Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-20
NAMQNG THE
AFRATfpNlTlES.

| the splendid fair now in successful prog
! ress at Convention Hall. but there con-
| tinues to be a great deal of business going
/ on in all the bodies in addition to the falr.
! The arrangements are also now IN prog
ress for some important Masonic events
| which follow the fair The first Will be the
| annual Ascension day services, which Will
| this year fall on May 8. The date of the
! triennial conclave at Saratoga Springs. n.
! Y, is also rapidly approaching. The
! committee has not as yet been able to
! work out all the details of the trip, but 1t
! has beer decided that the Temolar party
will leave Washington the morning of
! Sunday. July Z. via Pennsylvania, West
| Shore ana Delaware ana Hudson railroads.
! arriving at Saratoga Springs in the even
! ing.
Columbia Commandery, M. .. Knights
| Templar mad its annual grand visitation
at the aTmory in Masonic Temple last even
| ing. The attendance was large ana the
services interesting, although the occasion
was saddened by the very recent death OF
Very Eminent Sir Frank H. Thomas. the
most prominent member of the command
cry. and to which sad event 1reGGent reler
ences were made. The new line oii1cers OF
the commandery are as follows: Charles r..
Baldwin, commander; Charles +. SWEET
generalssilno: Francis A. Sebring, captain
general. Charles "A. stewart Selilti N'ti uNii
William McAleer, junior warden: James IL
Mcintosh, prelate: George GIBSON. treas
urer: Faber .'tevenson, recorder; D. FRANK
| Trazzare. standard bearer; Frank X. n
| derwood, sword bearer, ana marry - -
| Stiles, warder.
Columbia Commandery has. by the re-
| ports made at the annual grand VISITATION
| a total membership of 5St. This is a net de-
crease of one during the year, tlle mrs. us
| that Columbia has reported in many years,
| 1t is occasioned by loss of twenty during
| the year including nine by death. mere
were fourteen new companions kh's!leu
| three applications and two restoralohs
within the year. In their annual report Wal
| ter II. klopfer, Bennett A. Allen ana BEN
| jamin Guy, auditing committee or the com,
mandery report the year as characteii-eu
| by % large cash balance, CD all clear Oh
| the books. CD no outstanding dept que r,ie
commandery. and "a no liabilities Inc
committee adds: THE excellent results at
| tanned and the prosperous condition OF tile
commandery fully demonstrate the zeal
and fidelity strengthened by harmony ana
good fellowship. O. the officers and mem
bers during the past year owing TO me
carefully kept and accurate DOCKS preseh'e,u
by the recorder and treasurer, the WORK
was materially leSSened and In lieu OF an
unpleasant task an agreeable duty was per
formed by your committee. The typeWritten
minutes. card system and records OF the
recorder fully attest the labor necessary 10
make them the specimens they present,
worthy the critical eye OF any investigator
In his closing circular to his commandery
the retiring eminent commander, john A.
Mover. said: The commandery is to be
congratulated on the excellent line OF OH
GERS for the ensuing year In AFFINITY, zeal
knightly courtesy, and all that goes 70
make efficient officers they compare most
fayoraby with the ablest of their predeces-
sors Let each and every one of us give
them that support which they nave a rish.
! to expect, and which, as loyal members OF
the commandery, are in duty bound to
give. I take this opportunity to add my
deep appreciation of the work done for the
fair by the committees representing the
commandery. Frank E. Gibson, chairman OF
the general committee, ana eX-oHlclo chaif-
man of the ladies' committee. and w. +.
Walton, chairman of subcommittee on do
nations, have done very effective work and
are deserving of the highest praise For
zeal earnestness interchangeable effort and
unselfish devotion to the commandery and
through it to the cause of the new temp e.
| commend the ladies' committee. of which
Mrs John F. Gibson is chairman. to the
consideration of the commandery. Ladies.
congratulate you and extend to you my sin
cerest thanks for the invaluable assistance
rendered us.
Il express my earnest appreciation of the
honor which my fraters conferred upon
me one year ago by electing me their com
mander. My thanks are due and are hereby
given to my associate officers. past COM
manders and other sir knights for the zeal
Gus and able support given me throughout
the year, and for the knghtly courtesies
extended to me-
He closed with the following expression
of regret: 1T was with profound sorrow
that we learned of the death of our dearly
beloved past commander, Very Eminent
Frank II. Thomas and we extend to the
bereaved family our heartfelt sympathy
May the Grand Captain-General of our
salvation comfort and support them in this
their time of trouble. In his death COM
mandery. as well as templarism in general,
has sustained irreparable loss
Following this memorial card for
the deceased.
The death of Judge Thomas advances
Arthur Macarthur of Troy, n. Y, the pres
ent grand senior warden of the Grand En-
campment to the vacant place held by de-
ceased, which is the fourth in line from the
honorable place of grand master of Temp
lars. Grand Senior Warden Macarthur was
in attendance at the funeral of Judge
Thomas the official representative of
the present grand master of Templars,
George NJ. Moulton, of Chicago. Washing
ton has had but one grand master of Temp
lars, the late Benjamin B. French, and but
two who ever served in the Grand Encamp-
ment line-Myron M Parker, who was an
officer from 1889 to 1892, and Judge Thomas
The death of the latter also deprived the
Grand Commandery of the District of Co
lumbia of its senior presiding officer, and
the man to whom was most due the organi
cation of the five local communicates into a
Grand Commandery. His Masonic career
began when he was raised" at Caro- Mich.
in 1877, at the age of twenty-five, and con-
tinued for thirty years He was exalted
to the degree of Royal Arch Mason in 1880
and knighted in Bay City CMich.) Command
cry, No. &C. T., in 1882 In 1884 he re-
ceived the degrees in the Scottish Rite
bodies at Detroit, Mich. Shortly after COM
ing to Washington he affiliated with New
Jerusalem Lodge, No. 8, Columbia r. A.
Chapter, No. /, and Columbia Command
cry, No. 2. K. T., having been elected a
member of the latter in December, 1885,
served as junior warden in 1891, during
which year the orders were conferred on
100 candidates.; as senior warden in 1892
generalissmo in 1893 and eminent command
in 1894 and In 1895. 1t was in August
of his second year as commander that the
commandery made of it's most sue
cessful pilgrimages-that to Boston on the
occasion of the twenty sixth triennial con-
clave of the Grand Encampment. In Janu-
airy, 1896. at the formation of the Grand
Commandery of the District of Columbia,
he was elected deputy grand commander
and in May of that year elected grand
commander for 1867. He was past master
of VIM. r. Singleton Lodge, F. A. A. M. :;
past potentate of Almas Temple, A. A O.
n. NJ. s.; past chancellor of the knights Of
Pythias, a past noble grand and past patri-
arch !. o. o. F.
The annual grand visitation of the grand
commander and his associate grand officers
was paid Wednesday evening to Potomac
Commandery. No 3, knights Templar The