The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-27

Manchester Unity. The Manchester
Unity became, and is to-day, one of the
leading benevolent secret societies of
the world. Notwithstanding all that
may be said as to the similarity be-
tween the Manchester Unity and Amer
lean Odd ship-their origin, pur-
pose, principles and methodist re-
mains true that American Odd Fellow
snip IS, as its name indicates, an indie
pendent society, and that at the date of
| its organization is was not dependen.
| upon and did not owe allegiance to any
| other order.
Patriotic and Conservative,
ODD Fellowship is a patriotic institu-
ton. II allies itself with no party and
insists upon no dogma or party faith,
but 1t teaches the most answering
loyalty to the system of government
| under whose protection it makes its
| nome. The founders of American Odd
Fellowship We're newcomers to the
| United States. They had been reared
ana educated under monarchical form
or government. But they had adopted
! this as their country and they took
| pride in becoming loyal citizens there
| of. AS an evidence of their allegiance
to the land of their adoption and as
| an earnest of their desire to make their
| identified ton with it most emphatic
they gave to their lodge a name that
was by the people of the United States
venerated above every other human
name as representing all that was high
est, truest. most intensely patriotic and
best--the name of the father of the new
| republic. They called their lodge Wash
| ington lodge No. /. 1t remains to-day
| as an evidence of the patriotism of the
| founders of a society that has ever in
| culcated loyalty to ones country as
cardinal principle.
| Sociability and Mutual Relief.
| Among the earliest commands of Odd
| Fellowship were these: Educate the
| orphan, relieve the distressed In The
| early days of our history this work was
| confined to Individual lodges, each TAX
| ing care of it's unfortunates as best it
| could. AS the order expanded and its
| revenues increased, the membership be-
came impressed with the thought that
| by consolidation of the revenues of
lodges, comprising a grand lodge jurs-
diction, work in the department of be-
nevolence could be carried on with
more uniformity and with greater sue
cess than by individual effort. Then
| began the movement for the establish
ment of homes for the widows and Or
phans of deceased Odd Fellows, and for
| the aged and intirm members Of the or
der. So rapidly has this work been Cur
| ried forward that to-day in more than
half the states of the federal union
these homes are established or in pro-
/ cess of establishment Already the
| homes in successful operation represent
an investment of several hundred thou
| sand dollars. No other organization,
| outside the churches has ever attempt
| ed, much less accomplished, SO much in
providing for the care of the widows
and orphans of deceased members. or
| in furnishing asylums wherein their
| aged and intirm associates may spend
their declining days amid pleasant,
| peaceful surroundings and in the enjoy
| ment of the comforts Of fraternal homes.
| / mention with pride the fact that Mon
| tana Odd Fellows, ever in line with
| the progressive measures of the frater-
| nifty, have zealously entered upon the
| work of establishing such a home in
| this jurisdiction.
Birth of the Rebekahs.
Although Odd Fellowship from its in
| cepton had in view the happiness and
the honor of women, it's pioneers had
no thought Sof inviting or permitting
women to actively participate in fur
| thering the interests of the society.
| Before the first generation of Odd Eel
| lows had passed away, the fraternity
! began to see that in this, as in every
other work that has for it's object the
| welfare of mankind, the better half of
mankind cannot be ignored without
| detriment. In this new field the pro-
gressive spirit of Odd Fellowship made
small beginnings, and slow but steady
| advancement First it was proposed
to make some regulation by which the
wives and daughters of Odd Fellows
| might when occasion demanded, make
| themselves known to and secure the
| recognition and aid of members Of the
order. Then a degree which was des-
| ignated the female degree was created
which enabled the women Of the i'm
mediate family of an Odd Fellow to
feel that they had slight sort of iden
| tity with the order, but so ll-defined
that the best informed among them
could scarce tell just what kind or
degree of relationship they bore to
| the fraternity to which their husbands
and fathers were devoted. Then came
the degree of Daughters of Rebekah,
which. though a great Improvement
over the female degree, still kept the
| ladies at arms lengths, lest in some
| way. by too close contact, they might
| weaken the strength of the order by
| the introduction of W0men's ways and
| womens notions. They overlook the
fact that all that is good, pure, en-
| nobling and worthy in man, has ever
been promoted and in large measure
| inaugurated by women's ways and
| womens notions Finally. the Rebekah
| degree, in its present form, was estab
| lished and by solemn declaration made
an integral part of Odd Fellowship.
| L he uDOIS bl 1NeDtkdH lOuSeS were
| thrown open not only to the female
| members Of Odd Fellows households
| but to all unmarried women over the
Ige of 10 years who have that degree
| of good standing that will enable them
| to pass the test of the ballot box. The
| Rebekahs are encouraged to fill all the
| offices in their lodges with sisters, and
| have the right to organize state Re-
| bekah assemblies. in which brothers are
| not eligible to any office. Under the
| workings of this advanced legislation
| the Rebekah branch has grown with
| astonishing rapidity until to-day their
membership is in round numbers 300
| 900 more than half of whom are wo-
| men. The history of the Rebekah de-
| gree is one of the most conspicuous
proofs of the progressive nature of Odd
| Fellowship.
| Work of the Order.
| Since Washington lodge No. ! was in
] Stituted vast army of men and