Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22
Grand Secretary's Report.

GrdQQ secretary ncPoAI.
John H. Goodwin, the grand secretary,
said in his report:
Notwithstanding the financial strin-
gency, with it's attendant interference
with business and industrial employment
extended through the whole of the last
quarter of the year, the remarkable rec
ord of progress and good work MADE IN
1905 has been equaled. and IN some re-
spects surpassed, in the past year. In
the matter of splendid net Increase In
membership all departments of the order
have shared
I'm subordinate lodge membership this
net increase is 50, AS: in encampment
membership 1881; in Rebekah member
ship, brothers 10, ISJ, sisters II 464. The
aggregate net increase in subordinate, en-
campment and Rebekah membership IS
$50 2SS. and if to this be added the 1,o223
net increase in Patriarchs Militant mem
bership the grand total of increase in
one year is 131,S11.
The present subordinate lodge member
ship is 1,442,75S; encampment member
ship, 20S. 437; Re9ekah membership, OIL
300 of which there are 1888 brothers
and 81 6S7 sisters. The subordinate lodge
membership. together with the sisters of
the Rebekah branch, made the aggregate
membership of the order at the end of
1907, 1S14.44 this not including encamp-
ment, PatriarchS Militant members or
brothers of the Rebekah branch, as these
are all included as subordinate lodge
members.
1T will be seen that in the encamp-
ment branch the net increase is A. sol for
the past year, as against only S,476 in
1906
$5,112,oo3 for Relief.
THE total relief expenditure in all
branches for 1907 is S5,112 993.75. as
against S5Ot5, 1887 in 1906 showing an
inc in la of
The total receipts of subordinate bodies
of the order in 1907 are S15S44, OH as
against S15 16S, 30I. 90 in 1906. showing an
increase in 1907 over the previous year
of S676, 263 SO.
1.-The receipts OF this office from repre-
sentative tax, sale of supplies and inter-
est on deposits amount to S126 114.50 for
the fiscal year ending July 81, 1903,
against Sill, 6S5.9I for the previous fiscal
year. and this Notwithstanding the large
reduction In the price OF official certifi-
Gates. the introduction and sale of the
transfer certificate at cents each. which
has greatly reduced the sale OF with
drawal cards at 20 cents each, and the
financial stringency which extended
through the last nine months of the fiscal
year"
Forty-three homes, representing a cost
of So O55. 5S6 are owned by the order.
These homes are valued at S2.S7s,611, and
shelter 2,531 INDECENT Odd Fellows, wild
oWS and orphans.
One important question will come up
for consideration. 1t is to make the age
limit for admission eighteen years in
stead of twenty-one. as at present.
Following the preliminary exercises the
sovereign Grand Lodge adjourned to FL
Jebel Temple. where the executive ses-
sions were held.
100000 Members of Order.
This is the strongest fraternal order
on the continent" said Grand Sire Con-
way. at has 100000 members and has
not stopped growing. 1t has forty-four
homes for the aged and INDECENT and
homes and schools for dependent children.
The order has an annual income of
$4,000. 900, of which 100000 is spent in
relief and a similar sum for lodge ex-
penses. This leaves balance each year
of 81. 100000, which is added to a reserve
fund that now amounts to $50, 600 600"
There are 203 representatives to this
convention, the larger States having four
and the smaller ones from two to three.
John L. Nolan, deputy grand sire. who
will succeed F.. S. Conway as grand sire,
is a citizen of Nashville. Tenn. He is
fifty-six years old and has been member
OF the order since he was twenty-one. In
1885 he was elected grand master of Ten
nessee, and two years later became a
member of the Sovereign Grand Lodge
Amendments to the constitution were
considered and were defeated excepting
the one providing representation from
foreign jurisdictions. George T. Clarke
of Australia was seated as a representa-
tive