Evening journal., 1909-11-17
STATE ODD
FELLOWS HERE
Reports Submitted Show In
crease in Lodge Member
ship During Year
ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND
BANQUET THIS AFTERNOON

0AANk0AA AAA6 IA AkAtAtVVlN
The sixty-sixth annual meeting Of the
Grand Lodge OF Delaware, Independent
Order OF odd Fellows in Odd Fellows
Hail. Third and King streets this morn-
Ing was devoted TO routine business. The
meeting was remarkably weil-attended.
every lodge in the State. except three.
being represented. and every officer pres
ent but one. Twenty-Five new members
were admitted. Reports OF officers were
then made. showing the condition OF tho
Grand Lodge In interesting detail. The
following committee was appointed toI
meet distinguished members Of the orderi
this afternoon: James II. Appleby. r. l..
Overdeer and B. J. Isaac. Among thol
visitors viii be Grand Secretary Goodwin.
OF the Sovereign Grand Lodge They viii
be entertained at a dinner at the HoteN
Wilmington at o'clock, preceding thel
evening session OF the grand lodge.
The most important item before the
lodge at the afternoon session, which be-
gan at 2 o'clock. will be the election OF Of
hcers. There will also be an exemplinca-
ton Of the unwritten work.
Grand Master Melville W. Wells sub
mitted his annual report Immediately af-
ter the opening session of the Grand
Lodge. He referred happily to a gain OF
50 In membership and expressed salts
faction at the great interest that had
been taken In the order during his term
Then followed a report OF all his judicial
acts during the year. Special mention was
made OF tho contest among the district
lodge degree teams for the prize offered
and It was Mr.. Wells hope that more
lodges will enter into the next contest.
Then followed the reports Of Dr. j. VIII
lard crossan. George W. Locates. william
b. Lester. Howard z. Lynch and f. W.
wietbank, deputy grand masters of tho
work done in their respective districts.
The report OF Isaac w -Iallam. grand
: secretary. was particularly gratifying. It
showed a present membership Of 2.s54 IN
Se lodges. The increase in membership
e was so. The relief report showed.
Number OF Brothers relieved. 2e4 mum
! her OF weeks sickness. 2ao9; number o
brothers buried. 80; number Of brothers
wives died. 1s. amount paid for sick rehe
M sS,7l927; amount paid for hurlai-lnale
sa.osfs5: amount paid for h.a-ieiszf zf2s;jt "
ie $1,000; amount paid for widowed fami
r lies ss3z00. amount paid FOR outside char
o, liable purposes. s2i4si amount paid fo
e. donations. $4,000; total for relief. SIS g,Osg
l. total for other purposes S1s52o5s: total
q amount disbursed. s27.5o014; total amount
D OF receipts, sas,5l9.s4.
The net assets we're reported as
/, amounting TO S162,S4L7z
! Rebekah Degree.
% Regarding the Rehakah degree. Mr..
{ Hallam reported:
Adverse circumstances continue to
; retard the usefulness Of the lodges OF
J the Rehalah degree. limiting the
{, sphere of their work by reason Of
meagre gains in membership. More
5 of our energy should be devoted to tho
= strengthening Of this branch OF our
81 order II is a valuable auxiliary and
k should receive more encouragement
= than Is awarded 10 It. Then followed
= figures showing membership in the
i degree OF ss4. a gain Of IL. and avail
a able funds amounting to $7.52S.s7.
J. In closing. Mr.. Hallam said:
"Deducting the losses caused by
n suspensions and deaths. which keep
U pace in the usual ratio, a splendid gain
b Of eighty (s0) in membership is record
n ed. The other essentials OF our good
work keep up 10 the standard. The
,e outlook for the future is bright and
n encouraging. but realization depends
upon perseverance,"
n The report OF P. ]. Isaacs. as grand
l. treasurer, followed.
IT A statistical report showed Eden
i Lodge 20 be the banner organizations
with 272 members.
n Representatives Report.
v The Rev. r. X. Stephenson and
K Robert NJ. Burns, representatives to
n the Sovereign Grand Lodge conven-
ton, which met in Seattle. reported at
> great length Of the deliberations OF
that body At the meeting the condi-
a tion OF the order throughout the world
was reported as follows:
, Sovereign Grand Lodge. 1; Quasi
independent Grand Lodges (Austral-
asia. Denmark, Germany. Netherlands.
Sweden, and Switzerland). s.. Grand
Lodges. SO; Grand Encampments, 81.
Subordinate Lodges, 16,932; Subordin-
ate Encampments, 1866; Rebekah
Lodges. s.645: lodge members. 1.492. .47S;
encampment members. 216,225; Re-
= belzah Lodge members, 603,931; tota
= number OF persons belonging to thu
: order. 1,ssS,s76; total relief fund pai(
/ in 1908. S5.500.S25.60; total receipts o
% subordinate bodies for 1908, $16. 80, ,9S7
AZ: total expenses of grand an'
l. subordinate bodies for 1908. s.. .SS1, ,529 rs
y invested funds of grand and sub
! ordinate bodies December 81, 1908. $40.
'i 75S $685..