Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1914 — RED LETTER DAY IN ODD FELLOWS LODGE [ARTICLE]

RED LETTER DAY IN ODD FELLOWS LODGE

Gahering Here Surpassed the Expectations and Proved a Pleasant Social Event.

The joint meeting of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of iDstrict No. 37, composed of Jasper county, was held in Rensselaer Friday afternoon and evening and proved a social event of unusual interest to the large assemblage and also an inspiration to the orders of Rensselaer, Remington, Pjarr, Wheafcfield and Gifford. Before the supper hour 335 names were registered and these were all fed at the Methodist and Christian churches, where creamed chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, slaw, hot rolls, noodles, pickles, coffee and pie were served. The afternoon session of the two orders Were held separately, the Odd Fellows holding their session at 1 o’clock. The initiatory degree work was exemplified by Schuylet Lodge, of Remington, the candidate being Luther Hickman. At 2:30 the Rebekah degree was confected by the Remington lodge on Miss Emily Bull and Mrs. Samuel H. Holmes. Then Mr. and Mrs. Bela F. Roberts were given the same work by the Rensselaer lodge. The hour for permanent organization of the district was set for 5 o’clock blit it was impossible to get all together at that time and instead of consummating the permanent organization a committee of two from each of the Odd Fellow lodges of the county were appointed, viz. L. L. McCurtain and Charles Rowen, of Parr; James Britt and Tom Parker, of Gifford; Charles aHrner and William Broadie, of Remington; John T. Biggs and James C. McColly, of Wheatfield; and Fred Tyler and Chas. E. Sampson, of Rensselaer. The chairman of the committee of ten, L. L. McOurtin, will make a call for the committee to meet and will form the permanent organization and probably set a time and place for holding the next joint convention. The Odd Fellows reconvened at 7 o’clock and Iroquois Lodge, of Rensselaer, conferred the first degree on Will Postill. The joint meeting took place at 8 o’clock and following the singing of the opening ode and prayer by the chaplain, L. H. Hamilton delivered an address of welcome and it gave hearty and eloquent expression to the feeling of the local Odd -Bellows and Rebekahs in having so many of their brethren and sisters as their guests. Mr. Hamilton is an Odd Fellow of many years and his address proved very pleasing to the large assemblage. Response was made by Rev. Gibson Wilson, of the Oxford Presbyterian church, and formerly a resident of Remington. He is quite an eloquent speaker and his address was also very much enjoyed. The comedy of the evening was a “mock degree” conferred by the Odd Fellows lodge of Parr. L. L. McCurtain was the candidate, and he ploved a real “village cut-up” and kept the large audience, ‘estimated at 500, convulsed with laughter. The program as printed was carried out. The orchestra played an imimrtant part-fat entertaining the assemblage and a song by Miss Claire Broadie, of Remington, and another by Mrs. Alice Shedd Randle, of Renssealer, and readings by Miss Bell Southard, of Remington, and Miss Grace Priee, of Parr, proved factors in the evening’s enjoyment. The closing address was by Rev. W. G. Winn, pastor of the Christian church of this city, and was a strong argument in favor of Odd Fellowship, and a review of the organization. His eloquent tribute to some of the great exponents of the order provoked much applause and notwithstanding the / late hour, it being almost half after 11 o’clock, he was given the closest attention. A lunch of doughnuts and coffee concluded the meeting and many Odd Fellows and Rebekahs left to drive to their homes through the stormy night, all acknowledging that it had been one of the most pleasant occasions of their lodge experience. C. E. Tyner, of Monon, spent the day with his Odd Fellow friends in Rensselaer and a number more Odd Fellows came over on the evening train from that town, to enjoy the evening meeting.