5
MOOSEHEJ3RT MJlGyJZINE
The Order’s Greatest Convention
Thirty-First Annual Gathering of our Members at Mooseheart will go down in History
Convention’s important actions given in this report. Photos shown at foot of pages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are of representatives attending meetings.
story who was asked by his friend what he would be if he were not an Irishman, and Pat replied, “By gorry, I would be ashamed of myself,” and I am sure the man in this Valley who cannot say he is a member of this great Order after this week will be ashamed of himself. We can remember when Mooseheart was but a dream and some thought those dreams were too large to ever come true, but today we see dreams coming true,, and it gives me pleasure to introduce to you one who has helped to make those dreams be realized. It gives me pleasure to introduce . to you our Supreme Dictator, Chas. A. A. McGee.”
Supreme Dictator McGee responded as follows:
“It is indeed an honor of no mean proportion to wield the gavel over a convention representing 537,000 of the world’s foremost citizens. (Applause) And to meet in this particular portion of the Moose domain, where all our thoughts are centered, is of particular significance on this epoch-making occasion. Epoch-making, because there comes to us this morning through the medium of the Associated Press the glad tidings that the peace terms laid down by the entente Allies, stern but just, have been accepted as they should have been accepted by the representatives of the defeated Central Empires. Significant, secondly, because we will witness here on this occasion the advent of a new day in human service and in the education of the youth of the world. From this great school, that trains for life, will graduate on the morrow the first class receiving diplomas from the Mooseheart Governors.
“These two thoughts, the advent of the golden age of peace, and the new day in vocational and cultural training, spell the security of the future and the stabilizing of society. (Applause) I say to you, men and women of the great state of Illinois, and of the still greater union of the states of. America, “we are living in a new age. The old standards are gone forever.' The man of today realizes that if he would express himself to his fellow man it must be by means of service, unselfishly and enthusiastically rendered. That man who lives within himself, who conceives that his ideas are the only ideas, that his family is the only family, that his children are the only children, that his ambitions
reate address to the Mooseheart graduating class of 1919. The whole audience united in the national hymn, “My Country ’Tis of Thee.” Rev. Wm, Reese, the great minister labor leader of New Orleans, La., gave the message of the South to the Convention. Dean Rondthaler gave the outline of the Convention sermon. The services closed with the benediction led by Rev. Geo. H. Dewing, of the Aurora College, Aurora.
Monday, June 23,1919
Convention Opens
The opening of the great Convention was begun by two addresses. One was the welcome address by Hon. James E. Harley of Aurora, who represented the mayors of the cities and towns of the Fox River Valley. The other was the response of Supreme Dictator C. A. A. McGee.
Bro. Harley said:
“In behalf of the General Committee and of the Mayors of all the cities of the Fox River Valley, I extend to you all a hearty welcome. When the program was first made it was arranged to _ have the mayors of each of the cities of the Valley give you a welcome, but in order to save time they have asked me to extend the welcome for them. We believe you made no mistake in coming to Mooseheart for this Convention, and especially at this time of the year when the Valley is at its best. We have had the co-operation of every city in the Valley from Elgin on the north to Aurora on the south and Chicago and Joliet on the east, and I might say almost every family of the Fox River Valley. They have all united to give you hearty welcome and to show you a good time. When this convention is over I hope the man who is not a member of this Order will be like the Irishman in the
their wares about ten in the morning and the aroma of frizzling wienies began to filter from the new culinary emporium operated by Brother Hugo Doebler, the Assistant to Superintendent Adams.
Tents galore poked their dazzling heads over the tops of the Lincoln Highway shrubbery, the bulletin board in front of General Headquarters began to take on life and the boys brushed their clothes in preparation for attendance at one or the other of the religions ceremonies.
At two-thirty o’clock in the afternoon the Pennsylvania Special struggled up alongside the MOOSEHEART cinder station and the Student Band puffed its appreciative cheeks in blowing a welcome to the Big Delegation, particularly that bunch of princes representing the donors of the new hospital.
The Catholic mass at 8 a. m. was attended by several hundred, including the Director-General, Chairman Ford of the Executive Committee and Councilmen Monahan and Marakle Father John Laifey assisted by Hector Poirier, student, of Chicopee Falls, Mass., as altar-boy, said mass. Father Laffey announced that the Mooseheart service was being gradually developed and would soon be complete in all details.
In the afternoon Protestant services were introduced with an Overture by the Mooseheart student band. Dean J. A. Rondthaler, presiding at the services, offered the invocation, followed by the Moose Hymn of Fellowship, in which the convention delegates, visiting Moose and Mooseheart students joined. An especially prepared responsive service entitled, “Victory and Peace,” was led by Rev. Victor Hoag, Rector of the Batavia Episcopal Church. The prayer was offered by Rev. F. E. R. Miller of the First Baptist Chuch of Elgin. Mooseheart students sang “Mooseheart the Happiest,” followed by responsive reading entitled, “Religion of the Moose.” Dr. J. A. Rondthaler gave the Baccalau-
The ; largest and most enjoyable Convention ever held by the Loyal Order of Moose or probably by any fraternal organization was the 31st which convened at MOOSEHEART on June 22, 1919.
