Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-09-22
ODD FELLOWS MEET
Baltimore Streets Thronged by
Thousands il Attendance
at Annual Convention.
EMBLEMS EVERYWHERE
Reports Show Order to Be in flour
lshing condition--Meetings Being
Held az Fcrd's Opera House-Re-
ception Held in Evening.

Baltimore, Sept. 22-The opening
exercises of the annual convention OF
the sovereign grand lodge of Odd Eel
lows were held in Ford s opera house.
The sovereign grand lodge previously
assembled at Rennert's hotel and
marched to the opera house under
command of Grand Marshal John B.
Coekburn, OF Indiana, escorted by the
patriarchs militant
At the opera house Grand Master
Edward Rossman, of the grand lodge
of Maryland delivered an address OF
welcome. which was responded to by
Governor John Walter Smith, on thu
part Of Maryland, and Mayor Robert
NJ McLane for Baltimore Grand Sire
John b. Goodwin, of Georgia. then
made an address, after which the SOW
ereign grand lodge proceeded to Odd
Fellows temple and began its secret
deliberations.
The annual report of the grand sire
and commander-in-chief, John B. Good
win. shows the order to be in a flour
ishing condition A large part of the
report Is taken up in the reeapitula-
ton of the decisions of lodge ques-
lions made during the past year
amendments to the constitutions of
grand lodges and grand encampment
new bylaws, new lodges and encamp-
ments chartered, account of the intro
duction of the order in the Philippine
islands, conditions of the order In
Cuba, Australasia and other foreign
countries. The condition of the order
at the close of 1902 is shown by re
turns as follows:
Membership of Order.
Subordinate lodge membership Dec.
81, 1902. LOGS, 906; encampment mem
bership, 154, $50; Rebekah lodge mem
bership, brothers 151, 195, sisters 25S..
$50; Australasia, sex not given, 1914,
making total Rebekah membership
All .955; patriarch militant member
ship, 17,754 The total membership OF
the order, which includes the sub
ordinate lodge membership and the
sisters only of the Rebekah lodge
membership, is 1925 $50. The en-
campment membership and the broth
ers Of the Rebekah lodges are not In.
cluded In the above total, as they are
subordinate lodge members.
It is roughly estimated that there
are now in Baltimore $4,000 visiting
Odd Fellows, and officials of the order
say that many more will be here to-
day and Wednesday. The streets, no.
tells and public resorts are filled with
people wearing the l. o. o. F. designs
and at night the thoroughfares in the
central part of the city as well as pub
lie buildings and many mercantile
houses are brilliantly Illuminated in
honor OF the visitors
Reception and Concert Held.
Monday evening reception was
rendered to Grand Sire John B.
Goodwin of Atlanta, Ca, and General
M. A. Raney. commanding the mill.
tant. Grand Master Edward Rossman,
OF Maryland. was master of cere-
monies. The reception consisted of
the introduction of the leading mem.
bers and their families to the heads
of the two branches of the order. At
the same time concert at the patri
archs militant headquarters in the
Fifth regiment armory was In progress.
At the meetirf of the patriarchs
militant a resolution was adopted to
permit the militant branch of the or
der to recruit its forces from sub
ordinate lodges. The resolution will
be presented to the sovereign grand
lodge, the acceptance by the latter
being required before 1t becomes law.
Another important matter acted
upon by the delegates was a resolu-
tion requesting the sovereign grand
lodge to authorize the revision of the
standard patriarchs militant volume.
The volume was formulated and print.
ed In 1888 and has been the ritual OF
this branch of the order since its for
nation. 1t is thought that the soy.
ereign grand lodge will grant both re
quests OF the army OF the order"
Twenty-Five states were represented
at the meeting of the patrarchs.