The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 18, 1904, Page 7

CALL. THE SAN FRANCISCO: SUNDAY of Patriarchs Militant upon the principles of _ Justice (Justitia Uni: . The doctrines of rights by peceful methods, but Will' be. defended by the of foree. to the j!&aim prieor to ment must embrace the above a8, enlarged and beautified This degree is . purely military and for @splay purposes, and all civic mat- ters pertaining to its membership raust “and can only be arranged through the _encampment branch of the order. .Organization—The unit of organiza- tion of the degree is a “canion” to con- sist of at least fifteen who @re designated “chevali degree of the Patriarchs Militant was adopted Beptember 21, 1835, at the ses- slon of the Sovereign Grand I.odge at Baltimore, M@, withour a d:ssenting vote. u ¢ . Origin_ of the degree-Thg origin of the degree, the incidents and continu- ous legislation thereto dates as far back as 1841, and continued up to_the time the degree was adoptcd by the Sover- elgn @rand Lodge, September 24, 1885, Iiilitary subdivislons—The ‘‘cantons’ . throughout the United States of Amer- ica ar ized Into battalicns, regi- ments, brigades, civisiens, army cap and an army. o8l * - forees arc under the immediate .super- vigion and comtrol of ths various de- partment evmmandeérs within the ju- risdiction, wherever located, subject to such_sules and regulations as may be preseribed by (he Sovercign Grand Lodge, and orders issued by the gen- eral In eommand of the Patriareh Mil- itant ‘army, \vith the grand secretary of the Sovereign Grand Lodge adjutant gederal, The first ble lagimlation military branch nacted at th Grand Lodge form--The toward first favora- lishing a wship was . 0ad g “ahie to onformity with th All cantons and Patriarch Militant ol e . [} . adoption of the following resolution: “'Nesolved, That encampments be per- mitted to wear such a style of street uniform, ou parade, as may be sanc- tioned Ly the Grand Encampment of their respective jurisdictions.” Thus a uniform was adopted consist- ing of chapeau, baldrje, sword, beit and gauntlets, to be worn only by the_ Royal Purple Degree members of en campment. “Adt.the session o Sovereign . a new uniform was adopted. afd the present Patriafeh Militafit Degree thus organized. TR Lo L The following yéar, 1886, .ddring the seesion of the Soverelgn Grand Lodge at Boston, Mass,, a papade took place on September 22, 1836, conmsisting of the order in Massachusetts, the New England States, and visiting .brothers from a distance. Here the Patriarchs Mititang made their first appearance in a general parade. The number in pa- rade was estimated at 15,000 and 6000 of which were Patriarchs Militant in full uniform. So rapid was the growth and increase in membership that in the year 1890, only five years then in ex- istence, numbered 28,426 members, with §1.161,970 in uniforms, equipments, cic. The history of the military branch of Wellowskip iIn California—Agrce- o islation of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, “cnizcted In lie yedr 1872, the Patriarchg of California weré organized from the ~various cneampments, and adopted the uniform preseribed by the Bovereign CGrand Leodge, and approved by the Granl Encampment of California. A battalion wds then formed called: the Golden Gate Battalion, and commanded by Captain George T. Bowen. The rompany gave 4 ball at Platt's Hall, San Francisco, Thanksgiving nighs, November, 1873, and their first appear- ance of note was in parade during the session of the Gra)d Lodge of Califor- nia, L. 0. O. F.,, held in Vallejo, Cal, in May, 1874, They thereafter kept up ) 7 i \. </ Emw(...onv, of the Pa- triarchs Militant in Cali- fornia ~———~ by Depart- memnt Com- mander H. O .. Brower st oI their organization, frequently appear- ing on preper oceasions until they were merged into “uniform degree camps.”™ There were, seyeral simMar organiza- tions ...-.mormro:.n California as well as of —rfi.fit\uw large, which led up to furthér action of the Sovereign Grand Lodge-at’ the annual session held in Frovidence, R. I, in the year 1383, nu»,:hm_uuw each Grand Encampment ‘{0 ‘issuerharters for “uniform degree camps.” The militarv branch of the oxder thus organized created new de- num.on and requirements and during the session of the Sovercign Grand Lodge in the city of Baltimore the “degree’ of Patriarchs Militant was created and placed upon a striei military basis Sep- tember 24, 1885 (the work having been exemplified. by Cantor Excelsior No, A of Louisville, Ky.), and the first record of the Patriarchs Militant organization tan population a great and underly which the order founded, fatherhood of Ged and the brotherhood of man,” has yielded a fich harve: efforts Of the early, unorganized made by members of our order to ré- lieve the existing distress but little will be said, but commencing with the tion of California Lgdge No. 1, ‘which s inStituted ‘on September .9, 1849, just a year befofe the State was admitted {nto the Unidn, a brief sketch of the®ise and progress of the order will be given. . The carly records of this lolige were lost in one of the disa: s fires that visited this city of Sa Franeisco, but from those who were familiar with events at that date it is learned the org; calls for aid recelved and answered dur- ing t were fully these appeals copfined to ©dd Fellows deserving cases received the needed as- sistance. Throughout . the State the ne, but all same spirit of unselfish 2id was mani- 4 tésted by those who had been tausht the ‘“divine lesson of charity” at the altars of Odd Fellowship -before com- ing to the “Golden Shore,” and lodges™ were quickly organized, the members thereof vying with each other in their prompiness in extending aid to timse who, through sicknéas or disability, were found in nced of help. When the Grand ledge L 0. O. F. of Califoruia was instituted in May, 1853, there were but eight lodgés with 200 