The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-29
GRAND COUNCIL.
Royal Arcanians Rapidly In
crease in Minnesota.
Much Business Transacted at the SEES
sion Held Observation-Disclosures Re-
ports and Election of
Officers.


met in any city outside of st. Paul
and Minneapolis, and the honor con-
ferred upon Mankato is therefore
doubly great. The Royal Arcanum is
an insurance and fraternal order and
has over 300, 900 members, of which
nearly 5000 are in Minnesota. 1t is
on very solid foundation, with fixed
monthly charges sufficient to meet all
expenses, pay all claims and leave a
nice balance to go into an emergency
fund that now amounts to over 81
900, 600 and is invested in United
States bonds. The insurance is reason
able in cost and reliable. The order
is growing rapidly and is composed of
men of excellent standing, discrimina-
tion being shown in the selection of
members in order to maintain the high
standing of the personnel.
A special train over the Chicago
Great Western road brought in
seventy-ive Representative and other
members of the grand council from
the twin cities and cities en- route. It
started from st. Paul at 80 a. m.
and arrived in Mankato at II a. m. 1t
was met at the depot by Mankato
council, which marched from the A.
%. U. w. hall in body and escorted
the arriving members back to it,
where the sessions of the grand council
are being held. Some of the grand
officers and representatives arrived
last evening and others on the regular
trains today, and the total number
present from out of the city is about
1875.
The council room is beautifully de-
corated with palms, roses and carna-
tions. The ladies ordinary at the
Saalpaugh is the Arcanum headquar7
tiers today.
The following are the grand officers
present Grand Regent, Robt B.
McKenny, Minneapolis; Grand Vice
Regent, Geo. w. Dunlap, st. Paul !;
Grand Orator, Willard L. Comstock,
Mankato; Past Grand Regent, Henry
G. Gilbert, st. Paul; Grand Treas
urer, Leroy L. Sanford, Minneapolis /;
Grand Secretary, Geo. T. Hughes,
Duluth; Grand Chaplain, J. H. B.
Easton, Rochester; Grand Guide,
Frank G. Campbell, Minneapolis !;
Grand Warden, o. M. Nordey, Red
Wing Grand Sentry, Frank L. Palmer,
Minneapolis.
The special train on the G. G. W.
road will leave at p. m. on the return
trip.
The grand council will conclude it's
work this afternoon, and at 6 80
O. clock the members will be guests of
Mankato council at supper to be
served in the dining room by the
ladies of the Episcopal church. Plates
for 200 persons will be provided and
all members of Mankato council are
requested to be present. While the
meal is being served, Messrs Tinker
and Townsend will furnish music
The Convention Proceedings.
The order of business at the fore
noon session was merely preliminary
and consisted of a roll call of officers,
reading of the minutes of the last
meeting. report of the committee on
credentials, initiation of representa-
tives, calling the roll of counties and
reports of officers. The reports were
distributed to the standing commit
tees, to be reported on at the after
noon session.
Grand Regent McKenny's report is
an outline history of the Royal Ar
canum of the state for the past year.
He states that the years record is
one to be proud of, as the steady
growth of the order in the state shows
that it is awake and keenly alive to
its opportunities. The increase in
membership has been general all along
the line.
Special mention is made of Cataract
and Minnehaha councils, the two
largest, for their splendid work, and
also of Des Moines Valley counc Gil of
Window, which unaided and alone
has made since Jan. LIST, 1901, gain
of over 147 per cent.
Two new councils have been organ
lied, one at Albert Lea with SO char
ter members, and one at Winona with
30 charter members A new council
will be instituted at Staples in few
days. The Melrose council and Inter
urban council of st. Paul have sur
rendered their charters, but without
the loss to the order of single mem
Der.
The work of the district deputies the
past year on the whole was very good
In conclusion, Mr.. McKenny says that
the future has never been so bright
and full of promise.
The report of Grand Secretary
Hughes shows twenty-four deaths in
the state during 1900, and three deaths
since then. All claims have been
promptly paid.
The receipts during the year 1900
were So. 417.67, and the expenditures
So, 1917 leaving a cash balance on
hand of 1892. AZ. The resources Dec.
81, 1900, were So, $40. so and the liabili-
ties were 1874. 10. On March 26th
there is balance on hand or 81, ATT. so.
The membership Dec. 31st, 1899,