Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-26
STATE ODD FELLOWS
OPEN GRAND LODGE
WITH GREAT PARADE
Governor Harris and Mayor
Woodward Welcome Seven
y-Third Annual Session at
Meeting i'm the Auditorium

The seventy-third annual session Of
the grand lodge of the Independent Or
der OF Odd Fellows of Georgia opened
Wednesday morning at $3.50 o'clock ir.
the Atlanta auditorium.
Governor Nat E. Harris extended the
odd Fellows and visitors a cordial wei
come to Atlanta on behalf of the state
and Mayor James G. woodward bid
them welcome on behalf of the city of
Atlanta.
In we'll chosen remarks appropriate to
the occasion, the response to the well
come addresses was delivered by Frank
Harwell of LAGRANGE, grand master OF
the grand lodge.
At 10 o'clock, following these public
exercises, the grand lodge went into Sc
cret session. and at the same hour the
annual assembly of the Daughters OF
Rebekah, which is the woman's auXtlia-
ry o. Odd Fellowship, also went into
secret session.
The formal opening of the annual
session of the grand lodge was preced-
ed by a monster parade through the
business streets by members of the sub
ordinate lodges of Atlanta and vicinity,
Ia, grand marshal of the day.
Forming on Pryor street in front of
the Kimball house, where grand lodge
degrees were conferred at o'clock
Wednesday morning, the parade march
ed up Pryor street to Peachtree, down
Peachtree and. Whitehall to Hunter
street, thence east to Washington street,
and across the Washington street via
duct to the auditorium, where the Odd
Ta11 70 ted ro rnRalVan
the officers of the grand lodge in two
lines standing at attention.
VISITORS THRONG CITY.
The throngs of visiting Odd Fellows
who who are in the city to attend the
three great annual meetings of Odd Fell
low ship--that is, the grand lodge, the
grand encampment, and the Rebekah as
sembly-spent a busy day Wednesday.
Beginning with the grand lodge de-
grees at o'clock, there was the parade
and the opening of the session of the
grand lodge, followed by the secret ses-
sion, and then adjournment for lunch.
Wednesday afternoons program pro-
vided for a continuance of the secret
order work as well as continuance OF
entertainment in a social way
At 2 o'clock the grand oldge and the
Rebekah assembly reconvened in the
auditorium for secret sessions. at
O clock the visitors took a car ride and
visit to the federal prison, at 80 o'clock
the Pilgrim knights of Oriental Splen-
dor will confer ceremonial degrees at
Odd Fellows hall, corner of Broad and
Alabama streets.
Beginning at 80 o'clock Wednesday
evening in the Odd Fellows hall, subor-
dinate lodge degree teams of Atlanta
will put on a degree contest that prom
Uses to be one of the most interesting
features of the entire program.
First there will be the initiatory dc
gree by the team of Fulton lodge No.
SO: then the first degree by the team of
Piedmont lodge No. 100; then the seconl
degree by Atlanta lodge No. IA; then the
third degree by the team of Barnes
lodge No. so. The opening and clos
ing of the contests will be handled by
Capital lodge No. 50.
THE EVENING PROGRAM.
While these contests are being stag
ed at the Odd Fellows hall. the Rebekah
degree will be conferred at Taft hall
by the Rebekah degree team of Piedmont
Rebekah lodge No. 16 of Atlanta.
The sessions of the grand lodge and
the Rebekah assembly will continue
Thursday with a meeting of both in the
auditorium at o'clock and a meeting
of the grand lodge in the auditorium at
q o'clock Thursday afternoon.
FOLLOWING the meeting OF the grand
encampment on Tuesday, which was
featured by the annual election of Of
ficers-an Albanian, Homer Ashley. be-
ing elevated to grand patriarch, the head
office of the grand encampment-the Pill
grim knights of Oriental Splendor gave
dazzling parade through the business
section Tuesday night.
The members of this branch of Odd
Fellowship, which corresponds to the
Shrine in Masonry, were arrayed in all
kinds of spectacular and comic cos
tunes for the parade, and there was an
almost continuous round of funny stunts
from beginning to end. The famous
initiation blanket of the Odd Fellows
was born aloft by a group of stalwart
odd Fellows who picked up men ard
boys along the line of march and gave
them tossing, and there was a goat
decorated with electric lights, drawing
a wagon in which sat a skeleton weird
ly illuminated.
The grand ball at the auditorium,
after the parade. was likewise a bril- .
liant event. and was attended by one Of
the largest crowds ever seen in the
building.