The Jersey City news., 1906-05-08
Grand Council Begins It's
Annual Session In Pythias
Hall. Lakewood
REGENT RODGERS REPORTS
HE DECLARES THE CONFIDENCE
IN THE ORDER is UNDIMINIsH-
ED -- REDUCTION OF EXECU-
TIVE COMMITTEE RECON-
MENDED
Especial to .'The Jersey city News."o

Special to .'The Jersey City News.'D
LAKEWOOD. May 8, 1906.-With
close to 200 officers and members present,
the twenty-fourth annual session Of the
grand council, Royal Arcanum, was call
| ed to order yesterday afternoon in
Knights of Pythias Hall. thereby begin
ming what will probably be the most in
teresting meeting ever held by the grand
council. The rival factions are keyed up
to an intense pitch and the fight to secure
! control of the body will be bitter one.
The leaders of both sides have been here
since Saturday afternoon, and devoted
much of their time yesterday to prepar-
ing plans for to-day's election. When
the morning train arrived yesterday,
| bringing the greater portion Of the repre-
sentatives, the leaders of both parties
were on hand to meet it and "button-hol-
ing" began at once.
The session in the afternoon was de-
voted principally to the naming of COM
mttees and the reading of the various
| reports. Last night the grand council
| resolved itself into committee OF the
/ whole for the purpose of nominating caA-
/ didates and giving the friends of each an
| opportunity to decant on the good quail
ties of each.
Grand Regent Rodgers and Grand
Secretary Alberts will have no opposi-
tion. Neither win Grand Chaplain Louns-
i bury, of Tenafy. For grand vice-regent
the candidates will be John R. Weeks, of
| Newark, the present incumbent, and
Harry r. Ward, Of Jersey City. Rev.
| w. Z. Dorward, of Stelton. and Theo-
dore Glass, Of WestHeld, viii oppose each
other for grand orator, and Fl. Holm
shed. Jr., of Camden and William G.
McKeever, of Rutherford will contest
for the office of grand treasurer. For su-
preme representatives. the opposition will
/ put up John D. Beach, John II. Farrell
and L. A. Lightfoot. The regulars will
name B. B. Mcdowell, Henry Borneman,
and possibly E. NJ Soaring. w. w Bax-
/ ter was mentioned as one of the candi-
/ dates but it is said he declined.
The attempt of the opposition to defeat
| John r. Weeks for grand vice-regent
will result in all of the Essex delegates,
with the possible exception of three,
i standing by the supreme council. Be-
cause of, the opposition to Grand Treas
urer Hollinshed. the South Jersey DEL
egates will also stand by the regulars
and in consequence the supporters of the
supreme council are more confident than
ever. From present Indications it is to be
a fight of Hudson County against the
rest Of the State. The opposition, howev-
| er. claim to have many votes from other
sections besides Hudson.
Grand Regent Rodgers then read his
annual report, which was listened to with
marked attention. After welcoming the
representatives and paying tribute to the
! ones who have rendered distinguished
service to the order, he spoke in part as
| follows
sThe grand jurisdiction of New Jersey
| Yields to no other in loyalty to our
/ order, In devotion to it's underlying prin-
/ ciples, and will ever continue to develop
that spirit of fraternity which has been
so large a factor in its growth in this
State.
When one year ago we assembled IN
this hail we were filed with rejoicing;
many hundreds had been added to our
membership during the preceding twelve
months and we had grown in strength
and power. With a membership approx
1 mating $4,000 and the same loyal, faith
] ful, enthusiastic men ready for the work
Of the new year, we had every reason to
believe that during thesyear to come we
weuld continue to grow in numbers. and
we adjourned with no knowledge that
within less than thirty days thereafter
our work was to come practically to
standxtill, condition which we are prone
to believe might have been avoided had
an opportunity been afforded us to pre-
pare ourselves for the change in the
schedule Of rates, wAioh, while doubtless
absolutely necessary, was not immediate
| " anticipated by the majority Of our
members.
Immediately after the adjournment Of
the supreme council your officers met in
conference and determined TO use their
best efforts to check the stampede which
thrsatsaed to seriously depiete our ranks,