Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1901-11-02
Marvellous Progress of a Great
Society For Catholic
Young Men.
Grand and Supreme Councils
and Their Officers and
Jurisdiction.
FOR GOD AND FOR THEIR COUNTRY

Il NAieHouSh TIC fOuIR ueu 5 Institute
has been in existence but few years its
progress has been marvellous. Its remark
able development has drawn toward it
more than the usual attention given to
benevolent and fraternal organizations.
The members of the Y. M. l., particularly
those on the Pacific slope and throughout
the Far West, are peculiarly interested in
the order, since it is the only beneficial
and fraternal society originating in the
West which has become great national.
indeed almost international organization,
wherein moral, social and intellectual
improvement are encouraged and fos-
tered with an enthusiasm and energy
greater than any other society which ever
came into being
The history of fraternal societies in
general is as old as Christianity itself.
Under various forms and for various pur-
poses fraternal societies have existed ever
since the dawning of the Christian era.
Fraternity, however, has divergent mean
ings. The good and the bad alike utilize
the name fraternity" for the carving
out of their specific works. The only
true fraternity in the beginning was the
Catholic church. She attached to the
word brother" a meaning il never had
before; she fostered a spirit that antiquity
never dreamed of. The fatherhood Of
God and the brotherhood of man was in
stituted for all peoples and for all times.
Her religious orders, her societies for
charitable purposes, her societies for the
spreading and propagation of the Chris
tan faith, are after all the fruits of
fraternity in truly Christian form. Fra
ternity has for its natural sources the
family and the nation. The members q.
family are the highest ideals of a fra
teT'ty, the very personifcation of frater~
nifty, and as an aggregation of individuals
and OF families made up nation, so
nation as unity, and particularly our
own nation, is the most beautiful exem
plifcation of national fraternity the world
has ever seen.
The Young Mems Institute, although
1t has branches in nearly every State in
the Union, and in nearly every place in
British Columbia which can support a
council was founded in San Francisco on
March 4, 1888, not quite nineteen wears
ago. The men who formed this society. and
without which no article upon the organ
ization or record of the society would be
complete, consisted of John ]. McDade.
James F. Smith, George r. Maxwell.
William II. Gagar, William T. Ryan and
Edward l. Sheehan. Five of these are
still active spirits in the organization. the
other, William H. Gagan, having de-
parted this life a little more than three
years ago.
Judge James F. Smith, now one of the
Justices of the Supreme Court in the
Philippine Islands, became the first
President of the order, then consisting of
one branch. In tile history of fraternal
societies he was unique character. He
possessed an indomitable energy and per-
severance, which has characterized him
not only in his connection with the In
stitute, but in every walk of life where
duty called him, be it civic, military or
Judicial. AS President of what is now
known as Pioneer Council No. 1, and
subsequently, as Grand President of the
Pacific Jurisdiction, his name became "a
household word wherever branch of the
Y. M. 1. existed.
AS the order progressed and grew the
leaders turned their thoughts to the estab-
lishment of new councils. San lose
Council No. 2 was organized March 80,
1885, and within five months the councils
from Mission No. 8 to Vallejo No. IL
were organized and have at all times
maintained their existence. The man
who took the initiative in this work of
organization was John J. McDade, the
first Grand President, and afterward the
first Supreme President of the Y. M. /.
When the requisite number of councils
had been organized the first Grand coun-
Gil was called and held in San Francisco
on July 4, 1885. Mr.. McDade presided
and was there elected Grand President.
and was again reelected BY the Crandf
Councils held in San Jose and SD
mento.
The fourth Grand Council was held inv
Stockton, CAL, in September, 1883, pre-
vious to which time councils had been
organized in Nevada, Oregon. Washing
ton, Utah, British Columbia. Montana,
Ohio and New York. M. w. Flemir.s
was here elected Grand President. He
was in turn succeeded by Hon. !. II
Sullivan, who served for two terms.
On July 4, 1890. the Atlantic juris-
diction was organized in Cincinnati By
Grand President Sullivan. F. e. Macken-
tepe was selected as the first Grand
President of said jurisdiction, which con.
tinued up to May 10. 1885, when it wa@