The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-23
BIG 10. OF. RALLY
Ninety-F First Anniversary to Be
Celebrated Monday.
General Meeting at Auditorium
in Evening.
OUTSIDERS COMING.
Nearly 1000 Visitors Expected
for the Event.
Excellent Musical Program and
Address by j. /. Saunders.

|. Address by j. /. Saunders.
Hail the Odd Fellow.
The Independent Order of Odd Eel
| lows of Topeka. with representative
lodges of the order in Kansas at the
Auditorium Monday night, will cele-
hrate the ninety-first anniversary of the
founding of the organization in Ameri-
ca The event occurred at Baltimore,
Nd. April 26 1919. Past Grand Master
John 1. Saunders. of Cheney will be
the speaker of the evening. Other good
numbers will also be given on the pro-
gramme. The Masons Knights of
Pythdas and other lodges have
been invited to attend the exercises.
The meeting is also open to the public
in general.
Outside of Topeka invitations have
been extended to 100 I. o. o. +. lodges,
including those at Atchison, Horton,
Mcpherson. BURLINGTON. Ottawa Olathe,
Eudora. Lawrence, Leavenworth, Her
tngtOn, Wichita, Hutchinson, Yates
Center. Relleville and other towns. Il
is expected that these will send alto
gether from 1.soo to 1000 delegates.
With this attendan nee which will come
through the combined efforts of all
of the Topeka lodges. 1t Is expected that
this celebration will be the largest of
its kind ever held here. The oc-
casion is commentaries here every
year, but not on so large a scale. Last
year for instance. Golden Rule lodge
No. $40 alone had charge of the matter.
However, a joint committee from all
of the Odd Fellow lodges in Topeka has
been appointed to take charge of the
proposition. The committee follows: A.
E. Jones. chairman: Marshal Watson.
secretary-treasurer; P. E. Joseph, Lon
Irish, Ira Orner' Mr.. and Mrs. James
Everett, Marion Rice. Mr.. Lamb, Mr..
and Mrs. J. F. Spohn. and Miss Emma
Stevens. The subcommittee follows:
P. z. Joseph. chairman: Lon Irish, Ira
Orner. Mrs. James Everett and Marion
Rice.
These people have spared no effort to
make the affair a success and wish to
emphasize the fact that they extend
hearty invitation to the public in gen.
eral to attend the meeting Monday
night.
The Program.
The program will be as follows:
Invocation-Rev. Everett. pastor of
Third Presbyterian church.
Solo-Madam Lunde Souther.
Music-HalrS orchestra.
Address-John I. Saunders.
Must.>-HalPs orchestra.
Sclo-Mada.11e Lunde Souther.
Reading-Miss Ona May Miller.
Violin solo-Miss Ruth Miller.
Music-HalrS orchestra.
History of Order.
These exercises are held in honor of
lodge which is first heard of in A.
d. at Rome. At that time, according
to tradition, an organization similar
to the Odd Fellows learned of a plan
to assassinate the reigning Caesar and
frustrated the scheme. In remem-
brance Caesar presented the organi-
cation with a gold shield. On this
were engraved representations of the
lion, dove and olive branch. These
are now the embleIns of the order.
The Odd Fellows are again heard
of occasionally toward the end of the
seventeenth century when it appears
hot a f0vx lar
THE Ancient Order of Odd Fellows
in England. In 1909 a similar organ
ization was formed in England, known
as the Manchester Unity" At pres
emit this lodge numbers 800, 900 MEM
bers, mainly in England and her col
onies.
In America, the order was founded
in April, 1919. at Baltimore, Nd. On
the second day of the month of that
year, people interested in the matter
had printed in the papers of the time
notice calling a meeting of all OF
the Odd Fellows in the city to meet
hotel then. Thomas Wildey, who had
belonged to the Odd Fellows in Eng
land and a few others were back of
the movement. However, not until
April &c, OF that year did enough men
get together to form the organization.
Then with Mr. Wildey, four other men
organized the first lodge of the kind
in America in the upper room of the
was preserved for many years, until
destroyed in the great Baltimore fire
several years ago. monument with |
an appropriate inscription, now marks
the spot.
Soon after it's founding the lodge
became known as the "Independent |
Order of Odd Fellows" to show that
1t was distinct from the lodge in Eng
land. For the spirit of independence
from the mother country and the feel
ing wrought by the Revolutionary war
was still rife in the minds of the peo-
pie.
From the one lodge of five members
in Baltimore, the order has grown un-
til it's membership includes one and
one-half millions in the United States
and Canada. The I. o. o. F. is also
represented in seventeen foreign
countries of the world. a total mem
bership of about $4,000. In Kan
sas the Odd Fellows Tive" lodges
number $50. including $4,000 mem |
bers.
In Topeka there are 9e4 Odd Fell !
lows. The four different lodges of the |
order and the mem ership of each at /
I. 500; Topeka Council No: 40, S67; |
Eugene Council No. TO, 113; Excel |
sior, No. $40. IT'S.
The Rebekahs.
Besides the men of the Odd Fellows |
in the United States, the membership |
branch of the order number about [
one-half million. In Kansas the odd |
Girls number about $4,000.
And a present Wichita man, j. B. |
Glenn, an uncle of w. M. Glenn, can |
didate for lieutenant governor, was
womens AUXILIARY of the Odd Fellows. |
This branch was organized in Iowa in /
September, 1851. Schuyler Colfax |
later vice president during Grants |