Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Illinois - University Library

Nov.Te^lSW. i GRAND LODGE OF ILLINOIS. 245
dential election in this country, I am unable to report any large increase
during the year 1896; but we are not going backward. The
membership of the Subordinate Lodges shows an increase, while the
Rebekah branch has made very large proportionate gains.
In the Encampment branch I regret to say that the figures show a
slight decrease, while the Patriarchs Militant have gained in membership,
showing that the legislation of past years which invested
them with more authority to govern themselves has been wise and
beneficial to this branch.
Incorporated in the Grand Sire's Report is also the report
of the Deputy Grand Sire for Europe, Herman Block,
always a very interesting document.
Introductory to his report, Grand Secretary Grant says:
By an examination of the table accompanying this report, which
gives the increase and decrease in membership during the year, it will
be seen that the loss In the Encampment branch has been unusually
heavy, while the gain in Subordinate Lodge membership has been the
smallest since 1885, when it was 1,080. The prevailing depression in
business affairs, which, judging from the reports of Grand Secretaries
and Grand Scribes, seems to be felt in all sections of the country,
must account to a great degree for this tardy growth; but another,
and doubtless a more prominent stumbling-block in the way of progress,
is the strongly-marked lack of personal interest among the
membership in the work of the Lodges and Encampments. A renewal
of that interest which prompted the brother to unite with the
Order is necessary.
But while these have languished, the prosperous Rebekah branch,
with her small fees and light dues, has vigorously grown. If our
membership has not kept pace with the rate of increase during the
past twelve years, discouragement need not follow. It is in lessons of
experience that we are taught the performance of duty.
Statistics of the Order.
The following figures show the numerical and financial
strength of the Order.
Grand Lodges, 56; Subordinate Lodges, 11,115, increase, 270;
Rebekah Lodges. 4.567, increase, 456; Grand Encampments, 51, increase,
I; Subordinate Encampments, 2,648, increase, 20; Lodge initiations,
60,146, decrease, 3,073; Lodge members, 806,055, increase, 6,070; Encampment
members, 130,732, decrease, 1.962; Rebekah members, 264,479, increase,
26,526; relief by lodges, $3,067,965.81, increase, $60,884.48; relief
by Encampments, $274,209.99, decrease, $4,670.09; relief by Rebekah
Lodges, $51,059.83, increa-e, $3,298.10; total relief, $3,393,235.63, increase,
$59,412.49; revenue of Lodges, $7,570,025.98, decrease, $17,824.41; revenue
of Rebekah Lodges, $886,202.26, increase, $505,406.27; total revenue,
$9,058,646.79, increase, $467,642.58.
Invested i^i/Tids—Subordinate Lodges, $24,824,387.17, increase, $476,-
857.33; Subordinate Encampments, $1,529,131.59, increase, $73,776.71;
Rebekah Lodges, $496,430.66. increase, $73,776.71; total invested funda,
$26,849,949.42, increase, $591,922.76.