The Holly chieftain., 1904-04-29

anniversary OF the birth of that
land and that. liberty We love.
April 26th is the holiday sacred to
Oddfellowship.
On this. her S5th anniversary.
we meet to celebrate the birthday
of our order. But every holiday
shonld be a holy day. To the
school hoy the 4th of July means
little more than fife and drum,
bright uniform and flying flags,
and the measured tread of many
feet keeping time to the inspiring
strains OF martial music. But TO
the American citizen our national
holiday means much more than
this. AS Odd Fellows. what does
this our orders holiday mean to
us? 1t should, and ] believe it
does, mean to us All earnest desire
to catch a clearer glimpse, a broad
er vision and fuller understand
ing of the very spirit of Oddfel-
lowship, higher appreciation of
her glorious past and her hopes
for a still more glorious future.
To this end. then, let US for Il
moment glance at her history and
strive to analyze her philosophy
The earliest history of Oddfellow-
ship began almost two centuries
ago in the worlds metropolis be-
yond the seas, but while these
early movements of London and
Liverpool were not devoid of in
terest and great good. they never
succeeded in crystalizing them
selves into any strong centralized
organization. The members of
these local lodges were known as
Ancient and Honorable Loyal Odd
Fellows, but the order with which
We find ourselves identified today.
the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, is of American origin and
a much later date.
Five and four-score years ago
today, five men who were citizens
of Baltimore ind who were mem.
bers of the Mystic Links met and
organized local lodge Of Odd
Fellowship, and that lodge has
come to be known in our history
as Washington Lodge No. One.
That process of nature which
we call growth is as imperceptible
as it is mysterious. We gaze up
on the small shrub, but u century
later he who stands where we now
stand sees not the shrub. but be-
holds the mighty giant Of the for
est with his roots striking deep
down into old mother earth and
his mighty trunk aud limbs and
countless leaves reaching up to.
ward heaven. So it is with every
great organized movement and so
it has been with ours. Although
little more than three-quarters of
century has elapsed we find that
little local lodge of FIVE members
has grown into Il mighty organiza-
tion that has practically taken
possession of the whole civilized
world. A fraternity that has gir-
died the earth with her triple tie
and mystic links of Friendship,
Love and Truth. A brotherhood
whose membership far outnumbers
that of any other. and whose his
tory shows she has done more for
the relief of suffering and want
and the lending of friendly help
ing hand to all humanity, than
any other fraternal organization of
any aye or of any cline. A broth
erhood that in Americn alone has
more than IA million members and
spends annually more than $1,000,
600 in carrying on her noble work;
the dissemination OF benevolence
and love. Oddfellowship stands
recognized today rs the mighliest
giant in the forest of fraternities.
| have no apology to make for be-
ing a member of such an organi-
zation as this, but rather l stand
here to say that l consider it a
privilege and an honor to have my
name inscribed upon her scroll,
REV. w. A. PRATT.