Note: Fraternal orders were in their heyday toward the end of the 19th century. Carroll County had literally dozens of such organizations. By 1900 one of the largest was the Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) which began in 1883. Founded by Joseph Cullen Root, who reported, that his idea for the MWA began as a vision of nation’s woodsmen clearing the large primeval forests which he saw as metaphor for providing shelter for America’s families this led directly to his founding of the MWA as a fraternal and benevolent society. The MWA began as an all male group, but in 1895 it organized a women's group, the Royal Neighbors of America (RNA) which had existed previously as an unofficial female auxiliary. The organization and its local groups, called "camps," held social events and carried out benevolent work. Assessments of and benefits to members were an important part of the organization's purpose. The MWA is still active organization and exists today as a fraternal and insurance society.

The Modern Woodmen picnic held in this city yesterday was a grand success, the crowd being much larger then anyone anticipated. They came from all directions, many by carriage and the trains brought in big delegations from every other town in the county. Savanna, Chadwick, Milledgeville, and Mt. Carroll sent lots of people, and Shannon must have been depopulated for it seemed as if nearly everybody from that enterprising little burg was here. After the arrival of the morning trains the procession under the direction of W. h. Wildey and C.S. Wiley , marshals, and marched down the street in the following order: Lanark Band, Lanark Foresters, Lanark Woodmen, Lanark R.N.A., Wysox Camp M.W. A. and R.N.A. , Shannon Woodmen and R.N.A. , Chadwick Woodmen and R.N.A. , Mt. Carroll Woodmen and R.N. A. and Savanna Woodmen and R.N.A.

The Wysox camp brought a float with them nicely decorated and containing three sure enough Woodmen hard at work with saws, axes, and mauls upon tough old logs another feature was a carriage occupied by a blooming young widow and a half dozen interesting children neatly clad , and with a look of contentment despite the crape they wore . A banner on the carriage bore the inscription: “Our Papa was a Woodmen”. This was followed by Block Whitmer’s crowbits and rickety wagon loaded with ragamuffins one of whom carried a banner inscribed: “Ours was not!” After the parade came the picnic dinner at the city park then the address of the Rev. H.M. Rannen of Rockford, which was very good and followed by the amusements on Broad Street. Below is the program with the winners in order in which they come.

1. Boys Bicycle Race – 1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Harry Lowman, Glen Heppfer, Harold Bailey

2. Woodmen Foot Race– 1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Fuller of Savanna

3. Fat Man’s Race- 1st Mr. Barnes

4. Carroll County Bicycle Race -1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Clayton Dilworth, Harry Lowman, George Sites

5. Boys Foot Race - 1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Frank Ritter, Will Lowell

6. Sack Race – 1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Fuller of Savanna, Will Lowell

7. Blind Man’s Bottle Race– Time 3 minutes 1st $ 1.00 Seven Entries Ritter, Lowell and Fitzgerald

8. Biscuit Eating Contest- 1st $ 2., 2nd $1. 3rd 50 c. Clint Whitmer Will Lowell.

The band contest in the evening was a pleasing feature , and kept the crowd nicely entertained until a late hour.

J.S. Beldt, was elected president of the association for the coming year and Shannon was chosen as the palce for holding next years picnc.