Daily Kennebec Journal

Odd Fellows District Meeting
Thursday Evening at Gardiner.

The district meeting of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows held with Gardiner Lodge, No. 3, will long be remembered in the annals of the order. By a count taken there were 414 members, representing 57 lodges, present but many did not register and 450 is a conservative estimate. The six lodges in the district, Asylum of Augusta, Sanborn of Hallowell, Crystal of Winthrop, Kennebec of Gardiner, Cooper of Mills, Richmond of Richmond and Gardiner of Gardiner, were represented by their officers. Abou Ben Adhem Lodge of Auburn sent over 60 members including the degree team. The lodge most distant represented was from Oneida, N. Y. Probably the oldest member of the order in years was William C. Keene of Gardiner Lodge. Mr. Keene was 88 years old in November, 1909 and last evening was present throughout the entire proceedings.

HERBERT D. SEARS
Of Portland, Grand Master of Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows of Maine.

He presided over the meeting and took great interest in all the work. He has been an odd fellow for over 50 years joining in Augusta. He lived in Gardiner before the local lodge was formed and shortly after it was organized was transferred here. He was a charter member of Evergreen Encampment and Canton Evergreen, P. M. I. O. O. F. but dropped out of the latter two bodies. He continued in the subordinate lodge and although he has not been a regular attendant has always kept up his interest. Ever since it was decided to hold the district meeting in this city Mr. Keene has been planning to attend and last night witnessed for the first time the First degree worked under the new ritual.

JAMES R. TOWNSEND
of Augusta, Past Grand Master.

The visitors to the meeting began to arrive in the afternoon but the majority arrived on the steam and electric cars arriving about 7:30 o'clock. The hall of Gardiner Lodge was used as a meeting place and outside garments were left there. Shortly before 8 o'clock the party adjourned to the Coliseum, which had been engaged especially for the meeting and transformed into a lodge room. While the members were assembling music was furnished by an orchestra of 12 pieces, all the members being members of the order. The orchestra was composed of the following: C. C. Lawrence, piano; George C. McKenney, Guy Lancey, Harry Brown, violins; F. A. E. Manson, Lester Radcliff, bass viol; R. Foster, clarinets; J. D. Wentworth, H. F. Twombley, W. P. Moore, cornets; Watson Burtt, trombone; E. K. Bacon, drums.

Grand Master Herbert W. Sears of Portland arrived in the hall shortly after 8 o'clock and directly the meeting was called to order with the regular officers of Gardiner Lodge in the chairs. After the routine of opening the chairs were given over to the degree team of Abou Ben Adhem Lodge, who conferred the degree on four candidates: Lyman W. Wilkins, Milton Barter, Daniel S. Adams and Charles W. Perkins. That the degree was put on in a most excellent manner goes without saying as the team has a state-wide reputation for excellent work and last evening certainly lived up to its reputation. At the close of the degree work and before the degree staff left the hall the guards under the command of Drill Master Fred D. Sands, gave a drill which evoked frequent applause for their fine work.

C. A. COBB
Past Grand

The degree staff of Abou Ben Adhem Lodge of Auburn which exemplified the First degree was composed of the following:

N. G., George E. Marston; V. G., H. H. Niles, P. G., Nathan S. Rand, Chap., Clinton E. Goodwin, Warden, I. E. Flanders; Conductor, L. I. Brown, R. S. N. G., I. W. Boies, L. S. N. G., Perley E. Fish; R. S. V. G., Fred A. Chase, L. S. V. G., Prince J. Doe, R. S. S., Samuel B. Towle, L. S. S., Henry E. Vosmus; I. G., Fred D. Sands; O. G., Ardon F. Tilton; R. S., Frank L. Knapp, L. S., Harry E. Fogg; Chap., Harry Day; R. S. S., Walter L. Pratt; L. S. S., F. H. Johnson, G. G., George A. Jones; attendants, Ernest L. Pratt, Chester A. Morrill.

WM. B. LENNAN
Secretary
Gardiner Lodge, No. 9, I. O. O. F.

Guards. Fred D. Sands captain, Forrest E. Shackford, Harry I. Cole, Ernest L. Pratt, Herbert B. Stephens, Chester Libby, William W. Robertson, Edwin W. Pierce, Chauncey T. Crafts, Chester A. Morrill, Oliver Hathaway, Frank A. Raynes; pianist, Mark Getchell; violin, Harry E. Bacon; cornet, Ernest Castner; drums, Edwin W. Bacon.

The lodge was closed after the work and a season of speechmaking enjoyed by all. District Deputy Grand Master Harry W. Reid of Augusta presided over this part of the evening. Short speeches were made by Grand Master Sears, Past Grand C. A. Knight of Gardiner, Deputy Grand Master Frank B. Miller of Rockland, Grand Patriarch Leon S. Merrill of Solon, Past Grand Master Solomon P. Felker of Clinton, Past Grand Master W. W. Cutter of Westbrook, Past Grand Master James R. Townsend of Augusta, I. E. Flanders of Auburn, District Deputy Grand Master of District No. 15, and others.

Then the members repaired to the banquet rooms of Odd Fellows' and the Masonic hall, where a bountiful banquet was in readiness. The members of Eureka Rebekah Lodge acted as waitresses and saw to it that everyone was satisfied. The majority of the visitors from up river returned on the 12:30 train and one and all stated that the meeting was a grand success and Gardiner Lodge perfect hosts.
The following are the committees who had charge of the various arrangements in connection with the meeting:

General committee—F. P. Collins, chairman, E. W. Chase, F. A. Robinson, J. M. Radcliff, S. D. Soule.

Reception committee—E. L. Bussell, chairman, C. A. Knight, F. H. Goodrich, A. W. Cunningham, D. S. Weeks, G. A. Farrington, A. W. Cunningham.

Hall committee—George Woodward.

Banquet hall committee—R. T. True, H. L. Turner.

Dressing room committee—G. T. Marlev, Archie Drake.

Soliciting committee—J. G. Coombs, Fred Love, E. F. Hodgkins, George W. Norris, Potter, G. C. Lawrence, Harry Jordan, F. H. Marshall, R. E. Manson, W. B. Lord, W. B. James.

Following is the committee in charge of the refreshments at Odd Fellows hall:

H. L. Turner, chairman, Mrs. E. P. Collins, Mrs. A. W. Cunningham, Miss Luella Smith, Mrs. W. B. Lennan, Miss Maud Cutts, Miss W. H. Holbrook, Mrs. J. F. Cole, Miss J. M. Martin, Mrs. W. L. Kimball, Mrs. Geo. Davis, Mrs. F. A. Robinson, Mrs. H. L. Turner.

Following is the committee for Masonic hall: R. T. True, chairman, Mrs. Flaherty, Mrs. Kelley, Mrs. Hooper, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Larrabee, Mrs. Tozier, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Pomroy, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Lawrence, Miss Bridgham.

R. T. TRUE
Past Grand, Gardiner Lodge, No. 9, I. O. O. F.

WM. C. KEENE
Oldest Odd Fellow in District I. O. O. F.

A. W. CUNNINGHAM
Chaplain Gardiner Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F.

Sweetland, George Davis, George Ripley, H. H. Ring, G. T. Gallver, E. G. Mears, Fred Ring, Alex. McComb, E. E. Lancaster, Norman Gammon, Frank Wight, J. E. Simpson, F. H. Williams, H. A. Davis, Lew Libby, A. E. Collins,