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cess and today we witness a mighty organi- zation, the largest fraternal and benevolent institution in the. world, founded upon the eternal principles of friendship, love and truth, devised for the improvement of\ the social condition and the elevation of the character of man and teaching lessons of be- nevolence, toleration, morality and frater— nity.

The last returns give the number of subordinate lodges as 14,345 and Rebekah lodges, 6,876. The total membership on the 3Ist of December, 1904, was 1,520,621.

The qualification for membership in the order is that the applicant “must be a white male, of the age of twenty-one years, of sound health, of good moral character and industrious habits. having some known re— spectable means of support, and who believes in the existence of a Supreme Being, the Creator and Preserver of the Universe.” No saloon-keeper, bar-tender or professional gambler shall be eligible to membership in any lodge. A system of dues are payable quarterly by each member and sick and fu- neral-benefits are paid according to the con— stitution and by-laws of the lodge. Every person brought into the order is required to obligate himself to be faithful to its laws and regulations, and is urged to be submissive to the laws of God and the laws of his coun- try. Good citizenship. fidelity to their broth- ers. and honesty in all their dealings with men are strictly enjoined upon all Odd Fel- lows. The oldest charge-books of the order place prominence on the idea that every member has three kinds of duties that ought always to be observed—those which he owes to God, to his neighbor, and to himself. There are three great fundamental principles which have a world-wide commendation and which have won for our organization the

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title of the Three-Link Fraternity. These principles are Friendship, Love and Truth.

The beautiful story of Jonathan and Da- vid was selected to illustrate the first great principle of Odd Fellowship because there is to be found no other friendship like it be- tween mortal men, either in sacred or seen lar history. It was a friendship formed for friendship’s sake, without a taint of selfish- ness. There is a necessary interdependence existing between men; we depend absolutely upon one anOther; there is no such thing as an independent ship on life’s high seas. Our comfort, peace and happiness depend in the greatest measure upon the relations which we sustain to one another. The more inti- mate the relations become which exist be- tween ourselves and those with whom we come in contact continually the better will we fare at their hands. The world needs to be bound together by the strong ties of a friendship founded upon human brotherhood in which the kindest offices are pledged and honor and affection are sealed. The mission of Odd Fellowship is to increase the number of friendships. It teaches that the more sin- cere friendships one forms the stronger will he become.

The parable of the Good Samaritan was selected to illustrate the most important and vital principle of love. Brotherly love is the central link and force in our order; it is the bond of union. Upon the solid basis of love the whble superstructure has been built and is destined to repose until time shall be no more. All true Odd Fellows believe that God is the universal Father, that the race is one universal brotherhood, that universal love should rule in the lives of men. Our fraternity has sought to impress this great principle upon its members and the world. It sweeps out of existence all distinctions of