The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-22
WELCOMING ADDRESSES
TO ODD FELLOWS

| address Oh welcome 10 the OuQ rel
lows yesterday morning on behalf OF
the city, Mayor Eaton being in New
York:
We invited you to come here; we
wanted you to come, and when the
word came that Lakeland's invita-
tion had been accepted, there was
much rejoicing. Now that you have
come, we want to make you all feel
cordially Of the welcome extended !.
1t is our purpose while you are with
us to do everything possible for your
comfort and enjoyment, and we trust
that the few days spent here will be
both pleasant and profitable so that
each one of you may leave Lakeland
(if you will not all Of you stay) with
delightful memories and some of you
perhaps with enough of our ball
bearing sand in your shoes to bring
YOU back to abide with us perma-
nently.
Lakeland has no monopoly of the
many good things which our fair
State holds in trust for its citizens,
but we have much of the best of
Gods good and gracious gifts to Ills
creatures and we want share
them with you while you are with
us. We know the enjoyment of them
will linger like pleasant memory
with you long after you shall have
returned to your homes.
Your order is noble one-has a
proud and enviable record and car
ries in its membership some Of the
best men and women of our land.
May your exercises and delibera-
tions be all that you could wish and
when the hour comes for you to leave
us l trust that each one Of you will
look forward to holding your con-
vention in Lakeland again in the not
distant future.
Again, welcome, thrice welcome
thank you.
Mr.. Drane's Address
officers and Members Of the Grand
lodge of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs
of Florida:
When was assigned to me the
pleasant duty of extending to you,
in the name of Lake Lodge No. 2,
welcome, 1t seemed to me, at first,
a mere formality. work of superer-
rogation For never, in the history
of the order have Odd Fellows visited
with their brethren that they have
not received a warm, heartfelt well
come.
1T is indeed pleasant task to bid
you welcome, not only to our beau
tiful little city, nut to the closer,
the more intimate association OF our
inner circle. TO the family fireside,
as it were, of Lake Lodge No. 2.
Odd Fellowship, throughout the
world has long been known best be-
cause OF it's friendship, it's love and
it's truth; for its good fellowship,
it's broad enlightenment, its gracious
benefactions. OF no lodge can this
be more truthfully said than OF this
little lodge at Lakeland, whose
guests for a brief season you are to
be.
We greet you as friends
name denoting affection In its tru-
est and best sense among the chill
dren Of men. A word which has its
synonym in every tongue; which
seems to have been used since the
beginning of time, and which will
last until the sands of time shall
cease to run.
We desire that you shall accept
its meaning in that sense exempli-
fed by that Friend Of every man;
that One who had SO few friends as
His life closed, that they could be
counted near foot of cross, when
he said to his few followers: "This
is my commandment: That you love
one another, even as | have loved
you. ;" And again: Greater love
hath no man than this that he will
lay down his life for his friends" p"
This is the quality of friendship
we offer you, and with it, all the
hospitality, all the good fellowship
which the word Implies.
Surely no welcome could be more
sincere. Lakeland is yours; do with
it as you will.
The genial representative of the
mayor has given YOU the keys to her
outer gates; l now give you the keys
to her inner sanctuary.