The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-02-23

MuulcduOnS Tor lle term OF loul
years. Prior thereto Vergennes had
been stipulated for five years on the
west side, alternating with Windsor
on the east OF course the Grand
Re. al Arch Chapter followed suite.
Temple Chapter, Nos. 4 and 8.
The charter issued by the Grand
/. Chapter Of Vermont, refers to The
General Grand Chapter" This was
general capitular body, the result Of
a convention, held in Mason's Hall,
Boston, Massachusetts, October "a,
1897, the iniative signers being Saint
Andrews Chapter of Boston, Temple
Chapter of Albany, New York. and
Newburyport Chapter of Newbury-
port, Massachusetts. The first con
vocation was held at Hartford. Con
necticut, January "a, 1898, when the
name was changed to General
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
for the six Northern States of Amer
ica," and Vermont was especially, to-
gether with the other New England
states and New York, declared to be
within its jurisdiction. BY evolution
as time passed, this body became the
present General Grand Chapter of
Royal Arch Masons of the United
States of America, - with its sequence
of the degrees, and the mergement
therein of the Lodges of Mark Master
Masons, which existed apart until
September, 1926; but which. however,
as part of the Rite, was retained
in the constitution up to September,
1858 Temple Chapter worked both
as a Mark Lodge and Royal Arch
Chapter until the 'innocuous desue-
tude" Of the anti-Masonic era. This
genealogy is traced to show the I'M
doubted regularity of Vermouts Cap
itular Masonry.
/ The petition for a warrant was
signed at Bennington, July -, 1909,
/ by:
Isaac Tichenor, exalted in Jerusa-
lem Chapter. No ,. Yer
gennes. Jan 10, 1907
w. 5. Cardall.-spelled Cardell in
the minutes,
Silas Halves,
George Mosher,
Property James,-Janes in local
records.
Samuel Scott,
Gersham Buckley, in the minutes
Gershum Buckley
Charles Cushman, Jr. and
Paul Halves
The consent for the formation Of
Temple Chapter,-an essential com
ponent in all bodies of Vermont Free
masonry since October r. 1799,-in-
dorsed on it's warrants reverse side,
was signed July 10, 1909 by Federal
Chapter, No. 10, Cambridge, New
York. and attested by Amherst
Wheeler. Secretary.
The dispensation was issued by the
Grand High Priest, and bore date of
August "a, 1909, and designated the
petitioners as stated. The first con
vocation was held on Saturday, DC.
tober Z, 1903; the charter of Temple
Chapter, No 4. is dated January 3,
1910, and the constitution" occurred
February 8, 1910 The records are
comparatively intact from the begin
ming until the annual convocation in
December, 1868 These are contain
ed in a leather bound. full cap size
volume of handmade wove paper
and has the appearance of one of the
earliest books of record to be found
in many town clerks offices. The
writing is the old fashioned round
hand script as legibe today as when
first written with a Quillpen
The opening inscription, for the
covers are not guilty Of any lettering
and whatever of tool-work has nearly
shows that our early com
panions were well-educated and fol
lowed business methods There are
internal evidences that they were
skilled in the ritual of the time
The inscription reads: Deus Dixit
Sit Lux ct Lux Fuit Records OF
, Temple Chapter, No. a, Bennington
And Mark Masters Lodge attached
thereto. To which are prefxed the
Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations OF
the same. Ammo Lucis, $500" The
Craft date has been observed
; throughout until December, 1866
when the Chapter A. H. appears.
When the dispensation arrived. be
cause there was no safe place in town
in which to open the Chapter, it was
resolved to organize Temple Chapter
in convention. w. S. Cardell was
chosen chairman and George Mosher
secretary. The warrant recited thai
William S. Cardall should be Higf
Priest Paul Halves, King; Charles
Cushman, Scribe; and that Compan