The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-16
|. O. Q. F. CONVENTION. NEW OFFICERS CHOSEN Gratifying Reports Made by the Grand Master and
 Other Officers.

The annual convention of the Inde- pendent Order of odd Fellows was held in this city yesterday, The session opened at Harmonic hall with Grand Master Philip Pond presiding. Nearly a thousand of the brethren were pres ent and they came from every city and town throughout the state. As predict ed in the Courier yesterday the gather ing was a very harmonious one and passed over with very little excitement of any kind. The whole of the early part of the day was taken up examin- ing the delegates credentials, and list ening to the reports of the various otti- cers of the grand lodge. Grand Master Philip Pond in his address reviewed the work accomplished by the grand and subordinate lodges during his period of office, He spoke in glowing terms of the excellent work accomplished by all the officers and pointed out with pride the very prosperous condition of the order at large. Many of his statements were so gratifying to those present and were so eloquently uegE22sd that they made decided impression on the mem ! bers. He strongly recommended the ln- | fiction of a penalty by the grand mas ter upon all lodges found without ritu- als, and also called attention to the tax levied last year for the maintenance of the home. Regarding the home it. | self. he said
 Our beautiful home at Fairview is the pride of all odd Fellows who visit 1t and the one great material evidence of our endeavor to live up to the true principles of our fraternity. It is furn- ishing shelter and is a real home to many an aged Odd Fellow. It is al Blessing and an honor to this jurisdc- ton. No Odd Fellow who visits 1t, and no lodge which thoroughly understands the noble work that 1t is doing will. for moment. hesitate to vote for and pay whatever tax is found due at any time to be necessary for it's suitable maintenance.
 Tn conclusion. he said
 May the things that have been done rightly be approved; let the mistakes be corrected in the interest of the or- der. My work as grand master is con- cluded. It has been performed with an intent single to the advancement of the great purposes of our order For the moment the symbol of authority re- mains, the next It is to be handed over to the one to be commissioned to carry on the work which is so attractive and Q strongly enlists ones best endeavor
 The grand secretary made his report
 the doings of the grand lodge, all
 which was considered by the con-
 htion as most satisfactory. It is as follows:
 The total fund of the subordinate lodges is $767, ,14O.SO, with $1S5, ,992.37 re- ceived during the year 1906. There was paid for relief, $84,O7427, and $77S39.7O for expenses, leaving a balance of s6O5,- 226.S5 on January i. 1n07.
 The total membership is IS, 939 Dur ing the year there were 9S9 limitations. Only four were expelled.
 Membership in RebeSah lodges on January 1, 1907, was 6,238, a net galn of 51
 The fund of the Rebekah lodges now amounts to $35,74167, a gain of $2,395,79 for the year
 The total amount contributed to the San Francisco relief fund was $,955S2.
 B. A. Keith, the grand representative from the sovereign lodge, reported as follows:
 There is a gain in membership for the year ending December 81, 1906, of 60920 carrying the number in subor dinate lodges Up to 1,27G,O65. The Re bekah branch showed gain of 37,224; of this number, 19,t71 were sisters, making the total membership of the or der, 1,520621. The amount expended for relief was over $4,6OQ,OOO, not including the splendid response to suffering Cali fornia.
 At the afternoon session the principal business transacted was the election of officers, which resulted as follows:
 Grand master, E. G, Hurlbert of New Britain, to succeed Philip Pond of this city; deputy grand master, IA. G. Hust- ed of Bridgeport; grand warden. Will Ham E. Thomas, mayor of Water bury; grand secretary, William s, Hutchinson of New Haven. grand treasurer, William H. Marigold of Bridgeport; representative to the soy ereign grand lodge, which will convene in St. Paul in September, Philip Pond of this city.