Evening star., 1903-12-19
AMONG THE FRATERNITIES.

lier years.
Grand Commander Alex Mckenzie OF the
Grand Commandery, knights Templar will
probably not be able to participate IN tne
Christmas observance of subordinate COM
manderies. Grand Commander Mckenzie IS
very i'll at his home of typhoid fever his
only son is also Ill of the same malady.
Both of them are considered to be critically
ILL.,
The improved fraternal relations between
I three leading fraternities are well exhibited
by the following remarks of Grand Master
Walker to the Masonic Grand Lodge:
I'm February 1 received an invitation
from the management of a fair under the
auspices Of the knights of Pythias at the
armory of the Washington Light Infantry.
The object was to raise funds for pro-
jected temple which the membership OF tnat
organization intend to erect The invita-
ton was extended through me to the mem
bership of the Masonic fraternity. In view
of the liberal patronage given by the
Knights Of Pythias to the Masonic 1airs OF
1896 and 1902, deemed 1t my duty to &C
cept the invitation, and consequently en-
deavored to arouse interest among our
brotherhood in the enterprise in spirit OF
generous reciprocity. An escort OF the
Pythian Uniform Rank accompanied large
procession of Masons on the evening named,
the latter going without regalia or other
insignia. and we were most heartily well
coined. and as the spokesman for the
before we had made the visit to the Pythian
fair l received like invitation to attend
the fair held in Odd Fellows Hall to aid
the committee of that order which had
charge Of the Odd Fellows trip to the meet
ing of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, to be
held in Baltimore in the month Of Septem-
ber 1 accepted the invitation, and the Ma
sons assembled at Masonic Temple were
escorted to the fair by Canton Washington,
| under the command of Capt. D. v. CHS
holm. AS at the Pythian fair, we were cor
daily welcomed and made to feel at home
by distinguished members of that great
fra ternity. The exchange of courtesies be-
tween the membership of the great benevo-
lent orders cannot fail to aid the one noble
cause in which we are all engaged, that of
doing good to our fellow-men, each working
in it's own respective sphere, with charity
toward all and malice toward none
"The lodges of the Order of the Eastern
Star conducted for two weeks in the Ma
sonic Temple a most successful fair, the
purpose of which was to raise funds to
establish a home for worthy distressed
Master Masons. their widows and orphans.
An appeal was sent by the executive COM
mittee in charge of the fair to the several
Masonic bodies of this jurisdiction asking
for cash donations in behalf of the cause.
L gave this appeal my hearty approval, re-
membering, as 1 did, the unselfish and un-
weary1ng efforts made by the ladies of
this worthy organization in aid of the Ma
sonic fairs of 1888 and 1902, especially
when the object in view was one that
should be very near the heart of every
Mason. Accompanied by the other officers
of the Grand Lodge l attended the OPEN
ing exercises, when brief addresses were
made by Mr. H. b. F. Macfarland, presi
dent of the Board of Commissioners of the
District of Columbia; Mrs. C. Bornheim,
worthy grand matron, and Brother B. A.
Alden, worthy grand patron of the Grand
Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star,
and your grand master. l am pleased to
state that the results of the fair exceeded
no own afnft So xlxAx
porters of the enterprise. While l have no
official information, l am satisfied that the
proposed home will soon be inaugurated.'
Grand Master Walker, in his annual ad-
dress to the Grand Lodge, F. A A. NJ,
also made number of suggestions to the
grand body which are likely to be acted
upon favorably. He says: THE brethren
OF this jurisdiction are second to none in
point of intelligence and ability to conduct
the affairs of a lodge, but mistakes are
sometimes made. 1t has been suggested
to me as a wise plan that lecture on
Masonic Jurisprudence and procedure
might be delivered at the opening of each
year for the benefit of the masters and
wardens of the lodges. There are many
trlfiing things respecting our customs and
usages that are not fully set forth or ex-
planned in Masonic literature but which
an intelligent brother could elucidate in a
brief lecture and better equip the officers
OF the lodges for the duties they would be
i
duced as feature of the school of instruc-
ton conducted by the r. w. Grand Lee
turer Some expense might be called for
to introduce such feature, but it would
expended for a purpose that would be of
lasting value to the Fraternity"
On the topic of grand visitations the
grand master says: In compliance with the
provision of the constitution, ACCOMPANIED
by the other officers of the Grand Lodge I
made the customary visitations to the
several lodges of our jurisdiction I had
previously visited each lodge once or twice,
son etlmeS unattended and at other times
accompanied by a number of my fellow.
Officers. At each of the regular visitations
made since the close of the Masonic year
pleasing program of entertainment was
provided and the several lodges We'd with
one another in their desire to evince their
adherence to the customs and usages of
the fraternity and their loyalty to the
Grand Lodge, and the grand master was
treated everywhere with extreme courtesy
anu was the recipient of many beautiful
tokens of esteem and regard for the exalted
office it has been his honor to hold.
Although the constitution does not pre-
scribe the time for visitation. the custom
has been for so many years to have the
same after the Masonic year closes that no
grand master would feel warranted in mai-
ing the regular series at any other time
without an expression from the Grand
Lodge in favor of a change. / believe the
time must come when it will be deemed
best to have the regular vsitatons occur
throughout the year instead of being COM
pressed into period of six weeks
1T now happens that a visitation to the
last of the lodges in the series is made two
months after its books have been closed
for the year. If the grand master could
comment upon the work two months after
the books have been closed. why not six or
eight months thereafter? The officers of
the several lodges are all chosen during the
first two weeks of December. If they be al
lowed month in which to become familiar
with their duties the series of official visi-
tations might begin in the third week In
January. and once a week from that time
until the end of May, resuming again in the
months of October and November, the grand
master could make visitation to some par
ticular lodge. The warm weather of June
July, August and September would be
avoided.
'The opportunity of securing a greater va
riety of good speakers would be better than
at present. Congress would be in session
during at least part of the series, which is
not usually the case now. Each lodge would
have more time and opportunity to arrange
the program of entertainment The physical
strain upon the officers of the Grand Lodge
going as now night after night, would be
much less severe, and the grand treasurer
who is now compelled to give up a good
share of his annual vacation because of the
ey mir ma in ha da ina of ba