Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-08-25
WOMAN MAY HEAD
FRATERNAL UNION
Two Seek Vice Presidency.
Which Carries Automatic
Promotion.

woman IS expected to mount to
new heights of achievement in Wash
ington this week, when for the first
time in its history, the National
Fraternal Congress of America in
convention at the Raleigh Hotel rep
resenting societies with more than
Slo,oO0,0O 1000 of fraternal insurance
in force will probably elect a woman
to the position of vice president, who
automatically becomes president the
next year
The only two avowed candidates
for the position of vice-president are
women: Mrs. Mary L. La Rocca, of
Woodman Circle, Omaha, Nebr..
and Miss Bina West, of the Woman's
Benefit Association of the Maccabees,
of Port Huron, Mich They are
recognized as among the most able
women workers in fraternal societies,
and men members of the congress
predicted today that in the election
on Thursday. one of these women
would be named vice-president.
EIectioneering Active.
Electioneering among the 500 dele
gates in the congress from all States
of the Union, and representing 80
societies, with 126,473 lodges, and
membership of 1O,l95,017 was active
today on behalf Of both the women
candidates.
The president of the orga IMITATION
next year will be the vice president
Thomas +. Mcdonald Of Chicago of the
Catholic Order of Foresters, who Will
succeed the present encumbent. W.
K Shirley of Muskogee, Okla.
President May Speak.
The congress will be addressed by
President Coolidge on Friday, accord
ing to present plans, when the ses-
sfonS OF the convention will close
Today was given over to the meet
ing of sections, when the various
problems facing the departments of
the congress were discussed.
Among the subjects of most inter-
est was that handled by Judge w. L.
Owen of Memphis, Tenn, before the
law section on the Right and Au-
thority of a State to Levy an Elk
lected by Fraternal Beneficiary So
cieties." Tennessee has passed law
levying such a tax, to which the
congress is opposed.
The various sections and their
chairmen in charge are is follows:
Presidents section: Chairman, Miss
Mary l. Downes, Womens Catholic
Order of Foresters.
Secretaries section: Chairman, Or
rim Thompson of the Equitable Fra
ternal Union.
Medical section: Chairman, DR..
George H. Williamson of the Equit-
able Fraternal Union.
Law section. Chairman, Thomas A.
Gall of Modern SamaritanS.
Press section: Chairman, Mrs. Julia
Ward Clingen, Ladies' Catholic Benev-
olent Association.
Session Opens Tomorrow.
The first general session OF the con-
gress will be held tomorrow morning,
when it will be welcomed to Wash
ington by Edward F. Colladay, and
there will be a series of addresses, of
which the most important will be that
of the president of the congress, ".
r. Shirley.
The N F. C. was founded in Wash
ington SO years ago for the purpose
of "perfecting an organization to pro-
tect the legitimate fraternal orders
against the endowment societies of
that period" according to the Fra
ternai Age.
Not an endowment society is left
today" says the Age, but at that time
Iney were numerous. IHSN were
menace to the good name of fraternal-
ism, for the reason that thN promised
things which were impossible of full
fillment The first act of the new
congress, therefore, was to define the
scope of legitimate fraternal insurance
societies, and that definition is on the
statute books of most of the States
today"
Among other speakers who will
address the congress during the week
are: DR.. Robert Orville Matthews.
president of Lincoln Memorial Uni
versity, on Our American High
lander; John Barton Payne, president
the American Red Cross Society; Miss
Grace Abbott, director Children's
Bureau. Department of Labor, on The
Governments Interest in Child Wei
fare; Wiley H. Swift, director of
legislation and investigation, national
child labor committee; J. r. Adams OF
Chicago on Surety and Fraternal
Societies.