The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-07

February u, for Jcptba lodge, al Fair.
view, in wilson county, 20 members.
April z. for East Bernard lodge, at East
BERNARD, in Wharton county, 20 members
April s, for Allen Farm lodge, at Alien
Farm, In Brazos county, 20 members.
June IL, for Higgins lodge, at Higgins,
in Lipscomb county, Is members.
June %, for Shady Grove lodge at Shady
Grove, In Hood county (postonice, Gran
bury), 81 members.
August 20. for Estelline lodge, at Estel-
line, In Hall county, 81 members.
The petition for Higgins lodge was signed
by but thirteen master Masons. but there
was no lodge In Lbpscomb county, and 1t
was sixty miles to the nearest lodge.
OBSERVATIONS GRANTED.
To Confer Degrees--In the beginning OF
the war with Spain, many application were
made TO me for dtpensations to confer de-
grees cut of time, or without waiting the
usual length of time. l granted those that
came within the following rule laid down
by me:
Where the brother had recently received
the u. A. or II. Q. degree, but before a
declaration of war or hostiltties had be-
gun, and could not have. we'll applied for
Advancement sooner, and having enlisted,
was about to leave the country With his
company to take part In the war against
Spain.
Unuer these circumstances i granted Ave
disrensat.cts to confer the Master Mason S
degree before the expiration of the usual
time the law in other respects having been
complied with, and the applications having
been made In conformity with the con-
stitution.
L,nxtB continue TO ask permission to
send out circulars asking aid to pay out
OF debt, CIR to build n new lodge room. ETC.
j have declined TO grant all such requests.
! was requested by number OF broth
y1ffl llfkF2s 7f.tt stt tn
were members OF the First Texas United
States volunteer infantry. encamped near
Mobile, Ala. TO grant them a special dig
'psnsation for a military lodge, To meet and
co work In the field. While my sympathy
and best wishes were extended to tho
brethren, felt lmpelled to deny the re-
quest for several, to me, good and suffi-
Gent reasons
John Armstrong lodge made application
fer q d.spensstion to examine and ballot
upon ths petition OF a brother for the Mas
ter MaJli's degree at called meeting,
stated communication. ana the brother
being compelled to leave the State before
the next stated meeting. l. however, re-
fused to giant such dispensation.
DECISIONS.
That brother holding an apDointive Of
iice can not dimt during his term OF Of
fee
and en- ballot 1t being refused. he has the
itght at tlge next stIted communication,
and before dte master has instructed the
secretary TO enter AN order fer &irnit ON the
record. To withdraw his application.
That n protest against comforting the
Il. A. degree ia be effective must be made
To the MASTER after the petition of the ap-
pl cant faa.s been flied with the secretary.
Where charges have been preferred by
4 brother other than tho junior warden,
and the junior warden feels that he is dis-
qualified to prosecute the accused and be-
1ieves him to be innocent. there Is no rea-
ion why the Junior warden may not act
as proxy for the accused and represent him
on the trial.
That where brother, who has been
elected MASTER OF his lodge, refuses TO re-
ceive or conform to that part OF the in
stallaton ceremony known as the past
masters degree. having never received 1t,
the old master will hold over.
That n brother Offering to visit lodge
has no right to demand that the charter
BIO brought into the ante-room for his in
spection.
l have made a great many other rulings
and answered hundreds OF questions, but
they are of such nature that deem it un-
necessary to report, or else they have al
ready been fully settled by our law.
The question OF physical perfection. like
Banquos ghost will not down, and have
had my share OF interrogaturies ON this
subject, and have always answered In line
with former utterances of this Grand
Lodge. A vast amount of labor and time
can be saved to the grand master II lodges
Will strictly conform to tho law and sub
nit all questions of Jurisprudence first to
the district deputy.
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS HOME.
After some delay the board of directors
OF the home accepted the title to about
200 acres of land NEAR the city of Fort
Worth, aud have let the contract for the
erection of tho building. The board OF di-
rectors viii report TO yen In detail.
congratulate the entire craft In Texas
that they have seen fit, in spirit of Ma
sonic love, to contribute to this great ard
audable institution for the care and educa-
ton of the widows and orphans OF our do
ceased brothers.
The generosity and zeai of your eff
client board Of directors have made possible
Mt this time this great work, and they de-
serve your highest communication.
FINANCIAL.
During the coming year we hope to open
the Home for the reception of the destitute
widows and orphans OF our deceased broth
ers. and its success and usefulness should
be THIS aim aud pride of every Mason in
Ia&as; In this beginning, years of the in
stltution II Will REQUIRE the expenditure oS
O large amount OF money to properly equip
1t and make 1t what we desire.
Our laws require that we annually trans
fer to the grand charity fund certain per
cent of our receipts and such further sum
a. is not needed to pay expenses, and t4at
this sum may be as large as possible we
should economlZe.
There lis such 4 wide difference between
the accounts FOR actual expenses OF our
district deputy grand masters for practic-
ally the Same service. and believing that II
Will not decrease the efficiency OF their
work, OF the number OF thsir visltations II
care Is tsken in tIresr selection. respect
fully recommend that such changes be
made in the laws as that theg'einafter dis
trict deputies shall be paid their expenses
only when required by the grand master
TO visit u lodge or perform a service.
The present system OF disseminating the
work WINS adopted In 1855, and
white / do INST propose to discuss Its eff
Cheney, yet 1t occurs to me that it Is en-
tir.ly too expensive and the amount ne |
sessary to pay tile mileage and per diem |
Of the delegates Is rapidly increasing each |
year. For the past FIVE years the Grand |
I.odgs hls pnld 10 the committee on work |
and to delegates as follaws:
lS9S--To delegates ...........,. $2,906 IL |
lSai--T0 delegates .....,...,.... 5000 10 |
lS9A--IQ, delegates .,............ S,626 90 |