The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-12-02
BENNINGTON ELKS
HOLD MEMORIAL
EXERCISES
Annual Service for Deceased
Members at New Rooms
VARIED PROGRAM OF MUSIC
General Eulogy Delivered by Elk
Mayor Warren r. Austin of
St. Adams.

The local Elks held their annua.
memorial exercises Sunday for depart
ed members at the new rooms in the
Richie block which were more than
comfortably filled by members and
towns people who had gathered to at
tend the beautiful service of the or
der. The program, as published IN
Saturdays Banner, was carried out.
The roll call of deceased members
was as follows:
John II. Ayres, Frank Sherman.
Thomas j. Morrissey Thomas f.
Butler, Stephen Collins, Michael c.
O'Brien, Michael c. Healy, Rudolph
O. Goldsmith, Charles l.. Jewett,
George Ineson, Joseph A. Barber.
Charles NJ Wood, John S. Brant,
Sheldon H. lockwood, Edward j.
Morrissey Rufus b. Godfrey, Henry
S. Wilson, Frank F. Corbett, Will
liam b. Stewart, S Huling Black
mer, George B. Lambson, Harry f..
Tiffany.
The general eulogy was delivered
by Ex-Mayor Warren X. Austin of
st. Adams who spoke in part as fol
lows:
Whom do we celebrate?
Men whose names are as conspicu-
Gus as the sun?
Giants of intellect, heroes of cour-
age, masters of skill, saints of NOR
atty?
Do we sanctify by these solemn
rites, in public, illustrious States
men, famous warriors, splendid
geniuses, extraordinary souls whose
achievements are the climax of hui
man toll and accomplishment?
No. They are the crags and guild
ed peaks of the mountain range of
mankind, commonplace mankind,
which we glorify today in thirteen
hundred lodges throughout America.
Bennington Lodge consecrates this
occasion to the memory of all Elks,
of all Lodges, who have passed hence
into that Presence, Society, and field
of activity, concerning which we do
not know, but persistently study to
reason into a definite concept.
Twenty two brothers of your
Lodge have departed thus far. You
have heard the solemn roll call of
their names. and the absence of any
response thereto. They were true
disciples of the percepts of our Order;
and though absent, though no gor-
geous column, no solemn temple is
erected to their fame. though Am
bition did not mock their useful toll,
their homely joys and destiny obs
cure" yet there abides with us and
forever will influence us the memory
of their simple, cheerful, unostenta-
tious devotion to the principles of the
Order of Elks.
These principles have sought the
heart and mind of man from the very
beginning of time, and have found
many different avenues and vehicles
of approach-the Savior's cross, the
martyrs stake, the soldiers, weapon,
architecture, art and letters, the mis-
sion, the church, and the school
but not the least important of the
instrumentalities by which Divine
Providence gains the voluntary as
sent to and consequent exercise of
his benign laws by men, are the
fraternal organizations and noble
secret societies throughout the world
of which our order is one which is
distinctively American and com
pdTduNely modern.
Like so many factors and forces
of tremendous significance and effect
in the development of Christian civil
lization, the Benevolent and Pro
tective Order of Elks, of the United
States of American had a very
humble origin. by the voluntary as
ISOLATION for social purposes of four
actors in New York City, in 1868.
From l Lodge to 1900 Lodges.
From financial charities in the first
year represented by nothing to finan.
cial charities during the last year,
ended July, 1912, represented BY
half million dollars.
But the charity of Elkdom is not
so much the giving of aims. and
give these figures and would men,
ton the blessed deeds at Chelsea,
Cherry and San Francisco. for the
purpose, characteristic probably OF
lawyer, of showing in tangible evil
dence the development of the Order:
but the charity of Elkdom is prin-
cipally the spirit exhibited in the
friendly act, the encouraging word.
the lenient judgment. the will to for
give and forget. In a word. il is
caiAf ouAEltAn iNnE anu
is kind; envieth not; vaunteth not
itself; Love
The exercise of this virtue-and II
is the greatest Of all the principles of
Elkdom, as it was the greatest of
Paul's trinity OF Faith. Hope and
Love. lis not the sinecure of fam
Gus men, extraordinary souls and
sanity priests. II is the indispensi-
bic habit Of every Elk who is true
to his VOWS. II is the oaken beam
that supports the entire super
structure OF his character as an Elk
be he OF reputation lofty as the
highest range Of ambition-or
humble as any worthy man. And
many is the Elk who typifes this BIZ
becoming the big brother Of some un-
fortunate boy on the streets who
doesn't know that God loves him.
and therefore is reckless Of MS
moral nature. and reveals that Won
derful fact to him by extending his
own love TO the little brother. and
setting him on the way Of truth and