Evening star., 1907-10-19
MANY YEARS OF ACTIVITY
JAMES W. CoLLEY HoNoRED BY
BEACON LODGE, I. o. o. F.
Only Surviving Charter Member,
Eighty-Hx Years Young-An-
niversary Of Organization.

The members Of Beacon Lodge No. Is,
/. o. o. F., and the members OF their
families assembled Monday evening last
to celebrate the anniversary of the organ
ization of the lodge, which took place
September 0. 1874. little more than
sixty-three years ago.
The musical program Of the evening
consisted of several piano selections by
Miss Sallie Tillman Mason, a bass solo
by Mr.. Herbert Lawson and a soprano
solo by Miss Edna Follin, accompanied
by Miss Mason. A baritone solo was
sung by Mr.. Harry Campbell, accom-
panied by Miss Edith Campbell, which
was followed by a humorous recitation
by Mr.. jacobson, entitled 'Barbarie
Fritchie."
Past Grand Master Benjamin F. Craw-
shaw, formerly of this city, but at pres
ent In the government service at Rio
Grande City, Mexico, was present and
delivered the address of the evening, TAX
ing for his subject Small Beginnings"
He pictured the rapid progress made by
many of the countrys most celebrated
sons from a small beginning, and spoke
Of the growth and expanse of the nation
and its many industries. He referred to
Odd Fellowship, which he measured by
results, not only numerically, not simply
in figures or dollars and cents, but in the
all-round good 1t has accomplished in the
way VI fraternity, OF CndElty, OF IT1euu-
ship, OF love and Of truth, and said 1t Is
one Of the greatest of agencies for the
upbuilding and amelioration Of mankind
and the teaching anew Ito be more social
and humane" Odd Fellowship, he said,
sprang from a small and inconsiderate
beginning, when seven men-the mythical
number-met in Baltimore in 1919 'and
organized the greatest and grandest of
fraternal organizations the world has
ever known. From that little nucleus
has developed" he said. ''the present l.
o. o. F., with its total membership OF
over 100000"
Tribute to Oldest Member.
Speaking Of Beacon Lodge, he said, TT
Is in no sense Of disparagment Of the
many other splendid lodges, and some
of them even more time-honored in this
Jurisdiction. to say what we have to
say of Old Beacon as it is familiarly
termed. For, be 1t remembered, 1t is
Beacon's red-letter day that We are cele-
brating, and meet also to pay our
respects to her favorite son."
This reference was to James w. Colley,
first noble grand and only surviving
charter member Of Beacon Lodge and
present financial secretary Of the lodge
In the course of bit of poetry occurred
these sentiments addressed to Mr.. Col
ley:
He's active yet and still among
Old Beacon's faithful set;
For he is eighty years young.
We glad he's with US yet.
Long years for him pray:
Long life to old Fifteen"
Honor the man, the lodge, the day,
And keep their memory green.
This is in fact a birthday party. said
the speaker, and 1 must not omit to say
for my brethren that they are 'de-lighted'
to have your presence at our birthday
party
Beacon Lodge.
He paid a tribute to Beacon Lodge.
saying 1t had proved to be a credit to
those who had founded it, to the order of
which 1t Is an honored part and to the
brethren who compose and have COM
posed its membership. He said when the
history of Odd Fellowship in the District
of Columbia shall be written some of its
brightest pages will be adorned with the
recounting of what has been accom-
plished by Beacon Lodge and her sons
during the past three and three-score
years.
Justly and proudly we may acclaim,
All hail. Beacon Lodge! Its record un-
sullied, its charter unsurrendered; sixty
three years of service and work; 327S
meeting nights. For sixty-three years
Beacon's light has been kept brightly
burning and illumining the pathway
trodden by its faithful followers. For
has reflected in Its effuigent rays the
respondent beauties which are symbolic
ed In the cardinal principles of friend
ship, love and truth. For sixty-three
years its pure, unspotted banner has
been borne aloft by sterling men with
brave hearts, with no hope Of personal
reward or selfish aggrandizement, but
whose efforts. single and entire, were
for the good of our noble order-the bet
terment of mankind"