The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-27
ODD.FELLOWS IN
BIG CONVENTION
CONFER DEGREES
District Meeting Under Way
at Masonic Temple
Here Today.

dl MdSOIllG etnple
Here Today.
WitE grand lodge officers pres.
ent, with nearly fifty past grands
ready to take the grand lodge de
gree, with a big banquet awaiting
them at the close Of the afternoon
session, and with a big first degree
sSeSiatory ceremony with a large
class OF candidates booked for to-
night, the fifth district Odd Fell
lows convention opened at 2:30
O'Clock this afternoon in the Ma.
sonic Temple. The convention is
in celebration of the 103d anniver-
sary OF the order in this country.
It Is expected that the afternoon
session will run until 1880 or 5
O'Clock. Following this. the Odd
Fellows will go to Odd Fellows
Hall, Monroe and Main streets,
where a banquet will be served by
the local chapter Of the Rebekahs.
After the banquet, which is booked
TO start at $3.50 o'clock, there will
be regular lodge session, start,
ing at 1880 o'clock, which will be
held In the Masonic Temple. Az
this meeting the degree team OF
Monongahela lodge will confer the
first rank on a large class Of can
didates.
A. ]. Wilkinson. grand secretary,
whose home is In Huntington. ar.
rived here at noon today. He came
from Wheeling, whore he attended
great meniotial celebration last
night. He left there early this
morning and came as far as Man.
nington on the train, and from that
point on the iuterurban trolley line.
Business depression and labor
troubles in the southern end OF tho
state have made this year one OF
the hardest in the history OF the or.
ganization, but despite all these
handicaps the order has made
progress. according to the grand
secretary.
Mr.. Wilkinson has held the office
Of grand secretary for a period OF
eleven years, and in that time the
membership OF the Odd Fellows in
the state has increased from 10000
to 41,000. The first lodge in the
state was Incorporated In 1866, and
now there are 1877 separate lodges
within the domain Of West Viz.
ginia.
AT the present time Mr.. wilkin-
son is raising a fund whereby the
great Odd Fellows band from the
Odd Fellows home at Elkins can
be taken TO the meeting Of the
sovereign lodge this year at Detroit.
It Is composed OF children at this
home. and the band. has a reputa-
tion that is state wide.
Today's session in this city is
neither regular grand lodge meet
ing or special grand lodge meet.
ing. 1t Is simply a district conven-
tion In celebration OF the 103d an.
niversary Of the order. with the
comforting OF grand lodge degrees
as a special feature. The grand
lodge degree. It is said. may be
conferred any time when the grand
secretary and one other grand
lodge officer are present. The an
nual grand lodge meeting will be
held in October.
Lodges in West Virginia will OBJ
serve the annual memorial service
program during the week OF June
IA. Each lodge may select it's own
day that week for putting on the
ceremony Of those who have passed
away.
At the present time there are
100 children in the Odd Fellows
Home at Elldns. This does not in
clude aged Odd Fellows who are
housed there.
At noon today the hall OF the To-
cal chapter was a busy place with
a committee OF women from the
Rebekahs preparing for the big
banquet this evening. Three long
tables, running the entire length Of
the long room had been placed
and places set for a great number
Of bauqueters.
The convention today Is said 10
be one OF the best attended gath.
erings OF Odd Fellows from the
counties OF Marion, Monongalia and
Taylor in several years. Several
hundred members OF the order are
expected to be present for the in
fttatory service tonight. A fair
crowd was on hand for the after.
noon session.
Past grand masters who attend.
ed the convention today include
o. s. Mckinney, George Andrew
Vincent, Thomas W. Fleming, John
A. Book, W. L. Cantor and George
Fullerton.
Grand Lodge Officers.
Grand lodge officers In attend
ance are Thomas H. Neal. Cam.
eron, grand master: Albert Martin
Haywood, grand warden; A. ].
Wilkinson. Huntington. grand sec
retary; Fred Bartlett Shinnston,
grand conductor: F, l, Day, Clarks.
y Continued on rage EiEhtS