Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-04-30
FELLOWSHIP OF
THREE LINKS
Celebrate Anniversary Of the
Founding Of the Order
THE SIXTEENTH
ANNUAL MEETING
OF The Arkansas Valley Odd FeI-
lows Anniversary Association
In this City on nonday.

Ninety wears ago the first "Odd
Fellows" lodge was organized, and
sixteen years ago upon the same an
niversary date the Arkansas Valley
Odd Fellows Anniversary association
was organized to ftly celebrate the
founding of this great order, which
occurred at Washington Oh April z6,
1879. For these sixteen years the
members of the l. Q. o. F. and late
ly the members OF the female auxil-
iary order-the Rebekahs-have met
together in some one of the Valley
towns to celebrate with song, speech
and social session the birth Of Oddfel-
lowship. This year Rocky Ford had
the meeting, and 1t was one of the
most successful that has ever been
held. Members were gathered here
from from almost every town COM
prising the association-Elder No. II
of Las Animas. Manzanola No. &c.
La Junta No. "a. Granada No. 70,
Lamar No. 80, Oxford No. Ieo of
Fowler, Samaritan No. 1873, Holly No.
LA and Ordway No. I5o-to assist
Rocky Ford Lodge No. 81, Zoar En-
campment No. and Violet Rebekah
Lodge No. 3 in appropriately COM
In the forenoon a business session
of the association was held and Man
zanola was chosen as the meeting
place for next year. and as is custom
ary the officers for the ensuing year
were chosen from the same town,
with the exception OF the treasurer
II. w. Adsmond-who has held the
office ever since the organization.
But the Manzanola people also claim
our genial county assessor rs n cit
izcn. so they really have "hogged'
all the Offices for next year. Follow
ing are the other officers elected:
Edward McClain. president; Henry
Wells, secretary.
The SPACIOUS l. o. o. F. hall was
well filed by $3.50 in the afternoon,
when tiIe social services began. and
from that time until almost midnight
there was something doing" all the
time. OF the social session in the
afternoon the Enterprise has been re-
quested to especially mention the ex
ccllcnt singing OF Roy El5cE and }.
f. Duubar-who were both COMPEL
ed to respond to cucorys. the splendid
music furnished by the High School
Mandolin Cluh-undcr the efficient
leadership OF Miss North. and the
humorous recitals OF Carl Cline. To
each of these the executive commit
tee of the association desires Us to
extend their hearty thanks and arprc-
citation.
President J. w. Lawton in a most
pleasing manner welcomed the SIS
tiers. brothers and friends in a short
address of welcome. and his words
OF cheer and greeting were ably re-
spondcd to by Prof. Geo /. Hess OF
La Junta. Another fine address dur
inc the afternoon was that of Joel
w. Todd. who rc;ald the beautiful
love story of David and Jonathan. 4
Biblical tale quite appropriate in 4
meeting of an order whose ritualistic
teachings are founded upon the BIZ
bic.
:. Senator Crowley was the first mem
Der to speak upon the Good of the
Order. In his remarks he told how
&c and Representative McCaskill had
cured state appropriations OF about
900 to improve the road between
Rocky Ford and Fowlcr-just to have
'ood roads from every direction to
'anzanola for the anniversary next
pr. Others who addressed the as
,,iation with a few remarks along
line OF the orders good were
.,S. Carlisle of La Junta. Johnson
iTanzanola. Nelson of Las Animas.
c. Sloan and Rev. Otto OF this
v.
in the evening the hall was crowd
! to its utmost capacity by the mem
rcrs and friends who anticipated
most iutercrting program. and they
rcre not di-aDUCintcd Avl0-'s Or
lcrtra started the evening son
ith selection about 500 o'clock,
I'd their excellent music was inter
oc-Scd throughout the entire pro-
ram.
The next number was an add-rsS
by Prof Hess of La Iunta. The
speaker told of the growth of f-ater-
nalism. illustrating with few figures
: of interest to every Odd Fellow, a
sfollows:
I. o. o. F. increase every
Z year over ............... 10000
Total membership in 1903. I,66o.75a
Relief for the wear 1908. s s.o7o.4oS.2
Total revenue for 1908. Ts.7oI.r e 90
Brothers relieved in 1908. .. 10000
I Brothers buried in 1908. over 1900
4, He also spoke upon the natural i'm
pulse of mankind to organize.
: The destinv of organized nature Is
amelioration." he said. at is for
imam to tame the chaos: on every side
while he lives. to scatter the seeds
,of science and song. that climate.
corn. and animals and men may be
milder. and the germs of love and
benefit may be multiplied" He took
: his hearers through war. pestilence.
, sorrow and suffering. TO that time
skhen "Mcn sigh for the wings OF
= dove that they NAV fy away and
rest" Let II not be thought that the
last quotation has any reference to