Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-10-31

which specific mention is found was al
Chase's hall in Royslton. This was in
1912. The record Of the communication
of February 26, 1872, shows under Art. {
that it was ''Voted to meet at our next
communication at Brother Asahel Che
ney's hall. Art. 4, Voted to appoint
Brother Lowell Hubbard to move the furni-
ture of this lodge to said hall" In the
record of the communication held on Jan
uary %, 1912, Art. 2 reads as follows:-
1.-THE Right WorshipfuI James Winslow,
district deputy, visited this lodge at this
time and made the proper communication
from the Grand Lodge" This is the first
official visitation of this lodge by Grand
Lodge representative of which we have
found any record. 1t was also voted to
allow the Right Worshipful Brother Win
slow five dollars a compensation for
his services. In the records of other
communications mention is also made of
places of meeting as being at Stevens
hall, Haladays hall and also at Fox's
hall, which latter was undoubtedly the
old Fox tavern at North Royalton. The
same building is now occupied as a farm
house by o. |. Morse. The record of a
communication held on March 10, 1916,
shows that the place of meeting was at
Stafford Smiths hall. Among other bust
ness done at this communication it is re-
corded that it was ''Voted to instruct the
secretary to sign for sixteen 'coppies' of a
book entitled The Beauties of Masonry, ,
by Joshua Bradley of Windsor, VT" At
this same communication, it is also re-
corded that 1.-The committee appointed to
procure hall for the use of this lodge the
ensuing year beginning with the April
communication report that they have
with har of fpr
his hall for Il with candles, and $3.50
with candles and fire." Article 10 of this
record reads, 1.-The lodge closed in due
form on the first step of Masonry"
1t is noticeable throughout the old rec
ords that most of the routine business
was done while open on the first degree,
though it is not quite plain whether or
not Entered Apprentices were allowed to
vote. The Grand Lodge, early as 1905,
had ordered THAT in future no member
of any lodge under this jurisdiction shall
be allowed to vote in said body unless he
be Master Mason" 1t is noticeable at
many times that the lodge was lad
journed.' Thus we find in the record of
communication held on December rs,
1888, it was ''voted to adjourn this meet
ing to the second Wednesday in March
next" Many proceedings in those early
days were what would today be consid-
cred irregular and illegal. The lodge was
often opened and closed without cere-
monyn ETC., etc.
In 1907, the Grand Lodge of Vermont
ordered that 1.-THE expulsion of any mem
Der of the lodge shall be published in
some new spaper in the state with a re-
quest to the printers in the United States
to insert the same in their respective pa
pers." To US of the present day such
grOtesque, unjust and utterly un-Masonic
procedure seems incredible and impossi-
Bile. Its improperly seems to have been
apparent to our early brethren of Rising
Sun lodge, for we find in the lodge rec
ord of October 2, 1911, the following en-
try:-''Art. 2, Voted that this lodge refer
a petition to the Grand Lodge for the re-
peal of the ordinance that requires the
publication of explosions" Neverthe-
less, Rising Sun lodge in its loyal obedi-
ence of the Grand Lodge is found some
20 years later, or on December IA, 1881,
carrying this same ordinance into prac
tice, and in the record of its communica-
ton of that date we find the following
entry Voted to expel-(a brother
whose name is mentioned) all the privi-
leges of this lodge" Voted to publish
hi expulsion in the Woodstock Observer
and he, the editor, request editor
friendly to the institution to publish the
same"
The discipline in those early days was
rigid and stern, and justice, or what no
doubt was meant to be justice, was not al
ways tempered with mercy. Punishment
was sometimes melted out summarily and
apparently without due procedure. Thus
we find in the record of the communica-
ton of April 10, 1916, the following
''NOted to debar Brother Peter Whitney
from a seat in the lodge for un-Masonic
conduct" although it does not appear
that charges had been preferred and a
trial held in regular form. The first ex-
pulsion by trial of W hich any record was
found was in 1924, and yet we find. as al
ready noted that some seven years later
than this, viz, on Dec. IA, 1881, the lodge
expelled a member without charges or
trial, simply by vote just as any ordinary
business was done. But while our good |
brethren of the olden time were stern and !
rigorous in their ideas of Masonic disci- |
pline they were, nevertheless, not IN |
mindful of the duties of the lodge to the |
individual, especially to the erring broth
er. They were not neglectful of the obli- !
CATION assumed upon the fifth point of |
fellowship. They did not hesitate to |
whisper good counsel in the ear of a
brother, in the most friendly manner re-
mind him of his faults and endeavOr to |
aid in his reformation" Witness the |
following extract from the records of the !
communication of February %, 1920
''Art. 8, Voted to appoint committee of
three to talk with Brother Daney and try |
to reform him from drinking spirituous |
liquors to excess, and request him to at !
tend our next communication. Chose
Bros. VIM. Pierce, Moses Cutter and |
Elias Stevens for the above committee" !
Doubtless our brethren in those good |
old days practiced the cardinal virtues, /
Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and JUS
tice, according to the light given them. /
But it seems that with them the term /
Temperance was not exactly synonymous
with total abstinence. At lodge cum
munications they usually, or at any rate |
frequently, had refreshments of more |
or less ardent and substantial sort as
shown by numerous receipted bills found |
among the old documents, like the fol- |