The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-15
DEGREE WORK
 FOR 37 OPENS l. I.Q.O.F.SESS|ON
Beautiful Ritualistic Spectacle at Hyperion Witnessed by
 Thousands of Members

Hyperion Witnessed by
 Thousands of Members
 Past Grand Masters Association
 Elects Officers - Philip
 Pond President
 New Haven. May 15-Five thousand Odd Fellows. delegates and guests from all over the United States, and some from Canada actually lombard ed the Hyperion theatre last night to witness a spectacle seldom, if ever, eQualled in the annals of the order in America, when cast of 25O mem- bers of the ten lodges of the city pre- scented in all it's dazzling splendor of costuming and prodigality of coloring the ritual of the order as practieed in the times when Roman emperors ruled the world Thirty-seven Odd Fellows from this city, -Middletown, and New Britain, received the second degree in the midst of splendor de- order. The imperial robes of the rul- CTS, the armor of the Roman soldiers. the pomp and splendor of the royal court as transmitted to twentieth cen- tury' environment by the art of the actors made picture that every Odd forget. The capacity of the huge stage at the Hyperion was taxed to it's limits to support the big company. large amount of special scenery had to be provided under the direc- tion of Director James W. Russell. who drama tized the ritual, and Stage Manager; Langley of the Grand Opera house. a member of the order, who assisted with a corp of co-workers.
 Five. acts were presented, the first in the interior of the city of Jeru- salem, with it's chorus of people, osi- ental dances and spectacular gather ings of the people. The second act depicted a roadway leading from the city, the third a narrow defile of the hills; the fourth and fifth, the return of the ritualists to the Holy City. The lessons of Odd Fellowisn are founded on the teachings and traditions of the Bible, and the ritualistic work takes tian ages, in which the scenes. are laid. In the lodge room the field of dramatic work is necessarily limited. but last night the work was SO ampli- fled as to reach the highest degree Of dramatic art and representations,
 
 the army of Odd Fellows went to Music hall, where the four Rebekah lodges of the city, Columbia; Deborah, Naomi and New Haven, prepared buffet luncheon.
 Grand Masters' Banquet.
 ; The annual session of the Grand lodge was formally opened in the af- ternoon at the Hotel Taft when 27 members of the Grand Masters Asso- ciation met and elected officers TOT the next year. Guests were present from the order in the State and invited of ficials from other jurisdictions through out the country.
 Philip Pond of this city was elected president of the Past Grand Masters Association to succeed Lucius Fl. Full Ter. of Putnam. Other officers elect ed were: Vice president, Charles B. Ware, past grand master of Hartford, who succeeds Philip Pond; secretary and treasurer, Frank R. UpSOn or Southington, a reelection.
 Housing speeches were made by all the invited guests and those from growth of the order and the enthu- siasm of the past grand masters for the perpetuation of the organization founded in this State in 1906.
 The past grand masters present were Grand Representative Joseph Oliver of Toronto, Canada; Grand Secretary William Brooks of Toronto; Franklin P. Trautman, grand representative of New York State; Harry Walker, grand secretary of New York State; George w. Steitz, grand master of Rochester, N. Y.: Grand Master George l.. Mar shall of Somerville, Mass; Grand Sec- retary George H. Fuller of Boston; Grand Instructor William M Webber of Boston; Grand Master Charles A. Woodruff, Newark, N. J.; Grand Sec retary Harry S. Pine, Trenton. N. J.; Grand Secretary Frank L. Way of Manchester, N. H.
 Those present from the Connecticut jurisdiction were: Grand Master Ar thur F. woodford, Bristol; Grand Pa triarch Frank M. Canfield. Bridge port; Past Grand Master Charles B. Ware, Hartford; Past Grand Master William H. Marigold, Bridgeport; Past Grand Master Leopold R. filling, New Haven: Past Grand Master Lucius H. Fuller, Putnam; Past Grand Master Selah G. Baakeman, Shelton; Past Grand Master William s. Hutchinson, grand secretary, New Haven; Past Grand Master Frank R. Upson, South ington:. Past Grand Master Sidney M. Challenger, grand treasurer, Bridge port: Past Grand Master Philip Pond, New Haven; Past Grand Master Elmer G. Hurlburt, New Britain; Past Grand Master Grant U. Kierstead, Hartford; Past Grand Master Joseph H. Hawley, grand representative, Danbury; Char les H. Smith, grand chaplain of Con- necticut, Barre, Mass.