Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-06-02

brated at in the evening. +. c. Lett
singer presided at the organ, and to the
strains of its music the grand lodge en-
tered and marched around the hall three
times. giving the public grand honors on
arriving at the centre. Chairs had been
brought into the lodge room so that 300
or more Masons were seated. The rep
rcsentation of lodge was placed in
front of the altar, towards the east, with
the gold and silver vessels and lights
around it. After the grand master had
announced the occasion of the meeting
Il. II. Crane sang the solo open the
Gates of the Temple"
President w. II. Ninton of the build
ing association formally turned over the
building to the trustees, who were rep
resented by their treasurer, Frank b.
Putnam. Mr. Putnam spoke briefly for
the fraternity, and addressing the grand
master asked that the building, If meet
ing the appreciation of the grand lodge,
be dedicated to Masonic purposes agree
ably to ancient form and usage.
The architect, \. +. Haynes of Water
town, Mass, addressed the grand master
announcing that his task was completed,
and surrenderng the implements en-
trusted to his care.
The grand master delivered the ritual
lstic response, the Masonic choir sang
| Gloria and the deputy grand master
| addressed the grand master, expressing
| the desire of the fraternity that the tenn
| pie be dedicated. The representation of
| lodge was uncovered and the grand
| lodge moved i'm procession about it to
| solemn music played upon the organ.
| After prayer by the grand chaplain, the
| ceremonial of dedication by the grand
master took place. the grand junior war
| den, the grand senior warden and the
| deputy grand master in turn presenting
| the elements of corn wine and OIL with
which the grand master dedicated the
hail to Free Masonry. to virtue and uni
versal beneVolcnce. After Invocation by
the grand chaplain the lodge was Gov
cred and the grand officers resumed
their respective stations. +. c. Adams
rendered the solo "Cloria,' after which
the address of dedication was given by
Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Lee
S. Tilotson of st. Adams, as follows:
Past Grand Master TIlotson's Address.
1t is an established law of the society
of Free and Accepted Masons that "A Ma
sonic han should not be used for any
other than Masonic purposes, that IS, the
purposes to which it is dedicated in the
ceremony which you have just witnessed,
witch are Free masonry" VIRTUE" and
Universal Benevolence." The first OBJ
ject. rightly understood includes the
benevolence are necessary attributes to
the correct practice of Freemasonary as
taught by our ritualistic ceremonies. The
1lfSt lesson WnlCn we seek TO impress
upon a candidate for the mysteries of
Masonry is that, in order to properly
prepare himself mentally for correct
! understanding of the symbolism of the
| ceremonies through which he is about
| TO pass, he must first divest his mind of
| all vicious and selfish ideas
1t is an undisputed fact that the So
| ciety of Freemasons is an ancient one,
| not only in the sense that the principles
| sought to be inCulculated by its forms
| and ceremonies are fundamental and
| consequently co-eXistent with the most
| ancient civilization, but also in the sense
! that its forms and ceremonies themselves
| are so ancient that their exact origin
| cannot now be fully established. How
ever it is not necessary at this time to
concern ourselves with the origin of
! Freema sorry, but in order to correctly
dedication ceremony, it is essential that
we should seriosuly concern ourselves
with its present design. In other words,
| when we dedicate this hall to Free
| masonry" what do we mean? DO we
mean that after the pronouncement of
the dedication ritual by the officers of
| the grand lodge, this hall cannot prop
| erly be used or occupied for any other
purpose than the meetings of a Masonic
| lodge and the fraternal intercourse of its
members? Yes, and more
| Every material object made use of in
| the comforting of Masonic degrees has a
| symbolical application. From the 24-inch
guage, the division of which into "a, and