Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-29
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In FRATFRNlTlESl

Almas Temple of the Mystic Shrine held
its first ceremonial session under the ad-
at National Rifles Armory Tuesday even
ing. The potentates term opened
auspiciously The attendance was large,
over 600 of the nobility participating as
officials and lookers-on. The new poten-
tate and his dovan were letter perfect In
their work. and received many congratu-
lations upon it's excellence. which gives
promise that the year 1908. the thirty
third in Almas' history. will be record
maker The candidates for this cere-
monial were a bakers dozen In number,
but not all of them can be counted as
addition to the membership of Almas,
for several were initiated at the request
of other temples, upon whose rosters the
names of these new shriners will be car
ried. The most prominent of these was
Senator Francis f. Warren of Wyoming,
who was initiated at the request and 1or
the benefit of Korein Temple Of Cheyenne.
with one of his secretaries. who went
with him for company" The senator
was perfectly satisfied with the initiation,
and expressed himself as having no claim
for anything more coming His initiation
was unique in several respects. con-
siderable portion of it being prepared
especially for the occasion. This portion
of the exercises of induction was In the
charge of committee of inventive MOBILES
from Almas' and other temples capt
Frank F. Gibson's excellent patrol dld
commendable drilling. displaying many o.,
the new features that are to be shown In
it's forthcoming contest with the cham
pion drill team of the Lady Maccabees.
bo VII
Richmond last year. Delegations were
present from the neighboring temples
located at Philadelphia. Baltimore and
Richmond. and twenty other temples were
represented in the large assembly of the
nobility. At the traditional banquet
which followed the session Senator War
rem described how 1t seemed to be a new
noble and Senator Dick OF Ohio. who was
initiated by .Almas some months ago,
told how it felt to be slightly older one
Potentate Kendrick of Lu Lu Temple
Philadelphia. and Noble f. c. Snyder of
Tangier Temple. Omaha, were also speak
ers at the banquet.
The presentation of the Grand Lodge
prize banners to the lodges most success
full in the rendition Of the degrees In
competition in the subordinate and Re
bekah branches of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows i'm the District of Column
bia Tuesday evening. in the auditorium of
of the most successful events given by
the order in recent times. the audience
heartily enjoying the program from be
ginning to end. Grand Master E. H.
Easterling presided, and Past Grand Mas
ter W. w MILAN delivered the address
of the evening. Canton Washington. No.
1. Patriarchs Militant. Capt William Fl.
Ernest commanding, attended in uniform
and acted as an escort tc the competing
lodges. Following the canton came the
N Lodge
No. Z. led by Degree Director Charles
Stockman. came first. and opened to allow
that of Federal City Lodge, No. 20, led by
Director E. +. Rankin, to pass to the
stage, followed by Eastern Lodge. Esther
Rebekah Lodge. No. ). led by Director
Charles p. Sample. came next. and halted
to allow Dorcas Rebekah Lodge. No. L.
led by Director E. B. Russ. to pass
through and to the stage. followed by
Esther Lodge. The massing on the stage
of the four competing teams. comprising
about 100 persons. with the winners in
the fore. gave an excellent effect. The
members of Ruth Rebekah Lodge, No. >.
holders of the Rebekah banner, occupied
seats together in the front on he main
floor, their team not having entered into
the contests this year.
The musical program consisted of a
male quartet by Messrs. Stockman.
Thornton, Gray and Lyles of Eastern
Lodge, a soprano solo by Miss Maude r.
Emerson of Esther Rebekah Lodge, a
contralto solo by Miss Lucille Smith of
Dorcas Rebekah Lodge and bass solos by
Herbert Lawson of Eastern Lodge. All
of the numbers were enthusiastically en-
cored.
Past Grand Master MILAN. after dwell
ing at some length upon the wide dis
cussion of the various themes which In
terest Odd Fellows, and telling how the
membership in the District OF Columbia
was so frequently brought together as
to have all phases of its teachings fully
laid before 1t. said, in part:
"Our grand motto is Friendship. Love
and Truth and our cardinal aim is TO
lead men to an appreciation of these eX-
allied principles and to inspire them to
eXemplify them in their daily lives. We
point to a friendship deep enough to bind
man to his felloWman as with hooks OF
steel: to a love that is measured only by
his brothers media love like that OF the
good Samaritan of Holy Writ, which could
leap all barriers of creed or sect. or
pride. or prejudice, or rank. or station
and minister to fellowman in distress;
to a truth which is based upon the Bible
as the eXhaustess fountain of truth and
is recognized as an imperial virtue We
bring them face to face with the solemn
fact that they can be Odd Fellows in deed
and truth only so long as they act like
honest men.
This order teaches it's members that
character is the divinest thing beneath
a good father, good citizen, pure pa
triot and an honest man. 1t tells him of a
faith in himself and his destiny. a faith
in his fellow a faith in the Supreme
Ruler of all his affairs; of a hope which
springs eternal: of a charity which is as
wide as the human race.
Its principles blend into one grand
harmonious whole. which we denomnate
fraternity-a universal fraternity in the
family of man. These principles are rec
ognized by good men of every age and
tice of which leads man nearest to the
destiny for which he was designed by
his Creator.
Upon this broad basis there has been
built society which has grown to be the
largest fraternal secret organization that
the world has ever known. 1t has united
upon the platform of principles thus out
lined a million and a half of men and
women who are preaching its doctrines
by their daily lives and demonstrating its
aims by their kindly deeds.
Five millions of dollars. collected in an
infintude of small sums and dispensed
through myriad channels. are annually
laid upon the affairs of humanity by this
great fraternity to be expended in offices
of benefaction This steady and never
failing stream is adding to the sum of
human happiness and relieving human
want in a measure that we will not be
able to compute until the last great day.
1.-The vast army enrolled under its BAN
ners are the good men and women from all
walks of life and all ranks of society. 1t
numbers among its members many of the
choicest characters of that great class
who are the bone and sinew of every
nation-the class whom Abraham Lincoln
said Cod must love because He had made