The Republican., 1925-11-12
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS HELD
RALLY In OAKLAND FRIDAY
Charter Members of Old Garrett
Lodge Honored by Pythians
of Two Counties.

& Cl'N VI VIC itIOot 2IlCl tSIiilS LA
ternal affairs held in Garrett county
for several years was the Knights of
Pythias rally at the Pythian Hall,
Oakland, Friday evening last, when
get-together meeting of the members
with Knights from Cumberland. Mid
land, FIOstburg Barton and points in
Allegany and Garrett counties. The
first rank of the Knights of Pythias
was conferred in an amplified man
! ner by the team from Fostburg City
| Lodge No. SO, in charge of Past Com
mander Reese Harris upon a class of
| candidates. The work of this team of
| Pythian5 was very commercially per-
| formed
Following the rtualistic work,
| there was a social session in honor of
the four surviving charter members
of Garrett Lodge. They are: Messrs.
John Close formerly of Mountain Lake
Park, row residing near Berkeley
| Springs, West Va; Charles J. Bunce.
of Mountain Lake Park, and James
Kemrhfer and DR.. Henry ". Nc
! Comas, of Oakland all of whom Were
/ present and Of whom Il group photo
! graph was made. The social session
was in charge of Mr. Walter W. Daw-
son, cashier of the First National
Bank of Oakland. The address of vel
come was made by Mr.. Julius c. Rem
ninger, of Oakland, Past Grand Chan
cellor Of Maryland.
The principal addresses of the ev-
ening were delivered by Col. Nelson
/ W, Russlcr, Grand Chancellor Of
Maryland, and by DR.. Archibald
/ Moore, pas .or of ST. Paul's Methodist
| Episcopal church of Oakland.
Brief impromptu addresses were
made by Mr.. Rudolph Nickel, repre-
| senting Frostburg Lodge, and Mr..
Henry Eisentrout, representing Mid
! land Lodge. Music for the occasion
was rendered by the Oakland Band
and elaborate refreshments were serv-
ed by the social committee of Garrett
Lodge. About three hundred Knights
were in attendance.
| The speakers of the evening re-
counted the strides that progressive
+ Pythianism has made in Western Ma
ryland and paid tribute to the devo-
! ton of the older members of the order
whose loyalty and efforts are respon-
+ sible for the present high standing Of
the organization.
! DR.. Henry W. McComas, represent
ing the Oakland Lodge, made an ad-
I dress in which he related in a humor-
Gus manner the experiences attendant
/ upon the founding of Garrett Lodge.
/ One of the most pleasing features
of the affair was the graceful manner
! in which Mr.. Dawson of the Oakland
Lodge, presided and his rapid-fire wit
and humor in presenting the speakers
added much to the enjoyment of the
occasion.
/ Reese Friend, Chancellor Comman-
der of the Oakland lodge, presided at
the regular lodge session and he and
his staff of officers performed their
work most efficiently. Nelson W. Russ
ler, Grand Chancellor of Maryland
who came to Oakland direct from Bal
timore to attend the meeting, told of
the progress now being made
in the initial steps being taken to
have new Pythian Castle built in
Baltimore. Mr.. Russler, as usual, was
most eloquent and received quite an
ovation.
Past Chancellor Julius c. Renninger
paid tribute to the work of the de-
gree team from FrUstburg and sug-
gested frequent inter-county meetings
of Pythian lodges.
Dr.. Moore was most eloquent in his
tribute to the loyalty and devotion of
/ the four charter members in whose
honor the social session was held.
Among the oldest members of the
lodge in attendance were Jcuy Cas-
/ sen "a member of Cumberland Lodge,
No. go, for the past Al years, and Geo.
D. White, Of Oakland, who has been 4
member Of the organization for the
past 81 years, the latter having been
a member of the original lodge insti-
tuted in Oakland nearly ffty-tive
years ago,
In addition to the group photograph
Of the four charter members Of Gar
rett Lodge, another Photograph Of the
members present who have been affii-
ated with the organization for the
past twenty-five years CT more, were
photographed, the group holding men,
bership for a quarter Of q century be
ing composed Of about One-cight Of
ire total number present.
During the course ct the evening,
an announcement was made that a
big get-together meeting of Pythian
lodges of Western Maryland will be