THE VOLUME IIL. { EDITORIAL, OFFICE, DECEMBER, 1902. PUBLICATION OFFICE, LINCOLN, NEB. NUMBER 12. NEVER BLACKBALL FOR SPITE Woodmen Are Admitted and Prove Very Helpful Shenandoah, Ia.—It seems to me a most surprising thing that we have never read one word in THE ROYAL NereHsor of this thrifty little camp in Shenandoah, for it certainly deserves mention. We have recently joined here by card, yet do not feel that we are among strangers with Three Oaks Camp, as the members are warm- hearted, social, self-sacrificing sort of people who make everybody feel per- fectly at home in every respect. On Wednesday evening, November 5, af- ter lodge, they gave a social, with in- vited guests and a lovely luncheon. Everybody was at liberty to do as they pleased and a jolly good time was had, and if there ‘were any who did not have a good time it certainly was not the fault of the Royal Neighbors of America, for, to say the least, they are num- bered among the best of en- tertainers. They do not do anything by halves. Their eamp work is fine. Every- thing is done with a system. Their drill team is something to be very proud of. All they lack are their robes, which they intend having soon.~One thing pleasing to note is everybody seems to be on an equality with another. All work together harmoniously for the interests of their eamp and for the interest of outsiders. I have learned the secret of the latter and for the benefit of other camps I will mention this little secret. They have never yet cast a black ball for spite or envy, consequently their good name ‘as an order is noised about among the outsiders and they have the pleasure and privilege of mingling among this kind of people, and the first thing you know they become members of the camp, and thus the good work goes on. Their membership here is upward of one hundred; about one-third men, most of whom attend and are a help to the camp. I am well aware that some of our sisters in other camps will not admit the men, but here is one camp where they do, and I think it safe to say it is one of the most wide awake little camps in the state. Cer- tainly the poor men have been no det- riment. Quite a number of ladies live in the country and could not possibly come were it not for their husbands, brothers or sweethearts to_ accom- pany them; and in the city many ladies would not attend were it not for gen- tlemen escorts. Why then is it so wrong to accept these men in our or- der? We often hear this answer, “be- cause they will not admit us to their camp.” Well, now, that is foolish, and when our good sisters say that, isn’t it merely because they want to be obstinate? For away down deep in your hearts you would not care to belong to the Modern Woodmen. Be- leng to the Royal Neighbors and be contented. It’s well worth all the time and interest we can give to it. It helps the Woodmen so much in their | meeting. camp; encourages them in their work; knowing that their mothers, wives and sisters are standing by them ready to help them in all emergencies. ROsELLA W. STRAUND. we Work With Woodmen Fordland, Mo.—“Many a flower blos- soms unseen and wastes its fragrance on the desert air.” Fordland Camp is blooming and if’ not seen must be heard from. Camp 2931 was organized by Susie M. Boas, after a few days of hard talking with twenty-two charter members. We were believers in the or- der and went to work recruiting, and today we have forty-two jolly good members who have the good of the We also have four or five social members. Our meeting days are the second and fourth Friday af- ternoons of each month. The Wood- men have been good to us. They give us the rent of their hall free. We had an ice cream social in August and asked the Royal Neighbors and their families, and in return the Woodmen had a social and asked the Royal Neighbors, and we all enjoyed our- selves. Mrs. Ella Oneal is serving her second year as oracle and Mrs. Alice Brown has been our faithful recorder since our organization. We are proud to say we have a few worthy Wood- men in our ranks and could not get along without them. Our Neighbors are delighted with THe RoyaL NEIGH- Bor. Mrs. E. J. ELMoreE, Chancellor. NATIVITY—By H. LE ROLLE order at heart. A number of Woodmen have joined our camp and it affords us great pleasure to initiate them. Just wait, Mrs. Editor, till we get able to buy us a goat and we will surprise the boys right. As the nights grow longer we expect to have short exer- cises of some kind. Our camp and the Woodmen camp purchased an organ together, and we are now practicing with the Woodmen camp for an enter- tainment to be given soon, so you see we are working in harmony. A MEMBER. ww Working Successfully Stillwater, Okla.