Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1924-10-16
FRATERNALIsM

SO weak IudL l6T NOiCC 10 iOot III IN
own CASTLE" Among the seriou
minded men in the various grea
fraternal orders of the country Their
is arising the question of the futur
of the organizations which the
represent The present crying nee
among the fraternalists is less o
social function and more of consider
alton of the purposes upon which tn
organizations are founded. Eacl
and every so-called lodge today ha
grown stale from their own selfish
ness, which characteristic is appar
ent as much in the life of an organ
ization as it is in an individual. W.
see on every hand orders with vas
membership, whose sole purpose il
existing is to satisfy the social crav
ings of the membership. Such 8
perversion of the true principles oil
an organization is certain sooner OF
later to strangle it to death, and as
certain as this prediction is made to-
day we will see within the next few
years the crumbling and downfall of
the organizations which indulge in
every phase OF endeavor except that
for which they were originally form
ed.
To look in upon the average lodge
today is to look in upon empty seats,
and what is more sad, an entire lack
of program except that which might
be gained by functions entirely be-
yond the scope of intent in the
founding of the order The drift is
away from the lodge halls, and it
is safe to venture that less than 10
per cent Of the membership attend
during any one year. Many men and
women are carrying their member
ship as matter of sentiment, or be-
cause they feel obligated, but in this
respect they are unfair both to them
selves and the order. When a man
pretends to partake of fraternalism
his duty lies either in active mem
bership, or an honest course would
suggest his withdrawal from the
same. Dead timber is danger
which confronts every organization
today, and the individual who contri-
butes only of his finances is not an
asset.
Perhaps, however, sufficient rea-
sons exist in the average lodge for
the apathetic condition among the
membership. A human being is en-
lowed by the Almighty with a GER
tain sense of brotherhood and re-
sponslbility to his fellowman. The
llrst impulse is to find an outlet for
his ambitions in this particular. Some
Seek diversion in the church, others
in the fraternal order, and the sad !
thing Is that both have failed to fun
lion properly during the past few
years. Perhaps this condition is the
,ault of those making up the men, =
'ership, but we do find among the
'nurches a reawakened sense of duty.
md revival of interest in the field
II Christianity is marking the dawn
II new day and age, while the fra
ernal order sare CROPPING in the dark
ost in the mire of indifference and
Ipathy. y
=, ;. n
Is 1t because of the failure of fra
ernalism? We firmly believe so.
nd yet we find the average good"
odge member brazenly asserting to =,
ne world that the church has failed
nd that men have turned their en-
rgfes to fraternalism to find outlet
or their ambitions, and even as thew :,
peak the house which they profess
have builded is tumbling down up-
n their very head. 1t is extremely =,
asy to criticise, and hard in some =,
asses to suggest a remedy, but for n,
lie ills of the lodge societies TODAY
ould be prescribed the good old
'medy OF practicing the purposes for no
men they were founded, and only ~,
tnls way can the fraternal orders NO
cured of their present illnesses.
We have looked upon the Chinese
II the past centuries as an example VI,
race who have excluded them as
Ives from the rest of the world ,o
Ia the rest of the world from them.
lima refrigerated into nation
hich has been the butt of ridicule I'm
ID become unable to defend herself ide
ON evils introduced because of her III.
lIlsh weakness. Just surely as M q
INA failed, SO will the modern
iternalists find themselves a prev
every evil resulting from selfish ba,
S. and the disilttrogration will con riy
ue until new consciousness arises cor
lch Will avert the disaster which the
rely lies in the track of the aver ere
lodge organization. Men want fro
program, one that will have reIa- trv
n TO their fellow beings, and in dol
ad they get social functions de- abo