Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-18
IN BUSINESS SESSION
Meeting of the Grand Lodge of
Odd Fellows.
A UNIFORM FEE ADOPTED
Extension Of Grand Masters Term to
Eighteen Months.
ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED
Movement to Secure Larger and Bet
ter Building-The Grand Mas
ter's Recommendation.

The Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows met in
annual session at I. o. o. F. Hail. on eth
street northwest, last evening. The annual
report of Grand Master E. w. Bradford was
submitted and the Grand Lodge transacted
some important business. Several recon-
mendations of the grand master were
adopted, the most interesting being the es-
tablishment of the uniform fee of so for
admissions In subordinate lodges and the
abolition of the semi-annual sessions of the
Grand Lodge.
The designations of Deputy Grand Master
Philip Walker and Grand Chaplain w. E.
Clapp were accepted. Grand Warden A. r.
Vermilion was chosen deputy grand mas
ter. and Grand Marshal E. H Basterling
was elected grand warden. The following
new officers were named Grand marshal.
r. A. Ford; grand conductor. D. A. Du-
gan; grand chaplain J. s. Mushaw.
Grand Masters Report.
In his annual report Grand Master E. W.
Bradford. who is also a prominent officer
of the Patriarchs Militant, submitted sew
eral recommendations of interest to the
fraternity. Several of them have already
been adopted and others will come up for
consideration at tonight's adjourned meet
ing of the Grand Lodge.
The grand masters recommendation in
favor of annual Grand Lodge meetings
as follows: The only term for officers of
Grand Lodges recognized by the Sovereign
Grand Lodge Is one year An election for
a shorter term would, therefore, be Illegal.
AS regular session of the Grand Lodge
can be held under our amended constitu-
ton after this session until January 1907
in my judgment the terms of the present
grand officers will not legally expire until
the close of the session in January. 1907
This view of the law applied to our
present case would seem to be further JUS
titled by the fact that the present officers
were elected before the amendment
adopted and installed before it went into
effect
Demand for Larger Hall.
The Odd Fellows will probably join the
newer, larger and better buildings for
grand bodies, already shown by the Masonic
and Pythian orders. Grand Master Brad
ford made the following recommendation:
81 would not be faithful to my convictions
If l failed to call attention to the lack of
suitable lodge rooms and accommodations
for our lodge work in. as well to the
undesirable location of, the home of our
order In this jurisdiction. namely. our It'll
street hall. When built no doubt this
building was suitable in it's appointments
and its location desirable, but now the ir-
resistible progress of events has deprived
our home of both these desirable qualifica-
tons. None of the lodge rooms has suit
able accommodations for paraphernalia, for
robing or for anteroom uses. This condi-
ton alone Is responsible. in no small degree,
for lack of interest by many of the lodges
in degree work. There is but little encour-
agement to buy suitable paraphernalia with .
no place to keep 1t. little announcement
for a lodge to organize a degree staff for
doing the work properly, with no suitable
accommodations for such staff to work in
when organized.
1T recommend that some action be taken
by this Grand Lodge as large stock
holder in the 7th street halb seeking to
bring about a sale of said property and the
temple suitable to the needs Of the order
and in a desirable location"
Term Extended.
One result of the legislation of the Grand
Lodge at It's present session will be the ex-
tension of the term of the grand master to
eighteen months. The present grand mas
ter Is an efficient officer active in all
branches OF the three-link fraternity.
In his report the grand master took up
the subject of members of foreign juris-
dlctions who are temporarily or perma-
nently residing here. He said:
1--WE have in this jurisdiction probably
larger number of Odd Fellows who retain
their membership in their home jurisd4c-
lions and are not affiliated with any OF the
local lodges than the number we can count
as our own members. They should be in
duced to identify themselves with the or
der here. 1t Is not essential that they
transfer their membership to our local
lodges, but we need to know them and they
ought to know US
81 have had called to my attention
through a letter from the grand secretary
of the state of Michigan plan which has
been adopted there of organizing the Odd
Fellows temporarily residing in the city of
Lansing into what is called a Wanderers
Club Such club Is I understand, a great
success 1t Is composed of members Of the
order from other jurisdictions. The dues
are only sufficient to pay the actual rum
ming expenses of the club. 1t holds regular
meetings, gives entertainments, holds re-
ceptions, has an organized degree staff. and
In response to an invitation from any sub
ordinate lodge, confers degrees. and In
many ways the members of the club make
themselves useful brothers without sever
ing their membership with their original
jurisdictions. l recommend that an effort
be made to organize a club here on SUBJ
stantially these lines, and am satisfied that
such an effort might be crowned with
great success, as we certainly have the
largest field to work In for this class of
members that can be found in any city OF
the country"
The Grand Lodge will reoonvene at Odd
Fellows Hall tonight, and reports will be
received from the committees on supervi-
sion and state of the order.