Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-24
ORATORY AND GOOD CHEER
Masonic Veteran Association Celebrates An.
niVersay of Its Organization.
Members and Guests About the BAN
Guet Board-Toasts and Those
Who Responded.

! eoFated the event with a sumDtuous BAN
quet at the Ebbitt House. Masons of high
degree were present to do honor to the
| veterans. and the occasion was one long
1 10 De remembered. To be a member of
| this association one must not only be a
Mason. but must have been Master
| Mason for twenty-one years He must also
| be resident of the District of Columbia
4 or or some state or territory in which there
| Is no similar organization
| Before the banquet last night the associ-
! alton held meeting in the red parlor.
President William Gibson was in the chair
and when he called the meeting TO order
| he looked upon some of the leading BUSH
| ness men Of the capital. Secretary Van
| Deusen read the following applications for
| membership and they were unanimously
elected, the date given in each instance
being the time of initiation: L. w Ander-
son, 1872; j. d. Bartlett, 1861; VIM. Broun,
1864; George Butterfield, 1878: Jno. w Nc
Knight, 1871; l.. p. Williams. 1888; +. $.
Warfield. 1855, and Isaac Blout. 1865.
There was a meeting Of the association
January . last, at which all the old officers
were reelected, together with George r.
Corson, almoner
After the preliminary meeting last even
ing the banquet was served in the banquet
hall of the hotel. The procession to the
hall was led by President William Gibson
and Most Worshipful Grand Master ]. II.
Small, jr.; Vice President Simon Wolf and
Grand High Priest Samuel r. Bond, Second
Vice President Adam Gaddis and the dep
uty grand commander of the knights Tenn
plar. VIM. T. Galiher,
After the banquet George E Corson
almoner of the association. took his posi-
ton as POSTMASTER and the speaking COM
menced. He had been taken unawares he
said, but would do his best. The first toast
was The President of the United States:
not only beloved American citizen. but
an honored and beloved brother" To this
toast the brethren arose and in silence
drank to the Presidents health.
"0ur Country"
Mr.. Simon Wolf was the first speaker
His toast was Our country" and ne treat
ed his subject with his characteristic thor
oughness. His reference to the late war
President McKiuley's southern speech and
expansion was loudly spplauded.
The Grand Lodge of the District of Co.
lumbia'' was the toast to which Grand
Master Small responded. He traced in an
interesting way the history of the Grand
Lodge, which was organized in February
1911. At that time there We're but six
lodges included, four from Washington
county and two from Alexandria county.
or all the grand masters fifty-three had
passed over the river he said. and eigh-
teen remained with us. From a member
ship or six lodges the Grand Lodge had
grown to include twenty-five lodges, with
total membership of IBIS.
Mr.. Small mentioned the lodges which
were represented at the convention first
held for the purpose of effecting the organ
fzation of the Grand Lodge, and gave a
brief sketch Of their history up to the
present time. He then mentioned the names
of the first most worshipful grand master
and those Immediately succeeding him.
The year just past, he said, has been
one of progress for Masonry in the Dis
trfct, and the ranks have steadily increased
with the addition of most desirable ma
tef1aL "A most successful Masonic fair
and exposition has given us the nucleus
he added, from which we will in the near
future erect temple that will be a credit
to our city, and will meet the rapidly grow
ing institution that We have
The speaker made fiattering reference
to the great work of the venerable secre-
tary, William r. Singleton
Charles w. Hancock sang a solo to the
accompaniment Of Theodore Friebus, ir
and The Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch
Mason was the next toast TO which Grand
High Priest Bond responded
In the absence of Grand Commander E
q. Davis of the knights Templar, Deputy
Grand Commander Galliher spoke TO the
toast THE Grand Commandery Knights
Templar." President Noble d. i,arneT of
the Washington Masonic Veteran Associa-
tlon. sister organization. extended the
greeting of that organization.
To the toast of "Our sister grand lodges
Representative Bromwell spoke He re-
ferred to the Grand Lodge of Ohio which
was organized in 1909. and had over 500
lodges and 1900 members. He spoke of
the advance Of Masonry; how it could he
found in all parts of the world and re-
ferring to the planting of the flag of The
United States following our army and navy
In the West Indies and in the Philippines
there also would be found the altar of
Masonry.
The Valiant knights
THE Grand Encampment, knights Tenn
plar of the United States" was the toast
to which Past Grand Commander Thomas
responded II was a great honor, he said
to respond 10 such a toast, for the Grand
Encampment represented 10000 valiant
knights or 10 per cent of the Master Ma
sons of the United States. He referred
pleasantly to he Blue Lodge and said that
too little attention had in the past been paid
to it. At the last session of the Grand En-
campment law WAS passed preventing
any Knight Templar from holding his affiI-
iauon in his. commandery unless he held
his utilization in his lodge and chapter The
Grand Encampment believed in preserving
the foundation of Masonry. He expressed
the wish that Washington would some day
be the home of the Grand Encampment
The erection of a new Masonic Temple
here. he believed. would be but the stepping
stone TO the erection Of another great edifiCe
by the knights Templar.
Grand Secretary VIM. r. Singleton closed
the speechmaking and enlivened the even
ing with a rehearsal of several entertaining
stories. The members then joined hands
and sang 'tAuld Lang Syne"
Members and Guests.
Among those present as members were
Robert Armour, E. W. Anderson George
W. Baird, Isaac l. Blout, George w. Bal
loch. VIM. Brown. Jeffrey Barton. George
T. Bassett. NJ. w. Bayliss, S. W. Began.
F. A. Butts, E. r. Campbell. II. p Cattell.
E. H. Chamberlin, L. b. Cutler. L. A. Dell
wig, Thomas Bowling. Henry Franc. Geo.
Gibson. Geo. n. Glover c. W. Hancock.
w. H. Harrison, r. W. Hardy. ]. ]. Har-
rover, Abraham Hart, A. C. Hullett. Geo.
j. Johnson, Joseph Jouy. A. w. Kelley,
Angus Lamond, James B. Lannbie James
Lansburgh. John s. Larowe. S. e. Lewis,
D. j. Logan. Hugh Lyon. d. ]. Macarty,
]. H. McCathran, Henry Morgan VIM H
Norton. l. P. Moves. l.. l. O'Neal, s. c.
Palmer. H. ]. Playter C. H. Reaney. Val
entine Ruebsam, A. j. Sanderson. A b.
Shekell Benz Sinsheimsr. W. r. Singleton.
NJ. B. Stricken. J. II. Trimbie. Matthew
Trimble, A. H. Van Deusen, j. H Weldon
W. II. Wetzell, John F. Wild E. NJ Willis,
G: e. Corson, Simon Wolf and Francis
Wood.
Among the guests We're j. A Arnold.