Evening journal., 1909-09-21
REPORT GROWTH
OF THE l.. 0. OF.
52,3 Members Aided TO
Society During the Past
Year

SEATTLE, sept. 2l-rhe eishty-dfth
annual session Of the Severe. .gn Grand
Lodge Independent order of odd Fellows.
began in this city yesterday with hun
dreds Of members Of the order present
The preparations for the entertainment
Of the visiting host are on the most e alb
crate scale, $4,000 having been subscribed
tor the purpose. a great parade, probably
exceed.n .ng in size any every seen here. Is
one of the most notable features Of the
program.
The initial session Of the Sovereign
Grand Lodge was devoted chiefly to the
reading OF reports, all of which indicated
an extraordinary degree Of prosperity
throughout the order and a surprising
growth in the face Of adverse business
conditions.
The report recites the memorial day
proclamation of the acting grand sire. in
which the deaths during the year Of
Grand Sire Nolen and Past Grand Sire
Cable are referred to.
The .Rebeisah branch Of the order dur
ing the year showed an increase only
253 short Of that of the year 1907, MAX
ing the number of sisters now nearly
100000. The grand sire urges that If fric-
ton IS to be averted leg. station should I'M
mcdiately be resorted to which will pre-
vent members from creating or fostering
any society basing its membership on
membership IN either branch Of the or
der.
The increase I'm membership in the Phil
ippines during the year has been greater
than ever before. An Isthmian Rebekah
Lodge was instituted at Gorgona, IN the
Panama Canal Zone, October 10, 1908. The
Isthmian Canal Lodge is in a very -four
ishing condition. while Crislobal Colon
ooge, No 2, which laborcd under great
disadvantage owing to the transfers OF
employees has recovered and is now doing
good work. Conditions in the Yukon Ter
ritory are splendid. and in Alaska odd
Fellowship has never before been so pros
porous as at present, there being now five
good strong. he ny lodges there.
The acting grand sire, in conclusion,
says that having visited the membership
in many localities he has found a gradual
change for the better In the seneral per-
sonnet which has been one OF the potent
factors in acing the order upon a plane
whereby every member, no matter how
high his station in life may be, is greatly
honored.
The report of Grand Secretary John b.
Goodwin showed. despite the financial de-
preston of the preceding year, the condi-
tion Of the order on December 81, 1908.
indicated splendid progress. While the
effect Of the depression was seen in
somewhat reduced net increase in mem-
bership compared with the wonderful
growth during the previous six or seven
years, the addition to the membership
would be considered remarkable but for
the phenomenal increase to which the
order had become accustomed.
All branches have shared alike in the
net increase, and the total receipts OF
subordinate bodies and also the total eX-
penditure for re ief were larger than ever
before. The total Of invested funds is also
larger.
The membership increase in subordinate
lodges was 1870. and since the tables
were made up the Grand Lodge of Aus
traiasa has reported an additional in
! crease of 1854. making the total net in
! crease 5s.3ih In encampment membership
the net increase was 77ss; IN Rebekah
membership, brothers $3.50, and sisters
afei1. The aggregate Increase for the year
for al branches Except tho Patriarchs
MiitanD was s2.s6S. The present member
ship is: Subordinate lodges dncluding
Australasia. i.i95,1oe; encampments, 2i6.-
rs. Rcbekah. 6oS.9Si, Of which there arc
brothers, aos.o5s and sisters, 395,s9s; total
/ 1 sol 0lO