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THE MOUNTAINEER-COUIER, WAYNESVILLE, N. C.
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THE PRINCIPLES OF ODD FELLOWSHIP
Address Delivered by S. M. Crouch, Special Deputy for
' . the Grand Master, Friday Evening April 20, 1917, at -
a Public Session of the Twenty-second District
. 7 Convention of the 1. 0. 0. F. held at Balsam, N. C.
y INTRODUCTION -
- Ladies, Gentlemen, and Brothers of the Order.
Fraternity is inherent in man. it having been implanted
- therein by theCreator in the beginning. The hermit has
always been the exception and not the rule. Men have
always found that there is a greater efficiency in unity of
y, purpose than in single endeavor. ( The "Bundle of Sticks"
is an example ofthis unity, united and bound together one
may exert his utmost strength andjiot be able to break
s them, but separated each may be "easily broken. The
""centers of population are in the cities because men realize
that greater things are to be accomplished in social, fin
ancial, civic and spiritual affairs by an association to
getherIn my own native state, Ohio, we have great
fiolHa nf torritnnr that nroriiire natural cas and enal. Thesp
"Helds would never have been developed if it had depended
" sJSpon single individual effort; but by the association of-
men and capital together this territory, was developed and
- 1 - the people have received the benefit of it. The same thing
V' has been true in the building of the railroads of our
country, the great trunk lines that bind the North and
South the East and the West; if it had not been for the
association of men and capital these would never have
been built. It is also true in the great manufacturing
industries of the world, and, we might almost say that it
is a universal rule that where any great thing has been
accomplished by mankind that it has been brought about
by the association of men together for that purpose.
To satisfy this inherent quality in man numerous fra
ternities have been organized, with different aims in
ew. but only those deserve recognition that have for
heir object the uplift and the betterment of humanity.
Measured by this rule let us see if the independent ur
der of Odd Fellows is worthy of a place in the front rank
of the world's great fraternities.
It is American born, the first lodge being instituted in
the city of Baltimore, Maryland, April 26, 1819, with a
membership of five. It is not yet a century old, but note
its tremendous growth. The last report pf the Sovereign
Grand Lodge at Chattanooga, Tenn., in1916, gives the
total number of persons belonging to the Order December
31, 1915, as 2,683,497. The total receipts for 1915, $17,
822,992.79. Total relief paid in 1915, $5,975,203.09. In
vested funds of the Order, $66,773,961.56. Total relief
since 1830, $166,808,700.59. There are in existence
fifty-five Odd Fellows Homes in which the orphanchil-
V dren of deceased brothers are fed, clothed and educated,
. and in which aced and indigent brothers, and brothers'
widows are cared for. These homes have a property
valuation of $5,869,873.08, with 4,414 residents. The
number of residents admitted and taken care of since the
opening of these homes is given as 10,516. . . - .
But the true greatness of Odd Fellowship does not
consist in the things I have just mentioned. True, these
are great, these accomplishments, but there are greater
things in our beloved order than financial and numerical
strength. Let us consider what binds this great brother
hood together, and what are the basic principles of this
great order, founded almost a century ago and whose
inflenence today is world wide. It is a triple chain of
three golden links firmly welded together that binds the
hearts of the millions that compose its world wide mem
bership, and these three links of gold are FRIENDSHIP,
LOVE and TRUTH.
Friendship
There may have been just as great friendship in the
olden time, and there may be just as true and loyal
friendships today, but I think you will all agree with me
that few have been made of record that has equaled the
friendship of David and Jonathan. Jonathan was a
Prince in Israel, the son of Saul, Israel's first king. David
the son of Jesse was a shepherd lad who tended his fath
er's flocks on the hills of "Old Judea," those same hills
that centuries afterward echoed to the songs of the
Angels as they sang to other shepherds, watching their
flocks by night, concerning the birth of a Redeemer of
the world. -
The Philistines, the ancient enemies of Israel, had
descended upon the land in one of their periodical raids.
Saul the king hastily gathering his army together march
ed against them to repel the invasion. , The two armies
lay encamped on opposite sides of a ravine and each seem
ed afraid to start the battle.
While the" two armies lay thus encamped there came
one day from out of the camp of the Philistines a huge
giant more than eight feet tall, clothed in armor and
bearing a huge shield and sword, who standing in full
view of the army of Israel, dared them-io send up a man -against
him and thus decided the battle in single combat.
And although Saul the king offered his daughter in mar
riage, a great sum of money and freedom of the man's
house in Israel, yet no man in all the army of Israel could
be found to accept the challenge. Day after day this giant
stood before the host of Israel and taunted and derided
. them, and day after day there was found none to accept
his gage of battle.