—Having seen noth- ing from Queen Camp 2567, Stillwater, Okla., and thinking you would allow us space for a few lines in THE ROYAL NEIGHBOR, I will endeavor to tell you a little about our camp which was or- ganized a year ago last May with twenty-two charter members. We did not increase very fast the first year. Some six or eight dropped out and the rest of us struggled along the best we knew how. We worked hard, and now are gaining very rapidly. We have nineteen beneficiary members and three more to be taken in at our next Growing and Entertaining Eagle Grove, Ja.—Eagle Grove Camp 1222 is still alive and flourishing. We have adopted two new members late- ly and have several applications for our next meeting. On November 5 we gave a_ social and although the weather was bad and there were sev- eral other entertainments in town the same night, we had a good crowd and netted a neat sum for our treasury. The evening was spent in listening to music and playing games and at a late hour we separated for our homes, each declaring that they had spent a very enjoyable evening. On November 8, fifty Royal Neighbors and friends of our past oracle, Willamina Gray, while she was away spending the evening with one of the neighbors, gathered at her home for a little surprise which was a complete one in every sense of the word. After refreshments were served, Mrs. Wilson, in a short but witty speech presented Mrs. Gray with a handsome silver top cracker jar as a slight token of our appreciation of her loyalty to Eagle Grove Camp. At a very late hour we departed for our several homes feeling we had been highly entertained. EpiTtA OLrver, Recorder. IMPROVE THE RITUAL Neighbor Lowater Makes Interesting Suggestion of Change Spring Valley, Wis.—Editor Royal Neighbor: I do not know if you print letters from the mere men who belong to your order, especially when the let- ter is somewhat of the nature of a “kick”; but I will write anyway and free my mind, and incidentally, per- haps, do some good. Iam a member of the Royal Neigh- bors, the Modern Woodmen, the Ma- sons, the Odd Fellows, and _ several less prominent lodges, including the Daughters of Rebekah, and I have made a study of ritualism, as applied to the secret societies. I believe that in a beautiful, appropriate and prac- tical ritual lies half the suc- cess of any seeret order. Now the Royal Neighbor camp has my love and deep interest. I personally got the deputy here, and aroused the interest which resulted in organizing our camp. I want it to succeed. But the ritual is a serious handicap. There is, as in most other lodges for women, too much lecture and too little work. There is no “action”; there is “nothing doing.” The robes, the colors, the lec- ‘tures, are all very beautiful (though the latter are too long), but there is nothing else. I do not ask for the somewhat rough and often undignified work of the other orders, even of the Masons. But surely some dramatic action could be put into the ritual, to give it power and interest. A beau- tiful scene could be made from the Queen Vashti inci- dent; instead of hearing about Abigail, let the can- didate go before David with her as a suppliant. Put life into the scenes. All this could be made womanly, deli- cate, without hint of offense to any lady’s dignity, but strong and full of the interest of dramatic action. I know that it would at once increase the interest and attendance at the camp. I know that it is one thing the camp needs. Can’t something be done along this line at Indianapolis next year? I would be glad to hear through these columns—if the editor will kind- ly permit—a discussion of this point, especially from those members who have had experience with rituals using dramatic action. Yours fraternally, Cuas. LOWATER. TS: . . o [With recommendations coming in for a new ritual the above suggestion, even from a “mere man,” is timely and we would be pleased to have a general discussion of the subject.—The Editor.] mw Me Hale Johnson, of Illinois, who was onee the candidate for vice-president on the prohibition ticket, was mur- dered election day. He had, as an at- torney, assisted in levying on another’s property for a debt due a client, and was shot, his murderer afterwards ending his own life by taking a dose of strychnine.