Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-11-20

held will be -lab0rately and artistic
ally decorated for the occasion with
flowers, palmse rTSAOLfo g ETC
flowers, palms, ferns and flags. On
Wednesday and Friday evenings the
Daughters Of Rebekah will entertain
the visitors with a social event while
on Thursday evening theatre party
viii be form d
Organization Of Grand Lodge.
Here is the most authentic history
of the organization of the Grand
Lodge of Odd Fellows OF West Vir-
ginia and incidentally giving a brief
history of The lodges that were in ex-
istence when the Grand Lodge first
met, showing the great stride made
by the order in this state during the
past twenty-four years. The report
is furnished by E. A. Billingslea, of
Fairmont, one OF the Oldest and most
prominent Odd Fellows in West vir-
ginia and is given in his own words.
as follows:
''In giving out brief statement of
the organization of the Grand Lodge,
|. o. o. F. o, West Virginia, 1t be-
| comes necessary 10 state that the
Grand Lodge was like many other in
cid nts which tended to shape the
destiny of our great order as well as
the great destiny Of our great nation
and our beloved state of West Vir-
ginia. as an outgrowta of the civil
war
Held First Convention,
Thomas G.. Steel past grand mas
ter of Virginia, having in view the
holdings together of the order. acted
as grand master over the lodge, To-
Gated in now the state of West Vir-
ginia and kept the watchfire burning
from the Potomac to the Ohio and
through the mountains of the state.
I'm 1863 West Virginia by act of
the natioial legislature became state
and shortly thereafter Mr.. Steel is
sued call for meeting of delegates
| from the various subordinate lodges
which kept up their organization dur
ing tn years of internecine strife.
The first meeting was held in the
town of Fairmont.
Petition Grand Lodge.
! 'The meeting, though brief, was inn
portant, in part being adopted That
the several past grand masters pro-
coed to sign the petition to the Grand
Lodge of the United States asking
that charter be granted them to or
ganize a grand lodge in West Virginia
| and that the petition De filed locating
! the Grand Lodge for West Virginia in
the city of Wheeling. The conven-
| ton next met in the Odd Fellows hall
in this city in July !, 1863, in accord
ance with the resolution adopted at
Fairmont Delegates were present
| from eleven lodges. A resolution re-
newing the application for a charter
was adopted.
! For period of nearly two years
nothing toward the organization OF the
Grand Lodge was done but in Decem-
Der, 1865, charter was granted, inn
med.ately followed by an other meet
| ing in this city, when the Grand
Lodge was formally organized officers
elected and appointed. At this SEES
sion the very important matters of re-
| numbering the lodges under the new
charter came up. resulting in the
adoption of resolution numbering
Harpers Ferry Lodge, which was UNI
! der the mother jurisdiction, as Lodge
| No. l, hence the present numbering.
! The records of the Grand Lodge of
the United States date the first an
/ nual session of the Grand Lodge of
West Virginia, April "a, 1866, when
there were only twenty-five lodges,
while today there are nearly 800
working lodges in West Virginia, with
a membership of 1850"
| Organization of American Lodge.
The order of Odd Fellows originated
in England among workingmen who
had been accustomed to assembling
together periodically at public house
/ Tor social enjoyment and although
chaotic in character, at first, it grad
ually drifted into formal organiza-
I ton and formation Of lodges in i'm
/ itation Of the existing fraternities,
| guilds and trade societies. The first
/ organization was known as "The An
/ cient Order of Odd Fellows" and an
/ other was formed soon after called
"The Union Order of Odd Fellows"
These are supposed to have been
| founded during the latter part OF the
seventeenth or near the beginning of
the eighteenth century These two
branches came together in 1915 and
organized 1.-The Manchester Unity"