Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-06-05
GRAND LODGE KNIGHTS OF PYIHIAS.

KAND lUDGt thlGHlS Uf PflHlAS.
ANDERSON MEETING LARGEST EVER HELD.
wiLl PUsL.sH PYyHiAn JOURNAL.
The twenty-first annual session OF the
Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias was
called to order in the court house, An
derson, s.. o., Tuesday, May 2Sth, at 10
o'clock a. M, by Grand Chanoellor nj. r..
Rivers, Of Charleston.
Z About 400 members, many Knights and
hundreds OF Interested citisens were in
attendance ,.pon the meeting, eli show
ing marked interest in the proceedings.
Mayor P. x. MoCully, in his usual happy
and forceful manner, extended q hearty
and whole-soul welcome to the conven-
tion, declaring the Electric City, at the
disposal its distinguished visitors.
The convention then passed into q
business session for the disposal of such
matters that annually demand considera.
tion and action. Among these are the
appropriations that are made each year.
According to the usual custom 500 was
appropriated to each of the three de-
nominational orphanages Of the State,
viz: ThornweIl Orphanage, at Clinton !;
Connie Maxwell Orphanage, at Green
wood, and Epworth Orphanage, at Co.
lumbia; A matter of special interest is
the increase in the appropriation to the
widows and orphans fund. Heretofore
this amount has been only $500. At
this meeting 1t was raised to $1,000. A
special tax of tive cents per capita on the
members was levied to raise part of the
above amount.
The reports of the various officers of
the Grand Lodge were submitted in pam.
phlet form and adopted as printed. The
report of Grand Chancellor Rivers was a
resume"of the past work of the lodge, q
comprehensive review of the past years
record, and prospectus of its future.
This report is most encouraging and
should give deep satisfaction to every
Pythian who has contributed to the
order in South Carolina
The report on finances was a pleasure
BILE document, showing as it did the ex-
cellent condition of the order. On April
1, 1905, there was cash balance of
$12, 100.85 on hand. April /, 1907, the
balance was S14, 1885. Besides this
amount there are S2,27e.O8 invested in
stocks, and during the year profit was
made or thcss stocks amounting to
$183.64. The total assests of the order
are $124, ,98T4S
The report on membership also was
encouraging, showing steady gain
throughout the year. On December 81,
1905, there were G,546 enrolled members
a year later the membership numbered
iO,S29. During the year 1,e48 candidates
were initiated, 152 members reinstated
and 2S6 admitted by card. There are
now 16s active lodges, 13 being instituted
in the last twelve months and ono has
had it's charter restored. The report on
membership was exceedingly gratifying.
In the reports of Grand Chancellor
Rivers and Vice Grand Chancellor Smith
the matter of establishing a Pythian
periodical was discussed. Both these
officers strongly recommended this step.
arguing that Pythian paper in the
State would do much toward furthering
the Pythian cause in South Carolina.
The matter was framed inho a law,
brought up and adopted. The expense
of it's establishments and maintenance
will be betrayed by per capita tax of
% cents on every member in the domain
The question of cutting down repre-
sentation in the Grand Lodge to one
member, the retiring Chancellor Com
mander, was brought up, discussed, and
voted down unanimously.
In the Grand Chancellor's report the
insurance department is recommended
and the report states that in this Domain
"the advantages of this department are
becoming generally appreciated. Some
thing over one.third of the members
have policies, amounting in the aggre-
gate to $5,500, 900 of which II certificates,
amounting to $l2s,0OO. are in the new
fifth class, which provides protection
upon four different plans, each of merit
and at the option of the insured Since
the first section was organized in this
Domain there has been paid in death
benefits the sum of 5000, 800, distributed
among the benefoiaries of 31s of our
deceased brethren"
@. s. F. Neal, president of the insur-
ance department, was present on the
second day and made good speech. He
4 Eppmended that all memb bers holding
certificates have same transferred to the
new fifth class. He reported this branch
OF the order in fiourishing condition.
The following officers were elected !:
Mendel l.. Smith, of Camden, was elected
nDanimOnalv q q anI T. Mott;,o,,