Connecticut western news., 1909-04-29
ODD FELLOWS SERVICE
Eloquent Address Was Delivered by
 Rev. E. c. Gillette

sion is an annual one and is ill honor of departed brothers of the fraternity. It was also the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the order in this country. The lodge attended ill O body attired ill their regalia. At the church they occu- pied seats ill the front center, Tho re- mainder of the church was filled with friends. The service was an inspiring one. Mrs. Bullock sang very acceptably and an anthem was rendered by the church choir. Rev. MT. Gillette then preached @ sermon appropriate to the occasion. He was listened to with the closest interest. The sermon was an eloquent and scholarly one with a mes sage of special interest to those prese nt. MT. Gillette took for his text the para blo of the Good Samaritan" and after words of hearty welcome to the lodge, said that his theme was "the larger ideals and newer interpretations of brotherhood" He spoke ill parts as fol lows:
 This theme Is chosen because 1t is of common interest to both church and fraternity. 1 believe that the church can learn much from the fraternity con- corning definite ways of promoting brotherhood within the particular group, but the fraternity must look to the church for the expression of the larger brotherhood which knows no limits but the brotherhood of men. We want to i've as brothers and we want to know if there is any new light on the ways in which this spirit is to be wrought out i'll actual experiences. We must go back to Christ for the spirit, but he leaves it to us to apply it to life. He gives us this beautiful parable illustrating the true brotherly or neighborly spirit. My first main point is drawn directly from the parable; the second is modern in- ference from the spirit of it.
 "We should strive not to limit our brotherhood. Was the man who fell among robbers Jew or a Samaritan? Some say that he was a Samaritan and that Jesus was teaching us the funda- mental importance of being true to those who are members of our particular group, wLa.eEor or t.IAt group may be. But If tho man Was a Jew. He was teaching us that men sometimes fall to be brotherly even to the members of their own groupe and that the highest expression of true brotherhood is when a man has mercy upon man entirely outside of his natural group relations, Our first concern should be for those bound to us by the deepest natural ties. If we are not true brothers within our own families, or fraternities or churches, we won't be good neighbors or citizens. The man who limits his brotherhood and says because he is Jew he has no obligation toward the Samaritan isn't going to be even a good Jew. But the man who is truest to those nearest to him will broaden his sympathies and the man who broadens his sympathies will be the truest brother. Don't limit your brotherhood.
 We should not take too limited a view as to what constitutes the obliga- tions of brotherhood. The befriending of those who fall into distress is a first duty and calls for noble service, true brotherly sympathy and for all the nat ural and spontaneous expressions of human helpfulness. On the great shield of your order IS emblazoned "we com- mand you to visit the sick; relieve the distressed; bury the dead and educate the orphan" These are noble duties and commend you for the manner in which you have striven to fulfil the con- mand. do not belittle brotherly ser vice. In fact one of the sources of greatest satisfaction to members church is that their missionary doctors have have gone all over the earth nlinistering to the distressed ill the name of Christ. the purest expression of disinterested brotherhood to be found i'd all the earth.
 But beyond the helping of mon in their distresses, there are two other things concerning which we should in- quire: What can we do to remove the dangerous conditions which beset the highways of life ? What am to my brother?'
 "A Good Samaritan in this age and land should not be content with bind ing up those who have fallen among robbers; he should look into this matter of the evils that infest the common highways of life and strive to get rid of them. We can go on forever doctoring results; what we want to do is to get after causes. We have taken the bull
 by the tail long enough, let's try by talk
 ing him by the horns. Bad conditions
 are not inevitable and it is the duty of
 any man who has any feeling for the
 poor victims to get to work and see that
 the public menace is removed. True
 brotherhood demands that we stand be
 hind every part of the Good Samaritan
 program-better schools. clean and de