The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-20
GRAND MASONIC
CONVOCAT|ON
General Grand Chapter Of the Royal Arch
Degree to hOet at Topeka
REPRESENTED BY 400 DELEGATES
The Tri-ennial Convention viii Be
Among the Most important Gather
ings of the Kind in the History of
Masonry-OHicial Relations with
the Grand Chapters Throughout the
World Will Be Established on a Scale
Hitherto uninterrupted.
Topeka, Kan, Aug. 10.
SPHERE will assemble in this city
on Wednesday the General

SPHERE will assemble in this city
on Wednesday the General
Grand Chapter, Royal Arch
u Masous of the United States. 1t
is the triennial convention. Nearly
400 delegates will be here to represent
the 100. 900 Royal Arch Masons of the
United States. All the past grand high
priests will be here to participate III
the convention. In addition to them
there will be a representative Of every
Grand Chapter in the republic. COM
prising the three council officers of
every one of them. The council does
not meet frequently, and as such con
course of Masonic dignity is not wit
messed oftener than every three years.
the interest Of the fraternity in it may
be understood.
Many of tho prominent members will II
come with the delegations from the
Elstern and New England states, but
other states and sections will send men
high in the councils of Masonry.
Washington will send George e. Cor.
son and Kentucky, Bernard G., Witt,
who is now general grand master OF
the second veil. but who is TO be pro.
noted to the third in room Of Nathan
Kingsley, of Minnesota, prominent
delegate and Mason, whose next dignity
will be royal arch captain.
OF AN INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER,
There will be general shifting Of
positions, since it must choose sue.
cessor to deceased dignitary. This
choice may fall to George L. MoCahan,
who has 30 faithfully discharged the
duties of deputy general grand high
priest.
In the forthcoming meeting there
will he 1850 subordinate enrolled chap.
ters to deal with, exclusive of twenty
two subordinate chapters in the terri
tories, and as the Sandwich Islands
and the Chinese empire are under the
immediate jurisdiction of the general
grand chapter, the deliberations will
necessarily assume nothing of an in
ternational character. These foreign
chapters will make representations in
their own behalf for more direct self
government than it has heretofore been
possible for them to enjoy,
The fraterual relations with the
grand chapters throughout the world
are, it is true, of the most friendly ma.
ture; but official relations are to be es-
tablished on a scale hitherto unat.
tempted. Indeed. overtures have bsen
received from the dignivaries and grand
chapters of England, Scotland Ireland,
Siam. Japan, Brazil aud Australia,
Fluctuations will also be transmitted
to the brethren of Germany aud Rus
sia. 1t is hardly verestimating the
importance Of the foreign relations in
the convocation to say that they will
form one of tho most interesting and
animated portions Of the proceedings.
This condition Of things promises to be
propitious to the general desire 10 erect
Masonic monuments in various parts of
the country. These memorials, while
numerous, are not so frequent as to call
special attention to the services OF
many eminent Masons to their coun-
try. A commission will probably be
appointed to investigate this matter.
POWER OF THE CoNvoCATIoN.
The convocution will also have tc
| Rdjudicate various decisions which
have been promulgated by the grand
chapters of the several states, but they
are all comparatively unimportant.
The states which have no grand chap
ters of their own will be compelled tc
look to the convocation for authority
to make special disposition of their re-
sources. Such jurisdictions as wish tC
form grand chapters will be heard.
There is also to be special commission
from the Sandwich Island, the mem
bers of which wish to form a grand
chapter. This will be the first convo-
cation that has ever been obliged to
deal at length with Masonic conditions
in those islands.
There will be special ceremonies
commemorative of the death of NJ. e.
Joseph Potts Horner, general grant
high priest of the general granC
chapter, whose death renders 30 many
elections necessary. These will be con,
Quoted in accordance with the ritual
and, as the deceased Mason had at
tanned an unusual degree of Masonic
dignity, having been elevated to the
sovereign grand inspector generalshiI
Of the Thirty-third degrees, the eere-
monies will be of special interest to tn,
generality of the delegates.
England has sent tokens of fraterna
esteem and Masonic regard. Europe
is in entire sympathy with the Ameri
can Grand Chapter. The convention
will be in session about five days
There promises to be a very lively con
test between the east and the south 70
the next triennial meeting in 1897. Th
southern delegates will support AT
lanta, Ga, while the east will be di
vided between PHILADELPHIA, New
York and Boston. The delegation
from the Virgiuias will favor Washing