members, but the inerease was rapid and al the cnd of that year there were about 900 members and filteen lodges Up tothe year 1855 there was no aitempt made to tabulate the receipts and dis- bursements of the lodges, but simee that date the records are complete and show that in the fifty. years there has been spent by the lgdges for relief and charity in this State the sum of $7,- 561,000 4 GRAND TREASURER SovEREIGN GRAND LODGE PRILABDELPHIA PA. difficult fc up the there v were thus capes bership herc ing forward mzv a m LO&OYF, prepared ward grand rep wes dhown Feéllows ha £, bt queriep, the orde financially. Then came @ anost in the history 1a§ghip, the 1.64gn of the U Filincisco, in May =ifn of that 1868, the urged the meeth vear, but as'the comnplated and as t gfi.on_; be more t g trhody v scrpdfog ceive serious e, a telegram w trinrch (the gra project n to re- but our be-denied; considera e being a i), exp £ the situation, who, after consulting with some of the acpjve ‘members, telegraphed back guaranteeing Ifree transportation from Omahua to- 8an Francisco and return. Teffplar, Lodse. which met the sanie evening. took the matter up and pledged the lodge to the extent of $10,- 000 tor the purposc of defraying the expense of nging them here. This was brousht before the Grand Lodge that evening and it was agreed to meet in San Francisco ghe following year provided the pailroad was combpleted, ence of Odd Fellow- ship omn . s ali- fornia Vo Grand Sec- retary Shaw i o end if not then to meet in Baltimore. On July 6, 1369 the goiden spike was driden that upited the two links of this great contipental chain and in the owing September the representa- of that bady took up that pil- wage, the forerunncr of myriads of ar journey@ which this year cul- in the eomvening here in San ss; ihe triennial conclave of the Knights Templar, and the anunual com- munication of the Sovereign Grand Todge, 1. O. 0. F.' At the time of this first gathering of any fraternal society, September, 1869, pur order had a mem- bership of 10,766 and 154 lodges. The second meeting of this Grand bedy in this State was heM in Los Angeles, September, 1383, Southern Californta, which at the date of the ses- sion of 1869, was considered to be at least two-thirds desert, and in which at that time there were but four lodges, had become thq most famous portion of the State and ‘the “Citv of the An- gels,” in 1869 but a small Spanish mis- sion, was now a city of 60,000 busy, bustling people. By 1888 trips acrogs the continent had lost the charm of novelty and conven- tions of all kinds and classes had be- come common. Our order in the mean- time had continued its onward prog- ress and now numbered 327 lodges and 26,467 members, and the southern part of the State had been dotted with nu- merous lodges in which the good seed of Odd Fellowship was being continu- ally sowed, the harvest showing an abundant yield, Now, at this time, the third assem- bling in our State of the governing head of four organizations, we have a membership of 86,239, enrolled in 366 lodges, California has had on its rolls many who have gained fraternal and national recognition and who have honored our Jjurisdiction. Among these deserving of mention is Samuel H. Parker, our first grand master, to whose energetic faithful work much of the early pros- perity of the order is to be attributed. Recognizing the influence for good of libraries, he founded the Odd Fellows' which for B i - rary of San Francisco, e y years retained its prominence as ROE WRIGH ‘BEPUTY GRAND SIRE SOVEREI N GRAND Lob GH ALLENTOWN A GRAND SEC RETARY SOVE REIGMN CG2RAND LODG BALTIMORE MDD, of the leading Iibraries of this city, and t its upbuilding he of his time and means. Docter John F. Morse, the second grand master, was one of the found- ers of the “Odd Fellows' Relief asso- ciaticn of Sacramento,” founded before devoted much any lodges had been organized, and the result of w labors are best shown by the fol quotation from an ad- diess delivered befere the Society of ‘Pror this * of hamanity, surable am but thi ion of LAd P of dollars from the grand sire, instituted the Grand Lodges of Germany and Swit- zerland, and under many difficulties, it being at-the time of the Franco- Prussian. war, and for his services re- ceived the thanks of the Sovereign Grand Lodge and a special gift from the Grand Ledge of Germany. John B, Harmon, past grand master of this State, was elected to the po- sition of grand sire of the Sovereign Grand Lodge. While serving as depu- ty grand sire he was sent to Australia on a mission of peace, it being to har- monizé differences that had arisen be- twen Australia and New Zealand, which mission was most satisfactorily performed. The Home—Another great work we as Odd Fellows have performed is the building and supporting at Thermalito, Butte County, a home for our aged and indigent brothers and sisters, and under whose hospitable roof 111 of these, our guests, are receiving the lov- ing care of the “Brothers of the Triple Link” at an annual cost to each mem- ber of the jurisdiction of 60 cents. Home for orphans—No work of this kind would be complete were not the children of our deccased members: cared for, and this loving mission has been nobly taken’ dp, and in-an orphans’ home, located at Gilroy, Santa Clara County, are now some fifty of these who, deprived by providence of their natgral protectors, are receiving the loving ministrations of those sisters who at the altars of Rebekah Odd Fel- lowehip have Leen taught the divine lessons of love. This institution has been under the exclusive management trustees (ladies), :ted by the Rebekah Assembly, and Orphans' Home is a credit to the rearts and heads of our Rebekah sis- the small beginnings here rder has grown to he bty iretrument for good, for when of the voters of the State one in s an Odd Fellow, and ani- v should be, with a love nity and a desive for the up- of the State and nat nee and