The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-22

The personnel of the membership. |
too, had developed along with other |
phases of the organization. No man
of any ambition, prominence or worth
in the state was content to live out.
side the Masonic craft and this always
brought the best to the top and made
the Grand Lodge a symposium of the
highest christian manhood of the com
monwealth. So it was at Hannibal
when the convention opened in Aug.
ust, 1915, and revealed the largest at.
tendance in the history of the frater-
nifty in Missouri. For the first time
in our annals the Knights Templar,
under the inspiration of Sir Willis G.
Mosely, R. E. G. c., held a regular mill
tary encampment during the whole
week and as most of the Knights were
also past masters it added greatly to
the working force of the body.
Six past grand masters were pres,
ent and there were perhaps a score
of members who had not missed a SEES
sion during a quarter century as well
as a lesser number who boosted OF
from thirty to forty years active serv.
ice. 1t was a great coming together.
Even the sisters of the Eastern Star
and the Heroines of Jericho, respond,
ing to an invitation issued by the
Grand Master, came up in considerable
numbers and at a convenient period
during the session were formally pre-
scented and welcomed by the Grand
Lodge, thus fittingly illustrating the
fine spirit of cooperation between
the main and auxiliary branches of
the cult and presenting a better front
against the great work of charity and
~benevolence to be undertaken.
The Grand Master, true to his in.
stincts of affection for his people
generally, had appointed a committee
whose duty it should be to make up
report upon the condition of the race
as a whole. Prominent upon this com
mittee were Brothers George l.
Vaughn of st. Louis and T. w. H. vii
liams of Kansas City, and these two
by unusual application and labor, sub
mitted a formal report which will be
interesting reading for many years tC
come and which reflected the high in
telligence of the authors.
The new Handbook, compiled by
Brothers Ricketts,, Dawley and HERR
ford, had already been placed into thu
hands of the brethren and met will
such favor as to be unanimously en-
dorsed by the craft in session. A fea
ture incorporated in the Handbook
which was especially pleasing to thu
Grand Lodge was the ceremony OF thu
Lodge of Sorrow of which Brother Jo'
E. HEREFORD was the author, ant
which was exemplified under his per
sonal direction on the evening of thu
second day. Verify this was a year o
new things. The half century we
closing with a s%plendor far surpass
ing the most e%xtravagant dreams o
the founders of the Grand Lodge, al
, of whom save three were viewing tn,
scene from another and more exalte,
shore.
In his annual address Grand Maste
: Crews recommended a few changes 4
c the regulations governing the Graf
and these were heartily approved. ]
was also agreed to complete the a
( rangements entered into a year prev
ious for celebrating the fiftieth ann
I Yersary of the organization. The frs
sessions having been held in the cit
of st. Louis 1t was thought by man
that this celebration should be hel
in that city and things We're driftin
smoothly in that direction until Mis-
Kansas City came tripping upon tb
scene and with her younger face an
sweeter smiles lured even the old We