Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-20
GRAND SIRE'S REPORT
L. o. o. F. TURNS THE TWELVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND MARK.
Grand Decoration Of Chivalry Confer
red on Twenty Three Candidates,
Including Two Westinghouse.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

ton Odd Fellows who now in Philadel-
phia.
Washington wearers of the purple plume
did not this time carry of top prize. but
they were in the running just the same
They won second prize after having success
svely secured first prizes at Baltimore In
1905 and at San Francisco last year.
The contest this year was between cele-
brated cantons. two OF them previous prize
winners. and the Washington Canton's Sec
ond prize Is thought good under the cir
cumstaices. The capital chevaliers losl
only by per cent on points, having vi
per cent TO % recorded for the victors from
the muddy Maumee. Canton Lucas of To-
ledo
Canton Washington was several points
ahead OF Canton Syracuse. the crack or
Yanizatlon OF New York state, which won
third place. and the former Detroit cnam-
Mon canton City Of the Straits, which
scored fourth. The second prize Is good
sized ca sh award. A.,
interest now centers In the result OF she
ccntests on degree work in which Washing
TON lodges entered Federal CITY Lodse'
No l. met her opponents YESTERDAY IN d
rendition OF the first and second degrees ses'
and Columbia No. TO- will present the oil-
fcult third degree at Odd Fellows Han TO-
night Decision has not yet been rendered.
In the first and second degree contests. OUT
the members OF Federal ely Team cam WIZ ds.
gree teams, like the canton's drlll team are
renowned winners at previous SoVe,
eign Grand Lodge sessions. and are consia-
cred dangerous by rivals.
Cant (shisholms veterans of Washington
Canton are In receipt of much praise Tor
their good work here, and have Deen greet
ing many old acauaintances met on other
fields The victorious team from Toledo IS
composed almost entirely of the men that
gave Washington Canton so close Drush
for first prize at Baltimore
tAnv, I'd -tad
afternoon on the Baltimore and Ohio IN
charge of Degree Master ]. Fowler, and
was welcomed at the station by several
members Of the lodge and S,, at the city nail
The greatest American fraternity in point
The greatest American fraternity in point
of numbers-the I. o. o. F.-has turned the
twelve hundred thousand mark, numerl-
cal position 1t has long been anxious to at
tain The facts OF the prodigious CROWN
of the order are well brought out IN the
report of Grand Sire Robert e. Wright.
submitted to the Sovereign Grand Lodge
some of the figures are Of huge size.
On the subject OF the growth ana imam
cial standing Of the fraternity. he says:
II have before me the report made al
the session in Philadelphia in 1915 by our
distinguished. beloved and respected
Grand Sire Durham. who then presided
over it's deliberations and Is today the Oldest
living past grand sire OF our order: Com-
pairing the figures Of that report with those
presented to. you now develops most. re-
markable evidence of prosperity. 1 shall re.
fer to but few Of them. Then your total
today II Is 121T145. Your encanpment
membership was 81 $50; today 1t Is 177.S $50.
The Rebekah membership was not reported
Today 1t Is 474,050. The number OF subordi-
nate lodges was 8.395: now 1t Is 14.34S. The
total relief reported for that year was ST.
Cos S6s s2: last year ii was 81. 6S3. 649 05. The
total revenues then were $4.114,2 while
last year they were s13. 63S. I91:7S. The total
op he trtla hrQp nh n r.
der in 1904 were S37. Gas. 10. while the ag-
gregate amount Of relief expended by the
order from 1880 to 1904, inclusive. has
reached the enormous sum OF 500, 425. 73.56
The growth In every department Of the or
der's work has been more than marvellous.
In each year these advancing strides have
put the order far in advance Of all other
similar societies as the largest, the richest
and most effective Of all secular benevolent
institutions In the world
THE record Of last year has been no ex-
ception to this history OF progress. The
increase In membership of our subordinate
lodges was 60. 724; In the encampment
branch, 0,9eO; in the Rebekah branch. 28.-
S91. making total increase of 100. 1Oo. The
GT156. The Increase In resources. 81. 974.-
$3.50. and the increase In relief was Sso7'-
1905
Militant Branch Says.
OF the Militant branch of the three-link
fraternity he does not speak 80 hopefully
Regarding this he says: The Militant
branch alone in our organization falls to
show substantial progress There has been
a loss IN membership during the year of a
little over 800. while but few new cantons
have been instituted. I do not doubt that
the branch Is In better condition than a
year ago. owing to the wedding process that
has been steadily going on but the depart
ment still remains weak as compared to all
the other branches of the order. This con-
dtion OF affairs. In my Judgment. demands
immediate attention. and perhaps radical
measures.
That this is a most valuable and ad-
vantageous addition to order all will
admit. 1t was organized to meet a press
ing need-namely, that the order might
have some means of presenting to the pub
lie outward evidence of its strength and
importance which might thus attract pub
lilo attention to our institution and study
or our work. which would inevitably result
In It's growth and spread. 1t was also
needed to meet the military spirit and
desire for public display, which Influences
so many of the young and without which
they were being led into other institutions
less meritorious than ours
think II safe to say that IT. Is the al
most universal opinion that the Militants
should be recruited from the subordinate
branch (scarlet degree members) rather
than from the encampment branch but for
the rear that such a change would do the
encampments an injury II sems 10 ma
statistics clearly indicate that 1t Is a mis-
taken view that the encampments are help
ed by the Militant branch. or that thew Wi,
DO Injured by permitting scarlet degrN
members TO become Patriarchs Militant
The grand representatives from the
s 1ana encampment are quite generally op-
posed 10 the recommendations of the grand
sire on this subject, believing II wouid in
Jure III not almost destroy the encanpment
or scarlet degree. branch OF the order.
Grand Sire Congratulated.
the grand sire has received many con-
gratulations on his pluck In taking the
chair and presiding during the sessions of
the Sovereign Grand Lodge. He suffered
severe stroke during the session and is
wheeled to his station on the platform
every day.
Two points of interest claimed attention
last evening. At Odd Fellows Temple
Temple F'ncampment. No. 100. gave an ex-
emplifcatton Of patriarchal. golden rule
and royal purple degrees. At the same
hour one OF the most impressive ceremo-
mics or the order was going on in the big
drill room Of the Second Regiment Arm
ory-the comforting by Gen. NJ. A Roney
of the grand decoration of chivalry OF,
twenty-three candidates. Assisting Gen.