Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-06
GRAND BODIES MEET.
ALL THREE TO ASSEMBLE WITHIN
THE NEXT MONTH.
TWO 10 CONVENE THIS WEEK
Grand Royal Arch Chapter ON Tues
day and Grand COmmandery on
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF the Grand
Lodge Early I'm December.

The annual meetings Of the three grand
Masonic bodies OF Virginia will be held
in the Masonic Temple within the next
thirty days, and two Of them-the Grand
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and the
Grand Commandery OF Knights Templar-
Will assemble this week.
The Grand Lodge A. +. and A. NJ. al
ways meets In Richmond, but the other
| two bodies assemble wherever they may
| elect in the State, and it is the first time
| In a number of years that all three have
met here in the same year. The first to
| assemble Will be the Grand Royal Arch
Chapter, which will convene in the chap
ter-room at the Temple on Tuesday and
continue in session throughout Wednes-
day.
The work of the degrees Will be eXem-
plified by a committee during the session
of the body, and much business relauns
TO the chapters throughout the state Will
be transacted. Officers, too. Will nave 10
DO elected, and it is more than hKely
that some changes will be made though
If the present Grand High Priest holds
over there will be none.
THE PRESENT GRAND OFFICERS
The officers at present are u. l.. lde'
of Staunton. Grand High PRIEST Ihomas
%. Schwartz Of Luray, Grand King
Frederick Greenwood. OF Norfolk, Grand
Scribe: George W. Poe, or Richmond,
Grand Treasurer; James Il. Blanks oil
Petersburg. Grand Secretary; James T.
Alexander, of Alexandria, Grand captain
Of the Host; j.. r. Bradyof chatham
Hill. Grand Princpa! Sojourner; w. D.
Hubbard. Of stanton. Grand Royal Arch
Chaplain; Joseph V. Bidgood. of Rich-
mond. Grand Master of the Third Vel;
- s Conrad. OF Harrisonburg, Grand
Master of the Second Veil; 5. L. Bloom
berg. Of Richmond, Grand Master of the
First Veil: Rev. G. y. Van Houten, OK
Manchester. Grand Chaplain; j. a. cosby
of Richmond, Grand Marshal, and W. Z.
wilkinson. Of Richmond. Grand Tiler.
In event that Mr.. Ide does not stand
for reelection az Grand High Priest Mr.
Schwartz. the present Grand King VIII
succeed him. and all of the officers viii
be showed up peg. Therefore, vacancy
will be created in the position or Grahd
Master of the First Veil, for which there
viii. no doubt. be a lively competition.
Grand COmmandery, knights Temp
lar.
The Grand Commandery, knights
Templar of Virginia, Will meet in the
Masonic Temple, in this city, at 10 \. NJ,
on Thursday next, the 10th instant ana
will be largely attended by the officers
and delegates from the various com
manderies Of the State
This is the annual meeting Of the legis-
lative body Of the order, and is always
looked forward to with more than ordi-
nary pleasure by its members. This VIII
particularly be the case this year, as the
report on the actions of the grand en-
campment the supreme legislative body
Of the United States, Will be received
and acted upon Reports from the OIL
GERS detailed TO inspect the Communicates
of the Jurisdiction will also be made,
and taken altogether, it will b possibly
one of the most interesting meetings that
the order has ever held in Virginia. The
Grand Commandery will also act upon
the invitation of the Grand Lodge, An
Gent. Free. and Accepted Masons TO
act as its escort on the occasion Of the
celebration OF the Tooth anniversary Of
Washingtons death, at Mount Vernon,
December u, 1899 and it is expected that
this will be one Of the great Masonic
events Of the century. The Grand En-
campment, at it's recent meeting, IN
Pittsburg, accepted the invitation of the
Grand Lodge to be present on the occa-
sion referred TO, and they, with the
communicates Of the original thirteen
States, will be the guests of the Grand
Commandery OF Virginia.
, The present officers OF the Grand Com
'mandery will retire at the expiration OF
their term, and It is expected that James
II. Capers. Grand Commander, will be
succeeded by Colonel =. T. Woodfin, now
Deputy Grand Commander, and that the
other officers will be promoted in regular
order.
In the grand parade at the Triennial
Conclave, October nth, in Pittsburg, the
Virginia Templars constituted one Of the
handsomest divisions in line, and the
Commandery Of St. Andrew, No. Is, OF
this city, was particularly complimented
Tor its fine appearance and bnightly bear
ing The at Home" by the Grand Com
mandery of Virginia, was pronounced pos
sibly the best and most extensively visit
ed reception of any outside of the local
communicates OF Pittsburg, and the com
mittee i'm charge OF the entertainment.
Eminent Sir John +. Mayer and Sir +. ID.
Hotchkss. deserve and ELECTED special
praise for their efforts in this direction.
Meeting of the Grand Lodge.
The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Of
Virginia, a. f. and \. NJ, will convene
on Tuesday, December 9th, in its l2lst
grand annual communication, and remain
I'm session three days. The Grand Work
ing Committee meets the Friday before.
December %, 10 get the business TO come
before the general body in good shape
The session of the Grand Lodge promises
10 be a very interesting one, and there
will be a full attendance OF leading mem
bers of the craft from all sections Of the
state. 1t is not thought that there will
be any changes I'm the officers of th,
Grand Lodge. Grand-Nlaster Duke has
only served one year, and it is supposed
that he will be willing 10 fill the Office aa-
other tern. The following are the officers
Of the Grand Lodge: Most-Worshipfu
r. II. w. Duke, Jr.. Grand Master, Char
lottesville; Worshipful George w
Wright Deputy Grand Master Marion
II. O. Kerns, Grand Sc
nlor Warden, Sutherlin; Right-Worship-
ful Ed. n. Eubank. Grand Junior Warden
Newport News; Right-Worshipful Fred
Peasants. Grand Treasurer. Richmond
Right orshipful George w. Darlington
Grand Secretary, Richmond; Worshipfu
Thomas n. Davis, Grand Senior Deacon.
Lynchburg; Right-W orshipful Kcsciusko
Kemper Grand Junior Deacon AleXan-