Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-09
TEMPLARS' C0NCLAVE
IN PITTSBUHG FOR
RECEPTION OF THE KNIGHTS.
Hotels Issue Rigid Instructions to
Guests - Ex-COngressmnn Hop
kins Tells What the Organ
ization Expects to Do.

From the Pttsburg Dispatch.
Conclave week will mark an epoch in
hotel history. When Monday. October ~.
arrives it will find every public house in
PittsburS practically untenanted- Rooms
occupied by transient guests VIII De sur
rendered uncOnditionaily and the held
cleared for the incoming knight Templar
host. IL will be a condition absolutely
unprecedented, that of the hotels being
vacant after the forced exit OF regular Gus
toners. Il has never occurred before and
is never likely TO occur again.
Subject to surrender is the sipuia-
tion of room agreements being made at
the hotels now- During all other big events
in Pittsburg it has been subject TO
change" Guests given rooms were warned
that on a certain date they would be-
changed in order to accommodate holiday
guests with whom previous contracts hal
been made This time there will be no
the unlucky traveller who finds himself
without Il home at the beginning OF the con-
clave will have more kinds of trouble than
he knows OF now.
Every Detail Is Perfected.
The business meeting Of the grand en-
campment promise 10 be as important
within the circle as the elaborate displays,
feastinS and merrymaking. Amid all the
other features of conclave week. these ses-
sionS will stand out alone. Sir Knight
James II. Hopkins. past grand master of
the grand encampment, and ex-Democratc
congressman from this district, was in
Pittsburg yesterday, and called at execu-
tive headquarters Mr.. Hopkins. who re-
sides in Washington, D. c., and who Is one
of the most prominent Templars in the
country. discussed the meeting of the grand
encampment with Dispatch reporter.
1T will be the most important In the his
tory OF the organization. said he When
We met at Boston an effort was made 10
revise the constitution, but we only sue
ceeded in finishing one article. which re-
lated to the grand encampment itself.
Revising the Constitution.
1.-THE coming meeting will be devoted
| seriously to business. and the second ar
| ticle, relating to the grand communicates
| of the different states; the third article.
relating to subordinate Communicates. and
the fourth. which relates to general clauses.
entire revision of the constitution for many
| years. 1t is badly arranged. and needs to
| be made clear and simplfied.
| THE digest will also be revised in re-
gard to the form OF trials. Two points
| that will cause considerable discussion
| are those in regard to the status of nom
non-payment of dues. The laws of different
states differ largely in regard TO these mat
| ters In some states non-affiliants Of six
| months are stricken from the rolls. and
/ in some cases non-affiliantS of Blue lodges
| are stricken from the rolls.
The selection of permanent headquarters
| IOr IEe STdnU cOHmanCeFy Is duOIneE mat
ter of great Importance which may be acted
upon at the coming meeting. 1t has now
come to be realized that permanent rest
| ing place for the valuable archives and
mementoeS is a vital necessity. In past
years. when the archives have been moved
| from city to city, some very valuable ar
| ticles have been lost.
Lost the Charter Oak.
lone particular case that comes to my
| mind is that a piece OF the original
| Charter Oak which was presented to the
| grand encampment has been lost Another
| thing is that the grand commandery Is
| now old enough and strong enough 10 have
/ a permanent home. There are 10000 Tenn
| plars in this country. and the time has
| arrived when they should have a temple
| of their own, to show their strength, power
| and wealth.
! s.The fact that the grand eneampment
| would have permanent meeting place
| need not interfere with fraternal jubllees
| and gatherings I am in favor of such
| interest in our order My idea would be
| to have the grand encampment. in addi-
/ tiou to its regular business meeting. hold
| social meeting every three years in the
| different cities throughout the country
/ 1t was clearly apparent at Boston that
| the grand encampment should have an
| opportunity to transact business apart
| from these triennial celebrations. On such
occasions there are so many attractions
| and the members OF the grand encamp-
| that quorum Is difficult to obtain at
| times. and the transaction of business sad
| Iy interfered with.
| 81 am sure concluded Mr.. Hopkins.
| 'that the coming twenty-seventh triennial
| conclave will be the most brilliant and
| notable gathering of recent years. and one
1 of the largest attended in the history of
| the Knights Templar''