The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-04-28
The Gill Odd Fellows Home.

The following from the Bellows
Falls Times of April 90 is correct in
! formation concerning the Gill Odd Eel
lows Home at Ludlow about which
there has been some criticism of late
in a.number of state papers:
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows
is one of the great and noble orders. The
! beneticent influence of its principles and
its teachings is felt over the civilized
world. But it is not our purpose to speak
OF the order as whole, but of that por-
ton of the order limited to the domain of
! Vermont and especially of a notable
charitable institution the Gill Odd Eel
low Home, opened at Ludlow three years
ago. short time ago the following item
credited to state exchange was widely
copied and commented upon by Vermont
newspapers.
The Gill Odd Fellows Home at Ludlow
stands monument to the Order but from
| business point of view it is white ele-
| plant. When fitted up at an expense of
$4,000 it was intended to be a home for
aged and INDECENT brothers of the craft.
Members have been loath to leave friends
and home comforts to take up an abode
even IN so lovely spot as that where the
home is located The result is that the
order has been caring for sick and infIm
members at home besides paying a assess
ment annually of $1,000 or more for the
maintenance of the home at Ludlow. Only
four members have been admitted to the
home since 1t was started, and the eX-
pense annually for each has been about
$500, not counting the cost for nursing."
j. IL. Blakley of this place is the pres
ent grand master of the grand lodge of
Vermont, and he was shown the item by
a representative of the Times and asked
II the statements were true, or even ap-
proXimated the truth He said "Most of
the statements are without foundation
THIS is the situation. The home at Lud-
low was the gift of James G. Gill, who had
built it for summer hotel at cost as [
understand of over $4,000. The order
In this state thankfully accepted the build
ing as 1t was and expended some $1,000 in
fitting it over into home. The furnish
ing was done by lodges, Rebekah lodges
ana encampmentS. In order to maintain
the home and establish surplus fund
per capita assessment of 30 cents per
annum was levied on each member of the
order i'll Vermont. The present member
ship OF the order, including both lodges
and Rebekah lodges, is about 500, but as
| there are 300 RebekahS, there are 5000
members subject to the assessment. The
expense of maintaining the home last
year was about $1,000, and when the grand
lodge meets this year there will be sur
plus OF some $4,000 derived from this so
cent tax.
Il have occasion to know that the home
is run in careful and economical way
1t is probable that the 80 cent tax will be
reduced to % cents at the next session of
the grand lodge and in future years the
assessment may be made even smaller
The actual cost of running the home dur
lug the past year, outside of salaries, was
1914. Since the home was opened, May
20, 1896, there have been only five inmates
and one of these died during the past
year, leaving the present number four.
l TANK the order is remarkably fortunate
IN having no large number of aged and in
digent members.
are eligible yet because of prejudice will
not enter the home, and the order has to
support them at their own home.
II have known of only one such case.
OF course no member is compelled to 90 to
the home; If any are sick or infirm and
have homes OF their own and prefer to
live there they can do So and draw their
benefits just the same.
What is the feeling of the order
throughout the state toward the home?
81 have taken especial pains during the
year to inform myself on this point and it
is my opinion that 50 per cent of the
members are enthusiastically in favor of
the home and its continuance, and the
other i've percent are not thoroughly in
formed regarding the facts"
If Mr.. Blakley's judgement counts for
anything and he is in a position to speak
with authority, it is not probable that the
home will be abandoned as white ele.
plant" at least in the near future. On
the contrary it is an institution which
may justly be considered an honor to the
donor and to the order accepting and
supporting it.