Lögberg - 17.05.1951, Blaðsíða 2

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LÖGBERG, FIMTUDAGINN 17. MAÍ, 1951
International Order of Good
Templars at the Century Mark
(An Address Delivered at a Centennial
Program in Winnipeg, April 30, 1951,)
By PROFESSOR RICHARD BECK
It is a great honor and an
equal privilege to address you on
this historic occasion, the cen-
tennary of the International
Order of Good Templars, a
world organization dedicated not
only to the cause of Temperance,
although that is its primary con-
cern, but also dedicated to hu-
man advancement generally,
democratic principles, and inter-
national co-operation.
Ideals and social progress go
hand in hand, or rather, the
former are the forerunners of
the latter. Any cause, any move-
ment, that has contributed to the
advancement and welfare of
mankind, originally came down
from the clear, blue sky of ideal-
ism. A leading statesman of our
times once said in a notable
address:
“There never has been any-
thing worth doing that has not
been dreamt of first of all. No-
body has ever established a suc-
cessful business without dream-
ing about it at the beginning.
Never has there been a glorious
cathedral built but an architect
came first of all and conceived
the outlines of its beauties and
put.them on paper.”
Here a great truth is duly em-
phasized, a truth often over-
looked and belittled, namely
this fundamental fact: The
dreamers of great dreams, the
idealists, men and women alike,
are the fathers and mothers of
our progress, all our cultural ad-
vancement.
This applies strikingly to the
International Order of Good
Templars. It originated with a
handful of idealists at a meeting
“in an upper room of a little
building” in>the town of Utica,
New York, in July, 1851. From
these humble beginnings, the
Order grew rapidly, first spread-
ing to various parts of the
United States, and already in
1868 becoming international,
when the first lodge on the Eur-
opean side of the Atlantic was
founded in England.
From that time the onward
march of the Order has contin-
ued to many lands on the vari-
ous continents. Its course has
not by any means, however,
been one of uninterrupted tri-
umph. Its membership has fluc-
tuated f r o m time to time;
it has suffered divisions
within its ranks and loss of
members, along with disturb-
ance of its worjí, resulting from
the effects of four wars since
its founding: — The American
Civil War, The South African
War, and the First and Second
World Wars. In common with
other idealistic, fraternal and
humanitarian organizations, the
Order has also had to fight its
share of prejudices, largely root-
ed in ignorance of its real char-
acter and aims.
In spite of, these obstacles, it
has not only survived but flour-
ished for a whole century. This
glorious fact is an eloquent test-
imony to the vitality of the In-
ternational Order of Good Temp
lars, for Time, as is well known,
has a way of reducing organiz-
ations no less than individuals
to their proper stature and place
—not to say relegate them to
oblivion. Any organization
which, in a relatively flourishing
state, has reached the century
mark, has justified its right to
exist and shown beyond any
doubt that it meets a social need
and fulfills a worthy purpose.
Therefore, t h e International
Secretary of the Order, and its
renowned and fearless champ-
ion, Larsen-Ledet of Denmark,
can truthfully and with justifi-
áble pride sum up its achieve-
ments as follows (Good Temp-
lary Through Hundred Years,
1951):
“Through 100 years the Inter-
national Order of Good Temp-
lars has fought for Temperance,
for the Suppression of the Traf-
fic in Alcohol, for the Education
and Elevation of Mankind, for
Democracy, for .the Equality of
Sexes and Races, for Inter-
national Brotherhood, for ever-
lasting Peace b e t w e e n the
Nations.
Hundreds of thousands of men
and women have been at work
and sacrificed their time, their
money and themselves for the
sake of their neighbors, for the
benefit of mankind. They have
been persecuted, sometimes de-
famed by public opinion, but
they never lowered the flag.”
Against the bacRground of
earlier temperance work and or-
ganization, Larsen-Ledet says
further:
“But something was peculiar
to the Good Templar Order: it
very soon opened its doors for
women and colored people and
declared to be in favor of equal
rights for all human beings. It
was a most revolutionary atti-
tude—at a time when the slave
trade was flourishing and the
claim of suffrage for women had
only just been raised.
