Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-05-26
.GA. GRAND LODGE OF
ODD FELLOWS MEETS
Reports of Officers Show
Wonderful Growth of Order
During the Past Year
Especial Dispatch to The Journal.)


ROME, Ca, May 24.-With more than
1000 delegates and visitors in attendance
the 6sth annual session of the Grand
Lodge of Georgia, 1. o. o. F. convened
here Wednesday morning, and will re-
main in session until Thursday night.
The first business OF the day was the
comforting Of the grand lodge degree up
on such as had not yet received 1t. This
was done in secret at 1880 o'clock this
morning in the Elite theater, and occu-
pied an hour. At $3.50 the grand lodge
formed in front of the Cherokee hotel.
to take part in the opening parade. The
parade moved between rows of buildings
decorated with red. white and blue. and
thousands of spectators viewed it.
j A feature of the parade was the pres
ence of Rome's 1900 school children, who
presented each visitor with a souvenir
pennant and chanted "Odd Fellows We'll
come to Rome" as parade with 1000 in
line passed
In the line OF march there were mounted
| policemen, followed by the officers of the
Rebekah assembly, the Manufacturers
and Merchants association, of Rome; the
mayor and city council in automobiles
Then came the Patriarchs Militant, the
military branch of the order In their
uniforms. and finally the members and
officers of the Grand Encampment and
Grand Lodge
OPENING SESSION.
! The opening session of the grand lodge
was called to order at 9 o'clock by
Grand Master Orrin Roberts, of Mon
roe, Deputy Grand Master l.. B. Clarke,
of Atlanta, assisting him. The morning
was devoted to the appointment of COM
mfttees and the hearing of reports.
The session reconvened at 1870 p. m,
and heard the reports Of the grand of1-
GERS. The recommendations in the re-
ports and the other legislation, together
with the election of officers. will be talk
en- up Thursday.
This afternoon at o'clock the cantons
of the Patriarchs Militant viii engage in
/ a prize drill for a prize of $500. The
judges are to be Maj r. l.. Cheek, Of
Macon, Maj. c.. Wolfsheimer, of Allan
ia, and Capt. c. A. Van der Leith, Of
| Athens.
Tonight at the Rome opera house the
degree teams of the subordinate lodges
win have their annual contest. Entries
have been received from Rome, Atlanta,
Macon, Brunswick, Thomasville, Augusta
and other cities. The prizes are $500,
800 and $50
The Rebekah assembly, the ladies'
branch OF the order also opened it's ses-
sions at 10 o'clock at the county court
house. Reports from state officials
showed gain in financial and numerical
strength. Indications are that its state
will be redistricted into % instead of 20
divisions as at present. There were
brief business meetings in the morn
/ ing and afternoon. At 4:30 O'Clock
this afternoon the delegates will be
entertained at tea by the ladies of the
Rome lodges of the Eastern Star. Mac
cabees and Woodmen's Circle. Tonight
the degree contest of the Rebekah lodges
takes place at Odd Fellows hall.
The social side of the program is not
being neglected. Yesterday the visitors
were guests of the Rome lodges at the
| ball game between Rome and Decatur.
This afternoon at o'clock they will be
taken in trolleys and autos for trip
around the city, and to the campuses
of Shorter college and the Berry school.
The closing sessions of both Grand
Lodge and Rebekah assembly will be held
Thursday, the final business being the
election of officers and the choice of the
next meeting place.
Teeming with Interesting and impor-
tant facts and recommendations con-
lcerning the welfare of the order in
Georgia, the annual reports of the
grand officers were read today.
During the year % new lodges were
Instituted at the Following places: Tar
rytown, Bishop, Nacoochee, Adrian,
Mount Vernon. Dudley, Nicholson, Cur
tiss, Madison, Rebecca. College Park, Ber-
lin. Newton, Union Hill, Mount Gilead,
Bold Springs, Tucker, Cross Roads
church (Forsyth county,, Ludvine,
Union School house GRADY county,.
Four lodges, those at CordeIe, Stewart,
lPendergrass and Spread, have surren-
dered their charters, leaving the totai
number ON the roll sos, gain of IL
during the year.
The membership of the order in
Georgia is now S6,OS4. This is gain
of 969 over one year ago. During the
year 4,714 were initiated and LAO ad-
mitted by card, and 799 reinstated. The
principal loss was by suspension foI
non-payment of dues, 1909; Withdraw.
by card. 1,ls0; and death. 2s3.
There are now but 2l counties OF
the 147 in the state which have no Odd
Fellows lodges. An effort will be made
to place lodges in all of these during the
coming year
The county with the largest number
of lodges is Hall, with 23. Jackson
has l6. Gwinnett 10, Walker IA, Floyd
g, Bibb z. and Fulton IL.
The income Of the grand lodge last
year was N1osoVl Inc expenditures were
S29, 075, leaving a balance on hand OF
s15,5S7. This balance is somewhat
smaller than usual, due to the fact that
an appropriation of $4,000 was made
for the entertainment of the sovereign
grand lodge of the world, which met in
Atlanta during the year.
MORE DEPUTIES.
Grand Master Roberts recommends
that the number of district deputies in
the state be increased from 20 to 25i
that a school of instruction be estab-
lished for local secretaries by the grand
secretary, either at the grand lodge
meeting or the division meeting and
that after five years of service a sec
rotary be paid the honors of past no.
BILE grand, that is, made a member of the
grand lodge. The grand master does
not believe that an Odd Fellows home
is necessary at this time, but points
to the expenditure last year of $3,06s
for the relief of widows and orphans by
the grand lodge as the proper method
of handling this problem.