The Washington herald., 1911-02-19

of the District of Columbia, opened
three-day centennial celebration with a
large reception and dance to Washington
Masons and their friends at the new
Masonic Temple last night.
with grand masters and grand officers
from nearly a score of Jurisdictions in
attendance, the various functions at
which the District Grand Lodge will en-
tertain in the course of the three days,
will call together as prominent gather
ing of Masons of North America as has
assembled in the Capital City in years.
In the huge auditorium of the new
Masonic Temple 5000 members of the
craft and their friends passed in and
out and shook the hand of Grand Master
J. Claude KEEPER ard other members of
the Grand Lodge. Under the festOoned
roof and masses of banners of symbolic,
capitula, and cryptic masonry, huge
draped Stars and Stripes, and masses OF
ferns, the floor was crowded for more
than an hour following the opening of
the reception, and more than l,OoO men
and women filled the balconies that en-
circle the floor on three sides and over
flowed into the stairways. All Masonic
Washington was there.
Arrival of Officers.
members of grand lodges from as far
south as Alabama and as far west as
Colorado, began to arrive and pay. their
respects to Grand Secretary Arvine W.
Johnston. Before the opening Of the re-
ception nearly twenty jurisdictions were
represented by members of their grand
lodges.
Among those who arrived yesterday
7 DOLL ~
Vermont; Henry S. Bridges, of New
Brunswick: Rudolph B. Chapman, of
Connecticut; Richard n. Hackett, of
North Carolina; John ]. Hull, of North
Dakota; James R. Johnson, Of South
Carolina: Lawrence H. Lee, of Alabama;
Albert McGaffey, of Colorado; Thomas
J. Shryock, of Maryland; Wyndham
Stokes, of West Virginia, and G. Roscoe
Swift, of Michigan. Other visiting Grand
champ, grand secretary, of Alabama;
John NJ. Carter, past grand master, of
Maryland; Frank T. Harrison, past grand
master, of South Carolina; DR.. J. Paul
Lukens, past grand master, of Delaware,
and William T. Mitchell, past grand
master, of Michigan.
Immediately before the public reception
the visitors were received in the District
Grand Lodge chambers by Grand Master
KEEPER and members of the District
Grand Lodge. Promptly at o'clock they
were escorted to the auditorium, where
they were seated on raised platform at
the end of the room. and, over hedge of
fern tops, were able TO watch the public
reception for the next two hours. Within
a short time the early Comers had passed
down the receiving line and mounted to
the balconies, which were quickly filed
Others of those who waited for the dane
ing, which began at 10 o'clock, occupied
seats under the balconies until there was
scarce space enough for the passage to
the receiving line.
Throughout the reception and dance, !
which lasted until after midnight, an
elaborate musical programme was given
by a special orchestra uEder the direction
OF William A Haley.
To-day is the real centennial anuiver-
Sary. Tho District Grand Lodge was
founded February 19. 1911. with Valentine
Reintzelk as right worshipfuI grand mas
ter. The first two words of the title
have since been dropped.
Grand Lodge Officers.
The present officers of the Grand Lodge
are J. Claude KEEPER, grand master: Ben
w. MurCh, deputy grand master; Charles /,
+. Baldwin, senior grand warden; 7. John !
Newton. junior grand warden; Arvfne W. |
Johnston, grand secretary; James A. |
Sample, grand treasurer; Thomas II. |
Young, grand lecturer; J. Russell Yer
brycke, grand chaplain; J. Henning |
Nelms, assistant grand chaplain; Alex |
ander Grant grand marshal; William w |
Jer7nane, senior grand deacon; James w. |
Wtten, junior grand deacon; Lem. Tow |
CTS jr-, grand sword bearer; Joseph H |
Milans, grand pUrsuivant; ]. Harry Cum
ninGharn. senior grand steward: Charles /
j ONeil, Junior grand steward, and !
Warren c. BiCkford, grand tiIer.
The past grand masters now living, |
Inany OF whom were present at last |
nights reception, are: Joseph S Nc
Coy, 1880: Myron NJ. Parker 1SS4-S5:
Jesse w. Lee, jr., 1883; Harrison Ding
man, 1883; James A SempIe, 1890; F.
q. Alexander, 1892; l. c. Williamson,
S93; Henry S Merrill, 1894; George W.
Baird, 1896; Matthew Trimble, 1897: |
Samuel c. Palmer, 1898: John H. Small,
jr., 1899; William G. Henderson. 1900;
Harry Standiford, 1901: James A Wet
more, 1904; Lurtin R CHM, 1905: Wal
ter A Brown, 1906; Francis ]. Wood
man. 1907; Augustus B. Coolidge, 1905;
Henry X Simpson, 1909, and George c.
Ober, 1910. Other past grand masters
include Goff A. Hall, deputy grand mas
ter from 1862 to. 1868; Joseph H.
Jochum, deputy grand master, 1877;
George L. CorsOn, junior grand warden,
1 ooO' NudIltS W. hancock, grand sec
rotary. 1872; Charles c. Duncanson.
grand treasurer. from 1879 to 1901.
The Belasco Theater Will be the scene
Of large religious service at which
most of the Masons of the District are
expected to be present, in which Bishop
Harding and number of Washington |
clergy will participate this afternoon.
The service will open at s o'clock with
selections by the orchestra, after which
the congregation will join i'm singing
America" Rev. ]. Russell Verbrycke,
grand chaplain, will give the invocation, |
after which a quartet. composed of Mrs. |
b. +. Smart Miss Edna Scott Smith, |
Charles f. Myers, and ]. Walter Hum
phrey. will sing Bucks anthem, ''Sing
Allelui Forth"
Bishop TO Preside.
Bishop Harding will perform the Scrip
tural readings, and, after hymn by the
congregation. Rev. DR.. q. G. B. Pierce
VIII lead with prayer. Dr. Abram Simon |
pastor of the Washington Hebrew Con-
gregation, will deliver the address. taking
for his title, What hath Masonry
wrought?' Rev. Earl WGlhey will address
the congregation on THE spirit of the
craft" Rev. ]. Henning Nelm, assistant
grand chaplain. will deliver the closing
prayer. Percy S. Foster will have charge
of the musical programme as precentor. |
}. Walter Humphrey viii direct the
,saa,, Sf,25