The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-02-04
OLDEST ELK TAKES OBLIGATION
Chicago Team in Charge of Initiation
Philip Hartman, 76, Obligated
Than Two Hundred Have Part in Big
Banquet and Social Session.

The Elks had some session on Satur-
day night when the Kenosha club rooms
were thrown open for greeting to the
members of Chicago Lodge No. 4. The
Elks trails may have led through storm
and snowdrift, but at that hundreds of
Elks hit the trail and kept their antlers
up out of the storm long enough to
reach the Kenosha feeding ground. It
was some gathering Of the antlered
herd. Headed by Exalted Ruler Ar
the Elks leaders in the Middle West,
sixty members of g Number 40 reached
Kenosha just after six clock. It was
the first time that real big delegation
from the Chicago lodge had visited Ke-
nosha since the Kenosha lodge was in
stituted way back in 1901 and in the
number who came Saturday night were
a number of Past Exalted Rulers Of No.
who had part in the institution of Ke-
nosha lodge. A class of sixteen candi-
dates was awaiting initiation and after
the opening of the lodge the work was
turned over to the degree team of the
visiting lodge and the work was put on
in most impressive manner. Making
up the team were twenty members or
the Chicago Elks Marching Club in full
uniform. The initiation was featured
by the initiation of Philip Hartman, who
carried his seventy six years to the altar
and was obligated as the oldest Elk
ever obligated by any lodge in Wiscon-
sin. After the ceremonies were over,
speaking for his class, Mr.. Hartman told
the Elks how to be just as young at
seventy-six as lot of men are at TWEEN
ty-fve. He was given great ovation.
Then there were exchanges of fellow
ship between the two lodges. Exalted
Ruler Johnson brought the greetings of
the Chicago Lodge and Exalted Ruler
Dorr responded for Kenosha. Then the
oratory ran wild and many Of the mem
bers of the two lodges were called on
for short addresses and the talk fest
proved to be one of the most enjoyable
ever hello in the club room. It was close
to eleven o'clock when the lodge room
was cleared and the tables set for the
dinner and covers were laid for more
than $50 Elks. Just after dinner had
been served there was the u1ual Elks
pause as the clocks chimed the hour of
eleven and the toast "To Our Absent
Brothers was responded to by Past
Exalted Ruler Webster Rapp of the
Chicago Lodge. Then followed the sing
ing of Aud Lang syne.
Then came the social session and it
was some session. The Jensen enter
tainers had been engaged for the even
ing and they kept things moving, sing
ing all of the old songs and lot of the
new ones with the aid Of the chorus of
more than two hundred voices. It was
great chorus. Once during the evening
it looked as if the nation s neutrality
would be busted all to pieces. The
Germans started ffThe Watch on
the Rhine" and the allies came back
with IS Long Way to Tipperary,"
and then came real patriotic festival
when with waving flags every member
Of the great company joined hands and
sang the "star spangled Banner" It s
been long time since the national an
them had been sung with such fervor in
Kenosha.
There were more songs while the big
company fingered over the coffee and
just after midnight-just the shank of
the evening" lot of local musicians
added to the pleasure of the evening.
Then there were numbers by the Chica-
go Elks Quartette. 1t was long after
the snow stopped falling when the
meeting began to break up and the
Elks Special carrying the big company
of visitors did not return to Chicago I'M
til the sun was trying to peep through
the clouds on Sunday morning. It was
one of the biggest nights ever arranged
for the members of the Kenosha Lodge
and the new members were given a
great welcome.
mTYT7 EHTcr