St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-07-03
1oDERN wooDMEN OF AMERICA.
something AbOnt the Largest Benefit
Order in the WorId.

something AbOnt the Largest Benefit
Order in the World.
rsoecial Correspondence to the CALIFORNIAN. ]
From time to time there has appeared
in your columns items concerning the
Modern Woodmen of America and per-
haps your readers would be interested in
few facts concerning the order.
Twenty years ago ]. c. Root of Iowa
conceived the idea of uniting business
with pleasure and giving to the world a
benefit and fraternal order combined.
After much study and labor a ritual was
prepared and plans made, but satsfac.
tory name could not be settled upon.
Finally, when in church one day, the
nreacher's discourse was concerning the
nioneers of the world, and the Woodmen
ofthe old and new countries, and great
deal of credit was given to Woodmen of
all countries but especially to the Vet
eran Woodmen Of America. When Mr..
Root heard this it came to him as an
inspiration, and the name for his organi-
zation was the Modern Woodmen of
America"
The first camp was organized in your
town, January, 1888; the second at Full
ton. III. The order now has nearly TO-
900 camps, with more than 100000
"neighbors" growing at the rate of 500
per day. 1t long ago reached all of its
companion societies except the Masons
and Odd Fellows. 1t has also, from a
business standpoint, passed all insurance
companies. and made a greater gain
last year than any company in the world.
1t combines business with pleasure and
interests its members by good degree
work. 1t is said it has some of the larg-
est camps Codges) in the world, one at
Kansas City having 1900 members and
another in the same city having over
1900.
The society is purely representative in
its form of government, the Head Camp
meeting every second year. Each state
sends delegate for each 1000 members.
When the Head Camp met at Kansas
City two years ago, Vermont did not
have a society within her borders, and
only twelve members OF the order. To-
day she has more than 80 camps and
sent two delegates to the meeting of
the Head Camp which was held at st.
Paul during the week of June II. These
delegates were A. P. Beers of Burlington
and X. E. Sideinger district deputy.
HEAD CAMP IN SESSION.
1t is said that the largest gathering ST..
Paul has ever entertained tested the en-
PERTAINING capacity of that and its twin
city Minneapolis during this session. All
were used right royalty and thousands
of dollars were contributed by the citi.
zens of both cities in decorations. The
city government appropriated $4,000
and the red, white and green of the
Woodmen and the red, white and blue OF
our national colors were seen every
where. Months ago the florist and
landscape gardener prepared to welcome
us and the emblems of the order were
arranged for when planting the seed. AS
a result every park gave us a welcome
with flowers OF different hues, arranged
to catch the eye and please the senses.
The only time when there has been a
crowd in the city comparing with the
size of this in its immensely is when the
OIdHu hluy LhSh bhSlN'
The convention, or Head Camp opened
with Head Council Northcott, Governor
of Illinois in the chair. Gov. Van Stout,
himself an enthusiastic Woodman, gave
us a welcome to the state, and Mayor
Smith, also Woodman, gave welcome
for the city. There were 629 delegates
present from thirty-three states. These
had the floor OF the auditorium, while
three vast galleries were filled with visit
ors. Vermonts delegation of two was
almost lost as compared with Others,
for instance, 129 from Illinois, but mas
much as delegate Beers of Burlington, is
six feet, six, and the other weighs over
200, and both got votes in proportion,
we managed to let them know that Yer
mont is in the procession,
The parade Thursday was the great
est that the fraternal bodies OF the coun-
try has ever had. 1t is claimed that over
100000 we're in line. The uniform rank
of Foresters had camp, and about
$4,000 lived under tents. Excursions
were taken in all directions.
Grand Rapids, Indianapolis and Sara
toga each made fight for the conven-
ton of 1908. The older societies Won
der at the strength of Woodcraft, but
if they could have been there they would
have learned more about it.
X. E. S.