The Portland daily press., 1892-12-26
MASONIC RITES.
A Communication to All Brothers Wher-
ever Dispersed on Land and Sea.

Reso1yed, that the grand encampment ap-
proves and gives its official sanction to- the oD-
servance Of Christmas day by Knights Iemplar,
either in their official capacity or as command
cries, and that annually there be a Christmas
toast and response prepared and transmitted
to all grand communicates ana conStltueh5
Communicates owing allegiance to the grand
commandery.
While life and strength remain to him the
management of the matter could not be IN Bet
ter hands than those of the beloved Frater, TO
whom credit is due for originating the Deautl1ul
idea, and we therefore recommend that he pc
chargedwith the duty OF preparing the "sentl,
ment'' annually during the pleasure OF the grand
encampment and that the expense Thereon De
paid on the order OF the grand master
In obedience to that resolution the fol-
lowing toast was prepared:
To Oul. Grand Master, Hugh McCa,rdN
From Ocean to Ocean and from the Gulf to the
Lakes ninety thousand Templars send merry
Christmas greetings.
The grand master sends the following
response:
Christmas birthday of Him who is the
embodiment of all TemplarS' hopes. The in
Spirer of that spirit which makes all kmghtS
Templar one ,wheresoever dispersed around the
gloUe.
A circular was recently sent by Steph-
en- Berry of this city to the committee,
inviting all Sir Knights to join in these
sentiments on Monday, December 26th,
at noon, eastern standard time, (equiva-
lent to p. m. Greenw:ch), and to ex-
tend the invitation to their command, as
well as to all true Templars and their
friends, wheresoever dispersed on land
or sea.
Following is the grand masters COM
municatiop in full:
OFFICE OF GRAND MASTER, K. T.,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
CoRUNNA, Mich, Dec. 26, 1892.
To all Knights Templar Of our obedience,
Greeting:
Acknowledging, with profound graft
tude, the high honor which you tenoer
me, by meeting in your asylums this
day, at noon, and joining in this Christ
mas toast: "To our Grand Master, Hugh
McCurdy, from Ocean to Ocean and from
the Gulf to the Lakes, ninety thousand
Templars send merry Christmas greet
ings.'
In response to this sentiment, can
only offer you the promptings of heart
overflowing with gratitude and good will
to all, malice toward none, mellowed and
sanetifed by the Divine inspiration of
this hallowed season of the year, when
heart goes out to heart and redolent joy
of sweetest fragrance fills every memory.
would not presume fifty to respond
to greetings from NINETY thousand Tenn
plars from Ocean to Ocean, from Gulf to
Lakes,' were it not for the truth that
Templarism's magic word is that little
monosyllable One. In this word what
restful music we find. Of its charm all
are conscious. There is no word in the
language more powerful; it is the first
element of thought; it holds the first
place in human life; it is the beginning
and the end of all things. The best words
and deeds of men have been spoken and
done in its spirit. In this spirit, Sir
Knights. your greetings come; in this
spirit are they received. No greeting is
more in harmony with all that Templar-
ism embodies than Christmas greeting
with it's inspiring memories of the angels
song of peace on Earth, Good Will to
Men, Only so far as Templarism works
for this end, has it claim to the homage
of men. The world cares very little for
elevation of sentiment in greeting, in SER
mon or in song, unless it sees it mani
| tested in some proof. 1t is not, then,
| ninety thousand Templars sending Christ
mas greetings to which I am invited to
| respond; but to the Templar unity which
in the ever blessed spirit of this glad
season greets all Templars and which all
| Templars greet
| The spirit of Christmas tide is the
spirit of Oneness, the spirit of the Son
| of Man, who Joined man and his God
with sense of championship. Words,
names, conditions, creeds divide men.
These all become meaningless in the
| presence of the greetings of Christmas
| time. How the walls of partition fall at
| the sound of this word One--the word of
| the century-the watchword of our day;
| word which men may safely follow,
| wherever it may lead, whomsoevery it
| may include. 1t is the mission of Temp
| larism as it is the mission of Christmas
| to conciliate all antagonisms. all dividing
! and separating Influences to make more
sacred the claims of the fatherhood of
| God and the brotherhood of man.
Templarism is in this world and we
| are Templars to seek and to save that
which is common to all men, human
needs, human love, human sorrow, in
| these all men are one.
emplarism is in the world today,
| The banner of the cross to bear,
Here, like
ssThe star-fower Of the virgin child
| Sown by some wandering Frank. to tell to
| Men the story of the Saviour's BIRTH"
And, as
From natures face that simple flower,
| The lines of sin and Sadnes swept,
| And Magian pile and Paynim bower
In peace like that OF Eden slept"
So Templarism grows in all it's truer,
better self to ease the burden of the
| world.
Its true life, like the life of it's leader.
the star, flower of Bethlehem is perpet-
ual song whose music is the gladness of
the world because an echo of that first
Christmas song of a true brotherhood.
''Peace on earth, good will to men,"
And, Sir Knights, on this the gladdest
day of all the year, assembled in our
asylums, and standing in magic circle
around our shrines we pledge each to
the other and to all Sir Knights through
out the world more answering faith in
the principles and practices of our
magnanimous brotherhood, let us sing
with one voice and will
t'Behold the drink of gods.
They drink and lo in heart and brain
A new glad life began:
The grey of hair grew young again.