Ottumwa semi-weekly courier., 1903-05-14
10 REFLECT NARVlS
His Choice as Head of A. o. u. w.
Believed to Be Assured.
MAKES MANY RECOMMENDATIONS
Speaks to the Delegates to the conven-
ton of the Success of the Order
Large attendance at Sessions of the
Order in Sioux City,

Sioux City, May DENOMINATIONS
made at the convention of the A. o..
U. w. in session here are taken to be
practical assurances of the reelection
of Grand Master Workman W. NJ. Mar
Wis of Muscatine and Grand Recorder
B. F. Rehkopf of Des Moines. The con-
vention from the point of attendance
and enthusiasm is decided success.
In his report to the convention Grand
Master Workman w. M. Narvis made
several recommendations that are of
| special Importance to members of the
| order.
Favors Biennial Sessions.
| Biennial sessions of the grand lodge,
| the retention of the deputy system,
less laXity in the matter of the rein
statement of members and the abolish
ment of the committee on grievances
and appeals-these are some of the
Recommendation made to the grand
lodge of the A. o. U. w. of Iowa by
Grand Master Workman Will M. Mar
Wis of Muscatine, the head officer of
the state, in his annual report.
| That the condition of the A. O. U. w.
is highly gratifying to the grand lodge
i officers and to all of the
members who are eXerting their
4 endeavors for the growth and
: developm ent of the order is shown in
the statistical summaries of the mem,
bership and financial condition of the
: lodge furnished by the grand master
workman.
At the close of last year the total
membership in good standing was H.,
953, net gain of 1850 over the pre-,
: vious year. There was paid out in
} beneficiaries, demanding eight assess
E ments, the sum of S206,000. More new
5 members were taken into the order
4 last year than in any previous year in
the history of the lodge in Iowa, the
statement OF the grand medical exam
iner showing the approval of 1882 new
members.
= Changing Sessions.
) Upon the matter of changing from
f yearly to biennial sessions, a question
| on which the members of the lodge
. were divided, Mr.. Narvis strongly ia
, vors holding session but once in two
years.
, The grand master workman's mali
reason is the expense entailed by thu
grand lodge meetings. He believ'
. that the amount of money now uset
= for holding the annual sessions Nigh
= = be used to better advantage to the OF
= der in providing extra deputies to sc
= = licit members for the order, and il
= other ways. According to his state
, ment, the average expense of a NEE
Iings of the grand lodge is about $4,000
! This sum of money, he says, woul
: hire two or three deputies for the Ell
. tire two years, and he estimates in tina
: time they could bring in 1,500 neN
= m embers.
- An additional argument he makes
that biennial sessions have proved SUI
cessful in competing orders.
IS Mr. Narvis expresses the hope ths
1t the question will be carefully conside
le ed at this session, and thinks ths
d. such a change, if adopted, would re
s. suit IN much good.
- - Membership.
m The reduction of the membershi
X fee, brought up at the last meeting {
m the grand lodge, is commended by M
q. Narvis His recommendation is thu
le the grand master workman should /
%. empowered to reduce the minimum
lv fee from SIS to So for given perio
He cites the fact that Kansas has ha
the greatest success in landing ca
didates for the reason that in tn;
te state no admission fee is charged. A
ce additional reason advanced by NJ
d. Naryis for the reduction of the fee
er the competition of other orders whit
us have lower admission fee.
.rt In speaking of suspensions and tt
'ft best method of dealing with them, tt
II grand master workman takes occ
sion to complain a little of the wol
fiji of the financiers of the lodges, VIII
tie he says, have not kept him We
Ia enough posted regarding the conditi'
Id of their membership financially. Wis
Sc. ing to write to the suspended me-
P. bers, advising them to keep up the
let dues and membership, he asked t
di. financiers of the various lodges t
wa lists showing who were deficiel
ae- Some of them furnished the lists, b
,es many did not He urges upon t
lodges the necessity of electing O
MS, of the strongest and most responsit
re. men in the lodge to the position
,te financier, which he regards as one
the most important officers of t