Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25
GOOD TEMPLAR MEETINGS.
Visit Of Grand Lodge Officers and Dis
trict Degree Conferred.

The initial meeting of the first series of
Good Templar Grand Lodge visitations for
the year was held with Minnehaha Lodge
No. 1, In Society Temple, Tuesday evening
The lodge transacted its routine business
Samuel Bedford, chief templar. presiding,
after which the visiting officers were re-
ceived with the honOrs Of the order apd its
further proceedings were conducted by
them The officers and members of Faith
Lodge, No. IA; large delegations from Per-
severance Lodge. NO. 2; from Silver Star
Lodge, No. 20, and Miss Stella NJ. Wilson
of Sunshine Lodge of Fairfax, Va, were
present and were made welcome in ad-
dresses by Chief Templar Bedford and
Grand Templar A. E. Shoemaker.
The grand chief templar, in his opening
address to the lodge and its visitors, re-
marked upon the present status of the or
der in Washington, upon the advanced posi-
ton 1t was its privilege to occupy at the
capital Of the nation, and urged upon the
membership the necessity of active, earnest
effort. He read from the official organ Of
the order selection from an official re-
port by Mr.. Diedrich United States consul
at Bremen, frankly asserting that Ger
many had passed the first stage of reform
that of moderation; that abstinence Is the
general cry, pointing the way toward legis-
lation both remedial and preventive and
alleging that at the present swift rate the
reform may have complete prohibition for
its watchward in ten years more
THE interesting thing to our readers"
the official organ says, ''is the fact that the
Good Templar order, first started by Miss
Gray after the hardest kind of struggle
is responsible for this great movement 1t
was years before we could hold a lodge
meeting without a police officer being In
attendance. SO afraid were the authorities
that we were in some way banded with the
reds"
Brief reports and addresses were made by
Grand Secretary Westdall Acting Grand
Treasurer Jessup, Grand Vice Templar Miss
Nef, Grand Chaplain Blackboard, Grand
Russell
The subsequent program, In charge Of
Mrs Carrie Smith. included the singing of
America" an address by Mr. AUSTIN in
strumental and vocal solos by Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Fentress and Mrs. Weber, and char
acteristic recftals by Miss Pearson Miss
Balderson and Mr.. Ogg. At the conclusion
OF the program refreshments were served
The members OF the executive committee
OF the Grand Lodge of Good Templars and
other advanced degree members OF the or
der met Wednesday evening In Society
Temple for a dual ceremonial first In quar-
terly executive session and afterward in
District Lodge quarterly meeting working
In the degree Of charity. Grand Templar
A. E. Shoemaker presided during both sss
sions. Candidates for the degree of charity
were present from Minnehaha, Perseyer-
ance, Silver Star and aNh lodges and were
duly initiated.
Routine business in both sessions was
supplemented by special committee appoint
ments and formulation and agreement unon
plans of work for consolidating the Good
Tempiar forces, reviving interest and in
creasing their efficiency throughout the
jurisdiction.
Among those prominent In the confer
ences and exercises were Mrs. ]. r. Har-
rover, Mrs. Agnes Dugan, tue Misses
Blanche Neff, Florence Robinson, Edith
Allen and Messrs. Shoemaker. Daley, Vest
dali, Blackford, Finney. Russell, A. w.
Jett and Mcdaniel