The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-11
Especial to The Messenger.)

Goldsboro, N. c., May 9.-The second
day of the sixty-third annual session
of the state Grand Lodge of Odd Fell
lows will go down in history as one of
the most important as we'll as the most
numerously attended of any that mas
been held in this jurisdiction, while
the secret sessions last night and to-
day were of special interest to Odd
Fellows. Only those proceedings were
unimportant to the general public COM
pared to the dedicatory ceremonies
this afternoon at the Odd Fellows or
phan home, in this city, when the
building erected for aged and inirm
Odd Fellows was formally received by
the state Grand lodge. 1t was an oc-
casion that caused the heart of every
Odd Fellow that had gathered there
from the mountains to the seashore to
thrOb with pride. Standing under the
shadow of the dome of the building
which the Odd Fellows of North Caro-
lima had erected for the purpose Ct
taking care of the orphans of deceased
Odd Fellows this afternoon, Grani
Master Plato Collins, with the assist
ance Of the patriarch rank Of the or
der, formally received the building that
had been erected for the care Of aged
and infirm members of the order. The
ceremony was not only beautiful but
impressive.
The children from the orphan home
had been engaged~tO take part in the
exercises, and Mary Tripp, Lillian Nc
Donald and Mae Raney walked to the
front and faced the vast audience that
had gathered around the building and
read from the ritual their part of the
ceremonies in a manner that showed
the excellent training they had receiv-
ed at the orphan home.
All interest had been centered With
the exercises which took place this
afternoon and the people Of Goldsboro
were out in large numbers to witness
the ceremonies. The crowd was aug
mented by an excursion from over the
A. & n. c., railroad, which arrived here
in the afternoon. Promptly at !
O'Clock the Grand Lodge assembled in
front of the Hotel Kennon and pre-
ceded by a brass band from New Bern
the procession began march to the
orphan home in the eastern SUBURBS
of the city. The procession made an
imposing pageant. In the line OF
march, which was at least half mile
in length, were men Of distinction as
we'll as the lone representative from
some lodge in a remote district. Untll
the procession began to move today
the people of GoldsbOrO did not know
how many strangers they were enter
tanning They could be seen in BODY
The twelve thousand Odd Fellows in
North Carolina have sent between four
and five hundred representatives to
Goldsboro to the state grand lodge.
This is where the affection of the order
is centered. The orphans of deceased
members are not only taken care OF
here. but with the dedicatory ceremo-
nies today a building was added which
will accommodate from fifty to sixty
of the old wOrn-out members who are
unable to take care of themselves. 1t
was but meet and proper that Rev. G.
O Duran. a member of the North Car
olina Methodist conference, who first
introduced a resolution in the state
Grand Lodge in 1897, providing for a
home for the aged and infirm, should
be present today to realize the fulfill
ment of his divinely inspired charita-
BILE impulses and participate in tne
dedicatory exercises. Grand MasteE
Plato Collins, of Kinston, presided dur
ing the interesting ceremonies and his
short address was replete with admOn1-
tions that tended to advance the noble
principles of the order. The grand
chaplain. Rev. A. P. Barber, with a
devout prayer, preceded the oration o1
Past Grand Sire A. S. Pinkerton, OF
Massachusetts. This address was
masterpiece of oratory and cannot fail
to cause every Odd Fellow present
but those outside of the order as well
to put higher estimation on the prln-
ciple of the brotherhood of man. The
Grand Lodge viii be in session to-
morrow and Friday and the next place
of meeting, as well as the election Of
the officers of the Grand Lodge, vii