New Ulm review., 1907-01-16
.ECKsTE|N on LODGE WORK
Prominent Forester Delivers In
teresting Installation Address.
Talks on Matters Of Interest TO
Members of all Orders.
What We Need More than Any
thing Else, He Says, is
Fraternity.

In speech before the local Forester!
Court last week Andrew j. Ecksteir
gave voice to some sentiments that viii
appeal to lodge workers universally
other things, he said:
What is the standa ard by which we
may measure the progress OF a
fraternal organization?
Let us look into this question
carefully. We may be too material
in one direction-and too indefinite
in another.
First, nuMbers count.
Second, the bond of fraternity
counts. AS that bond has been pro-
NOTED, so have the individual mem
bers progressed.
Third, individual interest counts.
This phase is meant not only so far
as getting newmembers is concerned,
but in the spirit that is shown in
taking hold and helping the local
court.
ssThe man behind the gum has
been immOrtaliZed in many ways.
But the man behind the fraternal
order has too often been passed as
unimportant. Why?
Our membership increased, say
one hundred, in a single year. 1t
should have doubled that figure.
But what we decide to do and what
we accomplish sometimes differ.
There are waves Of lodge interest
that seem to fleet the entire CON-
munity. 1t is like real estate
boom. Instead Of turning toward
the commercial, every one suddenly
turns toward the fraternal, and it
is a nice spirit. ag.seta
Now why should we stay with the
order and work for its good: It
brings no monetary return. Not at
all. 1t brings no great position.
No. Then why do or should we
work for it?
We do a great many things we
never get paid for, and many of
those are needless. We engage in
acts and thoughts that do us no
good-and as one philosopher of
recent. vintage put it, 'severy man
is a plunger-with his own time.'
Why not attempt to utilize that
time? Why not turn it to advan-
tage of some kind?
In watching his three-year-old, a
fond father noticed that the play of
the child was in reality an aimless
sort of education. The little one
struggled for control-not complete
mastery, bat detailed control. 1t
was fight to judge distance, an
ether fight to use muscles properly,
and a fight to exactly understand
the shape, the color, the meaning of
the simple things the young eyes
saw. And" mused the father,
''our fight is to think-not only now
and then, but all the time.'
The trouble with most of us is, we
do not work or think consistently.
The man who has done hard days
work feels at night that he needs
some sleep or recreation. He does
not use his common sense near as
much as he would were he a farmer.
The tiller of the soil believes in
rotation of the crops. Where one
thing grew last year, another must
be made to grow this year. And if
that will help the soil and keep it
productive, why will not rotation Of
occupation assist the average man?
That's the point.
We need d-fr aternity,
We need consistent companion
ship-not thrust at us all at once or
carelessly. Fraternal orders are
not framed up only for the purpose
of passing away the time. The aim
of most of them is to induce many
to take part; to afford danoppOrtunity
for relaxing the mind by thinking
less of ones self and more of others.
This is sentiment; of course it is.
It is time that does not bring so
many dollars and cents, but it does
bring wholesome relaxation and
the binding of hearts and minds in
a more closely compact union of
purpose and help.
Conferences, revivals, scOncl2ves
all are necessary. They freshen
up the purpose of meh. And so,
for that matter, do the days. If we
went through life that was one long
day, and slept in darkened rooms
at intervals. we should soon become
the victims of monotony. Its like
the wear On the mind eaused by any
strain and no division or diversion.
luC 1oCe lSs We di0, 0ItCu duu all
of us, our brothers keepers. We
are bound by obligation to do
right and do as much as we can,
and when we are enabled to COM
bine this right with genuine enjoy
ment, we are the gamers.
Fraternal organizations do not
place any member under an unen-
durable ban. They should be
pleasurably profitable to every
member. But interest must be kept
up, and generalship must be exer-
cised. There must be some thread
that runs through the life of every
member, and that thread will soon
be found through regular attend
ance. There is never more for
lorn prospect than that which looms
up before the employee entering
strange service. He wonders what
he can do to dispel the feeling of
absolute isolation. AS time passes
and as he learns through associa-
ton, he naturally becomes part of
the plan.
Experience has taught us that no
man can be forced into accepting an
obligation. It must be voluntary
It has to be cultivated. 70 him
who has learned to like only popu-
10y, rn,,cio fho nlae,;o. = =