The Washington times., 1902-03-30
ODD FELLOWS HISTORY.

caparisoned horses and mailed knight
to wrest the holy sepulchre from tn
Saracens, / shall not dwell on its earl,
history. 1t would be interesting to know
just how its great truths were then taugh
in the early Anglo-Saxon tongue, whicl
had hardly yet fashioned itself to thu
newly acquired language of the Norman:
after the Conquest, but this early history
has been lost to us in the darkness o
the Middle Ages. We can5o only conjecture
what the beginning must have been. and
very reasonably conclude that, while the
| lessons are now taught in different ways
more closely modelled after apostolic
! teachings and more nearly akin to the
precepts and examples of the Nazarene.
yet, after all, it Is more than probable
that Odd Fellowship is similar in many
ways to that of the beginning when
| friendship, love, and truth was known
only as q mere brotherhood among men
who believed in uniting for mutual friend
ship, protection. and assistance. however
primitive this union may have been.
1t is not my purpose to dwell upon
the history of Odd Fellowship prior to
the beginning of the present century. but
much that is authentic is known of our
order as far back as the beginning OF
the eighteenth century. The Manchester
Unity was only one of the many orders
of Odd Fellowship that existed In Eng
land at the beginning of the present CEN
tury. Each was Independent of all the
others. Among these may be named the
Imperial Order of Odd Fellows of Not
tinghan, the Ancient NobIes Order of Odd
Ea1fAIyc n he nit Ord.
of Odd Fellows of Sheffield, the Economi-
cal Order OF Odd Fellows of Leeds. the
National Order of ODD Fellows OF. Sal
ford, London; the United Order of Odd
Fellows, and others in more obscure To-
calities. These held no official or fra
ternal relations with one another except
that each lodge accorded allegiance to
the mother lodge, recognizing its super
vising influence under the authority of the
dispensation 1t had granted.
In 1910 the mutual relief system was
adopted by one Robert Naylor and Others
They held club meetings at the Rope
makers Arms, Chapel Street. Saiford,
near Manchester. They framed code Of
rules for seIf-gcverrment and adopted q
ceremony for the admission of applicants.
Several members of Prince Regent Lodge
of Odd Fellows were prevailed upon te
join them, and instituted benefit club
VI,
chester. in 1910.
In 1911 the new lodge. observing the
Improvements as adopted by the othaC
lodges, conceived the idea il was en-
titled to a supremacy over those othe.
lodges, and proclaimed itself as the Lor.
Abercrombie Grand Lodge of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. announce
ing its authority over the lodges working
according to the system it had inaugurat-
!, ,ic .,,r rsc 70
on the part of other lodges. and disputes
their growth. They willingly ac-
the Abercrombie as the
mother lodge. but claimed an equal par
ticipation in the authority to govern.
This unsatisfactory state of affairs ex-
listed until 1912. when the lodges located
in and around Manchester. where the old
order had made considerable progress in
the three years prior to that time. de-
clared their independence and elected
a managing committee to supcrintend
the new system. The claim was now
sounded throughout the order. and
many obstacles were interposed to
impede the advancement Of the
renovated society. The changes in
the admission ceremony, the introduc-
ton of appropriate paraphernalia, the
provision, for the funeral fund system,
every effort tending to restrain the an
viewed with suspicion, if not absolutely
as oppressive. All lodges were
held in taverns or public houses for the
benefit of the landlords, and any inter-
terence with their privileges and busi-
ness met with violent opposition from
hat class of people who had become con-
irmed in the belief that while these
odges were organized for the amusement
If their members. the primary object of
hntt vNeft Tow . -, . -
odge host. who was invariably the land
ord.
However, the new institution continued
o gain strength. and every new difficulty
seemed to impart fresh energy to the
members to contend, not only with the
opposition of the old society. but the
OF the pulpit and press.
The order was denounced by the former
IS demoralizing in its influence. It was
leid up to the people the abode of
very vice that should be Stunned, and its
Members were branded as apostates both
o religion and morality. Its teachings
we're declared to be nothing short of in
idelity. The press hurled its fulnina-
ions against the order. and boldly pro-
laimed that it had a tendency TO lead
he members into the most degraded con-
ition of intemperance. and that the So
ety taught principles subversve of all
aw and good government. Under such
it was not to he expected
hat persons of standing and respecta-
ility would apply for admission to a So
fety apparently so low in the moral and
ocial scale. and consequently the growth
nd prosperity of the institution were in
great measure paralyzed. The Inie-
endent Order of Odd Fellows was as
allied almost daily in Manchester and vi
Unity. and hence very little interest vas
elt in its welfare. Its members saw
nd admitted the necessity of such action
S would save the society from early
isruption and ultimate relapse into its
ormer habits and custonIS. After cor
ultation and discussion it was doomed
dvisable to call a convention o. the
'dges to consider the existing state of the
rder and determine what was best to he
one.
In 1918 n convention of the past and
resent officers of all the lodges in inter-
st in Manchester and the outlying dis
lets was held. After due consideration
n agreement to form an Organization OF
le lodges under the title of the Manehes-
IT Unity of the Independent Order OF
id Fellows was adopted. The unity
>ntinued to grow and spread from Man
hester to Wales and Scotland. Progress
nd reform was the shibboieth, and from
ie start they ceased to meet in public
buses. In two years 1t took rank as
lie leading order in England. The Man
hester Unity crossed the Atlantic. and
1919 the order was founded in tie city
Baltimore by Thomas Wildey. Wash
gton Lodge, No. l. was established April
, 1919. The Grand Lodge of Maryland
as organized in 1921. and it may be, OF
terest to know that the second grand
re was James Gettys. OF the jurisdiction
the District of Columbia.
JOHN B. WARD.
Past Grand Master.