The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-11
MUSIC, ORATORY
AND BANQUET
Scottish Rite Reunion Closed
Brilliantly Last Night.
GRAND MASTER SPEAKS
Orators Tell Masons of Their
Duties to Society.
GRAND MASTER SPEAKS

! Masonry closed their semi-annual reunion
in the banquet hall of the Scottish Rite
temple at the corner of Topeka avenue
and First street, last night Never has
a more brilliant affair been held in the
Masonic circles of this city and never
have the principles of the order received
higher praise or greater reverence.
The banquet hall was brilliantly deco
rated with the national colors. Starry
bunting draped from the balcony railing,
| and festoons OF red, white and blue
stretched from the center of the ceiling
TO the balcony. On the tables were vases
Of American beauty roses and lilies.
Promptly at $50 o'clock the 400 mem
| bers Of the Rite who were present
marched into the banquet hall and as
soon as they were seated, Prof. BIume' 5
orchestra struck up the strains Of beau
tiful music. Throughout the banquet the
orchestra continued to play.
The banquet was served by the ladies
of the Wichita Hospital association. The
menu was as follows:
Chilled Fruit
Chicken. Esconoped Oysters.
Celery. Green Peas.
Tongue. Ham.
Sandwiches.
Salad. Picked Olives.
Sailed Nuts.
Ice Cream. Cake. Coffee.
At 1920 o'clock O. II. Bentley, tho
POSTMASTER, arose and delivered the
speech of welcome, which was in part as
follows;
There is not a greater consistory in
the Southern jurisdiction than this one
You see around you tonight the hest
brain and the best ability of Kansas. To
aid Us in the work of this consistory we
have drawn on the land of the Fair God,
the territory of New Mexico, the Won
! derful city of Chicago, the beautiful city
of Denver, and we have gathered here
the most eminent Masons of the terri
tory named. The work of the Wichita
consistory is never surpassed and sell
dom equalled. The reason for that is
that the other consistories have no Henry
Wallenstein, the Lawrence Barrett Of
Free Masonry; no others have a BestOr
G. Brown; no others have a Colonel
Fitch; no others have a Colonel Bleckley.
It is to this consistory that l bid the vis-
iting members and the degree class a
hearty welcome.
Fred Washbon. of Anthony. made
most eloquent response to the address of
welcome on behalf of the visiting mem
bers. He said:
I'VE are now enjoying the warm hos
pitality Of this center Of the Scottish
Rite of the Valley of Wichita. 1t is
meet that I should pay some comph-
ment TO the local members. While the
visiting brothers reap the benefits Of the
! consistory, the local brother, by his zeal
has raised this consistory TO its high
plane The welcome we receive con-
tains the right to come here and learn.
and while the fraternal feeling of the
local brethren is appreciated, it seems
to me that the greatest benefit TO US has
been from what the Rite teaches.
Here we may como. They welcome us
here. We may lay aside the trials and
vissitudes which come TO us as men, we
may lay them aside and come here We
may come here and for few days enter
into the high sentiments which make US
better men. Here we may learn the
duties We owe to ourselves and to others.
Here we may come and see the fountain
Of philosophy. Here we may enter into
communion with God. ! thought that as
traced the beautiful teachings during
the last few days AT the last reunion
when I received the degrees, that we
were led up to a most sublime height.
1t seemed that as in the thirty second
degree we get the royal secret; that we
may almost cast of these mortal bonds
Of clay and through the dome OF our
temple may almost hear the divine intelli-
gence proclaiming in the words OF the
poet:
World without end I am God alone
I only am in might and mercy
I live In all things and am closed in
none.
I only shall be when the worlds have
done
Ny boundless being viii have Just
begun"
T. T. Schudder made the response for
the class He spoke but a few minutes
and made several humorous remarks
about his own inability 20 properly rep
resent the class
The principal address Of the evening
was that delivered by Thomas f. Dewey.
of Abilene. the Grand Master Of the
Grand Lodge of Kansas. who responded
n the toast Free Masonry Of Kansas"
Mr.. Dewey spoke of the duties Of Masons
To the state and held forth the idea that
Masons should be distinguished from the
rest Of their fellow citizens BY their up
right living He said In part.
There should be something besides
name TO distinguish the Free Mas0ns
OF Kansas. There is a tendency among
Masons 10 dwell more on the past and
not enough or the future. Today we
need not rely 50 much on our being sue
cessors 70 King Solomon as 10 rely upon
the truths taught b. him. The relation ri
the Mason 70 the state must be indi-
vidual and personal Not IS an ors8nizs-
tson can Masonry have ans relation 70
The state under present conditions
I'm the exercises of civil government
nc secret society has a place. hut in The
formation Of ideals and the practice -
virtue. thereby making better citizens.
&. is capable Of iaestinable ai5 The
world has q right 20 ask about that mat
ter and the answer oagnt % be aupar-
ent In every Mason-s daily walk ana con-
versation- The world has a right q ask
how il behooves as 10 BE Nasons Il Ne
are only as other men -rc But why. ny
brethren should We be different from
ether men. and how Lei me answer
that ia one respect oniy-in respect 20
our thoushls- our ideals
Every Mason ousht q have 3 psiHt %
view from which ~ ean esumat- tl-e
valce - any aet or WORD. IL matters
~ state This is .li iunortaEt- il j. -auea
more important thar citizen know a-fag
nation o'lght - - saan thas b. Snow
Thar &
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