The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-01
PROGRESS BLOCK,

which the Duke of York Lodge had
previously granted to Washington
Lodge, No. 1, Baltimore.
This is short but true account of
the origin of Oddfellowship in the Unit
ed States. It was from its inception
a mutual Relief Society. with the bene-
fit system as its chief feature There
was also a social element in Oddfellow-
ship at that time, which did not dis
courage the use of festive entertain
| ment, and even an extreme hiIarity at
the weekly meetings. Here, history
| tells us, was one of the causes, and
an efficient one, for the rupture be-
tween the Order in America and in
England. 1t was soon found that to
preserve itself from decay. to enable
it to carry out its charitable intentions
and to entitle it to the confidence and
respect of the American people that the
sin of dissipation must not lie at its
door. 1t was therefore early forbidden
to hold Lodge meetings in any tavern
or house of entertainment, and finally
to have any refreshments at Lodge
meetings, other than water. This was
a great step in advance. Next came
the forbidding of benefits to those who,
by dissipation had rendered themselves
unfit for work. The broken down
brothers who had been cast upon the
Society from abroad, and who We're
week after week drawing from the
hard earnings of American mechanics,
to support their laziness and intemper-
ance, found themselves cut off from
material aid.
Soon followed an attempt on the part
of the Manchester Unity to enforce its
claims upon American Lodges. This
attempt was the final cause of the
complete separation between the Man
chester Unity and the order in America,
and led to the establishment of the
Sovereign Grand Lodge of the United
States, and the order in America be-
came an independent body.
Since that period Oddfellowship has
steadily grown in numbers and import
ance, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge
has established lodges throughout the
, civilized world. At the present time
Oddfellowship numbers $4,000 working
, lodges on the continent of North Amer
lea alone, with world membership
approximating 100000 individuals,
each helping on the grand work which
at all times Odd Fellows are in duty
bound to do.
Time will not permit me 10 more than
touch upon the subject of the gov
eminent of Oddfellowship, as establish
] ed at the present date, but 1 might
here aptly illustrate the governing
principles, teachings, duties and rati-
fcations of Oddfellowship in a few
words by comparing it to q well made
wheel The hub of our wheel repre-
sents the Capitalization of power, and
the necessary maintainence of the
Sovereign Grand Lodge as the con-
trolling and supreme head of our Or
der The spokes of our wheel are the
representative heads of our various
jurisdictions and the connecting links
between the sovereign power and its
subordinates. The feIloes of our wheel
represent the subordinate lodges. and
their membership. And the strong iron
band which surrounds our wheel and
binds it's constituent parts firmly to-
gether. represent the teachings, duties,
principles, laws and usages of our Or
der, and it can easily be seen that each
of these constituent parts are neces-
sary to a proper maintenance of the
whole structure, mighty moral struc-
ture. founded on the grand immutable
truth, that in the sight of their maker,
by laws most wise and liberal in their
construction and application embody-
ing as they do the combined wisdom
and experience of some of the best men
ever produced on the continent of Am
erica.
Among the many interesting subjects
introduced in the past century, none
has exercised a more commanding in
Huence over the hearts or welded
mightfer power for good, in the minds
of men and women. than the social ties
of fraternity. It seems to be the Off
spring of an impulse inherent in our
very natures to mingle together and by
communion of our thoughts and actions
with each other. to increase the amount
of contentrnent and enjoyment. far be-
yond what it would have been were 1t
isolated within each individual and
not collected into some general chan
mel from which all can derive the rnu
tuaI assistance OF its results, without
any loss being sustained TO the amount
gathered within its bounds.
No doubt solitude sometimes has its
charms for some people, particularly
for the intellectual giants of our race.
because such men and women are en-
dowed with great natural resources,
and can fall back on their mental at
ftainnents for pastime and pleasure.
But to look upon the subject in a COM
mon sense light there appears to be
but few temptations to induce d man,
or women either. for that matter, to
live secluded from their kind, and but
little to recompense any one who