Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-04
FRATERNITY THEKEYNOTE
Impressive Memorial Services OF
Elks In Honor OF Memory
OF "Absent Brothers"
HON. J. A. BURKHART ORATOR
Dignified Ceremonies OF The Local
Lodge At The Colonial Theatre
A Large Audience.


Fifteen Absent Brothers" of
Annapolis Lodge No 622, Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. were
memorialized yesterday afternoon by
dignified and imposing ceremonies,
held in the Colonial Theatre. attendant
upon the annual memorial service of
this fraternity.
Every seat in the main auditorium,
boxes, gallery and balcony was occu-
pied when the curtain rose after the
beautiful rendition of Chopin's funeral
marche by the Naval Academy orche =
ira, Lieutenant Zimmerman, leader of
the band, at the piano and musical di-
rector of the occasion.
The scene revealed at the rising of
the curtain was an impressive one.
In the rear of the stage stood a large
white cross mounted upon a base rep
resenting white marble and on which
were the names of the deceased Elks.
| The cross was twined with trailing
vines of smilax and ferns, and palms
were banked on either side. The
lodge members were grouped on either
side of the cross in semi-circle. and
in the centre of the stage on a
| table covered with a United States
flag rested an open Bible, on which
was an Elk's head and fifteen burn
ing tapers nearby.
The opening ceremonies were
splendidly conducted by Exalted Ruler
George Hahn, whose good voice and
impressive manner added to the dig
nifty and solemnity of the occasion.
Mr.. Hahn was thoroughly familiar
with his lines, and conducted the
| opening ceremonies in highly credit
able manner. The lodge sang a verse
of NEARER My God to Thee" and
Great Ruler of the Universe after
which the opening prayer was made
by DR.. Joseph P. McComas. rector of
st. Anne's.
Theprogram was interspersed with
several musical selections hv the Ma
beautifully played, and the music was
| a marked feature of the altogether
impressive occasion. Vocal selec-
tions by visiting vocalists were given
by Mr.. Oscar Lehman, Miss Lillian
Chenowoth and Miss Beuhla Orem.
Mr.. Lehman sang in good tenor voice
"The Publican" by Van de Water.
1t is a splendid composition based on
the well known parable and was beau
tifully sung.
Miss Chenoweth's contralto solo
"Thy Will Be Done" was we'll sung,
and duet by Mr.. Lehman and Miss
Orem was a musical feature not down
on the program Miss Orem sang
Gounod's "There Is a Green Hill Far
Away" in splendid voice. She has
clear, musical soprano voice and sings
| with ease and naturalness, ,enunciating
perfectly.
The orator of the occasion was
the Hon. Joseph A. Burkhart, Past
Exalted Ruler of Lodge No. Is, of
Washington City. Many men are call
ed orators who are not, but the
word was not misnomer when ap-
piled to Mr.. Burkhart His oration
was timely, delivered in good voice,
| without manuscript, was brief and
contained a fund of information that
showed scholarly reading and re-
search. Fraternity was the keynote
of Mr.. Burkrhart's address. The fra
ternity of which he spoke he said was
that accepted in its most literal in
depreciation. which, by practical OBJ
servnce, meant to extend the hand to
the needy and to make the lives of
others happier.
In the library at France, the oldest
papyrus book written, $500 B. c.,
charity was commended. Ancient
Egyptian books, he said, contain 156
chapters pertaining to the subject of
charity and telling of the voyage of the
soul in which it says l have given
food to the hungry, drink to the thirs-
ty and clothes to the naked. In the
library of Sardinapalus, which contains
important writings known to the
world, there is breathed the spirit of
fraternity and the practice of charity
is advocated.
1t is so with the library of Persia,
the Talmud, the Roman classics, all
of which contain writings Indicative
of fraternity. The Bible of the
Hindus had maxium, "He alone
has not lived in vain who has used
his life for the betterment of 9TH
ers." Mohammed said'f Every good
act is charity" Putting your
brother on the right road, the speak
er said, is charity. A mans true
wealth is the good he has accom-
plished in this world. Men sa,
, when a man dies, what property
; has he left?" The Angely saws
"What good has he accomplished"
r Less murder, less suicide would b,
: committed if there were more frater
] nifty. The distinction between Pagal
and Christian is not marked by senti
ment; if it were it would be hard t
2 tell the difference between them
! Christ's command was Glove one an
? other. When there is true, honest
t Legitimate love, there is faith, ther
Y is hope, there is charity. Charit
$ does not mean always almsgivine
0 Charity is the Elk's prime and princi
pal motto, and following this is "Jus
tice''and Brotherly Love, +" that qua
n ity which causes each to feel kindly t.
g ward the other. Another motto q
the Elks is "Fidelitv. - which is sal