Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-10-05
Annual Convention Of State
Association Convenes
Today
HEARTILY WELCOMED,
Congressman Carlm and Mayer Fisher
Speak and State President Baagh
Makes Suitable Response

Alexandria is in the hands OF th'
Virginia Elks today, several hundred
members of the antlered tribe haV
ing arrived here last night and thl:
morning to attend the annual con
yent.on of the State Association o.
Flks which convened this morning
By tonight $50 additional Elks are
expected from Washington and Mary
land and the social session to be glver
tonight will be attended by more
members of the order than have eVel
gathered at Il similar affair in the
state.
The convention was opened this
morning at II o'clock in the Elks
Auditorium. Robert s. Barrett, chair
man of the local entertainment com
mittee. called the meeting to order
and the Rev: Edgar Carpenter rector
of Grace, Episcopal Church, OF thl:
city, and state chaplain, delivered the
invocation. Hon Thomas A. Fisher
Mayor of Alexandria, delivered tht
address of welcome on behalf of the
city. Mayor Fishers address was a;
follows:
an conformity to custom | am
here to greet you, and in an official
way to give you welcome to our CITY,
AS member of our large and ever
growing order will add that this
greeting and this welcome needs no
sponsor as to it's sincerity, yet 1t is
due to candor that | state that the
call to welcome you is not based upon
the assumption that | can even 10
well what | know could be done better
bv some one else, that is deliver what
is termed upon occasions similar to
the present assembly. "The Address
Of Welcome" 1t will take no great
amount of your time or patience, and
in few minutes | can take my place
ID the ranks with my brother Elks'
Custom at times. while not taking
the place or power Of law to many is
rs much reverenced as law. 1t might
be said that the ceremonies of society
are SO numerous and complicated and
so great is the diversity of sentl-
ment respecting their merits and de-
merits that to the person of limited
experience the attempt to make an
accurate estimate appears to he cloud
ed with difficulties. IN a measure, II
has been my pleasure or fate since
assuming office to conform to what
can be termed ceremonies of a semi
public or official character as exact
ing as those which we term the Ser
emonies of Society. l can say these
occasions have been those of pleasure
have added profit and inspiration, anc
the present one of course appeals tt
me by reason of membership, yet,
would not be honest with mlselt OF
to YOU if failed to say substitute
or a conscript would not have caused
a jealousy. Tradition which we folio"
invariably requires that the Mayor
of city on certain occasions shall
"Welcome the coming and speed tn
parting guest" To do the first, he |:
supposed to be the custodian of tn
KEYS of the city, and in this way car
guard the gates or open them wide
l know in a dreaming way l have
passed the key out upon several oc
casions and recently their location wa
forgotten by me, however, this make
no difference.
you are here, and it is assumes
that having found the latch string o.
the outside you did not wait to asI
or receive from me what in the nam
of Alexandria so cheerfully give you
4 welcome unStinted and without con
ditions.
THAT your visit will prove enjoy
able is as certain as grass grows, an
water runs. 1t would be folly to i'm
agine any thing else w ,re a "Hell
Bill" is the familiar ano contlnuou
salutation.
''Those of you with optics keen ca
no doubt see the key to the citade
of your hopes. l am not going to as
siSt you in capturing, neither am