such
laws as will most effectually put a STOP
to all such practices, and .aftix such
penalties to sthe acts as will prevent
any member participating therein from
ever again uniting with the order,
without first making due PREPARATION
therefor. When the laws of the order
shall be Intellectual, for the purpose,
the State grand bodies shall be just.
fled in invoking the laws of the coun.
try to compel a surrender of the trust
funds to the proper parties and objects.
All State grand bodies, which have
not heretofore leeislated on this sub
ject, are hereby directed to enact suit
able and appropriate laws and regula
tions for the care of the funds and the
property of defunct lodges and encamp.
ments. which shall thereafter become
a separate trust or fund, TO be EN-.
ployed and used under the direction Of
such grand body, or committee duly
constituted by them. in aiding ant
assisting working lodges and encamp
ments when in need OF funds to sus
tain them in their organization. Fol-
the purpose of enabling grand bodie.
the more effectualIy to avail them
selves of the means to obtain redres.
in the matters referred to, said CRANE
bodies are hereby advised to obtain fol-
themselves Legislative acts of incor
poration. Edwin Hirst, p. G. r.