One day David the shepherdlad came into camp bear
ing provisions, sent by Jesse Ins father, to his other two
sons who were soldiers in Saul's army, and as David stood
in the presence of his brothers he saw the Philistine
giant stand before the army of Israel and taunt and
deride them, and he also saw that of all the army none had
the courage to go up against this giant. And David in ...
hi3 amazement said to his brothers: "What means this ?"
"Has Israel lost faith in God, that her army can listen
to the taunts and derision of this uncircumcized Philistine
and not accept his challenge? ".But the brothers of David
-did not receive his rebuke kindly and in eflV: told him,
that they did not see how that he a mere stripling could
help the matter any and that the best thirg that he could
lo, in their opinion, was to go back" homa to his father.
But David didn't go home, but instead he went to Saul
the king and asked his permission to go and fight the
Slant. And Saul, because there was nothing else to do,
gave the desired permission- The king wanted to clothe
David in the royal armor, but the shepherd lad would
have none of it and taking his sling with which he had
been wont to protect his father's flock and gathering a
few smooth stones as he crossed the dry bed of the
' ravine and placing them in the wallet by his side he went .
forth in the strength of Israel's God to meet the giant. .
The giant mad with rage, because Israel had sent ..this
-"tripling to meet him, advanced breathing threats and.-
taunts of derision, but David undismayed, and answering -.
his threats with defiance, ran to meet his foe, And as he "
Vran he fitted a stone in th sfinir. which he threw with I
uch-force and precision that striking' the giant in he"-1-forehead
he was felled to the earth, and David mounting
the rroptrate body" drew the giant's own sword from its -"
rr-lbard with which be severed the head from the body
r-i carried back the head and sword to Israel's camp" as -'
-Vies cf his vtctcrjr. -The ThilLstiae hosts cJ ia dis-V
, may, pursued by the now exulting forces of Israel even
to the gates of their cities, with great slaughter. .
Jonathan the Prince stood by his father's side and
when David after having vanquished the stalwart cham
pion of the Philistines accepting a challenge which the
bravest in thp army of Israel feared to answer there J
was something in. the demeanor and the achievement of
the modest but brave youth that instantly won the af-"
feetion of Jonathan, and the record says, "Tlje soul of
, Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own soul."
Thus began that great and memorable friendship that
has ever since throughout? all the ages-been the admira- "
lion of the civilized world wherever this story has been
told. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was
upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even
to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. - Ho wav
presumably heir to his father's throne; yet, when his
father became jealous of David, as likely to supplant him
in the throne and rob Jonathan of the kingly honor and
powe" which he meant to leave to. him, the son and heir
suffers not a shadow to pass upon his friendship with
David upon this account. He was persuaded that David -would
be the next king. "Thou shalt be king over
Israel, and I shall be next unto thee ;" and in the fulness
of his affection and admiration, he was willing to have it
so. Net often in this selfish world has friendship enduzed
such a test as this. When Saul sought the life of David,
Jcrathai again and again, sometimes at the risk of his
own life, warned and protected him. Their covenant of
friendship was never broken and finally when
in that disastrous . battle with the Philistines
Saul and Jonathan were both slain, we can almost weep
with David as standing by the dead body of his friend
his soul pours forth its lamentation. "I am distressed
for thee, my broher Jonathan, very pleasant-hast thou
been to me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the
love of women."
Such is the story of this sublime friendship, the first
of the golden links in this triple chain. Brethren, is it
not worthy of our admiration and imitation?
Love
Let us next consider the second golden link in this
eternal chain of fraternity, which is LOVE.
And again I am going to bring you a lesson from Holy
Writ to impress upon your minds this great precept.
One day the Master was teaching in the synagogue
when a certain lawyer stood up and asked him the ques
tion: "Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
And the Master answering said, "What is written in the
law? how readest thou?" And the lawyer quoting from
the Mosaic law answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neigh
bor as thyself." And the Master said unto him, "Thou
hast answered right ; this do and thou shalt live." But
the lawyer not satisfied in his own mind, or perhaps
seeking to justify himself, asked the further question,
"And who is my neighbor?" And the Master answered
by-giving to the world that greatest of all exemplifications
of the principle of love, in the Parable of the Good
Samaritan.
This in substance' is the teaching of the parable. A
certain man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, said
Jesus, and on the way he fell among robbers, who stripped
and beat hi ji, and departed, leaving him half dead. And
as the poor fellow lay in this helpless condition by the
roadside there came a priest of the temple that way. Of -course
this Jew, for he was a Jew, fully expected that
this priest of his own religion and nationality would
hasten to his relief ; but strange to say, and to the poor
fellows great surprise, although appealed to again and
again, this priest was too busy with his religion to help
a fellow countryman in his need and he passed by on the
other siide without rendering .any assistance. Likewise
a Levite, one who swung the golden censer in the temple,
came that way, and again this poor Jew appeals for aid
to one of his own people. But the Levite is, like the
priest, too busy with his own affairs to give heed to
suffering humanity, and so he too passed by on the other
side. Oh, my friends, how many of us today in this age
in which I think sometimes we are speed mad, in the
hurry and push, and in the striving to acquire wealth
and fame, how many of us I say are like the priest and
Levite and refuse to leave our own affairs long enough
to reach out a helping hand to our brother in his need.
