Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-19
NEW LIFE IN ODD FELLOWS
Large Amount Of Relief Work Done ard
Many Initiates Received.
STATE GRAND LODGE CONTINUES SESSION
Representatives OF over Two Hum
drcd Nebraska Lodges. with Mem
bership of Ten Thousand,
Discuss Good of order.

HASTINGS Neb., Oct. 1S.-(Special Tele-
gram)-Th second days session Of the
grand lodge OF the Independent order Of Odd
Fellows and the Rebekah assembly opened
this morning with a combined attendance of
over 500. At 10 a. m. a joint session Of the
grand lodge and Rebekah assembly vas held
in the court house. The meeting was opened
with prayer by Grand Chaplain Channel fol-
lowed by an address OF welcome by Mayor
Fisher, who said, in part:
standing here today and looking upon
this grand body, the representatives of 201
lodges, with a membership OF 1o,402 in Ne
braska, am forcibly impressed with the as
tonishng growth of your order during the
period of few short years. l can safely
say that no nobler gathering of men and
women ever assembled together whom the
| citizens of Hastings were so proud to well
come your honorable body"
| Grand Master John A. Arnold Of Schuyler
| responded in an able manner and assured the
| mayor and citizens of Hastings that their
! royal welcome was most heartily appreci-
| ated State President Miss Mary E. Sperry
of Beatrice also delivered most pleasing ad
| droes on behalf OF the Rebekah assembly
| Past Grand Master McEhiny of Hastings was
| master of ceremonies.
| The Joint meeting was then dismissed and
| both lodges proceeded to business. There
were 100 past grands that took the grand
lodge degrees. Committees were appointed
and the grand lodge then adjourned until 2
p m. The entire afternoon was taken UP by
committee work and it was agreed to have
the election of officers and decide the place
of the next meeting at ! o'clock tomorrow
afternoon.
The consideration Of the report OF the COM
mittee to revise the grand lodge and subor-
| dinate lodge constitution was made the spe-
| cial order of business for tonight.
AT the Rebekah assembly all officers were
present with the exception OF the grand
warden, Mrs Carry Jackson of Omaha There
were present over 100 delegates, thirty five
| past grands and seven past presidents. The
report Of the sovereign grand representative,
Mrs. George l.. Loomis of Fremont was well
received. 1t was decided to hold the election
Of officers at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
| Tonight Rebekah degree work was con-
ferred and banquet followed. During the
evening the following program was carried
out: Address of welcome, Mrs. Hyler; re-
sponse, Miss Sperry; music, Miss Hartigan
recitation, Mrs. Staley; music, Miss Harti-
gan. The various committee reports from
the grand lodge showed everything to be in
| excellent condition.
| VI she
The report Of l. P. Gage, grand scribe,
gives the following summary Of the patri-
archal branch Of Odd Fellows in this juris-
| dicton:
Number of encampments last report, So;
encampments Instituted, Anchor, No. IL:
Lexington, No. 4S. Membership, 1925; initia-
ted; 81; reinstated, %; admitted by card, %;
ship. 1s6a From this there % Should 15.'de be- de-
Quoted los for withdrawals, deceased, eX-
| Dellel which leaves M
The total receipts Of subordinates are So
ILLS; current expenses, sl,757.Ss; paid for
paid dSoG for reef Ra,a stS Sf 0NSis Num
ber Of patrots relieved. 80; number Of
The grand encampment receipts were
a5277 expenses for the year, si52.70, leaving
| a balance of cents.
Grand Representatives j. S. Hoagland and
N. B. Helm in their report said:
"On December 81, 1898, there were fifty
five grand encampments, 2,641 subordinate
encampments and ,267 patriarchs. These
figures show an increase of 1915 limitations
during the year, as against falling off
| in the year previous. and, although the
progress in this branch of our fraternity
has not been as great as the beauty Of its
ritual and the grandeur OF its accomplish
ments entitled it, yet the showing Is ex-
ceedingly encouraging when compared with
the losses of previous years.
Among the patriarchs militant there has
been net increase in membership of ninety
three during the last year. Reports are
being received more promptly and active in
terest seems to be reviving all along the
line since December, 1898. The number CT
chevalers December 81. 1898, was 16,169
with 519 cantons, 1877 battalions, forty-nine
regiments and fourteen brigades