Coin Toss Settles Club Feud
After years of scheduling conflicts, two prominent fraternities leave their meeting dates to the luck of the draw.
Local Knights of Pythias were the guests of the Odd Fellows at an informal stag affair in the Masonic hall Monday evening. There has been a movement on foot in the two orders for some time to obviate a conflict in the regular meeting nights, and Monday evening when the feeling of good fellowship had been emphasized by the good things which the wives of the Odd Fellows had cooked for the occasion, steps were taken to obviate the meeting night controversy. By a vote of members of the two orders present the toss of a coin was chosen as the means of deciding the question. Noble Grand J. R. Ayers tossed the coin and Vice Chancellor E. H. Sherk of the Knights chose tails and heads came. As a result the Odd Fellows will continue to meet on Monday night and the Knights will change to some other night, probably Thursday.
“By a vote of members of the two orders present the toss of a coin was chosen as the means of deciding the question.”
This civic compromise over meeting hall usage shows the importance of social infrastructure in small towns. While the groups used a coin toss, modern councils often use mediation, but the tension over shared resources remains a constant in civic life.
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