Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-08-29
q TEMPLARS.

The one great feature OF the knlgots
Templar conclaye in Boston yesterday
was the drill of the Detroit, New York,
Chicago, Washington, Louisville and
Minneapolis communicates. Ten thou
sand persons witnessed the bewilderiug
evolutions, held on the Boston baseball
grounds. While this was in progress
the second series of the grand encamp
menu session was being held at Masonic
Temple.
The meeting of the Grand Encamp-
ment in Masonic Temple was largely
attended, over 200 members being pres
ent. Grand Master Most Eminent Sir
Hugh McCurdy delivered his %triennial
address and then answered various in
quiries, deciding, among other matters,
that q knight Templar can demit from
his commandery and oficiate il another
commsndery without changing his
residence; that an expelled Knight
Templar is a competent witness on the
trial of a Knight Templar; that there
is no law for the commissioning OF rep
r~.sentatives to the Grand Encampmtn
for q term of three years, commencing
Immediately after each trienniai con-
c!ave Of the Grand Encampment, and
that any companion Royal Arch Mason
in good standing can become a Knight
Templar without being questioned as
to his religious faith. (This answer
was given in response to the question,
Can q Unitarian become q Templar p.
The observance of Christmas Day, Off
cial!y sanctioned at the last conclave OF
this grand body, has been generally
carried out in the United States, Cana
da and England, Peru, Australia and
other countries.
The report of the committee appoint
ed to revise the constitution is recon-
mended for adoption. A complaint has
been submitted by the Grand Com
mandery ofTennessee Va. Grand Com
mandery of Virginia, presenting the
question Of Infringement OF jurisdiction.
The grand master states that IN 1916, when
The grand bvdy was formed, there were only
eight c~ommanderies, with only i've hundred
Knights Templar, in the United States. Now,
there ia a membership Of 10000, forty
yI6uQ COLuUlHuutIlcS duu 0Oc o0DOAoA3ob(
Communicates. Asylums are erected In every
State and Territory, except Alaska.
The grand commander closes by saying that
the mission of the Knights Templar is no
longer that of the ancient knight, TO rescue
the tomb of our Divine Lord from desecra-
ton the essence Of the new chivalry Is to
care for the little ones, the widows and or
phans, the aged and the in6rm, the poor, the
tired man in the shop, and the oyerworked
women in the kitchen; TO rescue manhood
and w~omanhood from their graves; honor,
virtue and chivslry from their sepulchre-s
work far nobler than that which summoned
the ancient Knights Templar to battlefelds
or toilsome journeys.
Acting Recorder V. EN-. Sir William B.
lsaacs, jr, of Richmond. Va, submitted his
report as follows;
There were S13 subordinate commandries
in 1889 under the grand oommandery %
subordinate Communicates under the grand
encampnlent: 1857 knights N grand CON-
manderies; 964 knighted in subordinate COM
manderies. Total membership Of command
cries ST,T24.
In 1892 the number of subordinate com.
manderies under the grand c1mmandery
were SSo, and 80 under the grand encamp-
ment: 10, S64 knighted in grand command
cries $50 knighted in subordinate COM
mauderies ;-92.7s1 total membership.
There was 961 subordinate COMMANDERS
under the grand coumsndery in 1885, and
Sc under the grand ~encampment; 21,53l
knighted in grand communicates IS3
knighted in subordinate commauderies /; total
membership, 106,1 10
1t has been pretty well determined that tie
next trienpial c~onclsye Of the Knights Temp
lar will be held at Pittsburg, Pa.
Sir Knights from all the Virginia COM
manderies were guests at the reception in
Faneuil Hall yesterday, given by the Ancient
and Honorable Artillery Company. Of Boston.
Nearly all of the Virginia Sir Knights a,e
planning 10 remain in B ston until Friday.