The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-24
GUS SAUR==G. VAN WERDEN

1
of the grand officers before they leave
| home to attend the sessions. to enable
| them TO study the recommends tons they
! may contain.
This year Grand Master Workman
| Lambs report is replete with important
| information relating to the good of the
| order, while the report of Grand Recorder
| Forde furnishes a fund of information
/ TO the membership at large that is of
great Importance. His long connection
with the order in the position he occupies
makes him the guide post for the MEM
bers. Any recommendation coming from
| him is based on experience and usually
accepted by the order.
Grand Master Lamb repeats his recon-
| mendation of last year for biennial ses-
! sions. He says that last years grand
| lodge could as well have arranged for
| the legislation and appropriations for the
| coming year, thus saving several thou
| sands of dollars. for which, he says, there
| is>nO excuse whatever. He says that
the enthusiasm theory has long since
/ ceased TO be a legitimate argument in
! favor OF biennial sessions, and with his
| experience in trying to get some useful
work out of the representatives who at
| tended the grand odge last session, he
| is sure that there is nothing in the old,
/ hackneyed argument about enthusiasm
/ being carried home by representatives
! The last grand lodge session cost 50. 334 9S
and with Kansas quota paid for the
! expenses OF the supreme lodge session
runs the total for governing bodies up to
more than 1900. Grand Master Work
/ man Lambs asks in conclusion If this
/ money could not have been more wisely
/ expended in increasing the membership
I Of the order
Grand Master Workman Lamb also op-
| poses vigorously the proposition to elect
grand lodge officers by the popular vote
of the order within the jurisdiction of
Kansas. He says that the adoption of
such a scheme would practically result in
the selection of grand lodge officers by
persons who represent no one but them
selves An old lodge of seventy-five men,
bers, having twenty past master work
men would have twenty votes, whereas
a younger lodge of 500 members would
have but one or two votes, owing to the
length OF time the lodge had been in
existence, because it takes time TO make
past master Workmen. He thinks that
the members of the grand lodge who
have an opportunity to meet those who
are aspirants for office are certainly bet
ter able to judge of their fitness than
are men who have never seen them.
He renews his recommendation concern
ing an admission fee for initiation. He
believes the time has passed when it is
-
ally give away to new members all The
benefits of a grand organization that
much time and money has been spent
to build up.
The law passed by the last grand lodge
for a district deputy system is given a
black eye. Its failure became apparent
to the grand master workman soon after
its adjournment. but the law required
him to continue a system that proved a
failure from the very beginning. He nc
lieves in sending deputies in the field
where they can do the most good.
In concluding his report he extends
thanks to the officers of the grand lodge
and members Of various committees for
assistance rendered him. OF Grand Re
corder Forde he says
But the man who has aided me most
and given me the best counsel in the
discharge of my duties is. Brother E. NJ
Forde, our grand recorder l have never
gone TO him for assistance in vain. 1
think I may say without detracting from
the merits of any other member of the
order that he is by far the best posted
member of the order in Kansas today
In my two years experience when l
wanted information | always asked
Brother FoTds. and have never found
him wanting. | think all other grand
masters have done the same, and for
these many favors he has my thanks
and highest regards.
REPORT GRAND RECORDER FORDE.
The report of Grand Recorder Forde
in addition to many important sugges-
lions it contains. is replete with statsti-
cal information.
-.e net gain of admissions during the
past year We're 957 and the present MEM
bership is IS 652. The number Of lodges
in the state is Al the net gain last year
being -. There were issued 4.541 bene-
ficiary certificates. OF these 3.2S2 were
nalf rates and 1.265 fun rates. The av-
erage age of admission was % years s
months and 2S days. This is an increase
over the previous year Of one month and
eleven days.
The expenses of the grand lodge last
year were Se4.23o5o which includes. of
course. the cost Of the session held at
Fort Scott. the supreme lodge per cap
ia tax Of S7,e566O and total increase
in expenses over the former year Of
=. o34 81 9 The grand lodge session last
year also cost $lB9.l4 more than for the
year la0l
During 1902 there were Sl6 deaths. on
which was paid from the beneficiary
fund SOP so. The total paid by the Kan
sas Jurisdiction in the way OF death
losses since its organization in 1879 is
S5Sl5.310.6S. and the total expended from
the general fund for maintenance
dslltAEtS 70 tAt ilFtAs bSuit W S@Tf-N-rs-
The member. whose death occurred last
year the shortest time in the order, was
L. y Hanna. He joined June 10. i9g.
and WAS killed, by accident. on July 4
fohowing.
By counties Harper made the preatest
increase. It gained lS new members
The following five with increases. are
Forde. IUI. Summer. 1+9: Pcttawatomie.
%: Ieaveuworth. Is.
Shawnee had a loss of s.. Sedgwick OF
- and Cherokee II ..
The age OF the oldest member in the
jurisdiction is i years.
-LISIoNS BY GRAND MASTER.
Among the important decisions re1-
dered by Grand Master Workman Lamp
are the following
he law on membership is not based
on citizenship aud is not limited to per
sons who can speak the English language.
4 divorced wife is nc eligible 10 con-
time rs the beneficiary Of her former
husband
member in good standing when the latter
desires u become suspended. otherwise
il would destroy the fraternal feature Of
the order md reduce il 10 the worst form
Of speculative llfe insurance.
\ stepn1other cannot be made the ben
eficiary OF a member. she not being
blood relative.
IN an lCction for representative 10 the
grand lo5.a q tie IN the ballot was an
nounced The master workman gave the |
casting vote in favor OF his own candi-
dacy. declaring himself elected. Held IL |
LEGAL on the ground that the master |
workman. while entitled to vote for Of !
fierrs OF lodge and representative 10 |
grand lodge must cast his vote before 4