The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-06-27
CLAN M'LE0D
FTTTTNGLY OBSERVE THEIR SIX
 TEENTH ANNIVERSARY.

Fine Address by Chief McPheEsOn-
 Splendid Musical and Literary Pro- gramme-RefreshmeD served-Large
 Attendance.
 The celebration of the sixteenth an- niversary of Clan Mcleod No. 31, Order of Scottish Clans, was fittingly observ- ed in it's lodge rooms last evening. The affair was great success and was largely attended. There was fine mu- sical and literary entertainment, fol- lowed by refreshments. The principal event of the evening was the address of Chief McPherson. It was as fol- lows:
 Ladies and Gentlemen-In extending to you all sincere and cordial welcome to the celebration of the sixteenth an- niyersary of Clan Mcleod No. 31, Order of Scottish Clans, is perhaps may not be considered out of place, at this time and under these circumstances, to say a word in reference to the order of which this clan is a branch, and also of the local clan itself.
 =1 tury since few of our llow-country- men gathered together in the city of St. Louis, in the state of Missouri, to con- sider the advisability of forming an or ganization which would enable it's members to leave some protection in the way of insurance for their families in the event of death. and also to re- ceive assistance in the way of sick ben eft through the agency of the clan to which they belonged. With this pur- pose in view the Order of Scottish Clans came into existence on November 30 (St. Andrews day), 1878. For a num- Der of years the growth of the order was slow, as it was at first regarded as a usurper in the field that had always belonged to other Scottish societies, and for that reason was looked upon with a certain amount of suspicion. This prej- udice, however, was gradually over- come, and at the present time we have over hundred clans in operation, whose Jurisdiction extends from Maine to California in the states and from Halifax to British Columbia in the De- ninion of Canada, and we point with pardonable pride to the fact that dur ing the last sixteen years nearly a mill lion dollars has been paid by the order in death claims alone to the widows and orphans of our deceased brothers, while nearly three hundred thousand dollars has been paid in sick benefits by the subordinate clans Surely such rec ord as this does not call for any apol- ogy for our coming into existence. We feel that we are consulting your best jy1fn otc ysr1,a xxroi JsrI1y, eligible to join our ranks and share in the protection to the home which this grand fraternal organization offers.
 There is no fraternal society, so far as is known, that has been paying it's death claims more promptly for a num- Der of years than the Order of Scottish Clans. The outlook for future growth and usefulness was never better than at present. Since the beginning of this year over five hundred new members have been added to our ranks, and dur ing the same period forty-two thousand dollars has been paid in death claims. <. Have. we not then every reason to feel proud of the work we have been % engaged in, and of the grand order to which we owe allegiance? What the order has done in the past let us hope that it is merely an indication of what we may be able to assist it in accom- plishing for the future.
 With regard to our local clan, whose sixteenth anniversary we have met to- < gether here tonight to celebrate, may state that Mcleod No. 31, for the first ten years of it's existence, was one of the most fortunate clans in the order. During that long period there was not a break in our ranks by death, and we were comparatively free from sickness. During the past six years, however, the grim visitor has called upon us six times, and our charter has been draped in mourning for six departed brothers. We have also in that space of time had our full share of sickness, but with the assistance of Divine Providence and good Scotch grit we have managed to surnount all our difficulties, and I am happy to say that to-day the clan stands in an excellent position both as regards finance and membership. Let us, then as brothers united in com- mon cause, put out shoulders to the wheel SC that we may be able to show, when the next anniversary comes around, that we have doubled the mem- bership of our clan and consequently helped to make the Order of Scottish Clans what it is ultimately destined to be-the grandest fraternal organization on this continent.
 we have tonight a large and varied programme to be carried out, and I feel as though I have already occupied too much of our valuable time. With these few remarks we will proceed with the entertainment arranged by the amuse- ment committee"
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