Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-13
THE IOWA BRIGADE
Condition of the Uniform Rank,
Knights of Pythias.
0TTUMWA OFFICERS MAKE REPORTS
Assistant Adiutant General Garriott
Calls Attention to the ofd Story of
Permanent Location for the Order
Much Business Done.

Cedar Rapids, Aug. 12.-(Special)--
At tie brigade meeting which was
held at brigade headquarters this at
ternoon General j. c. Manchester pre-
scented his annual report.
The meeting was attended by all the
officers of the camp and much enthu.
siasm was manifested.
| Besides the annual reports much
| business was transacted and it was
not until late hour that the business
was finished.
General Manchesters Report.
The first business transacted was
| ter's annual report, which is as fol-
| lows:
Headquarters, Iowa Brigade,
Camp Cedar, Aug. u, 1901
! Officers and knights Loyal: The
balance sheet of fiscal year is always
la paper of weighty Importance. At
a glance is read the success or failure
| of twelve months of endeavor; and,
with the conciseness of it's items, an
experienced mind mind can cover with
a finger tip wherein has lain the vic
/ tory, or what has caused the defeat.
! 1t carries with it, too, a source of much
qualification, in that our work has
been conducted with such method that
at any stated time we can stop in our
labors and know exactly what our con-
dition is.
! 1t has been my aim, since assuming
the Office of your commander, to con-
duct the affairs incumbent upon so
/ nonored and responsible position. on
such business basis that, at the end
/ of each biennial year. balance sheet
| could be made, and the Iowa brigade
know with exactness the state of its
affairs, how we'll have succeeded, you
are the judges
! The brigade, burdened with the ex-
penditures in pushing the rank forward
in all sections of the state, needs as it
4 never has before, an expression of
knightly interest and financial assist
ance to continue the good work. The
Uniform Rank is the child of the orer.
The success of the one is the success
of the other. Both are working with
the same aim-one for the glory of the
parent, the other that the parent may
be glorified in it's offspring.
The clerical work at these headauar-
tiers has much Increased i'll tile last
two years, brought about partly by the
4 cleaning up of the old, and the work.
4 ing for new companies. No less than
a thousand letters have been received
and answered each year. Eight gen
eral and thirty-nine special orders with
two circular letters have been issued
I during the term. OF the five new
1 companies added this year have as
sisted at the institution of three and
made many personal visits to various
companies, always finding officers and
members earnestly imbued with the de.
sire to advance and still higher float
the tri-colored banner of our glorious
order
There are tWenty-seven good com.
panies organized in five regiments now
in the brigade while there is a mum
Der in active preparation. and while
this is only gain of two over two
years ago, the new companies have
taken the place of old ones which
should have been taken up long ago
and out of this number there is but
one company which shows signs Gf
losing its charter. When you receive
the reports of company with thirty
four members and each year drop from
three to ten with no new ones coming
in you can look out and say to your
self that sit is only matter of time.
For detailed reports of receipts and
expenditures. | refer you to my assist
ant adjutant general.
| would recommend that the com.
mittees appointed in general order
number eight, make full reports at to
morrow's meeting, and to the commit
tee on law, would suggest that there
be but four regiments. That each staff
officer and the general staff pay an
, nual dues to the brigade of $500 pei
year and the gegimental staff $1.00 tx
the regimental fund. That the PEI
capita tax be raised to thirty-five cents
!, for brigade at fifteen cents for regi
mental The brigade has had the en-
, tire time of the assistant adjuatant
general since January l. and if We ha.
had the funds, it would have added
! ten companies in place of five. This
pointed at Camp Loper for the pul
, pose of making new bylaws.
| Personal thanks are due each Office,
: and Knight loyal of the brigade whose
friendship gave courage in my endeav
orS; whose charity lightened the eli
rors, and whose benevolence assure;
success in all undertakings We cal
look back on the year with mucl
pleasuse. Like weavers at a loom, W,
have sat and spun for the past TWEEN
ty-four months and today by the re
ports see the result of our labors
Tapestry indeed it is, fit to adorn thu
walls of the idealized castle HALF o
] our beloved order. Eight hundred
, hands have spun the warp. and as i
passed through their fingers it wa
/ dyed in the indelible colors of friend
! ship. REIMBURSEMENT companies hay'
woven the roof that, as charity cover
{, with mantle of gold, purple and Grim
, son the roughen threads; while. in Z;
!. spirit OF benevolence, five regiment
!, have placed like Jewels the names G
) every company in the state. Fitting trit
utes is the work of your hands to
labor of love for an order whose whit
lily in its purity perfumes the palace
J, and with brotherly love sheds sootl
ing influence over the roughened line
OF Nhe cottage. May the coming yea