The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-16
GRAND LODGE IN SESSION
ODD FELLOWS OF THE STATE IN
 ANNUAL SESSION.

Officers Elected Yesterday Afternoons
 Over 500 Delegates Present-swedisl
 Lodges to be Incorporated Into sopa
 rate Districts.
 The sixty-second annual session o the Grand lodge of Connecticut Od' Fellows opened in Odd Fellows hall ol Crown street yesterday morning.
 At the afternoon session these officers were elected for the ensuing year:
 Grand master-Willam s. Hutchin son. of South Manchester.
 Deputy grand master, James A. Car penter, of Torrington.
 Grand warden-Frank R. Upson, o. Southington.
 Grand secretary-Frederick Botsford of New Haven.
 Grand treasurer-William H. Mari gold, of Bridgeport.
 Grand representative = Selah C. Blakemen of Shelton.
 Frederick Botsford grand secretary in presenting his report, stated that one lodge was added during the year making the total at the present time eighty-eight.
 The total receipts of subordinate lodges during the year were s159 9,3S6.O2 and the expenses $141, ,219.21, giving a net gain of $1S,166S1, which brings the total fund of the lodges up to $4s4,6l7.- 78.
 The membership now is 217,541, a gain of 393 during the year. Of the number added 965 were initiated AZ were admitted by card and 32 reinstat- ed. From this total of additions, how ever, 646 are to be deducted. On ac- count of withdrawals S9. suspensions for non- payment of dues 349, expelled and deceased 200.
 The receipts of the Grand lodge for the war ending May l, 1901, were $3,- 535.21.
 Rebekah lodges in Connecticut num- Der AS, with total membership of B. 776 a net gain of 109. The membership includes 2.222 brothers and 3,554 sisters The receipts of Rebekah lodges were $10957.96 and the expenses $10,034.90, of which $2,552.77 was for relief of mem- bers. The net gain for the year was $923.06. The amount paid for relief by the subordinate lodges of Odd Fellows during the year was $69,460.2S.
 '"The prospects for 1901 are really brilliant" continues the secretary, "and in my opinion we shall pass the 18,O00 mark in July, and possibly even now that mark has been reached. Since 1869 there has not been year when we have not made an advance in member ship and funds.
 "The signal failure at the last session to make an equitable adjustment on the question of dues and benefits, due to strong opposition to increasing the dues and a stronger opposition to any interference by the Grand lodge in the management of the financial affairs of the subordinate lodges, is thing of the past, and while many deplore the re- suit, yet the investigation and discus sion for two years resulted in educating the brotherhood, and there is at this time general movement to grade and bring within the boundaries of safety the benefits awarded to the sick in manner that will bear lightly on the majority and do injustice to none. The great danger has been, and still exists, in paying full benefits for continuous sickness beyond the first year. think the subordinate lodges will universally see the inequity of paying full benefits to sick brothers for from fifteen to thir- ty years, and deplete the fund to such an extent as to ruin the lodge and leave 75 per cent. of it's membership after lifetime of hard work for the order' Later the newly elected officers 1 were installed and general discussion of matters pertaining to the order fol- lowed, speeches being made by several visitors from out of town.