Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-20
PYTHIANs TN SESSION.
Continued from Page Six.

mitted himself in favor of the adop-
ton of the Rathbone Sisters as the
official auxiliary of the grand lodge.
Plea for sisters.
Mrs. Belle Quinlan, supreme chief
of the Rathbone Sisters, devoted her
address of welcome principally to a
plea for the adoption of her order as
the auxiliary of the grand lodge. The
grand lodge has until now declined to
admit the sisters within the fold ON
the grounds that there are two wo-
mans societies knocking at the door,
the Pythian Sisterhood being the 9th
err. The latter society has no mem
bership to speak of in the west. and
none in Illinois. It's chief strength is
i'm the east. On the ether hand, the
Rathbone Sisters have n large mem
bership in the west. They invariably
hold their grand temple simultaneous
~ with the meeting of the grand
lodge Mrs. Quinlan advanced CON
vincing arguments in favor of the
adoption of the Rathbone Sisters and
was enthusiastically aPplauded by the
knights. The latter are gradually
melting, and it is the belief that if the
sisters are not admitted at the pres
emf session of the grand lodge they
surely will year hence. In sub
stance Mrs. Quinlan said that the boys
ought to soon come to a realiZation
that they could not get along without
the girls as we'll as the girls could get
along without them.
Lodge Gets Down to Business.
The business sessions of the grand
lodge, which are secret. were begun
at . o'clock this afternoon. The cleo
ton of officers occurs tomorrow af-
ternoon. The liveliest fight is over the
grand outer guardship. There are
several candidates in the field, includ-
ing S. r. Wright, of this city, whose
strength is said 10 be growing, and
deservedly so. Fred Hathaway, of
Ottawa, has entered the race for the
office of grand keeper of records and
seal, a position that has been filed
for 20 years by b. f. Caldwell. The
latter is a candidate for reelection.
sisters ExsmpIIIy Degree Work.
The degree work of the Rathbone
Sisters was eXemPlified last night at
Odd Fellows hall by the staff of Oak
Housh, the grand chief, presiding.
Three hundred delegates and MEM
bers were in attendance. The cere-
mOnial was beautifully carried out,
the Erie staff receiving warm APP
plause at the conclusion of its work.
An address was given by Mrs. Belle
Quinlan, supreme chief, and others.
The opening business meeting of the
sisters convention was held at Odd
Fellows hall this afternoon.
Strength of Grand Lodge.
The reports of the grand officers
were submitted. showing the society
to be in fiourishing condition in the
state. Dec. 81 last theFe were 535 ac-
tive lodges in the state, with IA new
lodges instituted during the year to
Oct l. June 30 last there were 1886
members. There were 6.0S0 initiated,
$50 reinstated, 755 admitted by card,
1862 suspended, SO expelled, GIG de-
ceased. and 400 withdrawn, showing
the total active membership June so
to have been 52.297, a net gain for the
year of 1851. The disbursements for
the year were $604, 1851 The assets
of the subordinate lodges are $685.
S37.74.
PyihIan NotaG.
II. o. Russell. of the Monmouth Re-
view, is in the city attending the X. of
p. convention.
The grand ball given in honor of the
visiting knights and ladies occurs to-
morrow evening at Armory hall.
The knights of Pythias has MEM
| bership of $4,000 in the United States.
| There are 1000 lodges, scattered over
the United States, Honolulu, Cuba and
the Philippines.
| Gen. w. 4. Schmitt, former resi-
dent of this city, is here as delegate.
He has been in poor health lately, as
his friends here will be sorry to learn.
This is the 3Oth grand lodge meeting
| that he has attended.
The exemplification of Pythian de-
gree work is to take place at the Hi
nois theatre tomorrow evening in
stead of Thursday, the date formerly
agreed upon. st. George lodge, of
! Moline will do the work