The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-06-22
REVIEW OF THOMAS
W1LDEY.
By Bro. John Bond, So, Read Before
Golden Rule Lodge No. "a,
Of Blackfoot.

me much pleasure to meet with YOU
in the lodge meeting once more. l am
also thankful that my life has been
spared to be able to meet and witness
the installing of the officers of the
lodge for another term, and hope
they will be instrumental in gaining
members to enhance the interest of the
lodge and the Orden in general.
"My brothers, my desires are to join
in with Brotherhood of the lodges
that are sounding the grand refrain
over our broad land and through the
known world, enunciating the grand
principles of Friendship, Love and
Truth
''This causes my life to reflect upon
the life and teachings from youth un-
til old age of the immortal brother,
Thomas Wildey, the father and founder
of the bcnefcent order that you and l
as brothers have become members Of.
Brother Wildey was wise, affable
and kind and generous in formulating
the laws in the ritual for the benefit
Of the brothers to protect them until the
end of time.
But were Brother Wildev here today
he would hardly be able to recognize
the child that he was the father of;
yet you and | must give him thanks
for his forethought, he being the one
who planted the first seed that has
germinated and grown, and its branch
es have spread over the known world.
Brother Wildey was born January
18th, 1882, in the city of London, Eng
land, of humble parents, and they put
him in the parish school of London
for five years and he acquired but the
merest rudiments Of education.
He was then apprenticed to the trade
of steel coach spring making. Serv-
ing his time, he received an honorable
discharge from his employers as pro-
ficient workman at his trade.
He then went in search of employ
ment i'll his native land and in doing
so he became acquainted with the Man
chester Unity Odd Fellows and in course
of time became much infatuated with
the same, and pecame a member of
Morning Star Lodge No. %, passing
through the chairs in three years, and
during the ten years of membership
of the lodge he was very studious in
learning the laws of the ritual.
He was elected to the highest posi-
tions in the gift of the brotherhood
in the lodge
He was great worker in Friend.
ship, going out in London spending
his time and money in the teaching
of Friendship, Love and Truth, until
1917, when to better his condition in |
life, and still pc useful to the Order,
he looked to the westward to the new
world, America, paving his passage on
a sailing vessel in the early part of
finally arrived in America
safely,o the second day of September. 1
He then rented himself home and
went in sbearch of work for livli- |
hood. In doing so, in time he found it !
quite different, from the fact that the |
Americans and English had been at war
for some time, with each other, and fror. !
such it was difficult to find employment.
and the consequence was he was looked |
upon with suspicion and distrust and
that being gthe case, it proved a hard |
ship for Brother Wildey. But such did
not discourage him, and he still went on
III search of work. as he was affable and |
kind. making friends. no matter where |
he was.
In course of time Bro. Wildey be
came acquainted with John Welci. mho
was an Odd Fellow, and a mechanic
the same as himself. When both con-
cluded that it was advisable to organ
lze an Odd Fellows lodge, in the city. as
self preservation was the first law of |
nature.
At this juncture Bro. Wildev sat down |
and wrote IA letter to ''The American. -
Baltimore. for the purpose of aivc,tis-
ing for brothers that might be living in |
the city or that may have sale over the
deep blue sea the same as he had done. |
As no answer came tic letter was /
re- serted on the second of March, 1>l9, |
wien in "A short zine two broihes,, cane
ihi, caused Bro. W,.dev 20 i'rnl cl,tcd |
ut his venture an,l he wrote Il letter N |
March II, 1919, and in short time
tl.iec others cam" who hl'i been bro
ti,cre: and they mel on the 18th Of April, |
a. Bro. Widey's home.
This was the beginning II Odd Eel |
iowship in the United States Of America
Here the five brothers met and de.
cided to organize a lodge of Odd Eel
lows, John Weleh, John Duncan, John |
Cheetham Richard Rushworth and .
Thomas Wildey, per agreement, at tie
Seven Stars tavern on the Goth of April,
1919.
Brother Wildey WAS nominated No 4
bile Grand of the Lodge, John Welch
was nominated Vice Grand, and John
Duncan and the remainder of the bro
theirs We're nominated for the remainder
If the offices. Naming the Lodge
: Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows,
No. !.
This was consumated on the 26th
Of April in the city of Baltimore. and
the State of Maryland in the year 1919,
established in the United States of Ann
'rica. From this beginning of five mem
bers, now numbering at the present
time between two and three million
brothers. who have expended hundreds
Of millions of dollars inerecting lodge
nails. Odd Fellows Homes, caring for the
brothers in health, sickness and distress.
and caring for the widows and orphans
and burying the dead
On the 18th day of January, 1925,
'ther lodges having been instituted. a
irand Lodge of Odd Fellows was for