Today our Lodges encircle the
Globe. There is no hour of the
day or night, when, in some part
of the world, our members are
not meeting, Lodge Sessions are
not held. The World is our Par-
ish, and the sun never sets in our
Empire.”
At present, according to the
most authoritative sources, the
Order has a membership of over
300,000, in some forty lands on
the continents of America, Eur-
ope, Africa, Asia and Australia.
It is gratifying to note that pro-
portionately its membership is
largest in the Scandinavian
countries, Iceland included, with
Sweden having by far the larg-
est membership of any one cunt-
ry. This fact is in full harmony
with the general social advance-
ment of the northern nations. Of
the Grand Lodge of Iceland, the
International Secretary has this
to say: “In proportion to the
number o f inhabitants t h e
Grand Lodge became and still is
the largest of all our Grand
Lodges. It has exercised and
still exercises much influence
upon public opinion and the leg-
islature of the country.” By their
prominent part in the work of
the Good Templar Order and
other temperance activities in
Manitoba, the Icelanders are,
therefore, thoroughly in the tra-
dition of their old homeland, a
tradition worth upholding.
Three brightly shining stars
have, as it were, been the beacon
light of the International Order
of Good Templars during its
century-long h i s t o r y, as ex-
pressed in its well-known motto:
Faith, Hope and Charity. Its
platform, always rooted deep in
those watchwords, has, never-
theless, undergone some revis-
ions to meet changing conditions
In 1947 the purpose of the Order
was stated as follows:
“The aim of the International
Order of Good Templars, organ-
ized in the year 1851, is the liber-
ation of the peoples of the world
to a richer, freer and more
worthy life.
The Order requires total ab-
stinence from intoxicating bev-
erages as a basis of membership.
The work of the Order is built
on the principles of human
brotherhood. All shall have the
right to personal development,
freedom and happiness. Each to
bear some responsibility for his
neighbor’s welfare, and each one
is called to aim and struggle for
the cultivation of all.”
More specifically, this is the
ten-point program which the
Good Templars wish to accomp-
lish:
1. Build up a world-wide com-
radeship for the people, gather-
ing together men and women
without respect to race, nation-
ality, creed, social position or
political opinion;
2. By personal abstinence show
the people a good example,
create sound living habits in the
community, and make way for
an alcohol-free culture;
3. Induce the users of alcoholic
drinks to abstain, and give them
support by accepting them into
the Brotherhood of the Order;
4. Spread the knowledge of
the beverage use of alcohol, and
develop school education by giv-
ing knowledge about the prob-
lems of alcohol;
5. Work for and promote such
laws that will restrict the use of
alcohol, until its beverage use
is eliminated and the drink traf-
fic abolished;
6. Assist in the enforcement
of existing temperance laws;
7. Promote social functions
:and education fostering an en-
vironment to make its members
good citizens, with sound bodies
and richer souls;
8. Cultivate spiritual freedom,
wider tolerance and brotherly
co-operation in all fields of
human life;
9. Work for a communal life
in which righteousness and
brotherhood prevail;
10. Work for a lasting peace
between all the peoples of the
world. *
Undeniably, this is a noble and
far - reaching program, very
idealistic, to be sure, but let us
again be reminded that ideals
must guide the onward march of
nations, if they are to make a
lasting contribution to the pro-
gress of the world; which is but
another way of saying with the
prophet of old: “Where there is
no vision, the people perish!”
Naturally, the forward-looking
and humanitarian program of
the International Order of Good
Templars has appealed strongly
to socially conscious and
progressive - minded men and
women the world over; its mem-
bership rolls everywhere reveal
that fact. Suffice it here to refer
briefly to a few of its great in-
ternational leaders and their
years in office as International
Chief Templars: John B. Finch
(1884-87), an American; Dr.
Oronhyatekha (1891-93), a Ca-
nadian and an Indian by birth;
Joseph Malins (1897-1905), an
Englishman, characterized as
“the most influential leader” the
Order ever had; Edward Wav-
rinsky (1905-20), Oscar Olsson
(1930-47), Ruben Wagnsson
(since 1947), all the three last
named Swedish. It is indeed a
great tribute to the outstanding
work of Swedish Good Templars
that their Grand Lodge has sup-
plied the International Supreme
Lodge with such s p 1 e n d i d
leaders as those mentioned.
Other countries also have their
share of glory in that respect,
as already indicated. Let it be
added that the present Intema-
tional Officers represent the fol-
lowing countries, besides Swe-
den; Norway, England, Holland,
Switzerland, Finland, Scotland,
Denmark, and the United States
of America.
In this connection it may also
be pointed out that today the
Grand Lodges of the Order pub-
lish 28 papers, 6 in America, 16
in Europe, two in Africa, one
in Asia, and three in Australia.
There is also the official organ
of the World Lodge, The Inter-
national Good Templar, which
has been published since 1878. It
is a real international magazine,
for while the main language is
English, articles and topics ap-
pear in different tongues, some-
times as many as eleven in
one issue. The present editor is
the renowned Danish temper-
ance leader, Larsen-Ledet, the
International Secretary of the
Order.
Due attention has been called
to the high aims of the Order
and its far-reaching interests.
While it has in common with
other idealistic and humanitar-
ian institutions and organiza-
tions, fallen short of fully realiz-
ing its ultimate goals, it can look
back upon a century rich in
fruitful and many-sided achieve-
ments. The s t o r y of those
achievements can, of course, in a
measure be told in an imposing
array of statistics, but the real
story of the Order is told not in
statistics or mere words, neither
in records nor reports, but in the
lives of all those who faithfully
have served the Order and their
fellowmen; in a still greater
degree, that story is written in
the lives of all those in many
lands who have been served and
helped, directly or indirectly,
through the work of the Order.
Again the authoritative words of
the International Secretary may
be cited:
“It is impossible to count what
has been accomplished for man-
kind during the hundred years.
Millions of men and women
have been converted and saved.
Millions of homes have been re-
built. And many more have been
prevented from falling, because
they were impressed by our
argumentation, or because we
created for them a better com-
radeship or procured laws for
their protection.
Nearly all civilized states have
adopted our ideas and enacted
stronger or weaker laws, curtail-
ing drink, defending mankind.
The world has been made safer,
but not yet safe enough. In most
countries big industries are still
pumping poison out in the life
of society, and big capital is ad-
vertising liquors, urging people
to drink more and more.
Our Order has always been in
the front-line, fighting for the
total suppression of the drink
traffic: through local to state-
wide Prohibition. In some coun-
tries we have fought for or con-
sented to high taxation, the eli-
mination of the private profit
in alcohol, state control of the
traffic and even State Monopoly.
Our Scandinavian Brethren, as
a rule, are in favour of the last-
named methods, which they
deem to be practical or neces-
sary detour to the final abolition,
while our Anglo-Saxon Breth-
ren, as a rule, are opposed to
what they feel to be com-
promises. Here each country
may find its own way, the fittest
way to the goal. (Good Templary
Through Hundred Years).
• Some years ago, when jig-saw
puzzles were in great favor, a
certain father gave to his son
such a puzzle, which, when put
together, formed a map of the
world; he further promised his
son $5.00, if he could put the
puzzle correctly together within
a given length of time. In a short
while the boy returned with the
puzzle already put together. His
father was amazed and asked
the boy: “How did you succeed
in putting the puzzle together so
quickly?” The son replied: “I
noticed on the back of the pieces
making up the puzzle the picture
of a human being; and I knew
that if I got the man right, the
world would be right.” To get
the man right, to develop the
individual morally and spiritu-
ally, that is our greatest prob-
lem.
Through its temperance work
and other humanitarian activi-
ties the International Order of
Good Templars has made and
continues to make its contribu-
tion to the moral and spiritual
development of the individual,
and thereby towards the better-
ment and elevation of society
and mankind gfenerally.
Nor let us overlook the funda-
mental international aspect of
the Order, to which some refer-
ences have already been made.
It is a Fraternal organization,
which of necessity means that its
members are committed to a
firm faith in the Brotherhood of
Man and ready to act in that
faith to the best of their ability,
not only within their groups
locally, but also on a national,
yea, even international basis.
Humanity is One and the World
is One. Daily, that fact is brought
home to us in various ways.
Never, indeed, has the challenge
to all Fraternities, to all be-
lievers in universal Brother-
hood, been greater than it is
today.
Let us in that connection re-
call the words of Dr. Fridtjof
Nansen, the great Norwegian
humanitarian and champion of
world peace. He said: “Nothing
great and good can be furthered
in the world without co-opera-
tion.” Elsewhere he stated: “I
see no salvation for humanity
but the rebirth of the love of
one’s fellowman.” Increasingly,
thinking men and women of
good will throughout the world
are coming to realize that
only through international co-
operation can a stable world
organization and lasting peace
be established.
Let us also be reminded of the
very last words penned by Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt:
“Today we are faced with the
pre-eminent fact that, if civiliza-
tion is to survive, we must
cultivate the science of human
relationships — the ability of all
peoples, of all kinds, to live to-
gether and work together in the
same world at peace.”
Mindful of this fundamental
truth, the International Order of
Good Templars has ever worked
for increased brotherly co-
operation and lasting peace
throughout the world. And it is
no exaggeration to say that the
Order has been and is “a med-
ium for the promotion of inter-
national friendship, growing
solidarity between the nations.”
In a very real sense this great
world organization is a League
of Nations.
It is heart-warming to be able
to add, that in recognition of the
important contribution to the
betterment of international re-
lations made by the Order in the
past hundred years, no less than
fifteen members of the Nor-
wegian Storting (Parliament)
have proposed that the Order be
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
for 195L It would be a generous
but a well deserved tribute.
Deserved as it is to review
gratefully on this anniversary
the past achievements of the In-
ternational O r d e r of Good
Templars, it is of even greater
importance to assess its place in
the present, with a view to its
future activities. One thing is
certain: There is now, even
more so than in the distant days
of the founding of the Order, a
crying need for a vigorous, or-
ganized opposition to the ruth-
less liquor traffic, witness its
extensive and blatant advertis-
ing.
Dr. J. Raymond Schmidt, Na-
tional Superintendent of Legis-
lative Work of the Grand Lodge
of the United States, was no
doubt right, when in a statement
before the Senate Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Com-
merce, he maintained that the
advertising of liquor, beer and
wine is perhaps the greatest
single contributing factor under-
lying the wide-spread excessive
use of alcoholic beverages today.
The vicious and misleading
program of liquor advertising
and propaganda must be pre-
sented to the public in its true
light through an educational
campaign and also c u r b e d
through proper legislative ac-
tion. Here every local lodge of
the Order and every individual
Good Templar can play a part.
This is merely one aspect, al-
though a very fundamental one,
of the temperance and humani-
tarian work facing the Good
Templar Order today. Further-
ance of the other phases of its
platform remain equally com-
pelling, on the local lodge level,
as well as nationally and inter-
nationally.
Surely, it is a great privilege
to be a co-laborer in a world
organization dedicated to such
noble and far-reaching goals as
is the Intenational Order of
Good Templars; but it is like-
wise an obligation, a responsi-
bility, not to be taken lightly,
and should be a flaming chal-
lenge to positive action.
The ideals for the develop-
ment and the cultural enrich-
ment of the individual embodied
in the broad aims and world-
wide activities of the Good
Templar Order, those high ideals
are masterfully expressed in the
following lines from Edwin
Markham’s poem “Man Mak-
ing”:
We are all blind until we see
That in the human plan,
Nothing is worth the making, if
It does not make the man.
Why build these cities glorious,
If man unbuilded goes?
In vain, we build the world,
unless
The builder also grows.
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