Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-28
TRIENNlAl CONClAVES.
GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF KNIGHTS
TEMPLAR AND IT'S HISTORY.
How the Body is Constituted-A His
tory Of the Order-DifferentG Gather
fngs That Have Been Held-The
second Conclave In This City.

In few days, for the second time in its his.
tory, the Grand encampment of Knights Tenn
plar Of the United States convenes in thii
city. Fifty-four years have elapsed since the
triennial conclave assembled ut the capital of
the nation During that period the order has
experienced a marvellous growth. Then it
was in its infancy; now it has attained the
measure Of q vigorous and growing manhood.
The organization of the Grand encampment
forms a most important event in the history of
knight Ternplary in this country. Up to
that time. according to the best authorities,
the system came within the term Of morgan
lied Masonry. There was then no recognized
source from which could be obtained the sane
ton for the organization of q commandery. The
institution of a commandery prior to the
establishment of the Grand encampment was
effected by sir knights having received the
orders in Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere meet
ing together and first testing each other by
diploma and written evidence and then form
ing a commandery. This was the method in
Freemasonry before the organization Of the
Grand lodge of England in III. The fact has
been established that an encampment of
Knights Templsr was formed in Philadelphia
PRIOR to 1870 and one also in South Carolina as
early as 17SO. There was. however, no Templar
organization in the worlda that period author
lied to grant warrants for encampments. This
statement as well as those preceding are based
upon the conclusions found in the history of
The Knights Templar," by G. G. Addison,
which was revised and adapted to the American
system by Robert Macoy and published in 1924.
ORGANIZATION OF The GRAND zScAMPMENr.
According to the same authority the history
of knight Templary, as a system Of pure
knightly orders, begins in June, 1916, at which
time the delegates from eight councils and en-
anfa Of irht
orders assembled in New York CITY and organ
lied The General Grand Encampment of the
United States" This title was retained until
1856, when the superfiuous word general" was
stricken out. Thomas Smith Webb. who was
distinguished as Free Mason, was the moving
spirit In the organization of the Grand encamp-
ment. The names of the organizations taking
part in the first meeting are as follows:
Boston encampment Boston; St. John, Prov
idence, r. l.; Ancient New York city; Temple,
Albany, NY; Montgomery. saltwater, NY;
St Paul, Newburyport, Mass; Newport, New
port, RI; Darius Council Portland. Me.
The Philadelphia and South Carolina encamp-
ments were not represented. De Witt Clinton
one of the dinguished citizens of New York
state, representing the state in the United
States Senate and holding the Office of gov
ernOr of the state for three terms was chosen
10 be the first grand mastA. He was reelected
at the succeeding Grand encampments, and
when he died in 1928 he was still at the head
OF the organization.
THE EARLY coSCLAvEs.
The second encampment or convocation, as it
was then called, was also held in New York 1t
was opened September 16, 1919, and officers
were elected for seven years, forming the only
exception TO the three years term Seven
years passed before the third encampment
assembled in New York city, which was on Sep
TENDER Is. 1876. Delegates were present from
six state Grand encampments which showed an
encouraging increase in the order.
The fourth conclave was held in New York
September IA, 1929. The death of De Witt
Clinton was announced. and the deputy grand
master, Jonathan Nye. was chosen to fill the
vacancy. The fifth conclaye was held in Balti-
~Hore November 90, 1882 This was in the
DIST - the great anti-Masonic excitement
icfs1ep prevailed in the country ON account
~ an affair, and the attendance was
Nv al, but the future of the order
w dark and full OF peril.
r. HELD IN THIS CITY.
30 n conclave was held in this city