Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-23
CAMP. 20 IS Is
YEARS OF ACE
Members Celebrate with Smok-
<er and Honor Four Surviv-
ing Veterans.
HEAR HISTORICAL SKETCH
Organization Shown as Leader in
Making Society the Greatest
i'm the World.

last evening observed the 25th anniver
Sary of its organization with pro-
gram and smoker at Odd Fellows hall.
Four of the 20 charter members, who
are still WoOdmen, were present and
were given beautiful charms bearing
the insignia of Woodcraft. Historical
sketches were presented showing the
important part the camp has taken in
the affairs of the society that has in
quarter of a century grown from
membership of 1,C00 to over 100000
and is now the biggest of it's kind in
the world.
The meeting was called to order by
Consul G. H. Lamp, who called upon
J. E. Larkin to preside during the ev-
ening DR.. J. F. Myers was the first
speaker. He told of the forming of the
first fraternal society, the League of
Friends, in 1868, and how by accident
| it came to adopt the insurance feature
and paved the wy for the fraternal in
surance societies of the present day.
Then came the A. o. U. W., and in
1883 Major C. ]. Root organized the
Modern Woodmen. In June the fol
lowing year deputy came to Rock
Island and in the fall Camp 80 was in
stituted. 1t had an original member
ship of six, and has now grown to
number $50.
Received More Than 1t Gave.
In benefits from membership Camp
| % has received much more than it has
given, said the speaker. In the 25
years Of its existence 65 members have
| died and the death benefits paid ag-
gregate $4,000 more than the total
amount the camp has paid into the
| society.
Under the original system of hand
| ling the records it would now require
a building 10 times as large as the
present home of the society to house
them and to accommodate the force of
clerks necessary to keep them. thus
indicating the degree to which system
aud order have been introduced. One
white man out of every 20 within the
jurisdiction of the society is now
member of it. When Camp 80 was or
ganized 500 pounds of paper was suffi-
cient to print the official organ for
year Now it requires Ills tons per
month, and the total amount of mater
ial required yearly for the paper fills
SO freight cars.
In concluding his address Dr. Myers
presented the four original members
of the camp who are still living and
who were presented with the charms
provided by the camp. Those so hon
cred were W. S. Borgess., J. F. Din
dinger and S. r. Wright of this city,
and o. c. Handel of Cordova. Each of
the veteran members was called upon
and expressed thanks to the member
ship. Mr.. Handel recalled some of the
incidents connected with the forming
of the camp, he being the second one
to sign an application for membership,
DR.. John Reiter being the first. The
original officers were:
Consul-James Blaisdell.
Adviser-John Reiter.
Banker. n. O'Neil.
Clerk-O. c. Handel.
Escort-W. P. Quayle.
Watchman-Charles Turner
Mr. Wright told of the manner in
which he became a member, and Mr..
Borgess. mentioned some of the vicis
STUDIES through (which the camp has
passed
Mr. Dindinger Gives History.
Mr.. Dindinger was prepared with a
mr. 1ah nI1
follows:
Il am pleased to meet with you on
this OCCASION the 18th anniversary of
Rock Island camp No. 20. Twenty-Five
years. have certainly raised havoc
with the old, familiar faces. | picture
the familiar face of Neighbor Blaisdall
as counsel; of Neighbors Handel and
Smith as clerk and others-all of
whom put their shoulders to the wheel
10 help make the Modern Woodmen
of America the greatest fraternal order
on the face of the earth. And | wish
to say that Rock Island camp has done
more toward the upbuilding of Wood
manship than any other camp in the
world!
When Rock Island camp was organ
lied | had no idea that | was joiuiag
what was destined to become the great
est fraternal organization in existencs.
Some time in April, 1884, George w.
Draper, deputy, came to Rock Island
My friend, William Borgess., became
acquainted with Mr.. Draper and about
the first one he put him onto was my
self. l sized the situation up and told
Roggess if he wished to join an order,
why not join the A o. U. W., that It
was well established and financially
sound; that the Woodmen were merely
imitators, and only an experiment.