Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-03
WHEELING ELKS CONDUCT
ANNUAL LODGE OF SORROW.

OOtth
! to the dear ones we leave on earth when
We answer the call to come into a higher
| and better life.. Elkdom teaches man to
| know and measure. man by his better
sentiments and nobler attributes. 1t in
| spires in man a greater desire for the
| enjoyment of that life to come, by teach
| ing him how to enjoy and truly appreciate
| the grandeurs of this one
| ''As | have already stated, our order is
| builded upon Fidelity, Charity, Justice
| and Brotherly Love.
| Fidelity is the bond of faithfulness to
| which we adhere to the right; our lasting
and courageous devotion to the princi-
| pies and purposes of our order; the tie
that makes secure the merits and joys
or friendship between our fraternal broth
ers And what thing is friendship.
, That attachment which binds one person
| to another from intimate acquaintance;
| from a favorable opinion of the amiable
and respectable qualities of the mind.
| That which makes a man reciprocate the
kindly offices of his fellow man. That
feeling of man towards man which is
| born of confidence, based on integrity.
Mans trust in man, and mans worthiness
of that trust. That something which
makes of life one grand armament, light
ed by the myriads of gentle words spoken
and kindly deeds done, as is the clear sky
in the darkness of night ilumned by the
mllllons of starry plants. Without it all
financial achievements would but pre-
scribe the circumference of hollow
| sphere. Mans very soul would starve from
want OF it: Take a man away from home
and friends, and even though you sur
round him with the active hustling life
of the great city, with it's swarms of
b 6usy human beings, he will cry out in
his loneliness. To look upon the face of
friend, to hear the sound of a familiar
voice. would bring him more relief and
JOY than could great riches or honored
titles, Without friendship the very
mountains would lose their majesty; the
forests their melody; the social inter-
course of man its joys; the sea would be
without its grandeur; the human charac-
ter without its sweetness; nd the voices
| of mankind would be but one constant dis
cord. The very home would be robbed
of its joys by the spirit of loneliness that
would enVelop it.
Yet with it. how different! The plain
and the mountain are as a living sermon
to the whole soul The music of the for
ests and the sounds Of the sea- are like
unto one grand chorus from the depths
of high heaven; the character of man is
made the evidence of a life divine Aye,
all things righteous may be attained.
30 friend, my bosom said,
Through thee alone the sky is a~ched
Through thee the rose is red,
All things through thee take nobler form,
And look beyond the Earth.
The mill round of our fate appears
A Sun-path in thy worth.
Me, too, thy nobleness has taught
10 master my despair;
| The fountains OF my hidden life
are tutOuSn tHS Ir-enuS0lp ldlr.
The chief bond OF our order is fidelity.
Its mission is charity. Elks are taught
10 know and to practice charity. And oh,
what Joy, what happiness, is lost to peo-
pie in this life through lack OF it. How
prone we are to see the faults in another;
especially so if we know the fault in him.
We are all fallible. We are ali imperfect.
We all err Then, why make self-consti-
tuted judges of ourselves to pass upon
the frailties of others? Is it not better
that We admit the frailties and weak
nesses OF all men, and with the hand of
charity draw the veil of forgiveness over
them? Better hide the faults entire and
magnify the good thousand times. To
dwell upon faults Of men or the evil they
40, deters man in his mental and spir--
and noble encourage him to greater eff
forts and loftier aims.
Now, when | say Elks practice char
lty, do not mean that it is practiced
only within our own order The poor and
humble who are in no wise connected with
the order are often made the recipients
OF their charitable gifts. l don't know
what annual custom your lodge here
may follow in dispensing charity but the
lodge to which / belong has for years
made II custom to give 10 the poor on
Christmas of each year. The plan upon
winch we operate IS substantially this:
general committee is appointed by the
exalted ruler of the lodge. This commit
tee appoints members to canvass each
ward of the city and procure the names
and place of residence of those in need
and who are unable to provide against
their own wants. The number of families
TO be aided is thus learned. Provision is
then made to furnish each family with
an amount of meat, -four beans, toma-
toes, bread, butter sugar. coffee and
other good things of like kind. A card is
then sent to the head of the family, say
ing that If on certain day, at a certain
hour. they will call ct place designated
thsereins they VIII receive Christmas
their stead: They are given two or more
baskets of goods and provisions, such as
have described And o. the joy, the
of gloom and sorrow at having nothing
good in store for that holiday when 9TH
erS are feasting and so happy in their
plenty. are suddenly dlSpelled and driven
away.
The thought of table laden with such
rich supply of the substantials of life
oyerwhelms them. That sick parent or
child that has been suffering from want
OF proper and sufficient nourishment is
now to be relieved and started on the
road to recovery Children clap their
hands and laugh and chatter in their
glee. while the old and feeble fathers and
mothers look up in wonderment and sur
prise Their aged and weakened bodies
tremble under the load They want to
laugh, but they can only cry. They want
TO speak, but something seems TO be
choking them. Through their tear-dim-
med eyes they look gratitude into your
soul, and with hand and voice trembling
bless you. And homeward they 60 happy
beyond their fondest hope of days before.
to prepare for a feast such as they had
not dared to dream Of
And who is there would not say that
every Elk had brought his soul nearer to
God by having aided IN bringing to this
fellow creature this good cheer? Is that
not charity as taught by the simple life
OF Him who was ever charitable toward
his fellow creatures of this earth? The
charity that vaunteth not itself and is
not puffed up. The charity that rejoiceth
in truth. The charity that makes it truly
more blessed to give than to receive
Now, as the bond of our order if fdel-
ity and its mission charity, the end il
seeks to attain is justice.
JuStlce-"The constant and perpetual
disposition to render every man his due
The conformity of our actions and our will
to the law Justice, in accord with the
three great precepts laid down by the i'm
mortal Blackstone in his Commentaries
on the English Law; Live honestly, hurt
NOBODY, and render unto every man his
due Now, much is contained therein
Life in accordance Herewith makes inn
possible the violation of any of the scrip
tural commandments. 1t is in accord with
all the teachings and earthly practices of
the Christ. Justice permits the taking of
nothing without giving a sufficient return
therefor 1t demands protection to a man
and the punishment of him who wrong
fully takes from or destroys
1T defends the weak against the on
preston of the strong, and promulgates
the truth that all men are children OF the
same God. In defending apoinS+