Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1903-08-26
GRAND LODGE
 GOOD TEMPLARS
Twelfth Session Now
 Being Held
In PreSCOtt-A Brief Historical Sketch of the 0rder-TO-
 days Session.
From Wednesdays Daily ).

From Wednesdays Daily.
 The twelfth annual session of the Grand Lodge of Good Temlars con vened in K. of P hall this afternoon, delegates being present from nine lodges.
 The afternoon session was brief and was devoted to the conferring of the Grand Lodge degree, the seating of delegates, and the appointment of committees for the session.
 Grand Chief Templar Gibson of Tombstone is presiding and Grand Secretary Walbridge at his desk.
 The delegates in attendance are:
 Garden Valley Lodge No. l, PheniN 70. Gibson, A. P. Walbridge, Chas. Walbridge.
 Tempe No. 2.-Laura Butler.
 Central No. ', Maricopa county Mrs. E. O. Reynolds, John Hedgpeth.
 Arizona No. l2. Bisbee. Edna Hughes.
 Flagstaff, No. 14.-Lorabel Wallace.
 Granite, No. 17. Prescott Mrs. R. A. Talbot, Miss Jayne Mosher.
 Mountain Pine, No. 2l, Williams. - Mrs. Martha Arey.
 Mesa, No. o.24.-Henrietta Irwin, Nel- lie Dunan.
 Maricopa County District Lodge Mrs. Hattie Banks.
 Four lodges at Globe and Stafford and two in MarIcopa county are not represented.
 (From Thursdays Daily.
 The session of the Grand Lodge of Arizona, I. O. G. T., which convened in Prescott yesterday afternoon. has created aa interest in this world wide organization, and that our readers may know more about its history and principles, we give synopsis of his toricaI sketch which was read by A. F. Walbridge. the Grand Secretary of Arizona a couple of years ago on the occasion of the celebration of the tiftieth anniversary of the founding of the order.
 The following platform, written by the Rev. John Quigley, of Minnesota, was adopted by the supreme lodge of 1859, and has never been amended:
 GOOD TEMPLAR PLATFORM.
 l. Total abstinence from all intoX- icating liquors as a beverage.
 II. No license in any form, under any circumstances, for the sale of li- quor to be used as a beverage.
 III. The absolute prohi of the manufacture, importation and sale of intoxicating liquors for such pur- poses; prohibition by the will of the people, expressed in due form of law, with the penalties deserved for d crime of such enormity.
 ". The creation of healthy pub lie opinion upon the subject by the active dissemination of truth i'll all the modes known to modern phIlan- throphy.
 V. The election of good, honest men to administer the law.
 VI. Persistence in effort to save and communities from so dreadful scourge, against all forms of opposition and difficulties until our success is complete and univer- sal.
 The first lodge was organized in Utica, N. r., in 1851, with twelve and was quickly followed by others in that section. In August, 1852, the first grand lodge was organ Ized in Syracuse, \. Y., and was call ed the grand lodge of North America, md exercised the functions of the su- Dreme lodge until 1855.
 The growth of the order was steady md rapid, and it soon outstrIpped all kindred societies. Five years after he organization of the first lodge here were more than 5000 members enlisted under the banner of Good while in 1867 almost 300, J00 active members were enrolled.
 In 1868 a young Englishman return Ing to his native land from New York vas commissioned by R. W. Ii. Tem- 1lar Johnathan OrIe, as a deputy, with authority to organize lodges in treat Britain. He took up the work with great zeal and developed into a most successful lecturer and organ ger.
 From the humble beginning of the in England in 1868, the 'rder has grown and spread until to- lay there are about 200, 0O0 members n the British isles and l4O,O in besides many thousands m the continent of Europe.
 There are almost 100000 in Ameri- | a also, while the order is strong in australia and South Africa. The ritual of the order is published 1 Il fourteen languages. and there are | lmost 10000 lodges in 80 grand lodge | embracing 54 in North | .merica, I2 in Europe, in Asia, | n Africa, in Australia and in | celand, besides subordinate lodges | ot under grand lodge jurisdiction in he Bahamas, Ceylon, Africa. Pales inc, Turks Island, the Philippines nd other islands of the sea There re many military lodges in the Brit ;h army as well as among our own Dldier boys. and many more aboard ne cruisers and battleships of these yO nations.
 The handful of young men who laid ne foundation wall builded better nan they realized. Far in advance f public opinion, the Independent rder of Good Templars ushered in a ew epoch in total abstinence work.
 at once became the educator and le school from which went forth rave and jealous men and women to ,mbat intemperance, and to labor for le ultimate banishment of the sa- ,on from the face of the earth. Garden Valley lodge No. 1 was or lnized in Phenix, Arizona, on March ;, 1878. and is still working under the