The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-03-23
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.

The centennial anniversary of the
Most Worsbipful Grand Lodge of Free
and Accepted Ma Ons of the State of
Vermont, will be celebrated in Burlington
during Masonic week, June 18th and l4th
with imposing ceremonies. One hun
dred years ago the Grand Lodge was or
ganized at Manchester. Its first grand
master, Hon. Noah Smith, was the orator
at the Bennington Battle anniversary
celebrated here Aug. 10th, ITS. He was
made Mason in the Masonic historic
town, and it is singular coincidence
that the present grand master, N. W.,
John Harris Whipple, was not only
brought to Masonic light there, but is
resident of the self-same village among
the Green Mountains, which tower so
stately above it, Another feature
worthy of note is that the first day of
the celebration will be the anniversary of
the birth of the present grand master
All these things combine to add interest
to the coming auspicious occasion.
The suns of a century have risen over,
and the frests of hundred winters have
rested upon this grand order which
teaches morality, virtue and universal
benevolence and the goodness of the in
stitution has been the means of enrolling
among its members some of the best men
| in every community. Its roll now bears
the names of nearly 10000 men in the
Green Mountain State, and all will be
most cordially invited to be present at
| the first and only celebration of the kind
they will ever be permitted to attend in
| Vermont. The members of the execu-
tive commtte are NJ. W., John 81. Whip
pie, grand master, Manchester Centre;
| Il. W., Kittredge Haskins, deputy grand
master. Brattleboro; r. W., ID. N. Nichol-
| son, grand senior warden, of Burlington;
and Il. W., w. S. Nay, grand junior war
den, of Underhill, which assures the
careful arrangement of all the details.
| The Committee have not fully matured
its plans, but will announce them soon.
| There will be quite a delegation, from
Bennington County. in attendance.
Another writer on the subject says: 1t
is hoped to observe the day by laying
the corner stone of a masonic temple,
an association for the building of which
was incorporated by the last legislature.
| The capital stock is to be so, 900, divided
into 1000 shares of $25 each. Already
the Grand Lodge has subscribed 81 900.
August 9th, 1894, the five Lodges in the
State sent representatives to Manchester
to organize Grand Lodge. At that
| JlIn6 IWO VI Ju0 IVuSOo, az D0hhAhS OOh
and Middlebury, were under the juris-
diction of the Grand Lodge of Connecti-
cut One at Manchester and one at
Springfield were under the jurisdiction
of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts,
and one at Vergennes was attached to the
Grand Lodge of Quebec The delegates
met at Manchester and adjourned to meet
at Rutland October 10th. They assem-
bled there on that date and adjourned
from day to day until the 14th, when or
ganlzation was effected, and seal
adopted.
The first grand master was Noah
Smith, who held the Office two years.
Other former grand masters were John
Chapman, 1907 to to 1914; Nathan B. Has
well, lS29-46; Philip c. Tucker, 1S47-61.
The second grand secretary was David
Fay of Bennington, 179J 81. John B.
HollenbeGk was grand secretary fro N
1881 to 1861, and the last few years of his
life received an annuity of $500 from the
Grand Lodge. Since its organization in
1894 there have been 81 past grand mas
ters. Eight are now living There have
been 32 deputy grand masters, IA of whom
were advanced. OF the SO past grand
senior wardens 10 were promoted, and of
the remainder only two are now living.
There have been Al past grand junior
wardens. Twenty-nine were advanced
and of the other 10 only two are now liv-
ing. OF the IL past grand treasurers two
were advanced, and of the 13 past grand
secretaries one was promoted. There
have been 40 past grand senior deacons
and Al past grand junior deacons. OF
the former 81 have been promoted, and
of the latter 20. From the time of the
organization of the Grand Lodge until
1920, eleven subordinate LOdges were
chartered. Between 1920 and 1880 five
were chartered, and from that year until
1S49 no charters were granted and but
little work was done. During the anti
Mason excitement annual meetings were