The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-30
LODGE PACE IN
FIRST Year is
FRATERNAL AID
Feature Gains Popularity:
Helps Organizations
Grow.
BY RAIDER WINGET
Times FraternaI Page Editnr


This week marks the first ami
versary in The Indianapolis Times
Fraternal Page history.
In June, 1927, several of the lead
ing members of local lodges, who
felt the need Of such a medium of
expression, conferred with editors of
The Times relative to the Inaugural
ton of lodge page.
They felt that fraternal news was
important enough to be given as
much space as the activities of other
organizations. Thousands of Hoosiers
were members of lodges and fra
ternitieS, and they were vitality in
terested in what their own and
other groups were doing.
Times editors agreed with the
lodge officials and decided to group
all fraternal news on one page once
a week. Friday was selected as the
day the page would appear.
Page Gains Popularity
The first issue was published in
The Times n July 1, 1927. There
were just six stories about lodges.
Now the one page carries from
thirty to forty stories.
Fraternal organizations were re-
1uctant at first to give information
about activities of their members to
Times reporters. They thought
there was a 'catch" some place.
"How much will it cost was fire.
quent question. Many believed
there was a charge connected with
the publication of news story.
When told that there never was
a charge for the publication of a
news story and that no amount of
money could buy news space in The
Times, many Of the lodge officials
were openly Sceptical. IF there is
no charge for printing story" they
asker, How does The Times benefit
from publication Of lodge news?"
It was then explained that the
primary business of newspaper is
to print information that is news"
to a great number of persons, and
that the only result of printing
such news was the increase in the
number of readers of newspaper.
Here is a typical letter The Times
received even six months after the
start of the lodge page:
"Please print the following in
formation and send the bill to the
secretary of the lodge
Lodges Benefit
Today there is never a request to
"send bill"
It is not surprising to find such
an attitude. Never before had any
Indianapolis newspaper considered
lodge news important enough to
print. "No one will read about
lodges" was the attitude taken by
editors of all newspapers.
But the thousands of readers OF
The Indianapolis Times lodge page
every week refute the argument that
lodge news is unimportant. Many
members read every story on the
page. They are interested not only
in their own organization, but IN
others as well.
Fraternities themselves have ben
Gifted by the lodge page. Several
organizations a few years ago sent
meeting dates and other information
to members by mail, but now they
print the same information on the
lodge page as news story and reach
a greater number of members. "A
number of the smaller organizations
have increased their membership
through printing real news OF their
activities.
And the larger lodges, too, have
benefited through added attendance
at meetings. Several of t. I'm have
had the largest attendance in their
history since The Times lodge page
was inaugurated.
Later the lodge page publication
was changed to Saturday so that
fraternal news could be given more
space. And then, several months
ago, the date was changed to Mon
day. It was found that many lodges
were active over the weekend, and
by publishing lodges news on Mon
day more of their activities could
be included.
Appreciation Extended
In addition to news sent by mail
from secretaries, information is col
lected from the State headquarters
of organizations. Secretaries and
publicity committee chairmen CO.
operate.
Appreciation for cooperation is
extended to Carl R. Mitchell of the
knights of Pythias, Harry South OF
the knights of Pythias, James E
Deery of the Knights Of Columbus
DR.. P. Ct. Lipes of the D. o. K. K.
Mrs, Grace Child and Mrs. IRA r.
Lee of the RebekahS, George P
BronWasser of the Odd Fellows, W.
C. Taylor Of the Elks, w. H. Miller
William Anderson and M. M. Ma
honey of the Moose, Arch H. Hobbs
of the Red Men, Louis Mills and
Mrs. Kessler E. Truelove Of the Ben
Hur, M. Y. Wright and George
Hopkins of the Modern Woodmer
of America, Charles Crawford and
Fred I. Willis of the Scottish Rite
Harry K. Stormont Of the Shrine
Othneil Hitch Of the knights Temp
lar, Arthur Murray of the Sahara
Grotto, Mrs. Nettie Ransford of the
Eastern Star, Arthur Gresham and
Frank Strayer Of the Veterans Of
Foreign Wars, Martin T. Scully o.