Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-03
ODD FELLOWS
WILL CONVENE
HERE IN MAY
Three Thousand Are
Expected
Delegates VIII Wear Badge Bearing
Picture Of Theodore A. Bell,
Grand Master of Grand
Lodge

Los Angeles is fast making a name
for itself for conventions and assem-
blies and has won the fifty-hfth session
of the grand lodge of California of the
Independent order of odd Fellows, to
be held here in May, 13 to 10, inclusive.
This will be the second session of the
grand lodge outside of San Francisco
in the past thirty-flve years. Last year
the session was held In Santa Cruz
two months after the disaster
Great preparations are being made by
the local lodges for the grand lodge,
which will meet in Turner hall. The
Rebekah state assembly will meet the
same dates in Blanchard hall,
Theodore A. Bell of Napa, the recent
candidate for governor on the Demo-
cratci ticket, is the grand master of
the grand lodge of California. 1t is ex-
pected that the 400 subordinate lodges
of the state will be represented by
about 800 delegates and that the Re-
bekah lodges, numbering about 300, will
have 700 delegates
Three Thousand Are Expected
Plans are being made to entertain
5000 people, including the visitors. The
headquarters will be in odd Fellows
hall, 220 South Main street, where an
| information bureau will be arranged
| for the convenience of the delegates
and visitors during the session.
The general committee on arrange
| ments for the grand lodge consists of
| Col. w. p. Schlosser, chairman: J. H.
| Gingery, Secretary, and GustaVe Helm
man, treasurer. This committee has ap-
pointed several subcommittee and a
large amount of preliminary work, in
cident to such an undertaking, is al
ready under way. 1t Is expected that
the various subcommittee will be COM
pleted today, ready for the work to be
accomplished before the arrival of the
delegates.
The nearby counties are going to as
sist in making the Los Angeles ses-
sion memorable one. The committee
has received work from the officials in
Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino
| counties signifying their intention of
furnishing fresh fruits to be distributed
gratis among the delegates and visitors
at headquarters.
Will Wear New Badge
A novelty that has received great
| favor among the members is the new
badge designed by the committee for
the session. The badge has been de-
signed in the shape of a bell, of gun
metal with the picture of the grand
master in the center paying a delicate
|
Another innovation that will prove
| popular is the change of the time of the
daily sessions. Heretofore the sessions
have been held from 10 to 12 and from
2 to o'clock, practically taking up the
whole day. The change will place the
time occupied altogether from to !
o'clock, leaving the remainder of the
| day for the delegates and visitors to
take in the sights untrammeled by the
daily sessions.
Largest Fraternity in the World
The Odd Fellows claim the largest
membership in the world, with the
round number of 1,25O,O0O. There are
10000 members in California and 10000
Rebekahs. The records show that in
1906 Sc. 1000, 900 was paid out in sick bene-
| fits. The twelve lodges of Los Angeles
pay out $500 weekly in sick benefits to
visiting members, which amount is re-
funded by the eastern lodges to which
the members belong. About $500 is paid
out weekly by the local lodges to sick
members. The membership in Los An
geles is about 2200, with about the
same number of visiting members.