Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 April 1909 — Ninetieth Anniversary of Odd Fellowism. [ARTICLE]

Ninetieth Anniversary of Odd Fellowism.

* Monday was the 90th anniversary of the organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and practically every lodge in the world Is or has observed the anniversary In some manner, largely with Memorial sermons. In Rensselaer the members of the order and the members of the Rebekah Sisters went to the Methodist church in a body and listened to an excellent discourse by Rev. H- L. Klndig. At Parr there was a large turnout of both Odd Fellows and Rebekahs to listen to a fine address by Rev. “Jack” Page, of Frankfort. Of the Odd Fellows the following clipping has been handed us as appropriately explaiinng the objects propriately explaining the objects and results of the order: “The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was instituted in Baltimore, Md., on April 26, 1819, with five memit was founded was so broad and deep and its principles so endearing to human hearts that the order has reached every civilized country upon the globe and now has a membership that is nearing two million. “According to the official report given out by the Grand Master, there were, in the year 1907, 336,400 more Odd Fellows in the world than Masons; 837,619 more than Modern Woodmen, 1,007,898 more than Knights of Pythias and 1,272,286 more than Red Men. “People everywhere who know anything about Odd Fellowship love it because it teaches them to lift up the fallen, to strengthen the weak, to visit the sick, to relieve the distressed, to bury the dead, to educate the orphans; they love it because it recognizes no section, nationality, creed or faith, and because no other qualification is needed than that of being an honest man and a believein a God, the Father of us all; it endeavers to teach all men to recognize the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.”