Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1941-02-20
l. @. @. F. Regional Meeting of Southeastern Ohio
Early Pathway
OF Encampment
Precarious One

ACW HIS At1IS uCS VI OAAO
history of the origin and
growth of the encampment
will be of interest to every
Odd Fellow whether a mem
Der of the Encampment or
a'not.
The Encampment as such, OF
even the Patriarchial degree
were quite unknown and not
thought of at the period when
the order of Odd Fellowship was
struggling for existence in Bal
timore, Md, in 1919. Wildey
/ and his coadjustors knew moth
ing but the three original de-
grees, White, Blue and Scarlet.
In 1920 the Covenant and Re-
membrance degrees were added
to the structure in America, and
WSre taken by Mr.. Wildey to
England in 1926.
The first mention of what is
known as the Encampment De-
gree is in the journal of the
Grand Lodge of Maryland, and
of the United States, Feb. %,
1921, where it is recorded. Past
Grand Larkin having been duly
admitted to membership, and
the Golden Degree was confer
red on five candidates, all be-
ing Past Grands. This was not
as an Encampment but had the
name of one of the present de-
grees of that order. The degree
had but recently been originat-
ed and communicated to the
heRd of the American order, and
thereafter it became a ritual of
the American lodges. The de-
gree was barren sketch with
out drapery at that time, and is
supposed to have taught the
Golden Rule, and the teaching
must have been regarded as val
liable.
About the same time that the
American Odd Fellows were
clothing the R. P. degree with
some drapery, worthy of it, a
new degree was being prepared
in England, which was approx
ed and adopted, and subsequent
w brought to America. Thus it
is found the order in America
of xthese three degrees, as yet
imperfect and fragamentary,
and having no place in the
standard ritual.
In 1926, six years after the
founding of the order there were
only four Grand Lodges under
the Jurisdiction of the Grand
Lodge Of the United States,
with a total of nine subordinate
lodges, and an aggregate men,
bership of fewer than 500. Into
such a narrow field as this the
Ratriarchial degree were launch
ed. However brighter prospects
appeared in the new future and
they soon became separate and
in many respects an independ-
ent branch of the order. Prior
to this time the word Encamp-
ment was unknown in the or
der. The Encampment was
formed in the Grand Lodge of
Maryland in 1928, and was term
ed a "great improvement"
From that date on various
changes were made from time to
time, and Encampments were or
ganized in states, districts and
territories, and Grand Encamp-
ments were instituted.
At the session of the Grand
Lodge of the United States in
1841, a resolution giving the
Grand Encampment the same
representation as the Grand
Lodges was adopted. Represen-
tatives from the Grand Encamp-
ments took their seats for the
first time in 1912, and the Grand
Encampment degree was adopt
ed at the same meeting.
Much complaint was made
about the ritual used in the de-
gree from that time on until
1881, by members of the subor-
dinate lodges; the chief one be-
ID that the degrees lacked a
eETain dramatic interest, which
the dramatic degrees possessed.
Members going through the five
lodge degrees felt surprised and