The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-24
GRAND LODGE ENDS
ITS CONVENTION
important Changes Made in
Organic Law at Final
Session Yesterday.

but from the Importance of the Ques-
tons discussed and disposed of, sew
| eral changes in the organic law of the
order being adopted.
| In the morning session yesterday the
! question of the degrees came up, and
/ it was decided that all candidates for
| an advancement of a degree must I'M
| dergo an examination In the work OF
| the degree to which they already be-
| long as we'll as in the secret work of
| the knighthood ranks, thus doing
away with the merely formal require
| ments hitherto and of which there has
| been much complaint.
| The session adopted two amendments
| to the constitution recommended by the
| supreme lodge, one providing for the
| impeachment of grand lodge officers
in case of misconduct, and the other
allowing local legislation by grand and
subordinate lodges on the subject of
sick benefits. In the afternoon the
question of sick benefits came up again
and an amendment to the grand lodge
constitution was passed forbidding the
local lodges of this state from provid
ing any fixed amount of weekly benefit
! for sick members in the future, as it is
considered that this saVors of insur-
ance, and is neither fraternal or prac-
| teal charity. Each lodge, however, is
allowed2to make appropriations for aid
the cases may require. The convention
showed determination to keep the or
der purely fraternal and was opposed
] to any indemnity or insurance fea-
! lures.
Budget of $500 Is Voted.
The budget for the coming year was
| passed, the per capita tax remaining at
| 80 cents, as for several years past. The
| estimated expenses for the year are
| $500, an increase over that of last
year of several hundred dollars. The
principal items of the budget are the
salaries of the grand chancellor and
grand keeper of the records, 81, 500 each,
| and expenses of the grand chancellor
of $500.
The session granted charters to Ste
| Vens Lodge No. 10, Warren Lodge No.
| III and Thief River Falls Lodge No.
172.
The entire session of the afternoon
was devoted to legislative business and
the reports of special committees. The
committee on codification and revision
made report, covering sixty pages
! and recommending number of
amendments to the grand statutes, a
number of which We're. corrective and
| designed to make the. laws conform
strictly to supreme and grand lodge
| legislation. The committee was con-
| tinued with power to codify all of the
| laws passed at this session. was also
| directed to revise what is known as the
| trial code of state laws and to have
| the revised laws printed and distribute
ed among the subordinate. lodges of
| the state.
| Grand Tribunal Is Established.
The most important and radical
amendment which was adopted by the
| convention was the institution of a
grand tribunal for the grand lodge, as
distinct department of the grand
have the same relation to the grand
lodge government as the supreme court
of the several states hold to the state
governments. Heretofore the grand
! lodge government has consisted merely
of the legislative and executive
branches, and this judicial department
completes the requirements of modern
conditions. The establishment of this
| tribunal made necessary also a large
number of amendments to the consti-
| tuition and statutes relating to juriSdic-
! ton, qualification and terms of men,
| bers of the tribunals and procedure.
| The members of the tribunal are to be
nominated for three years by the grand
| chancellor, such nominations to be sub
| ject to confirmation by the grand lodge
The first tribunal was made up by
| the chancellor yesterday and his ap-
pointments Immediately confirmed The
| first court is made of Clyde W. Still
son, of Duluth; Arthur L. Jones, of
| Minneapolis, and r. j. Angus, of Fer
| gus Falls, associate tribunes. The tri-
| bunal afterwards organized and ap-
pointed P. D. Godfrey, of st. Paul, re-
| corder.
This judicial department of the grand
| lodge Is new to this state, although it
| is in operation in nearly half of the
| grand lodges of the order. An attempt
| was made to establish it when the or
der was first instituted in Minnesota
| but at that time it was unpopular and
| was rejected
The recommendation Of the special
| committee, appointed last year that the
subordinate lodges should submit an
nual reports to the grand lodge Instead
| OF Semi-annual reports as at present.
| was adopted, and also it was determin-
ed that in the future the delegates to
| the grand lodge should be elected by
the subordinate lodges in January of
each year instead of in July. The pro-
posed change for the time of holding
the annual convention from September
TO March, however, did not meet with
! approval and was voted down by a
| large majority.
With the view of encouraging the sub
oralnate lodges to acquire property and
construct halls and buildings, an amend
ment was passed allowing them to estab-
| lish entertainment and building and i'm
pfoVement funds for this purpose.
! Liquor Dealers Are Barred.
The recommendation of Grand Chan
cellor James Robertson in his annual re-
port that the prohibition against saloon
| keepers, bartenders and certain other
| businesses be made imperative was re-
Iefred 10 a special committee consistine
OF D. F. Hilcher, of ST. Paul; Roherf
Stratton, OF Minneapolis, and G. P. TaW-
| ney, or Winona. all of them past grand
chancellors of the order. This commit~
Tee made its report yesterday afternoon
Strongiy Endorsing the position taken bv
! Grand Chancellor Robertson and declar.
I ing that there could be no misundersta nd
| ing OF the plain provisions on the sub
! Jeot, and directing the incoming grand
chancellor to enforce the law in this re-
| spect to the letter. the committee being
| OF the opinion that the loss of members
| IN consequence of this enforcement would
| work Tor the good of the order in giving
1t a position as modern and moral
| fraternity. %
| In connection with this saloon oIestion
Grand Chancellor Robertson suffered a
| technical defeat, although a practical vic
! tory In the report of the committee on
I law, when that committee after hearing
| arguments on both sides, refused to mn
| hold his action in refusing to recognize
| as a member a liquor dealer elected nv
| one of the subordinate lodges of the
| state the past year and ordering it TO
/ strike the name of the man from, fba;r