Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-20
GRAND LODGE Is
IN FULL SWING
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS MEET AT
LONG BEACH
OFFICERS WILL BE ELECTED
TODAY
Members Of Los Angeles Lodge Enter
tain Visitors at Authorization
New Members Added
During Year


Special to The Herald.
LONG BEACH, May 19.-The grand
lodge of the knights of Pythias
is now In full swing. A long business
session was held this morning and an
other this afternoon.
This evening the splendid exempll-
fication of the page rank by the Gauht-
let lodge OF Los Angeles entertained
the delegates and visitors at the au-
ditorium. Tomorrow morning and aft
ernoon other business meetings Will be
held and tomorrow night the grand
ball of the uniform rank Will be held
in the auditorium. In the grand march
members in uniform will lead, but
| others may participate.
Forty-three past chancellors attend
ed this mornings business session. Re-
ports were received from the various
officers and committees on insurance,
law. grand law revision, relief and
uniform rank.
Grand Chancellor M. L. Shorts re-
port showed that only six grand do
mains in the United States can show
a larger increase in membership dur
ing the last year than California,
where about 1000 new members have
been added to the rolls. Herman
Schaffner, grand keeper of records and
seals, reported the formation of ten
new lodges and an increase of $42SS2
In subordinate lodge assets. There are
1872 Knights of Pythias lodges in the
state. with total membership OF 49,
ASH. During the past year there were
1877 deaths in the order in the state.
The committee on insurance reported
a gain amounting to 3S 1-3 per cent in
this business during the past year In
surance is carried by 2021 members In
the state; the amount carried Is
SO, 269. $780, while the state branch has
resources amounting to $2,1S5, 4H4O.
May ExpeI Members
The most important amendment sub
mitted by the revision committee was
to the effect that any member Violat-
ing any county or state law or any
Pythian law, or who engages In the
saloon or liquor business, or becomes
a professional gambler, may be ex-
PEELED from the order for such cause.
The expenditure of $6336.S0 for as
sistance at the time of the San Fran
cisco disaster was reported, with
balance of $412575 in the hands of the
relief committee. The committee on
the uniform rank recommended that
the grand lodge provide for general
encampment of the U. r. K. p, to be
held during the next grand lodge con-
vention, and that financial aid be rem
dered to two companies at San Fran
cisco who lost their equipment In the
1906 disaster.
Resolutions of coincidence for SUI
preme Representative Robert T. Burns,
whose brother recently died, and for
Herman Schaffner, grand keeper of
records and seals. who recently lost
his wife, were adopted.
Election of Officers Today
At this afternoons business session
a resolution was adopted making the
election of grand officers special or
der of business for tomorrow morning.
The Office of grand prelate is the only
one which admits of any contest A.
L. Selig of Los Angeles has withdrawn
from the race for this Office and it is
reported that pressure was brought to-
day on NJ l.. Crawford of the same
city to also withdraw. This would
leave Judge Bledsoe of San Bernar-
dino, S. G.. Long of Long Beach and
John L. Childs of Crescent City in the
race.
Fresno today invited the grand lodge
to that city for the next convention,
and Jacksonville will put in it's request
tomorrow for the honor. These invita-
lions are considered by the mileage
committee.
Grand Chancellor Short this after
noon filled existing vacancies In COM
mittees. An amendment to the law
permitting organization of bureaus of
relief was adopted providing that they
| can be organized in the counties as well
as in cities.
The Pythian home fund was under
discussion for a dong time, the ques-
ton of it's use in affording immediate
| relief to deserving persons being espe-
| cially considered.
| An amusing incident occurred this
morning when a member of the Ital-
| ian band sat half hour in the audi
| forum during a secret meeting. He
was unnoticed by the knights until he
walked out of the hall. He was fol-
| lowed into the musicians room in the
| rear and informed that the meeting
was for members only. He retired
gracefully, bearing with him no maps
or drawings of the goat.
The first business session was held
this morning by the Pythian Sisters
grand lodge in the l. o. o. F. hall. A
class of Ill was given the grand lodge
degree at one time.
The election of grand officers of the
Pythian Sisters will be held Friday
morning.