The bee., 1901-08-29
SIR REUBEN HEADLEY LLOYD.
Grand Master Grand Encampment Of the
United States, Who is Now
in Louisville.
Talks Of Templarism and its History in
This Country.

Most Eminent Sir Reuben He'd
ley Lloyd, Grand Master of the
Grand Encampment of the Uni
ted States of America, who is
now in Louisville, is looked upon
as father of Templarism in Cal
ifornia, and the members of the
California Commandery rever-
ence him. While he has almost
reached that stage in life when
most men are supposed to retire
from active business, Mr.. Lloyd
appears to be in his prime and
his sole aim is to do something
that will promote his order.
THE ORDER GROWING.
Talking of Templarism to a re-
porter for the Courier-J Journal,
Sir Lloyd said:
"The order is growing just like
the world is growing. 1t becomes
larger as our population increas-
es. Three years ago we had only
about Ia, 900 Templars and to-
day that number has increased to
more than 125, 900 and continues
to grow steadily. OF this num-
ber California has about $500,
but the encampment is prosper
Gus on the coast and shows the
same steady growth as it does
east of the Rocky mountains.
"The order has grown like the
United States have, and in many
respects it is modelled after the
United States. Our Grand Com
mandery is to Templarism what
the Congress and Senate are to
the United States. The State
Communicates legislate for the
subordinate Communicates, and
the Grand Communicates legis-
late for those of the various
States and decide all questions of
national or international import
ance. As a State legislates for
the individual counties and cities
and the United States for the in
dividual States, so do we for our
State Communicates. Our prin-
ciple is the same as the individ-
ual State governments and the
Government of the United States.
Our members have rendered dis
tinguished service to the Union
in its organization and the bring
ing about of its independence.
Some of the most prominent
patriots of the Union have be-
longed to the Templars, and
prominent among them was Gov.
Clinton, of New York, who was
the first Grand Master. The order
has from time to time taken a
prominent part in the advance
ment of the affairs of State and
nation.
i
"Templars were eXtinguished
once, as you know, because they
became too powerful and toe
wealthy, and after they reorga-
nized the order its records had to
be kept secret, and many things
have been done of which no re-
cords were handed down. Many
things were lost, and today SIM
ply rest in tradition. The history
of the order is like the history OF
the human race. The human race
has increased in size and intelli.
gence, and so have the Templars,
While the order remains substan'
TALLY the same as it did centuries
ago, yetreconstruction has caused
many changes.
every Commander, Past Com,
mander, Generalissimo and Cap
tain Generalissimo of the country
constitutes the Grand Command
cry, and each State has these
officers, forty-three in all, anG
they elect the Grand Master. II
is impossible to say how many
will be present at any one time
AT present there are more thar
six hundred of these officers, but
nine compose a quorum and car
elect and transact business.
PURPOSE OF ENoAMPMENTs.
"The purpose of these encamp
ments is to legislate for the goo(
of the order, as the Congress o.
the United States legislates fol
the States. The first Grand En-
campment of the United State
was held in 1916, and one ha
been held every three years since
in the principal cities of the Eas
and West. Each State is a juris
diction for which the Grand En-