The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-30
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
ANNUAL BALL A
GREAT SUCCESS
Members of Taft Commandery
Excellent Hosts
70 COUPLES GRAND MARCH
Fine Music, Pretty Decorations, Elk
cellent Supper Features Of Dance
Last Evening.

BY far the most brilliant dance Civ
en- in Bennington in many moons,
was the annual ball of Taft Comman-
derry, No s, Knights Templar, at Ma
sonic Temple Wednesday evening
The knights threw open the spacious
rooms of the building, which had been
attractively decorated for the event,
| to their guests and were lavish in
dispensing hospitality, emitting no.
thing that might add to the enjoy
ment and entertainment Of the even
| ing
The guests, who were limited to
members of the Masonic order
and their ladies', were received
in the lodge room, those in the
receiveing line being En-. Sir William
Henry Nichols and Mrs. Nichols, EN-
Sir Frank William Knapp, Killington
Conn., Rutland, and Miss Grace Holt;
EN- Sir Henry Allen Hall and Mrs
Hall, Past En-. Sir Tracy Potter and
Mrs. Potter. Past En-. Sir F. W. Reed
and Miss Florence Reed, st. Paul
com, North Adams; Past En-. Sir Ed
ward Henry Holden and Mrs. Holden,
Past En-. Sir Edward Louis Bates and
Mrs. Bates, Past En-. Sir John Char
les Clark and Mrs. Clark.
At $3.50, the evenings festivities be
| gan with a concert rendered by DON
| nellys orchestra OF eleven pieces,
augmented by out of town musicians
The orchestra was stationed in the
organ loft in the lodge room and
| chairs for the guests were arranged
around the sides of the room, the diff
ferent hued gowns of the women and
the uniforms of the knights making
brilliant picture.
The following is the concert pro-
gram:
March-"National Emblem"
Bagley.
Selection-"The Girl of My Dreams, :"
Hoschna
| Romance-"A Tale of Two Hearts"
Roberts.
Selection-"Il Trovatore,"
Verdi.
Immediately after the concert, the
guests formed for the grand march.
which was led by En-. Sir William
Nichols and Mrs. Nichols. and passed
down the stairs into the ball room,
where they went through the intrica-
cies of the different figures There
were 65 couples in line. Joseph A.
Evans acted as prompter.
The finale of the grand march was
the signal for general dancing, which
went merrily on for the remainder of
the evening and lasted until three
o'clock this morning. The dancers
entered into the spirit of gaiety that
pervaded and numerous encores to
each number kept the orchestra busy.
Even at o'clock, when the strains
OF the last dance told the guests that
the evening was at an end, they left
reluctantly. There were about 90
couples from North Adams, some re-
turning on a special car at o'clock.
Several of the party. however re-
mainded over night
The interior finishings of the build
igg would have made elaborate deco
rations superfiuous and this was skill
fully avoided In the simple but effec-
tive decorations of cut flowers and
palms in the dance hall and the other
rooms on the second and third floors
In the dining room. where a buffet
lunch was served from 10 until milo
night, spruce trees and boughs and
colored lights made a picture that for
artistic effect was all that could be
desired. The walls we're almost COM
pletely covered with the green, and
festoons of shaded old rose crepe pa
per. from which were suspended small
colored lights, were strung across
the ceiling. Japanese lanterns were
also used effectively in the lighting.
Simplicity was the keynote of the
decorations in the dance hall and
lounging rooms. Box trees and palms
we're used in the dance hall, with a
large bunch of pink carnations and
narcissl over the fireplace. The same
scheme of cut flowers was carried out
in the other rooms.
The buffet lunch consisted of chick
en- salad, rolls. coffee. ice cream and
cakes. Mrs. John Paulson catered.
The following is the list of commit
tees in charge Of the ball; floor direc-
tor Dr. c. Nm Bartlett. aids,
Sir II. ID. Fillmore. Sir II. II. War
itns OH T. =. DtnutAls Oh II. r. AoOhs
Sir G. S. Harbour. Sir W. T. Barratt,
Sir G. II. Dunn. Sir c. L. Holden, Sir
A. W. lockwood. Sir r. H. White, Sir
o. B. Bowen, Sir r. NJ Paddock. Sir
T. s. Braley; committee OF arrange
ments. Sir c. L. Holden. Sir T. a. Dav
export, Sir II. r. Warren. Sir r. s.
Braley. Sir II. II. Fonda. Sir f. L.
Lambert, Sir +. A. Nichols. Sir J. H.
Norton. Sir =. ID. Ranney. Sir c. VI.
Lambert. Sir f. 5. Chandler. Sir L.
NJ Kelley.
The members Of Taft Commandery
are: William Henry Nichols, emf
nent commander. Charles Writers
Bartlett. generalissimo; Thomas Au-
gustus Davenport. captain general;
Harry Hobart Warren. senior war
den; Clarence Louis Holden, junior
warden; John Charles Clark. prelate;
Edwin Samuel Chandler. treasurer:
Pred Donald Ranney, recorder; Pred
erick stephen Braley. standad bear
er: Henry Daniel Fillmore, sword
bearer; Henry Haswell Fonda. war
den; John Henry Norton, sentinel;