The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-22
Immense Crowd At the
Opening Session At Tren-
ton Yesterday
c. W. WAKEFIELD PREslDES
DISTINGUISHED MEN OF THE
ORDER WHO WE'RE PRESENT
REPORTS RECEIVED
Especial to "The Jersey city News.'')


TRENTON, March q 1906. The
one hundred and nineteenth annual com
munication of the Grand Lodge Of Free
Masons was begun in Masonic Temple
yesterday morning. Grand Master Ben
jamin F. Wakefield, of Rassaic, called
the meeting to order.
Nearly 1000 members of the frater-
nifty are in attendance, besides d large
number of visitors from New York.
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecti-
cut.
In making the usual report Grand
Master Wakefield spoke of the excellent
condition of the order in this State, there
being membership of 24,987.
| The afternoon session was taken up
with. the reading of the reports of the
Masonic home, grand secretary and va
rious committees.
The election of officers and naming of
committees will take place today. In
accordance with feeling which has
steadily grown stronger during the last
| few years that the Nest Worshipful
Grand Master should serve only one year,
Lit is said that Mr.. Wakefield will not. be
reelected. He has, in fact, made it
| known that he is believer in the one
term policy and that he will not stand for
reelection, even if it was desired.
Another thing which is sad to be prac
ticalfy assured, and to which no uppo-
sition has thus far developed, it that his
successor as the Masonic head of New
Jersey will be Walter Chandler, of Eliza
beth, the present deputy grand master
This wiM, according 70 the present out
look, result in the moving up of Senior
Grand Warden Austen III. McGregor, of
Newark, to the office of deputy grand
master, and of Joseph H. Hough, of
Camden, from Junior TO senior warden,
and the election of a new Junior grand
warden to succeed Mr.. Hough.. The
grand secretary and deputy grand sec
retary will remain the same.
Walter Chandler, the prospective head
Of the fraternity in the State, is begin
ming to reap some Of the rewards of his
labors in Masonic fields. He has been
of the busy Masons of the jurisdiction
of New Jersey, occupying difficult and
important positions in the various Ma
sonic bodies, particularly as an instrue-
| tor of the esoteric ritual. He was the
originator of the district lodges for in
struction as now held, having been COM
missioned by w. w. Grand Master
Congdon in 1885 a D. D. G. NJ, and has
been prominently identified with the
work of the A. A. S. R., particularly as
NJ w. aud P. NJ of Jersey City Chap
ter of Rose Croix.
| He is member of Orient Lodgeof Eliz-
beth where he was entered. passed and
raised in 1875, filing all the chairs and
becoming worshipful master IN 1882. He
became most excellent priest Of Wash,
ington Chapter, r. A. NJ, in 1883; end
nent commander of St. Johns command
cry, K. T., in, 1883; received the thirty
second degree in the A. A. s. r. Valley
| of Jersey City in 1896. and most wise
and perfect master in Jersey City Chap
ter of Rose Croix, De H. r, D. NJ. in
1903.
He was also district deputy grand
master of the Fifth Masonic District of
the Grand Lodge of New jersey for the
term 1857; representative of the Grand
Lodge of the Island of Cuba to the Grand
Lodge of New Jersey, 1923; represent
ative of the Grand Lodge of Maryland
| to the Grand Lodge of New Jersey,
1898 1891; member of the finance COM
mittee of the Grand Lodge, 1926; Sc
nior grand deacon, 1S96-19oo; district
#%depaty, 190O-1902, and elected R, w.
/ junior grand warden, 1902; unanimously
reelected 1908; unammous,y elected r.
w. senior grand warden. 1904, and r.
w. deputy grand master, 1905.
At the annual session Of the Supreme