A third man comes down the road, but when the poor
stricken iellow by the roadside catches a glimpse of him
all hope dies within' his heart, for this third man is a
hated Samaritan, an enemy of his people. The Jews and -the
Samaritans had no dealings with each other. They
hated and despised each other, and usually made long
detours around rather than pass through the territory
of the other. The first impulse of this Samaritan was to
leave the despised Jew by the roadside 'where he lay
"But after all is he not my brother?" he reasoned, and
there was that true spirit af love and fraternity within
his heart that triumphed over national prejudice and
difference of creed and that prompted him to extend a
helping hand to his brother man in his time of need.
And so the Samaritan bound up the poor sufferer's
wounds, pouring on them oil and wyie; "and he set him
on his beast, and brought him to an inn, and tok care of
him. And on the morrow, he took out two pence, and
gave them to the host, and said, take care of him; and
whatsoever thou spendest more, I when I come back again
- will pay thee." And the Master turning to the lawyer ask-
ed, "Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neigh
bor unto him that fell among the robbers?" And the
iawyer answered, "He that shewed mercy on him." And
the Master said to him, "Go and do thou likewise." -
A neighborhood is not the creation of a surveyor's
chain. It has no arbitrary, boundaries, especially in this -day
of quick transportation and communication. -Telegraph,
telephone, wireless telegraphy, steam and electric '
railways, all tend to expansion, until today nations may
be just as close neighbors as townships used to be. - Who
is my neighbor? .If I lived on one of the fashionable
boulevards of some beautiful southern city,, with all of
the luxuries of life at my - command," and across the
street lived another man in like condition as myself, and
I invited him to dine with me, and he in hko manner
should inVite me, then, in the common acceptar.ee of the
- term we are neighbors. ; But this is merely social inter- -;
course, not neighborship. Let me give you a definition .
of neighborship, such as I think the Master meant when
'. He gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan. Listen,
he is my neighbor who has need of me; and I am neigh
bor to him if I supply that need. - My neighbor mar. live t
around the corner In the aUey.. He may have only, the
bare necessities of -iifet And if, I take from my plenty ;
and supply his needs in his time of distress, in the true' .
spirit of fraternity and brotherhood, then am I his neigh- '
Jber and ha is rained v. - - " '
Some few-years ago a Tfev.p?T tmin txwM for tTi'
west rotiT!?f?s'a crrv r. ref'-c 'ttrt r - r " !, '.
engine wa? thrown from the track and underneath the
. wreck was buried the engineer. The steam from a broken .
pipe literally cooked the flesh upon hjs bones, and his
cries of agony was something awful to hear. Strong -men
quickly rescued him from the wreck and after lay
ing him upon the bank by the roadside stood around lis
tening to his moans of agony, but could think of nothing
to help. Not so with a little woman who hurrying from J
the Pullman at the rear of the train and who kneeling at
i the -side of the suffering man was quick to see his need and -
equally quick to act. She sent to the diner for oils and to
.the Pullman for linens and deftly and lovingly bound up
the poor blistered body of the sufferer. Now my friends
the social chasm between the rear Pullman and the engine
cab of a trans-continental flyer is supposed to be as wide
as the poles of the universe, and yet a woman's tender ,
heart swung easily to the'opposite side, and amidst the
hiss of escaping steam and the groans of dying men,
calmly answered the age old question, and found a neigh
bor in the seared and blackened victim of the wreck.
This is the conception which builds schools, founds
hospitals, and asylums for .the unfortunate; supports the '
widow, and feeds, clothes and educates the orphan. And
it in this rnnrentinn which must organize flmonsr the
nations a neighborhood whose limits shall encircle the
earth; and make all humanity to feel the universal heart-
ache, and its answering throb of pity; and bring all men
in the brotherhood of love to realize their responsibility
as the children of a common Father. Then will nation ...
cease to lift up the sword against her neighbor nation ;
then shall the spear be turned into a pruning hook, and
the sword into a ploughshare, and men will not go to
war any more.
' : Truth . .
The last of the golden links in this triple chain of fra
ternity is the imperial virtue of truth.
