The San Francisco call., 1906-11-25
In EIkdom

San Francisco Lodge of the Pro-
tective Benevolent Order of Elks is
making arrangements for Elks' memo
rial day, which this year falls on Sun
day, December > This lodge as all
the other lodges in the grand jurisdic-
tion, viii on the night of the last
Friday in the current month be called
up 10 vote for or against the new con-
stitution that was adopted BY the
Grand Lodge at its recent session in
Denver, Col. This new fundamental
law has been the subject of a great
deal of discussion, and much opposition
has been offered. The matter is dis
eussed at great length in recent is
sue of the Travelling Elk, and the
conclusion of the argument is as fol-
lows:
The constitution. if adopted as a
whole. will place the order completely
in the grasp OF a small number of
Grand Lodge members. and viii tend to
cause dissepsions and trouble among
the subordinate lodges 1t is no an
swer 10 say amendments Of the Grand
Lodge laws may be made hereafter If
amendments are necessary, as Official
Circular No. l indicates. the same
should be made and submitted to the
subordinate lodges. and no attempt
meanwhile should be made to cause the
adoption OF the new constitution until
such amendments are submitted
1T is contended that the Grand Lodge
at present is too large, and that it is
unwieldy. and that very shortly there
will be no hall large enough to seat
it's members. This is no reason at all
because the Grand Lodge showed less
than 500 members voting at the last
convention. which attendance could be
comfortably seated in any ordinary hall
or church.
The proposed constitution is defect
i've and should not be adopted Adop-
tion Of it Will do much to disturb the
confidence of the members. will breed
dissensions. and instead of promoting
the good of the order will do much to
disturb that spirit OF harmony and
feeling of brotherly love and affection
now existing among the members.
which has done SO much to raise the
order to its present high plane. For
over a third of a century the order has
prospered under laws easily amended
from time TO time. If the order has
prospered under these laws it is un-
wise to radically change them. but. on
the contrary. it is safer and more adj
visable to be conservative and to
amend and TO continue amending the
same until perfection be reached. rather
than to risk the disruption of the or
der or bring trouble upon it by tearing
up by the roots the old constitution,
and supplanting it with new consti-
tuition untried and full Of defects"
The next session Of the Grand Lodge
viii be held in the City of Brotherly
Love in July
Grand Trustees O'Shea and McNulty
Grand Secretary Fred G. Robinson and
Grand Treasurer John *. Tener visited
Philadelphia recently and made the ar
rangements necessary for the quarter
ing of the Grand Lodge officers and
committees at the next reunion. The
Bellevue -Stratford was selected and
the terms of the contract are among
the most advantageous the Grand
Lodge has ever secured. Philadelphia
Lodge is working hard for the reunion.
and il is believed that it will be the
largest in the history of the order, and
as the resources and accommoda la tions
of Philadelphia are most ample there
viii be no overcrowding and no over
charging.