Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-01
BEN HUR DISTRICT CONGRESS-
Members of Order frsm Western IsWa
Meet TO Discuss Affairs Of Lodge.
OUTSIDE ATTENDANCE DISAPPOINTING
d. W. Gerard, Founder and Grand
chief of the Organization Delivers
nm Address-Banquet Held
In Evening.

congress was organized I'm this city veSter-
day at a convention composed of delegates
from the courts of the order in the western
part Of the state. While the outside repre-
sentation was not as large as had been ex-
pected. there only being twenty delegates
from out of town courts present, the at
tendance at the afternoon meeting num-
Dered over fifty, the two local courts being
well represented
The meeting was presided over by John
5chachtner of Carroll as temporary chair
man. with f. L. williams of Atlantic as
temporary secretary. d. w. Gerard of
Charlottesville, Ind. supreme chief and
founder of the order. was present and ad-
dressed the meeting explaining the purpose
Il the organization of a district congress
Such an organization he stated, was not for
the purpose of making laws or regulations
to govern-the order In this state, as that
was outside its jurisdiction, but was for
the good OF the order and TO bring the rep
esentatives of the different courts in the
district together once year in order that
they might talk over matters of interest
20 the order. A similar organization for the
sastern district of the state, he announced,
would be organized within the near future.
Omcers Elected.
The meeting then proceeded to organize
the congress and the following officers were
| .lected:
District past chief, s. A. Davis, Red oak;
| district chief. John Schachtner, CARROLL
| City: district teacher. Mrs. Lizzie B
| Matthews, Council Bluffs; district scribe,
., L. Williams, Atlantic; district keeper Of
\ tribute II. e. Semkins, Marshalltown; dis
! ,rict captain, Mrs. w; F. Strong, Crestoni
district guide, E: Kline, Council Bluffs
f Rsss Red Oak district Keeper Of outer
| gate. Mrs, d. Dewey, Atlantic.
II was decided to hold the meeting in
| 1906 in Sioux City on the first Tuesday in
! october.
| At the close of the business session the
| visiting delegates were guests of honor az
a banquet given by the members Of the two
local courts in Danish hall.
Evening Session.
The opening meeting at the Broadway
Methodist church after the banquet brought
| out a good sized audience. Supreme Chief
| Gerard made the principal address of the
/ evening. taking Fraternity for his sub
ject and speaking In general on the bene-
\ Ats to be derived from fraternal organiza-
| tons. Miss Whpple of Omaha contributed
a solo and ]. NJ Klein of this city selec-
ton on the piano. Mayor Macrae who
was booked to deliver an address of well
come, was prevented from being present
The accredited delegates in attendance
at the convention were:
| Marshalltown, IT E. sumklns; Sioux City
| Mrs Ben Mckinley, Ben Mckinley, Clara
| Ness, Mrs. G. A. Steele, F, A, SecordI DR.
&. b. Raleigh; Carroll, Roy snppler, John
Mrs F. w. M yeTs Req S 6aE
| Fred Eymer. s. s. Davis, Laura +. Ross
| Creston, Mrs. w F. Strong; Atlantic, e
! NJ: NJ. Erert, Mrs Lizzie B. Matthews. E
Kline.
Among the visiting members were:
Mrs. Lena Myers Red Oak; Mrs. Jennie
| roll; DR.. Dewey, Atlantic.
Supreme Chief d. W. Gerard, who also
has the distinction OF being the founder Of
the order of the Tribe of Ben Hur which
was organized with the consent of the late
| General Lew Wallace, has just completed
| making a tour of Nebraska, where he Wis
tied the different courts. Monday he be
gan a tour of Iowa, visiting the court a
Red Oak. To-Day he will leave for Siou,
City, Thursday morning he will be in Car
roll and the same evening in Marshall
town. Friday he will visit the court Il
Waterloo and Saturday he will be at Os
kaloosa. From Oskaloosa he will go to ST
Louis to attend a meeting OF the COMMITTEE
appointed at the National Fraternal con
gress last August and of which he is
member, to arrange for the establishment
Of a national fraternai sanitarium for con
sumptives.
The Tribe of Ben Hur which was estab
lished in 1884, Mr. Gerard said now has
membership of exceeding 5000 and is es
tablished in twenty-four states. The pres
ent year has witnessed the largest growt
in the order.