The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-28
Webb's claims to paternity are set
aside it must be admitted that an en-

| Webb's claims to paternity are set
| aside it must be admitted that an en-
tirely dissimilar degree Of the Ancient
and Accepted Rite, that of the Rose
CroiX, has, through ignorance, fire.
quently been spoken of as the Red
Cross, and it is barely possible that. the
Red Cross referred to in the Charleston
diploma, and Massachusetts, record, was
not identical with the ceremony found
ed upon the Persian legend. This
much, at least, is to be said: before
the era Of Webb the degree was little
known and little practiced, and 1t is to
him that we are indebted for it's pres
ervation and propagation as a part Of
the American Templar system.
1t has been before noted that the
Templar ceremony was practiced in an
irregular, sporadic manner, under the
sanction Of the warrant" of Blue"
lodges. 1t is probably impossible to
fix the date Of it's introduction into the
United states, but it is certain that it
did not come under the sanction of a
warrant or dispensation from any Ma
sonic power for none such existed any
where at that time, having control OF
the degree. Doubtless 1t came as the
so called side degrees of the present
day came. One being in possession OF
degree called to his assistance the re-
quisite number of others having the
degree, who, meeting in lodge-room,
and having present it's warrant pro-
ceeded to make a Templar or Temp
lars, as the case might be, and, the
ceremony being ended, they dissolved.
never to meet again. In the course OF
time, when Templars became more
numerous, an occasional attempt was
made to make record of these irreg-
ular proceedings; and occasionally di-
plomas were issued, some OF which,
having come down to the present time,
are existed as testimony to the as
sumed fact that there We're regularly
existing bodies in those days. The rit-
ual of the Templar degree does not
appear to have undergone the rehabili-
tatng process to which other degrees
OF Masonry were subjected, and while
changes were undoubtedly made. either
by accident or design. it is said to ba
substantially in accord with that OF our
English Fratres.
From the close of the Revolutionary
war until about the year 1916, when the
Grand Encampment was formed, Ma
sonry, like the country, was in tram
sitionary state. The so-called higher
degrees" which had previously been
conferred under the sanction of lodge
warrants, now began to be worked by
regularly constituted bodies. Chapters
and encampments began to be organ
ized upon Il permanent basis, and, as
they attracted more attention, ritual
istic development was innaugurated.
AS i'm the ante Revolutionary period,
for most of the time there was no
governing power over the Templar de-
gree and each body, as 1t came into
existence, was self created and inde-
pendent of all others, Few of these Or
ganizations have continued until the
present time, and still fewer have left
any records of the earlier years of their
existence AS time passed on and these
occasional gatherings became more fire.
auent, when the number OF Tempiars
had increased sufficiently, and more
permanent organizations began to be
made, out of these emergency bodies
grew permanent ones.-Frederic Speed