Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-12
Hon. Hugh McCurdy, of Michigan,
Chosen Grand Master at Denver.
THE TRUE MISSION OF THE ORDER
He Says in His Speech Is to Give Cups Of
Cold Water to the Weak.
MASONIC CAREER OF THE CHlEFTAIN

lightful, and many OF the commanoerles
started out early for the trips to nearby
resorts and to the points of interest about
the city.
The Grand Encampment went into session
at the usual hour, and the members of this
body are the only ones who are doing any
hard work. The principal event of this
morning was the firemen's parade given by
the local fire department. in honor of the
visitors Every engine and piece of
apparatus in the department was out
Hon. Hugh McCurdy, of Corunna, Mich,,
was this morning elected Grand Master of
the knights Templar of the United States
Mr. McCurdy acknowledged the compliment
in an address in which he modestly denied
his own merit and eulogized the men who
had preceded him in that exalted position.
He continued:
The High Standard of Templarism.
That you have in the past called such men
to leadership is of itself an eloquent declar-
alton to the world of your lofty idea of
Templa1ism. The men we choose as lead
ers should be illustrative OF ourselves as
men, and should at the same time urge us to
be manlier men. He should be a reflection
of their character and an inspiration to
better character A mouse Is nome only
when its location and furniture are in per-
fect harmony with those who live in it. A
leader of men is q leader only when he has
grown out OF their own wants and careful
thinking, as the fruit grows out OF the very
heart of the tree.
Mutual reflection and inspiration of char
acter-this is the secret of growth in our
common livelihood This is the only solu-
tion of the problems how to grow larger in
spirit as we grow older in years We pre-
serve the youth of Templarlsm only by each
wear adding something to its inner life.
While We must rigidly adhere to the path of
our fathers, yet we must not forget that the
future has some better things in store for
us, and that they without US cannot be
made perfect Our mission as Free Masons
is not to destroy but fulfill; out of their faith
we must develop a larger, better faith. The
one potent question is not what have they
done for US, but what are we doing for them
not what has been their past but what
will be our past
What are We going to give the future?
Those of the past who left a magnificent
heritage for the future were men whose am
bition it was to contribute something of
their own to the age in which they lived.
The Present Mission of the Order
1t was this spirit that gave US all that is of
real value in art and science, architecture
and literature. 1t has recently been said
that American people, while they spend
millions every year for works of art, are
contributing almost nothing to the art
treasures of the future. We love the word
antique. We have antique architecture,
but.no modern architecture. Are we salts
fed to be mere copyists, imitators? No.
Unless there be something original, in a
week it is only copy.
Are We as men, as Knight Tempars, any
thing more than copyists of the valiant Sir
knights ot the Middle Ages? Their mission
was to rescue the sepulchre o. the Son of
Man from the Saracens. Our grander mis-
sion is in mis- name to give cups of cold
water to his little ones. This spirit the
world needs far pore than it needs any ma
teriai thing which may be in our power to
Brother the cup of cold water in the spirit
OF our common brotherhood that we mani
fest our loyalty to Him in whose life, resur-
rection and ascension we find an abiding
inspiration.
Men are not asking to-day how far back
into the past does your history extend; but
how far reaching is your present every day
lite. What of your own? Are you adding to
the age in which you live? We cannot afford
to live Tor our own qualification, nor for dis
play of cross, plume, sword or star. By d
larger growth in ourselves and q wider in
nuence upon our fellow men we must en-
phasize the meaning of our name and the
signifcation OF our symbols.
Every Bond of Fellowship a Debt.
Sir knights, the world needs us at our
best. Every bond, said Savonarola, is a
debit. In paying this debt, and nowhere
else, all right lies. Our bonds of fellowship,
but as men with our fellow men, are debts.
In paying these all our rights lie. Man was
not made Tor Free Masonry, but Free
Masonry for man. The age demands the
enunciation of the principles of our order.
Men need that deeper sense of the sacred
ness of human life which comes only from a
belief in the fatherhood of God and tine
brotherhood OF man. By this sense alone
may be dissipated all the spirit of discon-
tent-those differences separating men and
threatening our peace.
Right Sir Judge Hugh McCurdy, thirty
third degree, R. E. Deputy Master of the
Grand Encampment and Past Grand Mas
ter, Past Grand High Priest Past Eminent
Grand Commander, Past Most Illustrious
Grand Master of the Grand Council, Illus
trious Deputy tor Michigan and A. A Rite,
was made Mason in Birmingham Lodge
No. A in 1850; received the chapter de-
grees in Washington Chapter No. 10, Flint,
on February ., 1864; the council degrees in
st. Johns Council, ST. Johns. on December
Is, 1866; the orders of knighthood in Fen
ton Commandery No. IA, Fenton, on March
13. 1866. He is likewise noble of the
Mystic Order of Shriners and holds mem
bership in the temple at Detroit, and took
the Ineffable Grades Of A. and A Rite in
the Michigan Sovereign Consistory, Decem-
Der 19, 1866 He received the degree of the
Royal Order of Scotland September IS,
1873
Many Posts of Honor Filled.
In 1873 he was elected Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge by unanimous vote
He was elected Grand High Priest OF the
Grand Chapter, R. A. A, in 1871 On JAN
uary 21, 1879, he was elected NJ /. Grand
Master OF the Grand Council OF r. S and
s. of the United States. May 9, 1877, he
was elected Grand Commander OF the
Grand Commandery, knights of Michigan.
In August, 1880, he was elected Grand
Senior Warden OF the Grand Encampment
of knights Templar of the United States
In 1883 he was elected Grand Captain Gen.
eraI, and in 1886 was advanced to Eminent
Grand Generalissimo. In 1889 ne was
elected Deputy Grand Master at Washing
ton, D. G.
In the A. and A. E. Rite his history is
equally interesting and important In
March, 1884, he was elected Commander in
Chief OF Michigan Sovereign Consstory,
filling the position for three wears; Novem-
Der Is, 1873, he was created an honorary
member of the Supreme Council of the
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, and re-
eeived the thirty-third and last degree, and
in the following year was elected Grand
Marshal ofthe camp On September IL, 1888,
he was created and crowned an active men,
Der of the Supreme Council. Last Septem-
Der, at its last meeting, the Supreme Coun-
Gil elected him their Illustrious Deputy for
that State.
He is a great worker, and outside the
press of large legal practice, finds time to
visit all the grand bodies; TO keep making
important additions to Masonic literature
and the preparation and deliverance OF elo-
quent Masonic orationS
List of the other Ofncers.