New Britain herald., 1928-12-03
LKS keep fresh
memory OF dead
Annual Tribute Paid to Deceased
Members Of Lodge

Tribute was paid to the memory
Of 1874 members of New Britain
Lodge Of Elks who have died since
the lodge was established in this
city, last night at Il. p. .. E. home
on Washington street, when the an
nual ceremonial took place with
Joseph G. Woods. prosecuting attor-
ey, as the speaker.
Henry C. Baum was the vocalist
on the program. and he was assisted
by Organist William H. Bishop. Elk
allied Ruler s. Gerard Casale and
subordinate officers Of the lodge took
part in the exercises, and prayer was
led by Royal G. Wilbur.
In charge of the program was the
following committee: o. Lambert
Lord, Lopis w. Fodt, Thomas ]. Ca
belus, r. G. Wilbur, Stanley F. Gier-
ymski and William H. Bishop.
Attorney Woods Address
The memorial address on I'm
mortality" was delivered by Past
Exalted Ruler Joseph G. Woods. and
was in part. as follows:
To-day this great organization is
responding to the call of fellowship.
In more than fifteen hundred diff
erent places in our country, the
friends and neighbors of this order
are assembled together 10 renew in
fitting manner their allegiance to
the memory OF those who have
passed into the Great Beyond. 1t
Is magnificent tribute to the power
of sentiment and noble recognition
of the rightful claims Of our COM
mon humanity. At such time as
this the heart learns a new tender
ness and the old lessons almost for
gotten come back to strengthen and
inspire US.
but we are told that this is pre-
eminently practical age. Men
pride themselves most of all upon
their accomplishment in the world
of events. In that field success is
| the measure OF achievement and
failure is dreaded as men dread
| disease. Hundreds Of thousands OF
| our countrymen live close to the
hunger line. and millions engage in
daily struggle with the problem Of
existence. They bear their burdens
of care and pain and have but scant
! time to give to thoughts beyond
themselves or beyond the need of
the hour.
THE commercial struggle for SUI
premacy, the daily competitions of
trade and the ever present necessity
of earning a living, too often set in
motion forces that breed a distrust
Of life, discomfort with social obliga-
tons and unbelief in intangible
things.
And yet we know that material
things alone will not suffice. After
the master had tasted for forty days
in the wilderness this spirit Of evil
came to him to tempt him saying:
II thou be the son Of God command
that these stones be made bread.
and Christ replied, 1T is written,
man shall not live by bread alonc.'
my friends, ! have come today
to say something about the prac-
ticability of impractical things;
something about the reality Of IDEAL
ism: something about the higher
needs and the finer attributes of
humanity: and something about its
courage, its faith. its hope. 1t is
not SO much the theologian, as it is
the brave heart Of the world that
has made the creeds Of fear and
despair no longer credible. Man Is
finer than mans thought of man:
the dynamic power OF sentiment con-
stitutes one OF the wonders OF the
world.
Carlyle uttered a profound truth
when he said: They wrong man
greatly. who say he Is to be seduced
by ease. Difficulty. abnegnation.
martyrdom. death are the allure
ments that act on the heart OF man.
Kindle the inner general life and you
have a flame that burns up all lower
considerations
Here we are, few in that great
multitude. who gather today about
the grave. paying our last tribute to
those who have gone before and
peering with curious eyes into the
mists which cover them.
I'm the presence Of the helpless
dignity of the dead shall we not
gather some knowledge OF the dig
nifty OF life. some courage to meet
the problems of the day, some hope
/ for the future?
"Infame a mans mind with some
great hope; fill his soul with some
great love: torture his heart with
some great grief; and you will make
/ him understand how hopelessly in
adequate, how pathetically INSULT
cient, are the rrucible and scalpel.
and will enable him to turn trusting
eyes on the great depths Of eternity.
Logic cannot convince. because men
, cannot stand upon the same ground
nor see with the same eyes, 1t is the
great facts coming into our own