Elaborate and systematic preparations had been made by the officials of the Supreme Lodge assigned to that work, by the Superintendent and his assistants and; by the students of MOOSEHEART• The Cojnmittee of Public Officials of the cities in the Fox River Valley which had in charge the Peace Celebration added . the Moose Convention to their celebration with the result that the combination gave to these combined cities the greatest celebration ever known to this part of Illinois.
It would require a large volume to record the wonderful story of the Convention. The minutes of the business session will be mailed to the lodges within a few days and should be read in every lodge. The principle features of the Convention which will stand out in plain and bold relief will be:	Happiness, Confidence, Enthu-
siasm and Soul-Stirring Interest in our great work for Childhood.
The Delegates and visiting Moose began to arrive on Saturday. On Sunday the cry went up:
“They are here! The vanguard has entered the grounds, placed its fraternal arms about the shoulders of its seven hundred foster children, and given the nine “rahs” with a vim.
“The first, notes of the student band have re-echoed among the halls and the laughter of happy childhood has intermingled with the shout of greeting and the resounding smack of a brother’s hand upon a comrade’s back.
“They are here, and they are happy. If the thousands who follow, feel the same the Order’s greatest convention will be in full enthusiastic swing by tonight.”
The first arrivals of Saturday acted as hosts for the newcomers of Sunday, and from one and all echoed the note of congratulation at the sight of the clean grounds, the new buildings and the general progress of MOOSEHEART.
Three big “rubber-neck” wagons began, at. ten a. m. Sunday, the happy task of escorting the. visitors over the property was under the guidance of “Hank” Meuth and “Doc” Patterson. The soda water stands began to hawk
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f Carry Word To The Home Lodges I
I	BY DEAN RONDTHALER	^	3
Reprinted from “Daily Bulletin” issued during Convention Week.
spirit, sentiment, enthusiasm and action of the	i
Convention for Mooseheart to the home folks.	=
These delegates have been students here, they	=
have learned things they never knew before,	i
their eyes, by their own confession have beheld	§
wonders. Their hearts have beat higher for	=
their fellows than ever. Their interest in child-	i
hood has been awakened as never before. Now	§
let them transfer it all to their people at	j¡
home,—then will those people also give their	^
amen to all action and worth the Convention	|
has done for Mooseheart.	=
Tell it out! Tell it out! Go into details.	g
Describe scenes. Report speeches. Enumerate	§
the buildings. Draw word pictures of the	§
children. _ Put your whole heart and soul in	|
reproducing the Convention to your Lodges	=
and home folks. Don’t say “have no words,	|
I am no speaker.” The Convention should have	g
done for you what was done for the apostles	|
on the Day of Pentecost when cloven tongues	=
like as of a fire sat upon those eleven rude	g
fisherman and by their talk and description	=
and story converted three thousand in one day.	I
worth, the noblest purpose. The Convention has put Mooseheart into philanthropic history in the first rank of man’s help and shelter for his distressed Brother. The Convention has defined Mooseheart as the finest expression of humanitarian idealism. The Convention has approved of Mooseheart’s methods of education and child developments as in advance of all other like Institutions.
Over and over again delegates and visitors have declared that the whole thing is too great, too beautiful, too splendidly divine to put into words. Now it is very nice to say that. But when delegates and visitors go back to their Lodges and their towns, they must not let that suffice in giving an account of their experiences. A delegate’s duty is not completed when he has gone back to his Lodge and proved to his fellows he attended the Convention, that it was a great Convention and that Mooseheart is mighty fine. These delegates should realize that they are the apostles of Mooseheart. They owe it to their Lodge that they shall as far as possible transfer the
The present Convention of the Supreme Lodge of the World, Loyal Order of Moose in many respects exceeds all its predecessors in its unanimity of sentiment and action, its harmony in debate, its intensity of appreciation of the great principles and ideals of the Order. It is especially enthusiastic and practical in its attitude to Mooseheart. It has planned great things for the present and future career of Mooseheart.
There was in this Convention no place or call for anyone either on platform or floor to defend Mooseheart. The united testimony of delegates and visitors is that Mooseheart has passed its experimental period. It needs no defense, explanation, apology or vindication. It stands out clear, strong, defined upon its merits. It is measured by its great results, the fruits of only five years’ existence.
The Convention has by its action and resolution set Mooseheart before the Order and the world as an Institution of the highest
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