The record-union., 1899-09-19
Rain lnterferes With Pleasures at
Opening Of Diamond Jubilee.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge convenes, With
a Full Representation.
Delegates Present From Every
State and Territory and the Ca
madam Provinces-The Report
of the Secretary Shows Large
Growth in Membership Of the
Order the Past Year.

Order the Past Year.
DETROIT, Sept 1S-Hard, persis-
tent rain has been the predominant
outward feature of the opening day of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
| diamond jubilee. Adverse weather con-
ditions, however, failed to dampen the
spirits of Odd Fellows enough to keep
them away from the public welcomes
extended at the Detroit Opera-house by
Mayor Maybury and Michigan Odd Fell
lows officials. Every representative en-
titled to place on the floor of the
Sovereign Grand Lodge was in his
place when the session opened, 1S9 men
from every State and Territory and the
Canadian provinces.
| 1t was necessary to postpone trolley
ride about the city planned for this
| afternoon until Saturday, which had
been left open for individual sightsee-
! ing.
! Tonight the visiting ladies were en-
| tertained in Light Infantry Armory by
/ the Union Rebekah degree staff of this
city. Fifty-six ladies, the largest de-
gree team in the history Of Odd Fellow
ship, exemplified the Rebekah degree.
| Sovereign Grand Officers, Grand
| Lodge and Grand Encampment officials
and various other functionaries of the
| Independent Order of Odd Fellows
walked to the opening session of the
! seventy fifth annual meeting of the
rder to-day through a drenching rain.
ley were escorted from headquarters,
te Hotel Cadillac, to the Detroit
| Opera-house, where public reception ex-
ercises were held by the military can
| tonments of the order present in the
city.
| Arriving in front of the theater the
Patriarchs Militant stood in line with
swords present" while 300 umbrella
bearing Sovereign and State officers,
delegates to the Sovereign Grand Lodge
and to the Michigan Grand Lodge filed
past in pairs and entered
| The proceedings opened with orches-
| trail music. On the stage were the
| Sovereign Grand Sire and Grand Off
GERS, and those who were to voice the
welcomes.
Greetings We're extended by Colonel
o. A. James, chief of the local commit
tee; Mayor Maybury for the city and
State; Colonel E. H. Sellers, Grand
Master, representing the Michigan
Grand Lodges; Robert Donovan, Grand
Patriarch of the Michigan Grand En-
campment; Brigadier c. S. Martin, De-
partment Commander of Michigan
Patriarchs Militant, and by Mrs. Emma
Haskin, President of the Rebekah AS
sembly
Governor Pingree was unable to ap-
pear owing to illness, and Mayor May
bury welcomed the visitors on behalf of
the city and State. Of Odd Fellowship
the Mayor said 'It was one of the
first, if not the first society to make
men brothers, and to make my neigh
Dor the man who needs me and is de-
serving of my help"
Hon. Alfred s. Pinkerton, Grand Sire,
responded to welcomes, after which the
Sovereign Grand Lodge representatives
proceeded to Harmonic Hall, where the
| first business session was held
Grand Sire Pinkerton made his an
uual report to the Sovereign Grand
Lodge.
| Mr. Pinkerton said: 1.-The evidence
Of the work of aggressive, progressive
force of Odd Fellowship is a refutation
of the false assertion that present citi-
were their fathers. Welcome every
agency that lends helping hand to
| those who need it. December 31st last
our subordinate lodge membership was
/ $50, ,961, and the number of sisters en-
rolled in the Rebekah lodges numbered
/ 190,007. These figures enable us for
the first time to honestly claim frater-
nal affiliations with over million per-
sons
Referring to the finances of the order,
/ Mr.. Pinkerton said:
THE great source of our financial life
| is the income derived from the sale of
! supplies. 1t has never been our policy
/ to accumulate money, nor has inten-
| tional extravaganza been indulged in.
| Still, as rule, our expenditures exceed
our revenues, and continuance of such
| a condition can have but one result. /
| do not believe that biennial sessions of
! the Sovereign Grand Lodge or a fixed
| place Of meeting will solve the problem.
| The seeming remedy is a reduction in
the sum paid for mileage"
| The Grand Sire gave an epitome his
! tory of the order and its growth refer
ring to the relation existing between
! the American order and those of for
eign countries. He reported that the
affairs Of the diversely situated and
widely separated brotherhood were gen.
orally in prosperous condition.
Appended to the report were reports
on the condition of the order in Japan
Hawaii. South America, Alaska and
Canada
Grand Secretary Grants report was
very voluminous. 1t reported encour-
aging receipts in both subordinate and
Rebekah branches, that of the former
having been greater than in any year
since 1872. small decrease was pc
ported in the encampment branch
much smaller however, than in any
other of several years past.
Another evidence of progress during
the year." said the Secretary, lis found
i in the unusually long list of warrants
issued. In Hawaii, New Foundland
The Netherlands and Alaska new char
ters have been asked for. Favorable
reports are coming in from Cuba and a
new lodge is to be instituted at Buenos
/ Ayres."
The Secretary gave the following
summary of the condition of the order
| December 81, 1898:
Sovereign Grand Lodges, i; Independ-