The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-16
GRAND MASTER
CLARK'S ADDRESS
A Masterpiece in its Line
interesting and lnstruc-
tive to All.

| sIVC W MI,
The address of Grand Master H. /.
Clark, of Scotland Neck. to the Grand
Lodge was generally regarded by all who
heard it as q masterpiece in it's line,
containing a vast deal of instructive as
lwell as interesting matter, not only to
| Masons. but to the general public as
well.
Grand Master Clark said in part as
follows:
.The eternal surge of time and tide
rolls on, and brings us once more into
| annual communication. At the beginning
of the third year of the twentieth cen
fury we have assembled in the 116th
annual communication of the Grand
Lodge of North Carolina.
Il extend to you one and all Breth-
rem the hcartiest fraternal greetings and
welcome.
/ with all material things Masonry has
/ progressed wonderfully in the year that
| is behind us, by an earnest desire to at
| tain the authorized works, new life and
energy has been given our noble order
| The midde-aged and the young man has
sought an entrance within our portals,
and tonight it gives me pleasure un-
| bounded to announce that morally and
numerically We were never so strong
/ For these and the many blessings
which have been permitted US, let us
Tender thanks to the most High God
who doeth all things we'll
! while old friends are greeting each
other with a hearty hand shake and wei
coming the new faces with bright fra
ternal smile, yet there is tinge of
sadness pervadine our meeting and all
is not joy. For since our last meet
ing IN this room. the brother who so
charmingly entertained us as Grand Orc
tor by giving his sublime conception as
to What is Masonry, has been called
to the Celestial Lodge above. His life
work has been tseted, and the square
of the Great Overseer, and he IS at
rest. The sould of the Grand Chaplain
Marshall left its earthly tabernacle as
the sun was setting behind our western
| hills, on Gods own day, Sunday and on
wings invisible scared aloft to join the
noble band who proceeded him. An elo-
quent preacher-a loving father-a de-
voted husband-a good man, the world
was better by his having been in it. The
he an inspiration to us ALL
Mason, may the eagle flight ever be
thine,
Onward and upward true to the line"
His remains were laid to rest on the
following day under the auspices of the
Grand Lodge, Past Grand Master Mich
OILS officiating
We have come together Brethren to
! review the past years work. and to
| place upon the tressel board an outline
| of that which is to be done. / ask of
you careful consideration of that which
will come before you that the best re-
suits may be obtained.
STATE OF THE CRAFT.
''As stated before, Masonry in our State
was never so prosperous The Grand
Lecturer and his assistants have been
earnest in their efforts to spread the au-
thorizcd work, not only that, but they
have so underworld to place before the
lodges and through them the high moral
| and intellectual aims of Masonry that
the brightest and best of our land are
knocking at our doors-old lodoes are
building up and new lodges being form
ed At the close of our last Masonic
=
tyfour active lodges. the membership
Of which was 1902 since then there has
been a net gain of five new lodges MAX
ing a grand total Of three hundred and
twenty-five active lodges, comprising a
membership of u. 662, net gain in mem
bershiD of six hundred and fifty. A great
deal of this steady healthy growth is
due to the earnest efforts of the Grand
Secretary and his efficient assistants. I
make an earnest suggestion that their
services be more generally sought after,
there are many lodges which earnestly
think their work up-to-date, yet
visit from one Of the Grand Lecturers
would be a great benefit to them.
| There has been very little friction
among the brethren during the year, and
what little unpleasantness arose has
been generally very easily settled, one
of the most important, and ore that
gave me the greatest trouble which was
caused by the lodges lack of knowledge
OF the Masonic law as plainly given III
the Code was in the case of the brother
who had been granted new trial by the
last Grand Lodge, when the second trial
was held, the entire part beginning at
the question of guilt or innocence was
so very irregular that | exercised the
supreme authority of my office and. or
dered the Master to again summon his
lodge in special communication for the
purpose of settling legally the guilt or
innocence of the brother. and if found
guilty to continue the ballot until the
penalty was decided upon. l cited him
to the several sections of The Code which
would guide him with instructions to
follow them implicitly, this course was
followed and the unpleasant situation
| satisfactorily settled
DISPENSATION TO FORM NEW
| LODGES.
"Cn the following dates dispensatiops
were granted for the following new
lodges: February Gath, Shoal Creek
Postell, Cherokee county; September
With, Widows Son, Roanoke Rapids, Hal
flax county; September goth. Fairfield
Lodge, Fairfield, Hyde county; Novem-
her 18th. Wanchese Lodge Wanchese
Dare county.
SISTER GRAND JURISDICTIONS.
"Our relations with all other Grand