The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-15
.ODD FELLOWS MEET IN ANNUAL SESSION One Thousand People Attend
 First Meeting WELCOME BY THE MAYORS Rebekahs of the State Also Arrive In Decatur for Annual Meeting.
 Mrs. Shropshire Is
 President.
BY THE MAYORS

ing session of the sixty-seventh annual session of the Grand Lodge of the h. dependent Order of Odd Fellows of Ala bama convened at 10 o'clock in the First Methodist church here.
 The morning session was public one and general invitation was extended to all. This is the largest church in the city and was we'll filled. Fully one thou sand people were present and listened to the exercises. The members of the To- cal Patriarch Militant branch of Odd Eel lowship attended these services, dressed in full uniform.
 The public exercises were most enter taining and instructive and this meeting was presided over by B. Crawford of New Decatur. MT. Crawford delivered a few remarks and then announced the programme.
 H. B. Johnson of New Decatur sang a solo.
 Grand Chaplain Crawford, father of the grand master offered a prayer.
 Welcome Address.
 Mayor Henry A. Skeggs of Decatur was then introduced and extended to the visi- tors most hearty welcome on behalf of the city of Decatur. In speaking of De- catur Mayor Skesgs said among other things: You will find here one of the oldest towns in Alabama, and by it's side one of the youngest. Decatur was incorporated in 1s33."
 He told of the fact that there were only five buildings left standing at the close of the civil war and spoke of the rapid growth of the city since those days until now it is the most important city in north Alabama.
 He spoke most encouragingly of the city's future and told of the hospitality of it's citizens. "The Decatur lodge of Odd Fellows is one of the oldest in the state" he said. Their lodge room stood just across the street there where the public school building now stands. It was burned during the civil war" He not only extended to the visitors the keys of the city but invited them to visit the Carnegie Library, the Y. M. c. A and other places of interest in the city.
 The Rev. George l.. Jenkins, pastor of the Central Methodist church in New Decatur, welcomed the Grand Lodge in behalf of the Odd Fellows of the Deca- turs, and most cordial welcome it was His speech was a grand oratorical ef- fort and was the speech of the occasion.
 Mayor Samuel Blackwell of New Deca- tur extended to the Grand Lodge a warm welcome on behalf of his progressive and growing young city. Mayor Black well has the reputation of being one of fI,o r.fpt of the state and he fully sustained his past reputation on this occasion.
 Crawford Responds.
 The addresses of welcome were re- sponded to most ably by Grand Master Walter M. Crawford of Montgomery, in showed that he had been deeply impressed as had all the delegates, by the warm welcome that had been extended to the Grand Lodge by the mayors of the two Decaturs, the Odd Fellows of the Deca- turs and by the people in general
 At the close of the public exercises the Grand Lodge adjourned for dinner. After the dinner hour the Grand Lodge met in secret session in the auditorium of the Decatur public school building and immediately got down to the great work which this session has before it.
 The various committees have separate rooms in the school building for their work and all of these commmittees are now working diligently on the many mat ters of business before them.
 Officers Present.
 The following officers of the grand lodge were present at the opening of the grand lodge today:
 Grandmaster-Walter M. Crawford of Montgomery
 Deputy Grandmaster-R. Tyler Goodwin of Montgomery.
 Grand Warden-W. E. Urquhart of Bir- mingham
 Grand Secretary-H. c. Weaver of Huntsville
 Grand Treasurer-J. C. Bowie of Talla- dega.
 Grand Representatives-O. J. Semmer of Mobile and Jacob Burger of Birmingham Grand Chaplain-N. D. Crawford of Bes- semer.
 Grand Marshal--T. B. McNaron of Albertyille.
 Grand Conductor-George L. Jenkins of New Decatur.
 Grand Guardlan-M E. Butt of Childers- burg.
 dTdHu l1eTdlu-J. D. bIdcc Oi OZdIh And the following standing committee men are present:
 Fnance-J. M. Dannely, O. r. Warner August Burger. Credentials-H. c. Weaver Harman Vogel, A. E. Baker.
 Odd Fellows Home-A. D. Block of L. N. Buell.
 New Officers Present.
 The following officers of the grand lodge, who were elected during the past year and who will be installed at the close of this session, are also present at the meeting:
 R. Tyler Goodwin of Montgomery