The San Francisco call., 1904-09-04


the work of propagating the Scottish
Rite in California. and his election as
active inspector general OF this State
was made to lapse by reason OF the
war.
The first Master Mason TO receive the
degree of the Ancient and Accepted
Rite in California was Brother Fred
erick Edward FaxOn OF Sonora, who
received the same from Brother Perez
Smell, Thirty-third. in 1906. a deputy Of
the Supreme Council, which appoint
ment he had held from the year 1927.
At the close Of the Civil War the
Supreme Council for the Southern
Jurisdiction met at Charleston, s.
c., Thursday, November IS, 1865. In
his address at that time Brother
Albert Pike. sovereign grand COM
nander. proposed the election OF an
inspector general for California, and
Brother Ebenezer Hamilton Shaw re-
ceived that honor. Subsequently,
Brother Shaw proposed for honorary
membership Brother Alexander G.
Abel of California. Thus the first
steps were taken by the Supreme
Council for establishing the Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite on the Pa
cifc Coast.
On August 4. 1856, California Lodge
OF Perfection No. /, the first regular
body Of Scottish Rite Masonry on the
Pacific Coast, with William NJ Run
dell as master, was organized
The bodies Of the Ancient and Ac-
cepted Scottish Rite in California
owed allegiance to the Supreme Coun-
ell. under the government OF a grand
consistory, up TO January 1. 1897. when
Brother Thomas H. Caswell. then SOW
ereign grand commander. issued a
proclamation dissolving the same, and
the bodies then became directly subor-
dinate to W. Frank Pierce, who. since
and ND to and including the present
writing, has been In direct command
of the bodies Of the Ancient and Ac-
cepted Rite in the State OF California.
as active inspector general for this
jurisdiction.
Brother Pierce, as the active inspect
or general for the State OF California,
has seen fit in his wisdom to pursue a
different course from that adopted in
other States Of the southern jurisdic-
tion. In other sections OF the southern
jurisdiction, as a general proposition.
one, or possibly two. bodies control the
entire State, il being necessary for
candidates to travel the entire length
of the Jurisdiction TO receive the de-
grees, and in these places they are
conferred in what is termed team
work, that is, the degrees from the
fourth to the thirty-second are con-
ferred within four or five days, the
bodies meeting thus two or three times
a year. Brother Pierce, however, has
in this State permitted the Organiza-
tion of the bodies Of the rite where
ever they have been called for and in
his opinion could be maintained.
The wisdom Of this course is appar-
ent in the widely disseminated knowl-
edge Of Scottish Rite within this State,
and as the Scottish Rite bodies work
weekly. the same as the blue lodges or
communicates, it creates a far greater
interest and at the same time permits
Of closer inspection OF Scottish Rite
work bv the candidates who have al
ready received the degrees.
The bodies Of the Ancient and Ac-
cepted Scottish Rite granted dispensa-
tions by the inspector general, Brother
Pierce, number tbjrty-three in ALL
Yerba Buena Lodge Of Perfection No.
/, the first and oldest. was organized
October Is. 1858. This body is now one
Of the strongest in the entire southern
jurisdiction.
Oakland No. I, organized October
IL. 1883.
King Solomon No. 5, Los Angeles.
Isaac Davis No. 4. Sacramento.
April 5. 1895.
Pacific No. 5. Marysville. September
21, 1871.
Fresno No. S. May 9, 1908.
Temple No. Z, Pasadena, October
20. 1897
constans No. 8. San Diego. May IS.
1887.
visalia No. 9. October s. 1898.
California No. 10. San Francisco.
October /. 1902.
Santa Rosa No. II. January 2s.
1904.
stockton No. IL. Nav 1e. 1904.
These Lodges of Perfection with
eight chapters of Rose Croix. seven
Councils of Kadosh and six consisto-
ries constitute the thirty-three bodies.
A more complete departure from
established custom was the one per-
mitting the organization OF two sets
of Scottish Rite bodies in one city, that
is San Francisco. on October 1. 1902
ten Scottish Rite Masons hailing from
Yerba Buena Lodge OF Perfection No.
1 and one other. Brother F. j. H
Rickon, thirty-third degree, from
Little Rock, Ark, under dis
pensation from the inspector general
organized what are known as the Cal
ifornia bodies. meeting at present at
Golden Gate Hall. 625 Sutter street.
They have a membership Of SEQ ac-
quired in less than two years, one OF
the most rapid growths in the history
of Masonry in this city. The term
California bodies is taken on account
of the name given to the different sec
tions. California Lodge of Perfection.
California Chapter of Rose Croix, Cal
ifornia Council of Kadosh and Cali
fornia Consistory.
The wisdom OF permitting two
bodies in this city is evidenced by the
work accomplished and they are now
working in perfect anity and conf
dence with each other and as there
are more than 5000 Masons in the city
of San Francisco from which to draw
material for the Scottish Rite there
is no doubt not only Of the continued
success of this body but OF the older
body, Yerba Buena. which deserves
much for the work il has done in the
propagation Of the Scottish Rite.