The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-08-07
TEXAS.
GRAND LODGE OF THE KNIGHTS OF
HONOR IN CONV0CATI0N
AT LAMPASAS.
over 200 Delegates Present
from all SectiOnS-Great
Interest Taken.
Grand Annual Report of Grand
Dictator Morse, with
Decisions, Etc.
Statement of the Condition of
the Order-NOtes from BaS-
trOp-TeXas News.

siding. More than usual interest
manifested, and over 200 representa-
tives are in attendance. About To-
more are expected on the trains to
night. Every grand officer is present
and, together with the representatives
report an increase of membership
throughout the state. The troubles
at the former supreme headquarters
in Kentucky, has not disturbed tn,
peace and harmony of the subordinate
lodges or retarded in the least, tht
growth Of the order.
The report of the grand dictator /;
very full and complete, showing his
| official actions and containing sugges
tions and recommendations.
He says of the present state of the
| order:
Throughout the grand jurisdiction
over which had presided for the past
year, the order has steadily increased
from the date of my installation up to
the present time. While 1 cannot re-
port the organization of as many new
lodges as did my predecessor, 1 can
nevertheless report almost as great an
increase in membership, showing that
our older lodges have not been idle,
and in their praise worthy desire to
serve their fellow-men their efforts
have been crowned with success.
Throughout the entire Jurisdiction
of the United States there have been
but seventy.one new lodges instituted
during the last year and of that num-
Der Texas has furnished twenty-three,
more than one-third of the entire
number.
The following were among the de-
cisions of the Grand Dictator during
his term of office.
1. Members of a suspended lodge are
not entitled to withdrawal cards.
Only the issuance of "Defunct Lodge
Certificates" are provided for by the
laws of our order.
2. The removal OF an officer of a
subordinate lodge, under Sec. Z. Art.
". for inattention to the duties of
his station will in no-wise affect the
standing of such officer as member
of the order.
3. A member cannot be legally sus-
pended for non-payment of fines i'm
posed, under or by virtue of a bylaw,
for non-attendance at the stated meet
ings of the lodge.
4. The members of lodge are the
exclusive judges of the suficiency of
an excuse OF an applicant for falling
to present himself for initiation with
in the time prescribed by law. Their
action will not be revised on appeal,
unless it be shown that such power
entrusted to them has been grossly
abused.
8. The only fines authorized by the
Subordinate Lodge constitution for
the non-payment of which members
can be legally suspended, are those
provided for in Sec. IL, Art. V. and
Sec. 1, Art. X, Subordinate Lodge
constitution.
6. A member elected in one lodge
may have the degrees conferred upon
him in another lodge, provided he
first obtain the consent of the lodge
in which he was elected.
z. A brother, who has taken the
First degree only, and fails or. refuses
to take the other degrees, is neverthe-
less member of the Order. He can
visit his lodge when it is open in the
first degree, and is entitled to all the
privileges Of First degree member,
and is subject to be disciplined as
such.
s. There is no law of our Order
prohibiting the election of officers on
what are known as illegal holidays"
Our lodges not being Incorporated
under the laws of Texas, the Civil
Statutes do not apply to, or govern us
in our workings.
9. A motion to adjourn, in Sub
ordinate Lodge of cur Order, is clear
ly illegal, and is never in order.
Lodges cannot adjourn, but must close
in due form.
10. A chaplain must use such
prayers, and only such, as are laid
down in the ritual.
IL. No member-either honorary or
beneficiary-can be exempted by
the lodge from payment of quarterly
dues. Said dues may be remitted from
time to time as they accrue, or may
be paid in advance out of the general
lodge fund.
IL. In the absence of a bylaw on
the subject of weekly benefits. such
sums may be disbursed as may
be decided upon by vote of the
lodge in each particular case.
13. Honorary members are entitled
to the same weekly, or sick benefits as
beneficiary members. They are en-
titled to all the rights and privileges
of the Order, excepting the right to
participate in the "Widows and Or
phans' Benefit Fund"
IA. A person who cannot speak the
English or German language, is in
eligible to membership in our Order.
The following is a list of deputy
grand dictators appointed by Grand
Dictator Morse during his term:
]. II. L. Bray, Blossom Prairie
Lodge No. 1881; T. B. Owens, Gates
vile Lodge No. 1914; j. Grossman,
Teutonia Lodge No. 1878; R. p. Jones,
Elgin Lodge No. 1895; A. j. Rosen-
thai, La Grange Lodge No. 565; L. L..
Finley, Olive Branch Lodge No. 1892;
F. E. Wells, Corpus Christi Lodge No.
1888; w. l.. George, Lancaster Lodge
No. 2317; Theo. A. Reisner. Steuben
Lodge No. 29S9; J. L. Barbee. Bren-
ham Lodge No. 4l0; CASTOR PHILIPPE,
Round Rock Lodge No. I'll.
The Grand Dictator recommended
biennial instead of triennial sessions of
the Grand Lodge.