The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-27
BY Former State Senator SAM
ueI B, Montgomery in ADJ
dress at kingWeed.

Fl ego az FAHiSWSGs
KINGWoeB, April 27.-hEepl hsrs
of the Tndependept Order Of Odd Eel
lows. of Preston county, under the
auspices of Kipgwoed Lodge No. lg?
Assem- bled last evening tn the Met9e-
dist Episcopal church 70 Observe the
ninety-fftll anniversary of the found
ing Of the order in America. Senator
samuel B. Montgomery deltyerea the
address, which was In part as toi1oWss
Every member in Odd Fe4lowship
should know the history of the sec
ond oldest fraternal institution in the
world, in order that he may be able
| to inform the public Of the character,
objects and Importance of an tnsu-
| tuition but little known to them, ana
! could be no more appropriate time 70
| review the history of this institution
than on this occasion.
Sovereign Grand Lodge.
The legal title Of the present body
Is the Sovereign Grand Lodge Of the
Independept Order of Odd FELLOWS,
and as such we are Incorporated un-
der the laws of the state Of Mary and.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge is the
source OF all true and legitimate ODD
Fellowship in the United States 81
America, and possesses such powers
and jurisdiction over the whole
constitution and ritual Of the order
The grand lodges of Germany, Aus.
tralia. Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland
and South America, while tndepen-
dent. vet are governed by the Sow
erign Grand Lodge which retains the
power to guide, control and keep al
laws, usages and customs OF the Or
der uniform throughout s tae el9 2s,eat
Early History ts g. the eFael'-'re'''
The order has been in existence
but a few years, not exceeding tWo
,biIndred at most. It's birth was In
Great Britain early In the eighteenth
century Laboring men from tne
mills, factories, mines and quarrles
banded together for social interior rse
to help one another secure employ
ment and to extend the hand of chart
ty when in need
owing to political conditions then.
secret societies were not viewed
with favor by the government ana
this caused the closing Of many lodS-
es,-while all. the members were com
PEELED to conceal their lodge ANNA
However in 1913 q remnant of the
faithful 3CImed what Is known as
the Manchester Unity, which is the
parent. body Of the AMERICAN ORDER.
American Order.
On the 9th day of March IS 10, the
following embellishments appeared N
the baltimore American:
NOTICE TO ODD FELLOWS
"A few members of the Society OF
Odd Fellows will be glad TO meet
their brethren for the purpose @
forming a lodge, on Friday evening
April End, at the Seven Stars. Second
street. at the hour of seven p. NJ.
The brother who had this notice in
serted was Thomas WILDLY, and On
+ the 26th of April, 1919, I'VE broth
ers seIf-instituted washington Lodge
and the fral bark OF American fOdp
Fellowship was thus launched
The first charter WAS issued from
the Dnke of Yorkss Lodge, England
a few months later, which charter
was also used in-the esta blishment o.
the first grand lodge and the .SoXer'
l.eign grand lodge.
Membership Today.
The report for the fiscal year Of
j 81 3 saov. ed a grand total OF % 45,-
.36S, not inclndlng 231 1865 % EN- bers
of .enca mpments, and 711,SE3 mem
bers OF Rebekah. In our own state
the last annual report shows 9 mem
bership Of 26.2ss
The total revenue of the Sovereign
grand lodge for the year lust closed
was SIS, 92S.T6Ss3S-
Fhe.totaI expenditures for the same
period. were SIS, ST g %. rs, thus leay.
Ting a surplus. Of thirteen MILTON dol
liars.
t143 sol and the families OF deceased
| bro hers. num- berlin s q, 063, shared il
/ the distribution Of SO, 901 y00O-
The total Invested funds of the or
/ der have reached the enormous sun
OF sixty-three and One-haf mill ions
Of dollars.
In closing sSenator Mont Gon1eT1
1 r~KA In assfsef -