New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-12
OUR NEW DISTRICT DEPUTY.

The announcement OF the new d. DIS and the
new Grand Lodge officers appeared in full in this
department OF The Tribune on Sunday. June q
Immediately thereafter the lodges. one by one
called off," and the brethren entered upon
their vacation; the Temple was deserted and no
meetings were held hence it is only now. when
the sound OF the gaVel is again heard. that the
new d. DIS will make their appearance. and
the brethren will be given an opportunity to
know them and sec what they arc made OF. and
the new d. D. will have an opportunity to look
over the field study the lodges In his district
and find out when and where he can be of most
service to the district and the craft.
Much Of the success or failure OF the Dis
trict Deputy is entirely in his own hands; he is
an autocrat in his own district he is the mouth
piece of and the Grand Master; he takes pre-
cedent over the Deputy Grand Master. as ne
is the personal representative Of the Grand
Master himself. his deputy Ovebster defines
this as "A person appointed or elected to act
for another. especially n person sent with a
special commission To act in the place of an
other') hence it viii. be seen that while the Of
fee is one Of great honor, ii is also one or great
responsibility, and every one OF our forty D.
DIS In this State should be scrupulously care
rul in administering the Masonic affairs OF his
district with single eye to the welfare ana
best interest of Masonry. II he will do that
affection for in no other institution are the true
worth and value, the sincere devotion, so much
apprecated and discovered, ana nowhere else
is the hypocrte the corrupt and selfish man
found out and discarded so readily as in
Masonry
1t is only in recent years that the office Of
District Deputy has become of the Importance
Il is looked upon now The phenomenal growth
Of Masonry in this State. the growth IF Masonic
halls in every town and hamlet of the State. the
solid and substantial standing of the craft In
every community all contributed to make every
office in the Grand Lodge a great prize. to be
coveted often by the ambitious and the mer-
cenary. and often to the detriment of the truly
worthy but modest craftsmen.
The constitution OF the Grand Lodge Of 1854
is entirely silent about District Deputies, and at
the June session of 1896 n previously proposed
amendment thereto was carried. authorizing the
Grand Master to appoint District Deputies,
which came prior TO this under the caption or
General Regulations" but was adopted and
embodied in the organic law in 1876 The
Deputy Grand Master, and comprised the
counties Of New-York Kings and Richmond;
the second Suffolk, Queens Westchester,
Putnam Rockland and Orange counties-the
entire State being divided into nineteen dis
tricts. In 1859 the present metropolitan" Dis
trict was divided into three districts. The first
district comprised "all that part of NewYork
City north Of Grand-st. and west Of Orchard-st.
y. W. Daniel Sickles was the first District Dep
uty of this district. The second district was then
that part of New-York City south of Grand-st
and east Of Orchard-st. The third district was
all of Richmond and Kings counties. In 1913 the
State was divided into thirty districts. and the
lodges in New-York and Brooklyn We're given
concurrent Jurisdiction; At the last session of the
Grand Lodge, June. 1897, the State again
divided this time into forty districts. with pro-
visions for the coming Greater Newly ork. And
thus the world do move.