The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-16
Crusade Against the "G0at !"
on in Earnest.
A. O. e. w. and WOOdmen of
World Join Others.
REVOKE THE CHARTERS
Extreme Measures to Be Taken
Against Offending Lodges.
Items of Interest of Secret So
ciety Workers.

Two other secret orders have Joined
the Kansas G. A R.. in its crusade
against the further use of the coat in
the lodge room-the Woodmen of the
World and the A. o. U. w. The Sow
ereign Visitor. official organ of the
Woodmen of the World, il commenting
upon the result of a suit Tor damages
filed by a member against a lodge for
injuries received by making him ride
the goat, says:
This should be a lesson to every
camp to quit it's improvising goats.
SpankerS, blanket tossing, tripping and
all sorts of silly, foolish and senseless
additions to the authorized ritualistic
ceremony of introduction
1T may be necessary to revoke the
charter of every camp that persists in
using goats or other appliances or cere-
monies not prescribed in our ritual.
1T must be understood that the SOW
ereign camp most positively forbids any
ceremonies or work in receiving candl-
dates for membership not expressly
provided in it's regular rituals furnished
all camps.
Individual members who abuse in
itiateS may be held personally RESPONSE
BILE for any injury or damages sustain
ed
The Kansas Workman, official organ
of the Kansas A o. u. W., takes the
goat proposition for a text and says:
'.All societies, we believe, are troubled
somewhat with these excrescenceS. The
A. o. u. w, fortunately, is improving
in this respect, and we hear but seldom
of such cases at present. Our rituaistlc
work is not sensational by any means,
and though some think it lacking IN
dramatic effect. all will acknowledge
that it is dignifed, manly and sensible
There should be no unauthorized add1-
lions to it, especially the burlesque fea-
lures which are so often dangerous,
and nearly always calculated to humil-
late the candidate. 1t may be fun to
the onlOOker to witness the absurd sport
which iS cnr1atirpPS made at the n0i-
dates expense, but that sport sometimes
disguStS him SO that he never appears
in the lodge again The dangerous
things are still worse. Members of
lodges should know that courts gen
orally hold, as did the court in -Missis-
sippi, that when the members of lodge
use ceremonies not authorized by the
ritual-the individuals present, whether
they actually take part or not are La
bic for any damages that may result
The knights and Ladies of Security
viii have so deputies in the field after
September l. The greatest amount of
work will be done this season in Ohio.
Illinois and Michigan. The head officers
of the lodge at Topeka anticipate an in
crease of membership of from 1900 to
1.50o monthly when the army of depu-
ties begin active work
The regular meeting night of Topeka
lodge No. II of the Masonic order will
be held Wednesday evening. Two can
QlQdtGS are To take the THRU uGST00.
DR.. H. A. Warner, medical director of
the Knights and Ladies of Security, and
president of the National Fraternal as
ISOLATION is preparing to go to Denver
to the national congress that begins
there September &c.
Gate City lodge No. % of the Rem
Hur order, has captured the banner for
showing the largest increase of mem
bership of any lodge of that order in
the state during the past year. 1t is
located in Topeka IT took in 65 new
members during the year.
Three years ago the knights and
Ladies of Security adopted the plan of
giving a banner to the lodge showing
the largest per cent of gain during the
quarter, and to progress the banner to
the lodge showing the largest per cent
of gain at each succeeding quarter. To-
peka has got the banner now for the
first time. The lodge in North Topeka
has captured the banner and are in
tending to try to keep it for quite a
while.