Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-04-17
N. E. IOWA ODD FELLOWS
Immense Gathering of Three-Linkers
Expected i'm Decoiah App. 26.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.
Special Train From Mason City Will
Bring Visitors Hundred
Miles. Coming From All
Directions.


will be Odd Fellows day in Decorah.
The city will be turned over to them
to fuss and frolic as they like. 1t
will be the northeastern Iowa cele-
bration of the ninety-third anniver-
sary of the founding of the order,
and it is expected that upwards of
two thousand Odd Fellows will be
here from all over northeastern Iowa.
A special train from Mason City has
been arranged for, and it promises
to be filled. Charles City, New
Hampton and every town along the
way will add its quota, and from out
of the woods to the north and east
of us there will come down upon us
boards of the patrons of the three
links, and the city will surrender un-
conditionally.
Judge Henderson of Indianola,
Past Grand Master and now COM
merce counsel for the state of Iowa,
will be the orator of the day. Sem
ator Robt. Quigley of McGregor, also
high officer in the order will speak,
and Mrs. Lewis, matron of the Odd
Fellows Orphans home at Mason
City. Mayor Daubney will deliver
an address of welcome in the opera
house, there will be music, and
program that will be interesting to
everyone. In the afternoon there
Will be exemplifications of the secret
work of the Odd Fellows and Re-
bekahs at Steyer's opera house and
other halls of the city There will
be dances and entertainment of var
ious kinds, and the Decorah Com
mercial Club will join with the local
members of this order in showing
the visitors a good time.
In this connection, brief historic
al sketch of this great fraternal
order may be of interest.
The history of Odd Fellowship in
the United States begins with the
institution of Washington Lodge No.
l, in Maryland, April 26, 1919. The
encampment branch of the order be-
gins with the institution of encamp-
ment Lodge No. /, in Baltimore,
Maryland, July 6, 1927.
Odd Fellowship had it's beginning
in Iowa with the formation of Wash
ington Lodge in Burlington, April 4,
1914, and the first grand lodge of
the order was held in Muscatine, May
I Gvprf
organized in Dubuque, December 5,
1916, and the first grand encamp-
ment of this branch of Odd Fellow
ship was held in Muscatine, June II,
1852
The history of the Rebekan branch
of this order in Iowa began at Bloom
field and dates from November, 1868.
The first general assembly of Re-
bekahs met in Des Moines on Sept.
4, 1883.
The number of Odd Fellows in
Iowa June 80, 1911, was as follows:
subordinates, 59,126; encampment
members, 1899. Rebekahs, broth
ers, 1852, sisters, 26,221, or total
of 39,7S3.
According to the statistics gather
ed up to and including Dec. 81, 1911,
covering the United States, it was
found that there were 1853, ,169
members of the Odd Fellow lodge, of
which 221.497 belonged to the ad-
vanced order of the society. OF the
Rebekahs including botn men and
women. there were 666,537 men,
bers. This brings the grand total
membership of Odd Fellowship up to
the very large figure of 2.023,731.
During the year of 1910 this order
paid out in relief work among its
members and others worthy of as
sistance, $5,711 ,049.41 and the total
of such relief work done since 1880
reaches the astounding figure of
$136, sos, ,o90.0S.