The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-31
News Of the
Lodge Rooms .

The principal event in fraternal cir
cles of the Northwest for the month of
September will be the meeting of the
Sovereign Grand Lodge of the World,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. AL
ready the railroads of the territory are
making a mighty contest for the bust
ness involved in this session and most
extraordinarily low rates have been
granted for the event. The session
will be held at Des Moines, Iowa,
September Is to 20, inclusive, and in
dications point that a tremendous
crowd will go from Minnesota and
Northwestern points.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge Is the
highest law-making body of the Order
OF Odd Fellows and represents not only
the United States, but twenty-six for
elgn jurisdictions as well. While the
Sovereign Grand Lodge itself is COM
posed Of nearly zoo delegates, the SEES
sion will attract to Des Moines thou
sands of Odd Fellows from all over the
United States. This year, in particu-
lar, will the event be celebrated with
a great deal of magnitude, as prizes
exceeding $4,000 in cash are offered for
the comforting of degree work and for
the military branch of the order known
as the PatriarehS Militant.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge was in
vited to meet in Iowa by resolution of
the Iowa Grand Lodge at the meeting
held at Keokuk two years ago, and a
year ago the same Grand Lodge ap-
pointed the necessary committees to
attend to the event in proper manner
and also made a liberal apportionnent
towards the expenses of the session.
Other Grand Lodge bodies in the lodges
of DeS Moines contributed in a large
manner to the funds required for the
entertainment of so large a gathering,
while the citizens have not been back
wards in swelling the total of the
amount placed at the disposal of the
committees. It is now announced that
every day and evening will be occu-
pied with events of interest to Odd
Fellowship.
The session Of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge will be held at the great Audi
torfun, which has been engaged for the
occasion. Ten smaller halls and as
sembly rooms have also been engaged
in which the various events will be car
ried on and, especially, the exemplifi-
cation of the degree work. A partial
programme has already been received
which shows the following events: On
Saturday, the 13th the Grand repre-
sentatives will be treated to a. ride
about the city of DeS Moines, in charge
of the entertainment committee. On
Monday, the 18th, the session will be
Iowa, the mayor of Des Moines and
distinguished Odd Fellows of the city,
with responses by the Grand Sire and
other prominent members. On Tues
day evening the Past Grand Repre-
sentatives will give a reception at the
Auditorium, which will also be marked
by a number of brilliant addresses. On
Wednesday, the 18th, beginning at 1:50
p. M, will take place the grand parade
with, at least, 10000 Odd Fellows in
line.
This number may be materially in
creased, as every day is bringing
announcements of additional bodies
which will be in attendance. Quar-
tiers have already been engaged by
large delegations from the East and
from Canada. Degree Team 80, from
Leavenworth, Kan, will be present at
the encampment to exemplify the work
in full form, but as this team has al
ready won great many honors it
will not compete for any prize. On
Wednesday evening a grand banquet
will be rendered the representatives.
All features will be added as the oc-
casion will demand and will be an
nounced hereafter.
Altogether, the work will be a great
event in Odd Fellowship. The Patri-
archs Militant will be in regular field
encampment during the entire week at
the Iowa state fair grounds. They
have been accorded the privileges of
all the buildings on the grounds, with
plenty Of water and electric light A
fine pavilion, just erected at the cost
Of $4,000, has also been rendered to
the Patriarchs for their headquarters
and the camp will be named Camp
Goodwin and the flag will be raised
Monday, the 18th, at noon. Prize drills
will take place every forenoon, begin
ming at $50, from Tuesday to Friday.
On Wednesday, the 18th, at 900, the
Patriarchs will meet to form a Ma
tional Council. The department com
manders from eighteen different states
will be present. On Sept. Is the Patri-
archs will hold a military reception.
The ladies, too, will be much in evil
dence and have not been overlooked by
the general committee on arrange
ments. The Ladies' Military Corps,
from Estherville, will exemplify the
military drill. A general reception will
be given by the Ladies' Militant of
Des Moines. A large amount of money
has been set aside for the exemplifica-
ton of the Rebekahs' degrees, and,
taken all in all. 1t is something worth
going for.
The session will be presided over by
Hon. A. c.. Cable, of Ohio, who has
been chief Of Odd Fellowship for the
past two. years, being the Sovereign
Commander of over one million men
and the interpreter of it's laws His
work has acquired additional honor
and advancement to Odd Fellowship
and he is a man most thoroughly APP
preeiated by the membership far and
near. He is resident of the state of
Ohio.
Organized In 1919 by Thomas Wildey
at Baltimore, Md, the order has now
grown to an institution with a Sover-
eign Grand Lodge, which is the head
of the order in the world. two indie
pendent Grand Lodges, Australasia and
Germany. So Grand Lodges, 81 Grand
Encampments, about 600 contons of
Patriarchs, and the membership burn
ing beyond the million mark Ameri-
can Odd Fellowship exists in all the