Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-04-30

The largest attendance and the
best meeting ever held by the Mont
calm County Oddfellows' Association
occurred in this city Monday. On in
vitation of Silk City Lodge No. AT,
at the annual meeting held in Ed
more last year, Belding was decided
upon as the proper place to celebrate
the S4th anniversary of the ORDER and
fully 400 Oddfellows and Daughters of
Rebekah were present, the lodges
from Stanton, Vestaburg, Portland,
Sheridan, Lowell, Edmore, Crystal,
Greenville, Ionia and Silk City being
represented
The business men of our city showed
their appreciation of the honor of
their visit aud gave them the glad
hand of welcome in decorating their
business places, and Mayor Bricker
ordered the city flag 10 be flung to
the breeze.
1t was an ideal day in the weather
line, giving the visitors an opportu-
nifty of taking in many points of in
terest in the city, All the factories
kept open doors to a5 many as desired
to visit them, and large number
were conducted through the plants.
On arrival of the ten a. IN. train
which brought the largest humber of
visitors, line of march was formed
and the parade moved up Bridge
street to Congress, thence TO Main
street and into the opera house, the
order making fine appearance with
their regalia, badges and banners
displayed. 1t was source of regret
TO Silk City Lodge that no band could
be secured for the occasion.
Past Noble Grand Frank II Totten
took charge of the ceremone, at the
opera house, as chrirman, and on call
ing To order introduced Rev. J. +
Butler who pronounced the invoca-
tion. Afterwards came a short ad-
dress of welcome by +. b. Lapham,
saying that it gave him pleasure to
give most hearty and cordial well
come in behalf of the city and of Silk
City Lodge also, to SO large, good ma
tured and good looking a body of men
and women as had come to visit the
city; they we're not only Oddfellows
indeed but goodfellows also. The
whole world, he sand, had been made
better since the birth of Oddfellow-
ship, through its excellent teachings,
because there is not country on the
globe where the standard of the order
had not been set up and its benificent
influence had made good society and
good citizenship The cardinal prin-
ciples of the order-Friendship, Love
and Truth-if lived up TO were not
only good enough to live by, but also
to die by. They are an incentive tC
the membership TO measure up to
that high standard eff excellence in
character and noble ambitions and
christian culture which the creator
of the universe designed all men for
Past Grand II. S Campbell, presi
dent of the association, was then in.
NlOuuNCu anu SeNN a VT AhANi NoAiHS =
address, He said in part he had ex
pected TO have listened to that stall
wart Oddfellow, Past Grand Master
NJ II. Salter, but the committee were
unable to get him, and appologizeC
for the committee in turning to hin
as substitute. He stated that he
was not an orator but was alway:
ready to speak good word for Odd
fellowship. If David b. Hill wa:
proud TO say 81 am a Democrat"
have greater reasons to be proud tC
say | am an Oddfellow Oddfellow
ship is above all parties, all creed;
and sects, it is straightforward, II
teaches sobriety, honesty and frater
nifty Mr.. Campbell argued that tn,
order is progressive institution anC
needed no stronger proof than tn,
existence of the order itself, founded
"a years ago, its members number
over a million and quarter it is tn,
largest fraternal society in the worlC
save one.
There are several reasons for thu