Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-26

appointed the following Henry d. Holton.
treasurer; ]. L. Simonds, secretary; A.
l., Clark, S. D.. c. r. Stevens, ]. D.. d.
A. Abbott, s. S.; F. A. Whitney. J. s.
A. V. Cox tyler; Edward Clark, mar
shall; d. Leonard, chaplain w. II. Taft,
musical director.
If all the members attended the meet
ings it would leave only three brothers
present not in the chairs, namely George
e. Greene, ]. II. Holden. G. M. Taylor.
1 am afraid that our officers today would
feel discouraged II they had only three
members to draw on for an audience. But
this condition did not last long. for on
December o. 1880, we find that the pc
titions for membership were received of
David A Young, E. C. Sherwin, e. C.
Crouch, G. b. Read. w. ID. ellison, p. F.
Connors and Horace Ais The names
were all voted in, in January, 1881. and
the petitions were coming in rapidly after
that, and on the 18th of February 1881
the first degree work was done, David A.
Young and d. C. Crouch were regularly
Initiated. After this the first or second
degree was conferred nearly every week.
sometimes with several candidates. and
on May I'd Il. A. Sherwin was the first
to take the third degree. and within the
next four weeks d. A. Young and w. d.
ellison, both of whom are past masters,
had taken the third degree.
At this point It seems proper to again
mention the name OF w. II. Vinton, a
brother whom Brattleboro Masons de-
light to honor AS our first master in
the II months from May 2, 1881, to April
30, 1882, he raised q candidates to the
sublime degree of Master Mason. This
record eclipses any year that has fol-
lowed in Brattleboro lodge and is a rec
ord any master may well be proud Of
Our charter bears the date of June 6,
1881, and Is signed by G. NJ. Butler, and
Brattleboro lodge. No 1O2, was CONSTITUTE
ed July 27, 1881. by p. G.. NJ, L. NJ Read,
and the officers were installed on that
date.
Another man who helped very materl-
ally in our lodge when in its infancy is
DR.. Henry d. Holton, who was our treas
urer for ID years, and although the young
er members may never have seen him in
the lodge rooms before this evening vet
In the earlier years of our history his
name appears frequently upon the rec
ords. and at times when our treasury was
short of funds DR.. Holton, by timely
counsel and advice helped us to devise
ways which allowed us to travel rug
ged financial paths with comparative ease
There are many other brothers names that
1 might mention who have done a great
work for us. but the list is too long to
mention them ALL so will have to stop
with these two.
OF the 16 original charter members only
10 are alive today the others have been
I -
where the Grand Architect of the Uni
verse presides. These 16 men making the
start % years ago. by their labor and wise
counsel, laid the foundation of what is
now one of the strong lodges of the state
Let IL be an inspiration for us Younger
members to work with the same diligence
and foresight and have Masonry advance
with the same speed for the next % years
There is chance for all of us to take
the helm and work out another project
one that interests me very much. and
should interest every Mason in Brattle-
boro. whether he belongs TO this lodge.
| Columbian lodge or the higher bodies
1t is Masonic building. home that we
can call our own. Perhaps this does not
have a place in this anniversary celebra-
ton. but am going to steal a minute and
| tell you about II, for YOU are all inter-
ested and / am somewhat enthusiastic
| about this particular institution. as II
| seems to me that the time is ripe to be-
| gin to look for permanent quarters.
| Only short time ago we started the
/ Masonic building association and the con-
| tributions from the four Masonic bodies
alone with the accumulated interest now
amounts to over $500. fact which a few
| of YOU may know. This fund is growing
1 each year. with the additions given II by
| the different Masonic bodies Now. I
| hope to see a concerted effort of all the
| Masons in BrattleborO to give little
| convenience to himself or those having
prior claim upon him." and the fund would
| grow to generous proportions.
| We sometimes hear the question asked
| Where would We put a building?" At
| this moment there is hardly a place to be
| had but conditions are constantly chang
ing, and pieces of real estate are often on
! the market and the man who Is ready
with the cash gets first choice. We are
preparing rapidly, no very distant day
will see us the owners of a Masonic build
ing. If you have a little money to dis
pose of give it to the building association.
| If you want all your money now, then re-
member the association in your will You
| cannot make a better use of It, The
growth of our lodge has always been
steady, never reaching the point of a
! boom. simply a good healthy growth,
which makes us today one of the good in
situations of Masonry in this state with
a membership of nearly 200. We have had
- past masters all of whom are living
except Brother f. L. Cooper. Another
one of our achievements is the establish
ment of a permanent and charity fund
| This fund has grown by additions from
our treasury from time to time until 1t is
large enough so that the income has pro-
vided for all our charity work for sew
eral years. This fund I hope to see still
larger, for. as we grow in numbers we
shall want a larger income for this i'm
| portant work.
There are many more interesting things
that might tell you, but will use the
,worshipful masters sterotyped phrase
when he explains to a newly admitted
candidate that there are three lectures
connected with this degree, but lowing
to the latensss of the hour they will be
omitted tonight"