The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-04-19
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CONCLAvE.
Impressive Services at the Opening Yester-
day Morning in Galveston.

Impressive Services at the Opening Yester-
day Morning in Galveston.
Special to The Sta .esn an
GALVESTON, april 12-The annual
oonclave of the grand encampment of
Knight Templars convened in Ma
sonic temple at 1880 this morning.
There were about thirty commanders
represented in the 800 uniformed
knights present. After arranging
the details tor the observance of the
devotional exercises which always
precede the opening of the grand en-.
campment, the Sir Knights were mar
shaled into line by Sir Knight Adju-
tant General Oppenheimer and pre-
coded by the officers of the
Knight Templars on horse back
and to the stirring strains of
NATAL music discoursed by two
bands. The various communicates
took up their line of march to Trinity
Episcopal church where the speech of
welcome and response were to be
made and the Eminent Grand Prelate
j. q. Carpenter was to open the meet"
ing OF the Grand Commandery by APP
propriate and impressive religious
ceremonies.
The line of march extended through
the principal streets OF the city which
were lined with citizens to wit
ness the beautiful pageant, while the
emblems and banners symbolic of the
order were conspicuous everywhere.
The knights presented splendid ap-
pearance as they marched through
the streets followed by Grand
Commander Proctor and past grand
masters in carriages. AS they entered
Trinity church the organ pealed forth
and the professional hymn, Coward,
Christian Soldiers!" was sung by the
choir and congregation, the knights
standing erect until the hymn was
finished, then in obedience to the
grand commanders order they took
seats.
Sir Knight Marcus f. Mott then
arose and in an eloquent and feeling
manner paid high tribute to the
order, extolled its aims and objects
and babe them hearty welcome to
the city, and concluded by saying, II
you, Sir Knights, that there could
nave been no other cause that would
have induced me to come out today
but the cause of our great order"
The address of welcome was re-
sponded to by Right Eminent Grand
Commander ID. G.. Proctor in an able,
eloquent and touching address, in
which he paid high and
deserved tribute to women and
her agencies for good in
+ sustaining and upholding the
aims, objects and purposes of the
order and concluded by saying that
the Sir knights present were deeply
sensible of the cordial and heartfelt
welcome which had been extended to
their trother knights and the citizens
= of Galveston in general.
The ancient grand prelate service
was then gone through with, all
knights standing. A general confess
sion was then said by the prelate and
knights all kneeliDg, alter which
the Lords prayer was repeated by all.
The knights then rose and the
choir sang "Glora Patri." Psylm xc
was then read bv the prelate and the
knights alterna' otiy. The knights
then arose and while the choir
, sang "Gloria EXcelsir." After they
were seated the prelate read a lesson
from the scripture and declared the
faith of the Sir knights who recited
with him according to ancient GUS
tom with drawn swords uplifted the
apostles creed. The KING hts then
knelt dev0utly and repeated the
] Col h.,
the prelate, after which the chair sang
an anthem. The Very Eminent
Grand Prelate j. G. Carpenter then
delivered an eloquent address to the
Knights and the "magnificatD was
given. The doxology was then sung
and the benediction pronounced by
the very eminent grand prelate. The
occasional hymn "Brightly Cleans
Our Banner" was sung during the
march from the church, and the
, knights returned to the temple and
disbanded.
A brief session of the grand COM
mandery was held this evening but
nothing of any importance was done
, besides receiving and reading com.
munications from other state conf
, manderies and submitting them for
, further consideration and the appoint
ment of committees to outline the
work of the grand commandery at
it's present session.
Tonight an elegant reception was
given to the Grand Commandery and
: visiting Sir knights and ladies by
San Felipe de Austin commandery
No. l at Harmony hall. 1t was a
| splendid social affair and was at
tended by the elite and fashion of the
> city. The grand encampment will
, meet at $3.50 in the morning and at
once get down 10 business.
The program for the entertainment
, of the Sir Knights tomorrow will be:
From 2 TO p. m. oyster roast at
/ WOODLANDS lake, 8 to II p. m. inter.
3 change of fraternal courtesies among
' visiting commentaries.