Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-03-29
COLUMBIAN LODGES CENTENNIAL
200 Free Masons Attended Interesting and Inspiring Exercises
the Temple Wednesday

Two pages have been removed from
the record book and Col Haskins show
ed from the degree work and payments
for degrees that meetings were undoubt
cdly held previous to August is.
Whether any meetings were held after
that of Dec. s, 1922 which was the an
nual meeting of the lodge, and officers
duly elected and installed, is more or
less doubtful. The proceedings of the
grand lodge show that at the annual
communication in 1880 Columbian lodge
No "a was represented by Samuel Root
al proxy for John Hodson, w. NJ. Moses
Ware, S. w, ande Nathan Wood, j. W.;
that in 1881 it was represented by Lem
uel Whitney as proxy for the three Off
GERS just mentioned: that in 1882 it was
unrepresented, but in 1888 it was repre-
scented by Samuel Elliot as proxy for Ma
than Wood, j. w.
Whatever became of the charter of old
Columbian lodge No. "a no one knows.
by vote of the grand lodge in 1888 all
lodges desiring to do so were given op-
portunity to surrender their charters
our present grand secretary, Brother
Ross, does not think Columbian lodge No
"a, ever surrendered its charter, but that
i'm 1919. after lodges had been given the
opportunity to resume work, If they so
desired, Columbian lodge was declared
extinct, Jan. 10 of that year
The lodge meetings were held in the
afternoon with a good attendance, as
a general thing, from the first recorded
meeting to the last. 1t was invaria bly,
opened upon the first degree. where near
lY all of the business was transacted
except halloting for and passing f. C.
and raising NJ. NJ, where the lodge would
be opened upon each of those degrees
for that purpose. The dues were 1919
cents, to he paid by each member in at
tendance including T.. \. and f. c., and
nj ht~ agh cit l,,.,t l,a,. 1,
first visit.
During the II years of its active life it
made a large number of Masons and
elected number who had received their
degrees in other lodges, and its member
ship of that early period was composed
Of the best and most prominent men in
business and professional life.
During the lodges existence it had nine
worshipful masters, Lemuel Whitney,
Samuel Clark, Elhu Field. ARENAS Rob
bins, Aaron Barney, Emerson Durham,
Dana Hyde, ir., Ariel Root John Hodson.
OF them all Lemuel Whitney, whose por-
trait hangs in one of the rooms below,
was the great central figure, and became
the most prominent in Masonic and pub
lie affairs. He was grand junior warden
Of the grand lodge i'm 1Sl2-13 grand
senior warden in 1915. '16, II; deputy
grand master 1914, and grand master
in 1878, 10, 20. 81. He was grand sec
retarN OF the grand chapter IN 1917;
grand king in 1919. 30. 81. and grand
high priest in 1922. %, "a. Col HasSins
briefly reviewed Brother WhitneY's long
and DISTINGUISHED record in public affairs.
Mr. Whitney died April T. 1884, at the
age of SO
Col Haskins said that did time per-
NIT II would be a pleasure to give a brief
sketch of the lives of Judge Samuel
Clark. judge Henry Clark, Or. ARENAS
Robbins DR. Dana HYDE. ir John w.
Blake. Samuel Elliot, Asa Greene, Sam
uel Root, Henry Smith, Elihu Field,
Nahum Cutler. John Il. Blake, stephen