The San Francisco call., 1899-05-14

members, who have adopted an attractive
uniform, are drilled in the tactics of the
United States infantry, and are all by the
obligation taken pledged to support the
National Government in time Of war and
maintain the honor of the American flag
A number of. years ago the services of the
membership was offered to the War De-
partment, with the understanding that
every one able to enter the military serv-
ice stood ready to respond to call to
arms. 1t stands as a sort of reserve to
the army, its tender having been accept
ed During the late war the Knights
were not called upon as a body, but many
from all parts of the Union. true TO their
obligation, volunteered in the service of
the country The Endowment Rank is the
mutual insurance branch of the order.
The first quarterly statement of the board
of control of this rank shows that on the
last day of last March this rank had
So .4S9 members, who are protected for the
benefit of their families in the sum of
S1O1 SAG. 900. Since the institution of this
rank there has been paid to beneticiaries
$13. .320776.
The headquarters of the Supreme Lodge
of the order is in Nashville, Tenn, and
has for head chancellor ]. c. Ross of Sa-
vannah, Ga, and for supreme keeper of
records and seal c. D. Robinson of st.
Louis No There are lodges in almost
every State and Territory of the Union,
and lodges in British Columbia, Mani
toba, Ontario, the Hawaiian Islands,
Mexico and the Province of Quebec. The
total membership is 465 900.
In California the order has a member
ship of about 1900, being an increase Of
nearly 250 during the past year. Two
new lodges were instituted and two sur
rendered their charters, so that numer-
ically the number of lodges is the same as
IT was at the previous session. There has
been a material increase in the funds,
and despite the fact that the sum of $685.
900 was expended for the relief Of mem
bers there was an increase in funds of
nearly $1,000.
The order of Rathbone Sisters, as it is
now called, was instituted by J. A. Hill,
the founder, by the organization of the
first temple at Warsaw, Ind, October %,
1889. The first grand temple was institut-
ed the next year in the same State. At
that time the members were known as
the Pythian Sisters, and worked under
that appellation until 1894, when the Su-
nrene Lodge of the Knir its issued an
edict which caused the Sisters to adopt
the name of Rathbone in place Of Pyth-
ian. ANY member Of the Knights in good
standing can become member of
temple Of the Rathbone Sisters.
One year aIIer tne lllsuLutioh OI IHe
Ars+ temple in the United States Mrs. c..
7, G. Iawrance, S. NJ. Of r. and c., was
IN this State on her way to Los Angeles
70 institute a temple there when she was
intercepted at Sacramento and was in
duced to make the start in that city, on
the ground that it was the Capital Of the
state. California Temple No. was in
stituted there with % members. Since
then the order has grown in this State to
wit ci CT
and about 1900 knights. During the past
year there has been an increase of nine
temples. with loss Of only one, and since
the close of the reports, on the last day
of December, one temple was instituted
with 81 members.
The names of the grand officers Of the
Grand Lodge and those Of the Grand
Temple have already been published in
The Call.