Democratic messenger., 1906-04-07
MECHANICS
CELEBRATE
Snow Hill Council Junior Order United
American Mechanics Present Beautiful
Flag to High School Mid Music And
Oratory Banquet Given Al Night In
The Council Chamber.

Oratory Banquet Given Al Night In
The Council Chamber.
The 10th anniversary of the organiza-
tion of Snow Hill Council Jr. o. u. A.
NJ, No. l67, was observed last Tuesday
afternoon and evening by appropriate
exercises. The lodge assembled at the
Council Chamber at two o'clock, and
marched in body to the High School,
where everything was in readiness for
the presentation by the Order of flag
to the teachers and scholars of the
school. The exercises were begun with
Deputy State Councillor Theodore w.
Pruitt presiding. After the opening
ode, and invocation by Rev. J. Il. North,
acting chaplain, an address was made
by John w. Station, Esq.
The presentation of the flag followed.
the address being made by Rev. J. Il.
North. who explained the meaning and
symbolical features of the flag to his
hearers in happy and felicitous man
ner. In the absence of Prof. Ward,
who was called away on account of
sickness in his family, Prof. Levin J.
Kelly of the Manual Training Depart
ment made the address of acceptance.
Prof. Kelly gave the flag to the gradua-
! ting class of 1906, and named the class
as the special guardians and custodians
of the same A flag drill under the
direction of Mrs. NJ. NJ North was then
given, in which fifteen girls of the
High School participated. The exer-
cises of the afternoon We're concluded
by march to the grounds where the
flag was raised to the pole. (the pole
having been previously placed in
position by Snow Hill CounciD. under a
salute, and to the patriotic strains Of
THE Star Spangled Banner.
In the evening a reception was held
in the Council Chamber. to which the
members of the lodge. their families
and friends were invited. fully l75 per
sons being present After the opening
ode and roll call of members. Deputy
State Councillor Theodore w. Pruitt
made an address Of welcome, in which
he also told of the organization of the
lodge. and outlined its growth and his
tory during the ten years of its exist
cnce in Snow HILL Music was furnish
ed during the evening by Prof. Schioin-
seek, who gave several selections Of
patriotic airs and old time melodies on
the violin. Miss Edna Hill sang solo
TO the violin accompaniment of Prof.
Shioinseck Refreshments, consisting
of ice cream and cake, were then served
in abundance to all. bringing to close
the celebration of the 10th anniversary
Of the Jr O. u. A. NJ. of Snow Hill
Council. No. l67.
Mr.. Station said in part
"The fundamental principles of the
Junior Order of United American
Mechanics are Virtue. Liberty and
Patriotism. We believe those princi-
pies can best he taught through the
medium of a non-scctarian free public
school system. and that with Bible
within and flag upon every public
school in our land. the boys and girls.
upon whom the future prosperity and
welfare of our country depend. will al
ways have before them "a beacon light
in every storm which threatens our
destruction. We are here today to do
our part towards impressing upon the
minds of the boys and girls of the Snow
Hill High School the blessings of the
country in which we live. Upon you
depend its future strength and glory.
Realizing that ignorance is the father
of vice, it is the earnest desire of our
Order to foster in every possible way
the public schools. believing that they
are the best medium through which the
youth in general can receive such an
education as will fit them for the duties
of citizenship. Every year under the
shadow of the Statue of Liberty in New
York Harbor alone land thousands from
foreign shores. who mingle with our
people, and enjoy the blessings of our
institutions, live under the protection
of our flag, and participate in our gov
ernment. If those immigrants are vi
cious and lawlcss, if they do not have
in their hearts an appreciation of and
in their minds the intelligence to under
stand the principles of our government
then we are threatened with the de-
struction of our institutions. One of the
objects of our Order is to endeavor by
organization to secure and maintain
such restrictions as will bar the vicious
and lawless. and yet open the door to
the honest and Industrious, those who
are fit to become in time bone of our
bone and sinew of our sinew.
The Junior Order of United American
Mechanics is not partisan or sectaran
| IOTEdIllLdllpfl. Ait vi It's CtIulIldl Ilut-
ciples is Liberty in its widest sense,
freedom of thought. freedom of speech
and freedom Of action. The poet Dry
den has said.
The Love Of Liberty with life is given
And life itself the inferior gift of Heaven"
1t was the same spirit which stirred
the heart of the eloquent Patrick Henry
to exclaim. Give me Liberty or give
me death.
In 1853 few men gathered together
in little red school-house in German
town, now part Of the city of Phla-
delpha. and formed the organization,
which now numbers some 500, 900. and
of which Snow Hill council is a part.
They saw the dangers which threatened
us. and ill ed with the fires of patriotism.
which should burn in the heart of every
American citizen, they determined to do
what lay in their power to avert those
dangers. They bound themselves each
10 the other to keep watchful eye on
the signs of the times. and whenever
they saw clouds on the horizon which
threatened the institutions they loved.
then by organized effort to do what