The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-06
The REBEKAH DEGREE
OF ODD FELLOWSHIP ANNIVER-
SARY SEPTEMBER 20.
FOUNDING OF LOCAL LODGE
TWO YEARS AGO WITH ONLY NINE
CHARTER MEMBERS ON LIST.

Lodge Now Numbers S7-Established
by Past Noble Grand From Chi
caGO-Since the Foundation 81
Years Ago the Degree Has Grown
TO Membership of More Than
3oO,OO0-History of the Founding
and Growth of the Degree.
Grand Sire John B. Goodwin of At
lanta has notified the various state Of
ficials of Odd Fellows throughout the
United States that Sunday, September
20 has been set aside as a special day
ON which to observe the fifty-second
anniversary of the founding of the
Order of Rebekah. This degree is
composed of ladies' and gentlemen
and the credit of founding the degree
belongs to Schuyler Colfax who.
after long end patient work succeeded
in establishing the degree on Septeln-
Der 20, fifty-two years ago. The fol-
lowing is the complete text of the proc
lamation ISSUED by Grand Sire
Goodwin:
! Whereas the Rebekah Degree was
established on the twentieth day of
September, 1851. and the Sovereign
Grand Lodge has provided that it be
celebrated annually with appropriate
ceremonies. now, therefore. l, John
r. Goodwin, Grand Sire, by virtue of
said authority. hereby recommend that
all Rebekah Assemblies and Rebekah
Lodges set apart the twentieth day Of
| September, 1903, for it's due obser-
of the said degree. And to that end to
dedicate the occasion to appropriate
ceremonies and thanksgiving to
Almighty God for Ills manifold bless
ings 70 the members Of the Rebekah
Degree. individually and collectively.
The Local Rebekah Lodge.
The approach of the day for cele-
| brating the anniversary of the estab-
lishment of the degree calls attention
TO the history and growth of the Ruth
Rebekah Lodge, No 3, the Rebekah
Degree of Savannah. AS yet there has
| been no official notice of the setting
! apart of the DAY received by Mrs. /.
| Henderson, the secretary of the Ruth
Lodge, but it is probable that arrange
ments will be made for appropriately
| observing the DAY at the next meeting
of lodge, which is held on next Friday
night.
The Ruth Rebekah Lodge No. 3, was
| established in Savannah on Feb. 10,
! 1900, starting on it's career with only
nine charter members. At the time
that it was installed Mr.. E. S. Mason,
| the district grand deputy, and the
past grands, Messrs. ]. S. Tyson, J. S.
L II
ent and assisted in it's establishment.
| The Past Noble Grand, Lula ]. Cumbea
of Chicago came to Savannah for the
| purpose of starting the Ruth Lodge.
AS there were none in the city who
! were members of the Rebekah De-
gree. it Was necessary that the Past
| Noble Grand withdraw her card from
1 the lodge of which she was a men,
| Der in Chicago and become the first
7 member of the Ruth Lodge in this
1 city.
The records of the first meeting show
| that the applicants for a charter of
| the Rebekah Degree were nine, in num-
Der and the following is the list Of
names to whom the charter was isseud,
! the names being copied from the min
utes of the first meeting as they had
been entered: Mary M. EXley, Fam
ME N. Grower, Josephine Il. Dorset,
Annie c. Hall. Jennie E. Dreesons Lii
lie A. Hawley, Nettie M. Hopt, Liz
zie Holmes, and Maggie r. Calls The
work of comforting the degree was
carried out by the officers of the Odd
Fellows present and the Ruth Rebekah
Lodge, No. 3 was fairly launched.
Growth of Ruth RebeIsah Lodge.
The work of the degree was then
carried out at the regular meetings Of
the lodge and efforts were put forth
to increase the strength of the lodge.
At first the growth was slow but as
the appreciation of the order grew,
other We're attracted to the lodge until
to-day it is one of the strongest in
the state.
The degree at present numbers eigh-
tY-seven members on its rolls. OF this
number forty-five are brothers and the
remaining forty-tWo are sisters. The
present officers of the Ruth Lodge are
Noble Grand, Miss Florence Knight;
vice grand, Miss Daisy Brown; sec
rotary. Mrs 1. Henderson; and treas
urer, Mrs. M. M. Exley. The above
officers include all the elective Of
ficers of the lodge, but beside these
there are several appointiye officers
whose names were not learned. The
lodge meets every Friday night and
the enthusiasm with which its found
ing and organization was accompanied |
has grown rather than diminished, with
the passage of the two years, and to-
day there is more interest than ever
displayed in the workings of the de-
gree.
History of the Rebekah Degree.
The Repekah Degree of Odd Fellow |
ship was organized in 1851 to supply |
an opportunity Of securing the assist |
ance of the ladies' in furthering the OBJ !
jects of the brotherhood. Representa- |
tive Williamson Of Alabama is believed |
TO have been the first to publicly ad- |
Vocate the admission of Odd Fellows |
wives into the benefits of the frater- |
nifty, and later the fight was taken up |
by Representative Smith of New York, |
and gradually the forces of others were |
Joined to these two first movers. But |