The Saint Paul globe., 1901-04-29
PRAISE FOR THEIR ORDER
ODD FELLOWS CELEBRATE THE
EIGHTY-SECoND ANNIVERSARY
OF THEIR BIRTHDAY
FOUNDED AT BALTIMORE, 1919
Five Members I'm Original Lodge
Have, Ncsv Grown to 022,0G0
I'm the United States
Alone.

On April 26, 1919. Just eighty-two years
ago, Thomas Widely, Of England, es-
tablished the first lodge of Odd re lows
In the United States, Baltimore NJ, be-
ing It's birth place. Yesterday the event
was duly celebrated by members of TIE
order in St. Paul. and, with the ladies'
OF their auxiliary order, the Rebekahs,
more than filled the Grand opera house,
where the attendant exercises were car
ried out
Between the Odd Fellows and their
| auXiiiaries, the Rebekahs, nearly thirty
lodges were represented, and the exer-
cises. which began promptly at 2:SO
o'clock. found the opera house filled from
parquet to gallery. All the lodges, their
members attfred in full regalia, marched
TO the opera house from their respective
halls, the place of honor being accorded
the militant branch of the order in full
uniform, in which was included the Can
tons, of Minneapolis The grand officers
and past grands marched from Central
hall. and occupied places of honor on
the stage.
The decorations on the stage, where
the officers and speakers were gathered
were simple. yet in keeping with the oc-
casion. the emblem OF the order three
links. being prominent by it's deft ar
rangement in floral designs. Potted plants
and evergreens added to the e~effect, while
above all shone a likeness of the vener-
able and revered founder of the order,
Thomas Widely
Following brief introduction by O..
D. Curtis, who officiated as presiding Of
f1cer of the day. Judge e. A. Jaggard
opened the exercises of the afternoon
with an address on "Odd Fellowship -
While pointing to the order as an ideal OF
it's kind, Judge Jaggard exhaustively
sketched the evolution Of the modern Sc
FTH1-s. j
golden age of the secret society, the pres
ent century showing an enrolment Of
over 100000. OF benefits, and all secret
societies tend more on less in relieving
want and suffering among their ranks,
over 81, ,0e0 600, 600 has been distributed.
Like a beacon light above all, he said,
stands the order of Odd Fellows, it's
members in the United States alone be-
ing 922 coo, a gigantic growth. when the
mind wanders back to the lodge at Balti-
more in 1919, with it's five members. Sta
tistics, he said, credited the North Star
state with 254 lodges, with a member
ship of $1,000 Odd Fellows and 900
RebekahS. During their existence, the
Odd Fellows Of this country have paid
out 600 in benefits. Of recognized
secret societies in the United States,
Judge Jaggard said there were over
3O0 of which fifty had a membership OF
over 10000 The one secret of success,
he said, of Odd Fellowship was it's re-
ligious tolerance, its belief that all church
spires point heavenward. He suggested
progressive methods in lodge work, and
advised the formation of 'tGet Together"
clubs. where interest would be aroused
by intellectual speakers, and topics that
concerned the people could ~be discussed
The lodge, he said should be made more
of pleasure than strict adherence to
forInality.
Woman's part in Odd Fellowship was
shown by Mrs. Eunice Melville, grand
secretary, who took for her subject, "The
Rebekah." In the upbuildfng of the order
the Rebekah. the speaker said, had done
much, her tender touch having civil
izing effect, and aiding in the establish
ment of homes where the widow and the
orphan were cared for. -
The closing address was made by Hon.
w c. Nye, of Minneapolis In his talk
on Advanced Lessons in Odd Fellow
Ship" he showed the teachings that the
order inculcated in those who marched
under it's banner The three links, SYM
belie of faith, hope and charity. sufficed
as a foundation on which were planted
many truths.
Additional to the programme Of ad-
dresses. a number of vocal and instru-
mental selections were rendered, the
Metropolitan quartette assisting to an
extent that called for number of en-
cores. A piano solo was given by Miss
Vera Kost.