The Wrangell sentinel., 1936-12-11

down and the garland doIIed.
 Tablets of Memory
 One of the finest sentiments Il know in connection with death isl expressed in the words
 ITO live in the hearts of those We leave behind
 Is not to die:a
 Three hundred years ago when the greatest man of his time wrote the lines:
 "The evil men do lives after them
 The good is oft inferred with their bones,' he may have correctly pictured the temper of the 16th een-I tury, but the civilized world has long since repudiated this spirit, and these lines are contrary to anu at war with not only the best thought of this age, but with the character istic quality of Elkdom, which finds expression in that beautiful motto of the order:
 "The faults of our brothers we write upon the sand,
 Their virtues upon tablets of love and memory"
 1 NOs lily =lI1thuSI II ID AAOL u u1 AAAbt l the good that men do is inferred with their bones 4 noble act may not be heralded to the world, and ] the knowledge of it may be inferred with its sole custodian, but it does not follow that it's influence is less I potent, or it's power less beneficent.
 In the material universe it is said that no atom is ever lost or de l stroyed It may undergo transforma- I tion, but it continues to exist. And it seems that in the realm of hu- manity there is a chemistry of psy- ch0logy, a chemistry of the mind, the heart and the soul, and that in that chemistry the law prevails that no kind word, no faithful service, l is ever wholly lost, but its influenre reaches far beyond the little circle within which each individual must move, and all the future generations of men are to some extent at least, blessed and ennobled by it.
 Elk Principles
 Upon these memorial occasions while looking backward upon the lives of our dead it is appropriate that we should also review the work of Elkdom, at least to the extent of keeping ever before Us the underly- ing principles upon which the order is founded.
 Sometimes those who are not members may ask what the order of Elks stands for Are it's clubrooms merely places of amusement and en. tertainment? When the grand lodge , of our order first asked to be incor- I porated, it stated in it's petition to . New York Legislature that the ob- ject of the Benevolent and Protec- tive order of Elks was the practice of charity And from that day to this the virtue of charity has been the immutable center around which Elk life has reVolved and from which it has derived it's force.
 Hence it would seem that char ity would be the proper answer to the question What does Elkdom stand for?" The secret of happiness is to make others happy. Hence the practice of charity does not pre- vent an Elk from having a good time. The true Elk seeks to get all the enjoyment possible out of life, but at the same time he tries to , carry joy into the lives of others. The Elks organization is social only to the extent that any living ag- gressiYe organization should be. The responsibilities of life demand a ; change-a place of diversion and rest, not a place that will rob the 7 home of the fathers presence, but a place where he can at times mingle with other men, because believe that to be a necessity. A child that does not mingle with other children loses the essential training of it's youth. The doctrine of Elkdom is that the spirit of good fellowship which draws men closer to each other thereby draws them closer to their Creator To the ladies, those who are wives, and those who expect to be wives, 1 wish to say ], in all sincerity that the nearer your husbands, and sweethearts live to the teachings of this order the bet ter, the truer, the nobler they will be to you.
 Distinctly American
 In praising the Elks for their good works and their splendid achievements it is not my purpose to detract an iota from the stand ing of any of the other fraternal bodies. Any organization founded upon benevolent principles and heart characteristics is entitled to the respect of all right thinking people. That is the attitude of Elk | dom.
 The Elks organization is distinct I ly American. It was born on Am