What is truth ? asked Pilate of Jesus of Nazareth, when
this same Jesus stood before his judgment seat and
bodily avowed that He had come to bear witness of the
truth. And in answer to the statement of the Nazarenev
Pilate scornfully asked, "What Js truth?" And all down
through the Ages since that time has rung this great'
fundamental question, What is truth? What is the truth
concerning man today? Wherein lies his greatest power
for good ? What is man worth ? Some one has said that
a man's reputation is as men see him, but his character
is what God knows him to be. Man lees the outward ap
pearance, God reads the heart. Harold Bell Wright in
his book "When A Man's A Man" deals with this subject
of what a man is worth and wherein true worth lies. It
has to do with the story of a young man, the son of a
millionaire, who seemed to have no aim or object in life
- except to spend his father's money; and this young man
fell in love with a beautiful young girl, the daughter of
a Presbyterian minister, and asked her to marry him, -but
greatly to his surprise she declined, and when pressed
for her reason replied that she had been taught by her
father that a man to be a man should have some object
and aim in life and should be of some use to the world,
and that rVip failed tn npn anv inHicntinn in tha Jifo nf
- this young man toward this standard of true manhood,
and that was the reason for her refusal' to marry him.
In his disappointment and chagrin the young man went
west, changed his name and sought employment on a
ranch, and in the shadow of the mountains, with the great
plains as far as the eye could see, under the starry firma
ment of God's own hand, in that country of the "Great
West" where things seem to be cleansed of .all dross and
tinsel and sham, and things seem bigger than any where
else in the w,orld, there this young man learned wherein
the true worth of man lay, that it was not in houses
and lands, in bonds and stocks,, but in character and use
. fulness and in the ability to serve God and his fellow mart.
The world's standard concerning the worth of man
tflday is in dollars and cents, and the world's standard is
wrong. Shortly after the death of Harnman the great
railroad magnate, two friends walking down the street
were discussing his demise and one asked the other, how
much did he leave? and his friend answered, he left it
alb Now that is just the reason that the world's stand
ard is wrong, because it makes the temporal things that -we
can't take with us when we leave this world the stand
ard of man's worth. There is that within man that is
greater than these, that which lives forever, that makes
for the things that are eternal, and these are the things
that nra thi ninra imnnrtant on1 fAoA 4-Vi . iV!Ka
rv. MUM ui c tiic .
' wherein lie the true worth of ma n. Haven't you known of v
some old skinflint, who wasn't worth thirty cents ta
uiiuoeu, ma i.eiiuwuiuu, ur ms joq ana yet ne numoerea
his acres by the hundreds and his bank account by the
thousands? I heard of one such once, who when a poor
old cooper who had lost his limb, but who wanted to do
something in order to keep out of the poor house, applied
to him for a tree that belonged to the rich man and grew
I 1 1 mm - m
on a Danx just aoove tne coopers numble home, offering to
pay for it as soon as he could work it up. And do you
think he got the tree? No he didn't, the old man was too
stingy to let him have it. What was that man who owned
all this worth ? Listen, I'll tell you : A hundred souls like
his could hold a jolification inside of a mustard seed, and
never hear of each other. That is what he is worth.
And again haven't you known one of God's noblemen
' in overalls, who maybe did not own the roof over his head,
yet was rich in the love and respect of his f ellowmen and
the approval of his God? Why? because his hand was
ever held out to help the other fellow who needed his
help. As long as he had a dollar he was willing to divide
it with the needy and helpless. What is such a one worth
in comparison to other? Oh, there isn't any comparison.
Money isn't everything. Billy Sunday tells the -follow- "
. ing to illustrate this truth: Some years ago, before his
conversion, while living in Chicago; Billy had a friend
whose name was Jim. They were about the same' age,
had married about the same time. Jim had a littl hnv whn
was namer Billy, after his friend Billy Sunday. Jim
caught the gold fever and taking his wife and child went
to Alaska to hunt for gold. Billy became converted and
took wo ei"-elistic work. Some few years afterwards
Bill- ;s holding a meeting in one of the coast towns, and "
. r. mutual friend of both these men, meeting Billy one day '
said to him, "Jim is coming home today, his ship is com
in in now, lefs go down to the wharf and meet him."
And so they went down, and after the crowd had scattered '
out a litt!e rrd they could reach Jim and his wiferthey
went to msct thera and offer tha'r congratulaticnx ,
Billy clasped the hnd of his Hd friend and said to v- " ;
Tm glad to see you Jim, and I want to conifrptu'at" ;t
" for I hear you struck it r'ch ut in AlasVa," Jim svplled
, : up nd said. "Tea 1 did Billy, and I've grt money enough ''
. that I can just get anything I "want" B'Tlv didn't make -
; ary-rcswer; bnt he noticed that the boy, his namesake, "
n,Inis - Ani. to Jim. "Jim Where's ' -'"
. LUIe Buly T mi oyer Jim's face there came a cloud, and '
he kerned fc forjet all about his riches, and he said, "Oh "
' "E,'?, Cat's the worst of it;little BLlly couldn't sta-d tH ' ' '-
. cc'.i in AL.la, sr. J ia we left hin Cere. I ::-J t- ' 'the
- (Cntiaaed on Tt 7.) - -