Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-27
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.
Holy Cross COmmandery Will Be
Instituted Tonight.

Eighth Masonic District Meeting Held
Here Tuesday---The Several Masonic
Bodies Here---Talk of Consolidation
of Lodges of Master MasOns.
The new commandery of Knights Temp
lar, which has been discussed for year or
more, as to become one of the added Sc
cret orders here, is to be instituted tonight.
1t is the higher order of Masonry, and is to
occupy the Masonic rooms in Union block.
The present members of this order which
are resident here have been members of
Beauseant commandery of Bratteboro, al
though some of the earlier members of the
order have been members of Hugh De
Payn's at Keene, having taken their de-
grees there before the commandery was
organized at Brattleboro.
A large number of Sir Knights from
other places are expected here tonight, in
Guiding a delegation from Brattleboro and
the officers of the grand commandery of
the state. The number of resident Sir
Knights is about 40. These will constitute
the membership now, but the number will
be materially increased at once by new
members. The grand commaudery granted
charter for the formation of this organi-
cation at its annual meeting last June, and
Sir Knight Charles H. Williams was
named as the first eminent commander.
The name selected is Holy Cross command
cry, No. ~, and it will start off under the
most favorable auspices.
At the present time there are about 425
members of the two Masonic lodges of the
village, King Solomons, No. 45, and Lodge
of the Temple, No. "a. The organizations
of higher degrees are Abenauqui chapter
of Royal Arch Masons, and Bellows Falls
Council of Royal and Select Masters which,
with the new commandery, will make five
different Masonic bodies. 1t is understood
an effort will be made within few months
looking toward the eventual consolidating
of the two lodges of Master Masons, there
being little call for two. The organization
of the Lodge of the Temple, which occurred
nearly 80 years ago, was caused by differ
ences between individual members of the
order, which have almost entirely disap-
peared. There are many important advan-
tages to the craft by the union of the two.
These are so manifest that discussion re-
garding uniting ELECTS but little, if any, OPP
position at this time.
The annual meeting of the eighth Ma
sonic district of Master Masons was held in
Masonic hall Tuesday afternoon and even
ing. The attendance was large, there
being about 100 Masons from other places
here, including the grand lodge officers. In
the evening about 175 were present. After
the evening meeting the gathering sat
down to one of Landlord Dunham's ban
quets in the dining-room of Towns hotel
and pleasant social time was enjoyed. In
the afternoon the work of the first degree
was exemplifed by Golden Rule lodge, No
30, of Putuey, with the following officers:
A. NJ. Corser, w. NJ. L. P Bailey, S. W;
H. L. Pierce, j. W; G. T. Aplin, S. D.; c.
w. Brooks, j. D.; Eugene Robbins, S. S.;
Fred Taft, j. s.; w. D. Waite, marshal
In the evening the third degree was
worked by Brattleboro lodge, No. 1902,
with officers: d. Cowles, W. M. w. B.
Minton, S. W.. H. R. Randall, j. W.; M.
Houghton, S. D.; F. G.. Gibson, j. D.; H.
A. Walters, S. S.; Harry Rowe, J. S.; F.
R. Vaughan, marshal. The work of the
two lodges was very correcs and Grand
Master Nicholson and other grand lodge
officers complimented each very highly up
on the manner in which each part was car
ried out. The occasion was one of interest
and enjoyment to all who were present.