Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-07-04

club movement, will show what a real
family of Mormons looks like, while
California will depict the new San
Francisco.
More than $4,000 will be given out
in parade prizes, and the competition
will be of a very varied character. A
thin and cadaverous Elk is almost an
anomaly, but there are said to be one
or two around, and the man who can
establish his claim to being the lean
est and hungriest member of the order
of Big Horns will be given a purse
upon which to grow fat. There will
be competition fierce and heated for
the prize of the latest Elk, as his
name is legion and he is said to live
in every state and territory in the
Union. A prize will go to the small
est and the tallest Elk
There will be $500 in three prizes
to the lodges having the largest num-
Der of members in line, while prizes
will be awarded for the best appear
ance, the lodge having the greatest
mileage in the journey to the con-
vention city, to the lodge that brings
the largest number of women, for the
best float in line, and for lodges that
appear in unique uniforms.
Home lodges-that is, branches Of
the order coming from section COM
prised in radius of rs miles from
Philadelphia-will be given an oppor-
tunity to compete for 1000 for bring
ing large delegations and bringing the
largest number of women friends. In
addition to these gifts in money Of
fered by the copmittee, special prizes
for varied forms of competition will be
offered by friends of the order.
The order of the Elks was organ
lied at New York in 1868 by mem
bers of the dramatic profession and
was for purely social purpose. In
1878 a charter was obtained for the
Elks Mutual Benefit association, for
the relief of the sick and needy and
the burial of the dead" OF late years
the organization has grown rapidly
and now includes many other pro
fessional and business men. The
choosing of the Elk as the name and
emblem of the order was inspired by
the description of that American ami
NAL as fleet of foot and timorous of
wrongdoing, avoiding all combats ex-
ccpt in fighting for the female and in
defense of the young" This descrip-
tion so pleased all of the actors that
forthwith the order was formed and
baptized the Benevolent and Protec-
tive Order of Elks, and the initials are
now made to read Best People on
Earth.
In 1883 a new ritual was adopted,
about virtual reorganiza-
ton of the order. Although some
changes have been made, owing to the
great growth of the order, the ritual is
very much as 1t was under the reor-
ganized code.
At first there was disposition to
,onfne the membership to actors and
but the sentiment for this
was not strong enough to
and candidates from outside
circles soon began to apply for ad
mission. In 1874 there were but two
edges, in 1882 the number increased |
% IA, while there are now more than
900 lodges and about quarter of a
million members.
Unlike nearly all of the secret So
,ieties, the Elks have no intermediary
body between the home lodge and the
grand body but in many of the COM
monwealths state organizations have
been formed, and this will be one Of
the new attractions in convention
that is to be marked with many feat
ures.