The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-17

| tiers convention opened at Duluth,
Mimi, August 6, with 400 delegates
and an attendance of more than 900.
In the morning the delegates
marched to Sacred Heart Cathedral.
| Addresses of Welcome were delivered
| by Mayor Magney and by w. |. Prince,
secretary of the Commercial club.
/ After that came the business of the
convention High Chief Ranger,
Thomas H. Cannon, presented the fol-
lowing report:
Brothers: For the twelfth time,
have the pleasure to present to the
International Convention, the report
of the High Chief Ranger, duty en-
joined upon me by the Constitution of
our Order The Catholic Order of
! Foresters in the year of grace, 1918,
is entering upon its thirty-siXth year
of organization as a Catholic Frater-
nal Beneficiary Association. During
ltwenty-four years of that period, |
have been, through your favor, elected
to the position of honor and response
bility represented by the office of High
Chief Ranger. 1t is source Of great
satisfaction to me personally, as |
know it is to this convention and to
the Order at large, to be able to state
that each succeeding report has shown
an improvement in the condition and
standing of our society. From the
beginning to the present year, we may
we'll point with pride to the progress
of our Order and to the many i'm
provements which have been effected
through the wise and conservative
Legislation of each succeeding conven-
ton AS the reports Of the executive
officers will, in large measure, make
the history of our organization into
which historians of the future may
delve, I shall make this report in
more ample form than in the past.
Three-Year Term.
AS the last convention ordained, a
three-year term is now provided for
High Court officers and this report
will embrace the period from January
1, 1915, to January /, 1918, with the
additional statistics from the latter
date to the time of this convention
as far as available. Owing to the
conditions created by the great world
war, the period since our last Inter
national Convention has not been per
haps, as favorable to the progress of
our Order as might have been under
different conditions. Still however, we
l., oh lo Nil
the largest membership ever attained
during the life of the Order. About
20 per cent of our membership is To-
Gated in the provinces of Canada,
which country has now been engaged
in the greatest struggle of history for
four years. For over a year our own
United States has been engaged
While in war times there is greater
necessity than ever for home protec-
ton, conditions are such that the same
activity cannot be maintained as in
times of peace and tranquility. The
executive officers and members of the
High, State and Provincial Courts
have bent every effort to keep our
Order in the forefront and to improve
its condition in every way, numeric.
ally, financially and socially. On &C
count Of the war, matters have been
practically at a standstill in the
Provinces of Canada and these juris.
dictions have not been able to show
the good record made by them in
former years. After thirty-fve years
we still maintain a creditable rank
among the great body of beneficiary
fraternities of the United States and
Canada. On January /, 1915, as shown
by the last reports, our membership
was 144, 543 The membership on
January 1, 1918, was 150,794. During
these three years 27,525 members
were initiated. Deductions are repre-
scented by 4,74O deaths and 1854
lapses due to suspensions, resigna
tions and otherwise. The net increase
in membership for the period January
/, 1915, to January 1, 1918, was 6,251
The membership from the latest re
ports available before going to press
with this report is 1872, $50. We show
a net increase in membership from
January /, 1915, to date of 1907. Il
is my opinion that we have recov
cred entirely from the losses of mem
bership occasioned by the last read
iustment of rates effective January
1913.
Position in Fraterna World.
Our position in the fraternal world
represented by over $50 fraternities
doing business in America is as fol
lows:
Thirteenth in membership in good
standing.
Ninth in number of subordinate
branches.
, Twelfth in protection in force
, Iast report 11th).
Seventh in assets and liabilities
Last report 11th).
Fourteenth in amount of benefits
: paid since organization Iast report
| 18TH.
The protection in force as repre-
sented by outstanding certificates on
: January l, 1918, is $3.50, 500.
. A resume of the remainder Of Mr.
Cannon's report gives us the following
l facts: