"Our runners have been busy in paying visitations to the various hunting grounds in this reservation, and from each hunting ground where a Tribe of our Order exists comes the glad tidings that our brothers are dwelling in peace and harmony.
No longer does the pale face nation look with distrust upon our warriors, but truly the "tomahawk has been buried" and the Red Men and pale face meet as friends.
I desire first of all to recall to your minds the motto of our beloved "Old Kentucky", "United we stand, divided we fall," and trust this may be adopted in our deliberations. The Improved Order of Red Men has a mission to perform among our fellow men that we alone can perform.
We are now permited to report the establishment and institution of more tribes within our borders, since the quenching of our last Great Sun Council fire than during any Great Sun since our Order has been in existence."
Great Sachem Bebout is in error. He reports the institution of 29 new Tribes, while during Willie Walkers administration (G. S. D. 409-410) 32 new Tribes were organized.
"Our representatives at our last Great Sun's Council placed upon the pages of our speaking book a law, in accordance with the fundamental teachings of our Order, which provided for the creation of a fund to be used in the establishment of a Home within our borders, which should be a shelter for the unfortunates of our Tribes, who may not be able to withstand the trials and hardships which attend the unprotected in this busy, hustling commercial age in which we live.
In the Great Book of Life we find this expression, 'And a little child shall lead them.' How true this is in this instance. The little children of the membership of Irondequoit Tribe, No. 38, located at Hardinsburg, were the first contributors to this fund.
After the enactment of this law, with the other laws enacted by us, the whole was presented to the Judiciary Committee of the Great Council of the United States for their approval, and having received the approval of that committee were promulgated to the Tribes."
The fate of this measure has already been recorded on these pages, and the Great Council at this time found itself with an overwhelming sentiment in favor of the law as previously passed or a similar one, but without the power of enactment.
Continuing, the Great Sachem said: "Realizing that the desire of our membership is as strong, nay stronger than ever before, for the establishment of a Red Men's Widows' and Orphans' Home in our beloved State, I beg to suggest that your Representatives to the Great Council of the United States be instructed to request that Great Council to pass an enabling act which will permit you to put your desires into execution. This request, properly presented, will, in my opinion, appeal to our brothers, members of our noble order in other reservations, in such a way that your request will be unanimously granted."