The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 18, 1904, Page 4

HEN Rebekah Odd Fellowship in California was twenty-one years old—just old enough to vote—she elected to institute “ & State body of her Daughters of Re- bekah, This institution was effected in the year 1891, and for four years the Lody was hailed as a Rebekah State convention. At the end of that time it merged into our rggularly chartered as- sembly of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the State of California. “ ® But perhaps the uninitiated do not know or fully realize that the Rebekahs and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows are closely allied, and that the workings of one seem scarcely com- plete without the other. In the first place, both are based on thg eternal principles—brotherly love and sympa- thy—and for this reason the two bodies are being drawn closer and closer to- gether and their work is growing stronger and the field larger. American Odd Fellowship is an evolu- tion from the old English Upity. As early as the eighteenth eentury lodges or guilds were formed of London me- chanics, who termed themselves “An- cient and Honorable Odd Fellows.” At first the guilds were both social and beneficial, though the real underlying purpose was to scatter a little bright- ness about and to aid suffering human- ity. For this reason each member con- tributed a penny a week for the rellef of the poor and unfortunate among them, and this, small as it seems, was the humble origin of the present sys- tem of beneficence and relief which to- day ‘stands unequaled. So is it any wonder that as soon as our great sisterhood had become an organized whole plans began to be formulated for establishing a home for orphans of deceased members. These plans had been silent hopes long cherished, but heretofore we had never been’ in a position where we could be a living exemplification of our motto, ‘“We Protect and Educate the Orphan,” At the time of the second session of our State body resolutions were in- troduced and unanimously adopted to begin a substantial movement toward this great achievement, which, by the way, was to be known as the “Odd Fellows' Orphans' Home of Cali- fornia.” Circular letters of informa- tion. and of inquiry were promptly fssued throughout the jurisdiction and general Interest and enthusiasm were ‘at @nce awgkened, for,syou see, the prayer touéed the very foundation f6f all our Jpdges. It was oviginally intended that the heme shouid be connected with the home for the aged and indigent Odd Fellows, their wives and widows; but later these plans were changed, and eventually the Orphans’ Home wag located, established and is now heing maintained by the Rebekah Assembly, L O. O. F. of California, under réso- lutions adopted by said Rebekah As- sembly and approved by the Grand Lodge, I. O. O. F. of the State of Cali- fomnia at the respective sessions of these grand bodies held in the city of San Francisco in May, 1896. * In this way we were clothea ™ authority and promptly °elected board of five trustees to carry on the work just undertaken J line A. Hoxett, Gilroy; Mrs. E. Donoho, San Francisc M. Wolf, Sacramento; ) Allen, Santa Rosa, ad M Thorndike of ~Stockton e chosen ones, so you see arious Jurisdictions were repr 1, and it can be truthfilly said tRat not one of them failed to come to the front with ready, hearty and sub Tgnder such circumstan it isn't to be wondered at that than two ¥ s from the thority for action w receiv Orphans’ Home twas a grand reality. The love to do good needs a It is always e: to llow and shining example an it is to s you know, and as soon as Mrs Caroline A. Hoxett of Gilroy gave tract of five acres there were any number of tui butions from interes nerc and individucls. The contract for erection of ings was awarded March 11 it was our wish that active commenced immediately any number of tiny tc a home and good, accordingly, st was on the §th d of \Ln and it wa very unique service, for it was the first and only instance in the history of the order that such a ceremony had ever been conducted by women the first day of Se Dbmh*r pleted building was for by the hrv’!d of tru =3 was good cause for loud r the I O. O. F. Orphans’ tirely free from de quite the last of November first inmates were adinit since then the number has diminished, accqrdi at the present tin half a hundred all receiving the king greatest protection that it power of our sisterhood t The object of the home the same as any other she description—to take unde o wing homeless and otherwise dey ent orphans and half-orphan «m dren of the order and to cheerfully pro- vide them with a home, zintenance and education as long as it shall be ngeded . The home itself is broad = and airy and {immaculately ctcan, and we try to keep it from looking like prison, a school room or the regulation stitution of this kind. There is pol- icy in this apparent madness. The daintiness and freshness are there for a reason and a most excellent one well. The girls are instructed to make the home attractive, to keep it in gnod order and to make the very small things, while the L taught to appreciate all that Is do for them and made to feel less keenly the loss of their own homes. Of the Sigterhand | Jéifl/{ sut t y no all they are taught the pra cen finished the we endeavor t ation rules restrictions are always r in admitting a child, but, of e this must ne arily be whole five acres would be ing over. However, any half-orphan of dece or Rebekah in goo no trouble being e child not suffer fford to turn without with a and on