The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-05-18

will walk u~prightly before Cod
ana man, and ever bless the orde
that gave them such opportunities
Growth.
Little did the brother who were |
so active in starting our Home in 1883 |
reahze that the demands for admit
lance would continue To increase each
year SO rapidly. and that your Homes
reputation would grow so favorably
that there would always be A waiting
list OF applicants. but such is now the
case.
widows are urged To send their
chlldren to our HG0e. where they will
De trained. educated and prepared for
hfe, TO such an extent that We are be
ginning to feel the tax Of maintaining
them. We realiZe that there have
been children sent Is. who. with a
little effort on the part of the local
lodge, could have been left with their
mother, who. after all. is the best
guardian for a child: but. too often.
the lodge wants to De relieved of the
burden and finds il more convenient to
recommend them for admission to the
Home.
| w feel that a mere thorough in
v~eStigation should be made by COM
mittees of local lodges on applications
Of half-orphans before recommending
them for admission.
The number of inmates is regu-
lated by the local lodges. who act ia
vorably on their applications, and your
trustees are compelled to accep chill
dren 50 long as there are beds and
food to provide for them.
THE past year found us with a dig
debt. a per capita inadequate to pro-
vide for those in the Home, and we
felt that we had no moral or legal
right to incur new debt, SO ave gone
through the year accepting only those
total orphans whose surroundings
were such as to necesSitate prompt
action. We have been building or
false hopes as to revenue. feeling thai
increase in membership and voluntary
donations would make up the differ
ence between the amount the Crane
Lodge provided and the sum neceS
Sary to properly care for our children
Now, do not again make this mistake
The amount received from per capt.;
tax plainly shows the numbe of mem
bers We can depend upon for sup
port; the concert classes nette'
{ ~S6,347.39, and the North Carolina Cd
Fellow $7SO.89. both amounts bein
the greatest in our history. The vol
! untary subscription circulars and ap
: peals made, brought in only $465.1:
considerably less than the $1.00 pc
capita expected by some; so WE fin
= ourselves still without the necessar
E amount required to maintain on
f Home at its present standard. and n
provision made to pay off our indeb'
t ednesS or to provide needed barns an
betterments.
Now, what shall we do? Contint
y our work and increase our field
q usefulness by providing neceSSal
funds; or curtail our efforts to tt
y mount you will provide. Our Sc
y rotary and T~reaSurer'S report ShOv
It that our liabilities are s5,S31.41
e April 1st, and we have April, Ma
.e and June's expenses. approximate
le $1,000, to pay before July's per CAPT
tax m in, making S~12,831.41 ne
q, esSary to balance our to u
1. 1915. This shows an increase
e debt owe last yea of $7S1-41.
Ie "Must this continue, or will we RI
of our institution on business principl
and make only such obligations as
IS, many methods employed by simil
re be solved by the wisdom of our era
le Lodge.
fortunately our membership
lie composed Of the great middle class
We the producers and strength of our I
IN ton, who Know what it ear to
I'd into the world handicapped by la
of of proper training and who are
I'd termined that the children of tn
of brothers and their own flesh a
blood shall AVE at their Home. if
ng changes of life should demand it, {
en- ~portunities to receive an educati