The Mankato free press., 1916-05-05
Brilliant Affair Was Enjoyed BY
Large Number of Members
And Friends
Several Addresses We're Made;
One BY the Grand Master,
F. M. Payne
Rev. Edward Constant of Man.
kato Was Presented With
Membership Jewel
erom Saturdays Daily.

rron Saturdays Daily
In memory of the institution OF
Odd Fellowship in the United States
just ninety-seven years before,
large gathering of local Odd Eel
lows, Rebekahs and their families.
held a delightful celebration in the
/. O. o. r. hall last evening.
The affair was under the auspices
of Mankato Lorge No. 15, and MEM
ners of Schiller Lodge No. 29, Aurora
Rebekah Lodge No. 81 and Minneopa
aebekah Lodge No. " were there
as guests. A committee of the Min
neopa Rebekahs gave their assistance
in the preparation and service or q
most elaborate and sumptuous ban
uuet A total of 312 sat down to this
banquet and then adjourned TO the
main auditorium, where an approprl-
ate program of speaking and music
was carried out.
The celebration was under the
management of the entertainment
Committee, consisting of John An
derson. chairman; Z. l.. Volk and II.
ID. Diamond. The kitchen COM
mittee consisted of Mrs. O. A. Ben
nett, Mrs Eastwood, Mrs. Radcliffe,
Mrs. Hotaling and Mrs. E. Edwards.
che dining room committee was as
follows: Mrs. George w. Scherer,
Mrs. A. L. Wheeler, Miss Luella
Darr, Miss Jennie Weber, Mrs. E.
Rohde. Mrs. H. E. Clayton, Mrs.
Nora Funk, Mrs. w. w. Jones, Miss
Baker, Mrs. c. Strom, Mrs. FREQ
Otto, Miss Vera Cole, Miss Faith
Lester. Mrs. Jennie Scherer and Mrs.
Fred Clark.
Dining Room Nicely Decorated.
The dining room was tastefully
draped from the ceiling with the
colors of the Rebekah order, pink
and green, and the tables were dec
grated with an array of carnations
and ferns In the main auditorium,
there were On display two beautiful
large flags, one on the wall back OF
the presidents chair and the other at
the opposite end of the hall. :
Between 500 and 400 were seated
in. the auditorium, when the gather
ing was called to order by George w.
Scherer, past grand master. Mr..
Scherer briefly announced that the
occasion was the observance of the
ninety seventh anniversary of the
institution of the order of Odd Eel
lows in America. This took place In
Baltimore The order was trans
planted from England. 1t started out
with five members, but had grown
enormously, until now it embraced a
total of more than two million. These
had paid into the order more than
$50,000,000, and at present were pay
ing in more than $S,000,000 annually.
Rev. Edward Constant gave more
detailed account of the transplanta-
ton of the order from the mother
country by two English immigrants.
He told of the early hard shedding
that the order had, and how the
masses of the people looked on it
with suspicion, as something un-
American, a menace to the country
and contrary to the principles of the
Christian church. Rev. Constant de-
clared that the order always had
stood for the principles Of Christian
ity. Its very fundamental principles
were Christian principles.
r. M. Payne Introduced.
Mr.. Scherer now announced the
main speaker Of the evening, F. NJ.
Payne of Pipestone, grand master of
the order in Minnesota. Mr.. Scherer
told of his first association with Mr..
Payne That was when both were in
the school business and Mr.. Payne
was superintendent of schools at
Pipestone.
Grand Master Payne expressed his
profound appreciation Of the honor of
having been called to the head office
of the $4,000 Odd Fellows of the
state of Minnesota. He dwelt at
length on the increasing activities
of the order in this state and told of
what was being done in this and
that lodge in various parts of Min
nesota. He declared that during the
past year the Odd Fellows of Mime
sota had accomplished more than
during the five years previous. He
remarked that since the first of Jan
uary more than 500 new members had
been added to the Minnesota rolls.
The speaker called particular at
tention to the work that was being
done by the Odd Fellows Home for
old people and orphans at North
field. He told of visit that he made
to this institution, and how he was
urged by the aged inmates to tell the
various lodges how the good work
was being appreciated. Mr.. Payne al
so spoke of the children that were
being cared for and educated there.
He declared that these orphans were
making just as good progress in the
schools as any other children More
over, they were being taught the
right principles of living, and on
reaching their majority they would
go forth into the world as we'll
equipped for the battle of life as 9TH
er young people.
Recent Visit to Winnipeg.
Mr.. Payne told of visit he re-