The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-25
HONOR WASHINGTON
ELkS ENTERTAIN
ON FEBRUARY y
Commemorate Establishment of Grand
Lodge With Patriotic Program On
WashingtOn's Birthday Last
Friday Evening.

l
| In cOmmemOratiOn of the fiftieth
anniversary Of the establishment OF
the Elks Grand Lodge, Watertown
Lodge No. 666, B. P. o. Elks enter
tanned with a patriotic program in
the lodge rooms Friday evening,
| Washington's birthday Incident to the
meeting was the initiation of ten men,
bers, making the total membership
| 200. Following a luncheon, a la Hoo
yer, the social program was taken up.
A quartette composed Of Messrs. Will
liam Sproesser, Edward L. Schempf,
! O. E. Meyer and Max Rohr, rendered
several selections which were much
enjoyed and members of the Weber
Stube orchestra furnished instrument
| al music for the occasion.
Among the good things on the pro-
gram were the addresses delivered by
Judge w. H. Woodland, who rendered
a hearty welcome to the new brothers,
| the response being made by G.. r.
Acker, who substituted for c.. R.
Blumenfeld who could not be present.
| The charge to the new brothers was
made in a. neat address by Hon. G. G.
Sayle, district deputy. can Elk's Duty
to His Country was the subject ably
presented by superintendent of
| Schools T. j. Berto, and can Elks
| Loyalty to His Lodge" was most ably
presented by City Attorney Edward F.
Wieman.
The history of the lodge was COM
piled and delivered by o. c. Wertheim-
err exalted ruler, synopsis of which
| is herewith given.
History of the Lodge.
I'm the conception and birth of the
| Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, few men-just seven in num-
| ber-furnished the genius upon which
! was built the greatest fraternal order
| in the country, and one of the greatest
orders in the world, which at present
| numbers 1349 lodges, with a member
ship of 474,69O, of which our local
lodge has furnished 46 during the
present administration
1t was in 1867 that a number of
singers, dancers and public entertain
| erS including actors, organized them
selves into what was known as the
Free and Easies, and gave concerts
several times a week in the lower
part of New York for their own amuse-
| ment. 1t was not long before the pro-
| fessiOnals joined and regular Sunday
| outings were had. The small aggre-
| cation of theatrical artists and others
| took on the name of Jolly Corks. At
| ter numerous meetings and seeing the
idea was a popular one, it was decided
to organize benevolent organization
of it.
On the first vote for the adoption of
a name, with fifteen members pres
| ent the vote stood seven for Buffalo
and seven for Elk Chairman Vivian,
who had been a member of the Buff
falos in England and strongly favored
Buffalo for a name of the new organ
| ization, at one time cast his vote for
the name Elk, and the organization
| became the Benevolent and Protective
| Order of Elks. The constitution, rules
and regulations were formally adopt
ed at this time, and when the meet
to stretch across he the American con-
tinent and include within it's member
bership hundreds of thousands of citi-
| Zens, was born.
In the course of time the idea of
| Elkdom reached Watertown. To the
initiative of Bro. Geo. Stanchfield,
who Identified from Fond du Lac
| Lodge No. 81 WatertOwn owes the be-
ginning Of it's life in Elkdom. On March
! %, 1901, the first class of. forty can
didates of Watertown Lodge No. 666
| was initiated into the order by the
degree team of Madison lodge Of this
| original number three have gone to
the great beyond, called by the Grand
Exalted Ruler of the Universe; two
have transferred to sister lodges
| eleven Identified and twenty-four are
still with us, many of them honoring
us by their presence this evening. 1t
is needless for me to go into fur
Their detail regarding the various ex-
| allied rulers and other officers, but
now with our beautiful new home the
spirit of Elkdom is so thoroughly i'm
bedded in the hearts and minds of the
coming generation that I predict that
within the next few years WATERFOWL
with it's 10000 inhabitants will have a
membership of 500.
This order has very little that is
mystic about it. 1t has the ritual OF
the average secret organization with
the mummery eliminated The faults
Of our brothers are written upon the
sands; their virtues upon the tablets
of love and memory. We do unto 9th
ers as we would they should do unto
us. The only real secret it possesses
is its list of persons to whom charity
is extended. In fact, charity and good
fellowship are the foundation of the
order. They make the building q
temple of democracy.
The order endeavors to teach not
only the highest moral education but
tn 70 t,,;o