Atlanta Daily World

Plagiarism To Be Featured Voted On By Elks At Meet

CHICAGO- (NNPA) - One of the propositions to be voted on at the fifty-fifth annual Elks grand lodge, meeting here August 20 to 27, accuses the 1952 winner of the Elks mid-western regional contest, held at Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1952, with plagiarism.

The resolution would have the grand lodge to direct that the Elks' commissioner of education, George W. Lee of Memphis, Tennessee give "some consideration" to the runner-up in the 1952 regional contest

In its preamble the resolution recites that there is "dissatisfaction and confusion" among state directors over the winner of the regional contest

It charges that "investigation and research definitely established that the winner of the $1000 scholarship was guilty of plagiarism."

It asserts that the winning oration was "discovered to be a verbatim rendition of the international winning oration by Mr. Wing, of Hollywood, California, and delivered in France in 1926"

Photostatic copies of the two orations, the proposition states, have been forwarded to the regional director and the commissioner of education

The proposition calls for disqualification of any future winner found guilty of plagiarism

A proposition coming from Monumental Lodge No. 3, Baltimore, provides that the runner-ups in the regional oratorical contests shall each receive a $500 scholarship on the same basis that the winners are now given $1000 scholarships

This proposition is signed by Lloyd Randolph, exalted ruler, and Theodore C Miller secretary of Monumental Lodge

Another proposition from Monumental Lodge calls for the retirement and pensioning of William C Hueston grand secretary, effective sixty days after adoption of the resolution

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Columbia Lodge No. 85, Washington, D C, offers a proposition to disqualify all Elks from serving as grand lodge officers after he reaches the age of 70 years It also would bar grand lodge officers from holding more than one grand lodge office, elective or appointive

Effective in 1955, the section fixing an age limit for grand lodge officers would hit Grand Secretary Hueston and Perry W. Howard grand legal adviser, both of whom are past 70 years of age.

This proposition is signed by Columbia Lodge officers--Everett L Cooper, exalted ruler; Louis W Brown, financial secretary, and Joseph A Beavers, recording secretary.

It also would hit Robert H. Johnson, grand exalted ruler, who doubles as president of the Washington Eagle, official organ of the grand lodge, and for which he receives expenses of $100 a month, in addition to his salary and expenses of his office as grand exalted ruler.

Minutes of the 1953 grand lodge session show Pure Gold Lodge No. 591, Hamilton, Ohio, proposes that the grand exalted ruler be authorized to have the grand traveling auditor audit the books of any grand lodge or grand temple (women's auxiliary) department or office, and to fix the pay for such auditors, which would be paid out of the grand lodge general fund

Under the existing laws of the order, the grand auditors are charged with the responsibility of auditing all the financial accounts of the grand lodge, the grand treasurer, and the grand secretary

TRAVELING OFFICER

The position of grand traveling auditor has been created. The grand traveling auditor, appointed by the grand exalted ruler, audits the accounts of local lodges and their auxiliaries and is paid by the local lodge whatever fee is fixed by the grand exalted ruler

The proposition from Pure Gold Lodge is signed by Damon Andrews, exalted ruler and Robert Ferguson, secretary

Pure Gold Lodge also has submitted a proposition calling for the retirement on an annual pension of Mr. Hueston since he has "passed the age of 73 years."

A proposition from Quaker City Lodge No 720 would officially establish the position of "Grand Drum Major" and authorizing the grand exalted ruler to fill it. The proposition notes that for many years a grand drum major has been appointed without authority

The Quaker City Lodge proposition is signed by John T. Freeman, exalted ruler, and Harry H. Eddicks Quaker City Lodge is located in Philadelphia

A proposition from Pacific Coast Elks would create "a travel expense fund of sufficient magnitude" for the grand exalted ruler to visit every state association territory at least once during his two-year term

Seven grand lodge officers, including the grand exalted ruler, submitted a proposition to create an Elks Foundation for the promotion of education, health and economics.

The proposed foundation would be a non-profit concern directed by seven trustees, the majority of whom would be grand lodge officers, one of whom would serve as the director, another as the executive secretary, and a third as treasurer.

TEN-YEAR TERM

The resolution provides that Grand Exalted Ruler Johnson shall be one of the original directors and shall serve for a term of ten years

The other trustees would serve terms of nine, eight, seven, six, five and four years, respectively

It makes the trustee board self-perpetuating and gives it authority to make its own by-laws and rules, subject to approval of the grand lodge The original trustees would be appointed by the incumbent grand exalted ruler.

To create a fund for the operation of the foundation, the resolution would authorize the financial officers of the grand lodge to transfer an initial amount of from $50,000 to $100,000 from such grand lodge funds as may be available.

The foundation also would be authorized to receive donations "from all honorable sources" and to raise funds through grand lodge channels

The resolution is signed by Hobson Reynolds, director of the Elks' civil liberties department, Robert H Johnson, grand exalted ruler; William C Hueston, grand secretary; Perry B Jackson, grand treasurer; Perry W Howard, grand legal adviser; Herbert E. Jones, grand organizer, and Charles McClane, public relations director

A similar resolution was offered at the 1953 grand lodge session by O. V. Catto Lodge No. 20, Philadelphia, of which Mr. Johnson is a member and former exalted ruler.

That resolution proposed to create the "J. Finley Wilson Memorial Foundation, Inc," and would have made Mr. Johnson the director of the foundation for life. It was rejected for further study at the mid-winter conference of grand lodge officers,

A proposition from Morning Star Lodge No. 40, Washington, D. C., would extend the term of the grand secretary from one to two years. It is signed by Herbert Harris, exalted ruler, and Melvin A. Colbert, financial secretary.