The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-21
MANY ELEVATED AT CONCLAvE OF
 TEMPLARS HERE
Interesting Developments at Sessions of Masons in
 Bridgeport Today.

The 89th annual conclave of the Grand Commandery of Knights Tenn
 plar of Connecticut was held in Bridgeport Masonic Temple today, re-
 sulting an many reports favorable to
 the order it's growth and work and
 the election of officers for the ensuing year.
 Changes that affect Bridgeport were
 noted in the retirement of Right Emil
 nent Sir Knight George H. N. Johnson
 to the post of East Grand Commander and the elevation or Angus H. Mac Kenzie, proprietor of the Bridgeport
 Public Market. living at 82O Clinton
 avenue, to the office of Grand Captain
 of the Guard.
 A complete list of the officers elect ed, many of whom have served for number of years, shows the following to have been advanced one step in rank as the result of today's balloting: Albert w. Mattoon, New Haven, grand commander: Arthur c. wheeler, Nor walk, deputy grand commander; Will liam w. Prayer, Hartford, grand gen eralissimO; Carey Congdon, New Lon don. grand captain general; Thomas w. Morgan, Hartford, grand inspec- tor; Benjamin l.. Coe, Waterbury, grand senior warden; Frederick l.. Huntington, Meriden, grand junior warden; Eugene J. Clark, NGiddIetown. grand prelate; Costello Lippitt, grand treasurer; Eli c. Birdsey, Meriden, grand recorder; James c. MacPher- son, Norwich, grand standard bearer; George E. Hinman, Wilimantic, grand sword bearer; F. Ward De Klyn, Dan bury. grand warder; Angus H. Mac Kenzie, Bridgeport, grand captain of the guard; Thomas w. Morgan, grand inspector.
 A resume of the business transact ed at today'sy solemn and secret con- Sh by the various officers and ordered printed in the journal. The retiring grand commanders report was an ex- tensive document and required con- siderable time to read. It covered all his official stations and showed the order to be in a most f1ourishing con dition with net increase of 89 mem bers throughout the state with a total membership of 4,267.
 The committee on jurisprudence re- ported that Templarism was so har- monious throughout the state that nothing had come before the commit tee for. consideration.
 Carleton B. HoadIey of New Haven presented the report on necrology with a, list of deceased permanent members of the commandery.
 Thomas Morgan of Hartford, grand insp pector, presented a report of his inspections which rated Hamilton Q the top rank of Organizations. An other commandery given a, distinctive rating was Columbian Commandery, Norwich, which is the first body to fol- low the long established custom of Washington Commandery, Hartford. including the complete work of the Order of Malta in it's councils. It was announced that Washington lodge has been invited to New York to ex- ernplify the work of the Order of Malta, before Grand Conmandery at that city, March 31.
 An invitation was extended to the communicates in Connecticut to be present at the 1O3rd conc1ave of the Grand Commandery of the state of New York to be held in New York, l June 5, 6, and to parade in Brooklyn, June 6.
 At The stratfeld lat night 400 Knights Tenp1ar banqueted after a reception rendered to the visiting Nobles at Masonic hall At the guests table were John H. Bennington rep resenting the most eminent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States who spoke of that l body of Masons; H. Wales Lines of l Meriden, grand treasurer; Henry R. i Freeman, D. D., Troy, N. Y., grand i prelate of the Grand Encampment of i the United States, who spoke on '"The | Beauseant''; Joshua A. Seward, D. D., 1 Keane, N. H, prior emeritus of the l supreme council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States, who | spoke on the Historic Origin of Free | I. Newton Phelps, D. D., l of Stamford, who spoke on "The Re- Freemasonry to Templarism." 1
 The short session of the Grand Con- | c1ave yesterday was devoted to the re- | ception of grand officers and delegates. The session last night opened by a 1 speech of welcome by John J. Fischer, | eminent commander of Hamilton Commandery, No. 5. Eminent Sir | Knight Frederic A. Bartlett acted as George H. N. Johnson, grand commander of the state, re- sponded to a toast on opportunity"