South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-21

jurisdiction there were 1922 mem
bers, or total membership in the
Woodmen OF the World of S16,279.
Has Army Organization.
The department of uniform rank
is under command of Gen. w. A.
Fraser of Omaha. Neb. The fOrma-
ton Of the department is along the
lines of the formation of the United
States army. There are brigades, bat
taliOns. regiments, companies. The
9th brigade is located in the state OF
Indiana and now has three regiments.
The 18th regiment is i'm a tier of
counties in the north end of the state.
with headquarters at MishaWaka. UNI
der command of Col. Harry d. Knee.
There are two companies in South
Bend and one in Mishawaka. Com
pany A under command of Capt.
Entizan. company G. under command
Of Capt. Holdy and company of
Mishawaka under command of Capt.
Spicer. District. state and national
encampments are held, where ami
mated contests are held in field drills,
making each moment of camp life
interesting and exciting. The depart
ment has about $4,000 men.
In the initiatOry work Of the Wood
men OF the World there are four de-
grees. The first and principal de-
Z
and is the only degree that a men,
Der must take to join the order. The
other three degrees are called the
morning noon and night degrees.
The protection degree is a beauti-
full drama based on a Bible scene,
and is void of any "hOrse-play' some
times found in such ceremonies. The
morning degree in beautiful lectures
treats of the formation. the beginning
I "a a frrl h1nnr,1 of frfh Of
/ The noon degree is an allegiance to
the fullness of usefulness of man in
the MONDAY of life. The candidate
passes through many storms; Vicis-
STUDIES are many; temptations often
the fun creating degree for the can
didate. Then the night. This de-
gree closes the daytime of life after
a struggling morning and a heroic
nOontime. The pathway through
| these degrees leads the candidate to
/ pastoral scenes, where he can hear
the limpid water of the brook sing
ing in answer TO the note of the Wild
bird. Where the constant usefulness
of life never surrenders to the vain,
where all ends especially well for him
who has braved the storms
Altar is Symbolic.
IL was "a momentous question to Sc
1 lect name for an organization that
was destined to be a world power.
In peculiar way the name Woodmen
was selected. The name being chosen.
nothing could be more appropriate
for the altar OF the camp than the
stump of an old tree. The stump is
peculiarly an American symbol. From
"the stump" patriots proclaim senti-
mentS which stirred the soul of every
citizen and aroused their Indignation
they enlisted in the cause of liberty
and victory perched on their banners.
All great reforms bring the stump
speaker TO the fore, and from that
cOnsecrated altar he denounces wrong
and cOmmends right. The stump. as
sociated with the forest, all that re-
mains Of a mighty monarch. silently
speaks of the frailty Of life. The
stump is a relic found in the wild
wood, where the bird in freedom fits
and nature is l1ing. Thus the Wood
men" from the forest" in camp, -
chose the stump" 10 be the altar.
| before which multiplied thousands of
men should stand, and solemnly and
earnestly proclaim that from this time
| hencefOrth he would defender be-
l of all the homes represented by the
members OF the WoOdmen of the