Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-18
LEADS ALL AMERICA
Woodmen Society's Gains in 1900
Greatest of Fraternal
Societies.
FINE SHOWING FOR TIE YEAR
Purchase of Winter Property APP
proyed.-May Change Head
Camp Date.

Lie mOu6EH UO0umeu VI AmST1Cd,
as the record for the year just closed
shows, still holds its place at the
head of the fraternal movement. and
shows greater gains in the year 1900
than any other fraternal society or
life insurance company doing bust
ness in America. On the first of JAN
uary, 1900, the total benefit and social
mem bership in good standing was
443, 346; on the first of January. 1901,
the membership had increased to
sos, l6l. showing a net gain for the
year 1900 of 100 427 benefit members
and 10. $40 social menu ers, or a total
net gain on mem bership of 119, 815
for the year. This wasa greater gain
by more than IS per cent than that
made by any other society doing bus
mess in the United States.
The average age of the society's
mem bership on Jan. 1, 1900, was
So. Is years, and on Jan. l, 1901,
owing to the large increase in mem
bership at the younger ages, the avcr-
age age had been reduced to Sc
years Hat, a lower average age for
the society's membership than has
been shown for some years.
Death Rate
The death rate for the year 1899
was 4.9I per 900 members. and dur
ing the year 1900 the death rate was
but 4. 66 per 1000 members, a ma
terial decrease in death rate for the
year, taking into consideration the
large membership Of the society.
The total receipts to benefit fund
during the year 1899 were $3,204 :
27425, and. with balance on hand
Jan. l, 1899, of $405. 779. % gave
that fund for the year working capt.
tai of IS, Clio, $3.50. The disburse-
ments during the year 1899 were
So, 453. $50, leaving balance on Jan.
L, 1900, of 1856. SOB. so. The receipts
to benefit fund during the year 1900
were 81, 500. IA, and with the balance
on Jan. 1, as noted, it gave the
benefit fund a working capital for the
year of 81 523 217 so. The disburse-
ments aggregated SHY. 354. 80.
which left a balance in the benefit
fund on the first of this year of
1913 953.20
Property Is Purchased.
The Woodmen dire, tors late yester-
day afternoon sanctioned the deal by
which the old Winter property, east of
the head Office, becomes the property
of the order for the sum of Sc. 500.
Nothing will be done with the lot at
present, but at the coming meeting of
the head camp at st. Paul an appro-
priation will probably be asked for to
erect-a building thereon for additional
Office room. The present building is
overcrowded and will soon be entirely
ness of the order.
The Woodmen of Camp No. IL of
Sterling gave a banquet last evening
and number of the head officers
attended from here. They report a
most enjoyable time.
Want Date Changed.
A committee representing the Com
mercial club, of st. Paul, and COM
posed of DIR. c. S. Wheaton, DIR. F. d
Kendrick and III. A. Boardnan, is
here today comforting with the board
of directors with regard to changing
the date of holding the next head
camp, which is set to meet in that
city the first week in June.
Through an inadSertence the Amer
lean Medical association and other
kindred societies meet there on the
same date and it is feared that the
two conventions would tax the enter
tanning powers of the city. The Wood
men are asked to meet the second
week in June.
Reserve Fund Vote.
The figures received from the vote
taken in December on the reserve
fund proposition have been compiled.
They show that only about 33 per
cent of the order voted on the ques-
ton. The total number favoring it
was 1886 and those opposed 1922
713. Thirteen states out of 81 were
favorable to the proposition. These
Is were composed mainly of the
New England states and western
states recently admitted to the order.
Minnesota was the only old state that
was not opposed to reserve fund.