Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-05-20
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
In Gala Attire for the Odd Fel-
lows of Vermont
Annual Sessions Of the Grand Bodies and
Pleasant Social Functions-History Of
Odd Fellowship in Rockingham.

This village has been given over this
week to the fraternity of odd Fellows
more than to any other association or
organization for many years. The ses-
sions opened Tuesday morning. For the
previous a hours. the odd Fellows had
been gathering from all parts of the state,
and many prominent in the order from
other states in New England were pres
ent. 1t has been 20 years since the grand
bodies of the order last met here and
much interest has been taken for the past
month in the arrangements for the event.
Extensive decorations of all the public
buildings, as well as many of the private
ones, had been made during the previous
week, possibly the most extensive on any
such occasion here The attendance has
been large throughout all the meetings.
The capacity of the different hotels here
not being adequate to the large number,
thorough canvass had been made. many
residences of the village were opened to
the guests, and preparations We're made
for feeding a large number in Banquet
hall and in the Vestry of the Universalist
church.
Monday evening the second degree staff
of the Bellows Falls lodge, NJ. ID. Staples
degree master, conferred the second de-
gree in odd Fellows hail. after which a
social hour was enjoyed.
Perfect weather greeted them on Tues
day morning, and the 3ith annual session
of the grand encampment opened at
O'Clock in Odd Fellows hall with all the
grand officers present and an attendance
of rs delegates. Twenty three took grand
encampment degrees. The membership
throughout the state has increased lit
tie over 200 during the past year. At this
meeting an important change was made
in the constitution regarding representa-
ton. Hereafter each encampment will be
entitled to one representative up to -
members. If a membership of over 20,
they will be entitled to two.
oHiparS I,a
elected follows: +. Il. L. Benedict of
Poultney grand patriarch; w. II. Horton
of Rutland, grand high priest; w. r.
Hutchins of East Pomfret, grand senior
warden c. A. Farr of st. JohnsburY,
grand scribe; l.. J. Brown of Bradford.
grand treasurer; w f. Combs of Brat
tleboro, grand junior warden; T. II.
Stevens of St Johnsbury, grand marshal;
NJ H. Shaw of St. Adams, grand sentinel;
A. l.. Aseltine of Swanton. grand outside
sentinel f. y. Cook of Newport, grand
representative, and IL. II. kimhall of -
Adams was reelected second grand rep
resentative.
The annual report of Grand Patriarch
E. a. Cook recommended that the grand
patriarch, grand high priest, and grand
senior warden each be instructed to visit
during the year one-third of the encamp-
ments in this Jurisdiction it having been
found impossible for the grand patriarch
to reach every encampment during the
4
for two years or more. BY this plan each
encampment will be enabled to receive
during the year a visit from a grand Of
fcer.
The annual parade of the Patriarchs
Militant took place in the afternoon, par
ticipated in by the subordinate lodges and
encampments, and it was said to be the
largest ever held by the fraternity in the
state. The line of march included all the
principal streets of the village. The line
he 10 at a. in In.
following ORDER Platoon of police, Chief
A. H. Thompson; marshal w. f. Conway
aids. j. c. Day, G.. n. Weston, Chas. r.
Grout, Dorr NJ Thayer II. D. Ryder Geo
II. Gorham, e l.. Walker and Myron H.
Ray; Wheeler's Bellows Falls band of 25
men; Lieut-Col E. a. Spear First Reg
iment Vermont Patriarchs Militant, COM
handing regimental staff; Canton Vinton,
No. 9, Barre, 25 men; Canton Skitche-
waug, No. II, Bellows Falls 81 men; Can
ton Palestine, No. g. Bratteboro, SO men
Canton Crescent, No. ., st. Johnsbury 10
men; Canton Woodstock, No. - Wood
stock, "a men; Canton Hebron, Fitchburg,
Mass, IS men; Canton Wiley, Concord,
N. H., 10 men; Canton Hanover, Hanover,
N. f., II men; Canton Oasis, Claremont,
N. H., II men; carriages containing grand
officers and invited guests; knights of
Pythias Band, Bellows Falls, 90 pieces
Vermont state subordinate lodges and en-
campments. The canton from Brattleboro
was headed by their drum corps. The
column included about 500 men. The
dress parade and inspection was held in
the square at the close of the march, the
regiment being reviewed by Lieut-Col
Spear and staff
The annual meeting of the department
council was held at $50 o'clock
A large and brilliant gathering in the
evening in Union hall was the military
and civic ball, given by the Patriarch
Militant. The decorations were original
and quite extensive. On the stage We're
seated young ladies dressed to represent
the different odd Fellows and Rebekah
degrees, grouped in a semi-circle in the
form of a dais, and they We're as fol-
lows: Miss Una Winnewisser, royal pur-
pie, encampment; Miss Jessie Down light
blue, subordinate lodge; Miss Hazel Hart,
white, subordinate lodge; Miss Edith Tidd,
pink subordinate lodge; Miss Marjorie
Wilbur. red subordinate lodge Miss Ruth
Wells, gold, Rebekah; Miss Flora Lowell
pink and green, Rebekah; Miss Josephine
Howard, blue, Rebekah degree. In the
centre w H. Pierce represented the Pat
riach Militant degree.
About $50 couples participated in the
grand march. nearly all the men being
in full regalia. It was led by Lieut-Col,
Il. A. Spear and Mrs w. II. Ravens of
Chester. The floor was i'm charge of w,
l.. Conway, with the following aids; A. j,
Miller, E. r. Ball, ]. ii. Blakley, C. F,
Walker, C. w. Bush and II. A. Stoddard.
Among the prominent members OF the