The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-06
National Headquarters of the
Maccabees to Be Changed.
May Be Brought to Topeka From
Port Huron, Mich.
IT WILL MEAN MUCH.
Three Hundred Clerks Employed
in General Office.
Interesting Notes Concerning
the Orders of the State.

There is a probability that if Topeka
will make an effort. it viii secure. the
national headquarters of the knights
and Ladies Of the Maccabees. a frater-
nal beneficiary order now having Its
general offices a t Port Huron, Mich. For
number of reasons there is an oppOr-
tunity for this place to become the seat
of the Headquarters of that Office and
the proposition is certain to be brought
up at the next triennial review or meet
ing to be held next year.
At present the offices being located at
Port Huron. Mich. are far from the
center of the territory in which the
strongest membership of the order is
located, and it is largely for that reason
that the change is contemplated. When
the order was young. Port Huron was
selected as the point from which its
general business should be conducted:
and a building said to be valued at
800, 000, was erected there in which the
work for the order is done But within
recent years. the history of the Mac
cabees as that of many another lodge of
its like. shows a marvellous strengthen
ing in the middle west-in such states as
Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas. The
crest of this wave of growth for the
Maccabees this winter will reach Kan
sas A strong. campaign has been COM
menced throughout the state under the
direction of Henry T. March of this city,
who is the state commander: and the
ering in strength.
Just why Topeka should make a
strong effort to secure the headquarters
of this order is apparent when it is sta
ted that the office force necessary to do
the general clerical work belonging to
the Knights and Ladies of the Macca-
bees is about 800 people, most of them
men having families. In the event of
its removal from Port Huron to Topeka
a fine building no doubt would be erect
iG q n
home at Port Huron could be sold at a
figure which means a slight gain over
the expense to which the order was put
in constructing it.
At the last review of the lodge the
proposition was preached, but 1t had not
been sufficiently agitated for any defin-
tie step to be taken. so that the final
action has been deferred to the next
general gathering. Even at the recent
meeting the Kansas representatives
placed their claims and when the vote
came made a good showing. although
the delegates from this state had little
opportunity to make a canvass.
In Kansas, the Macca bees have
membership of about 5000. During the
last wear there were but seven deaths,
and the drain upon the finances, there
tore. is comparatively slight. In To-
peka there are three subordinate tents
or lodges, with about 800 members Geo.
w. Cole of Kansas City, deputy SUI
preme commander. is here and. has
mapped out a campaign to be conducted
during the winter, in the interests OF
this order. He has been in a number
of states of the Union, doing this sarnf
work, and seems to be hopeful of ac-
comprising much in Kansas. Recently
three tents have been instituted; one at
Rosedale with membership of 100; an
other at Hays City having about 100
members; and third at Kingman
where so people rare joining the order
It is considered one of the strongest re-
serve fund orders doing business in
Kansas The general membership on
October 1, this year, was 294 sos; num-
Der of tents 1900, located in so states
and provinces; and the cash and invest
ed funds of the lodge aggregated 81, 1885,
23s.S
knights of Columbus are Fainirg in
Kansss. Within a short while a coun,
Gil of that order will BE- instituted at
Atchison with a class of IS; that event
is scheduled to take place December IA;
and on December q an Emporia coun-
ell with so charter members Will be in
stituted; at Strong City soma time in
the early part of January lodge will
be founded, about go being the charter
membership. The order is one of the
richest, made up Of members of the
Catholic church solely, having a re-
serve fund of nearly a million dollars.
The examination for admission is strict
and no hazardous risks are taken. To
the national council of the order which
viii be held in New Haven, Conn. next
year, p. ]. Monaghan, T. J. Coughlin
and r. F. Hayden will go from eKansas
as delegates.
Topeka council No. 534 of the Knights
of Columbus will hold its regular cleo
ton of officers next Monday evening
Besides the election, about fifteen can
didates viii be put through the work
of the first degree of the order.
ono of +ba Iaa5f,ey ax,ar+s T.. 1r,,;~~t..-
of Columbus history for this year was
the work in the fourth degree which
was executed at Chicago last week and
upon which number of Kansas mem
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