St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-05-16
CONVOCATION OF GRAND
CHAPTER CENTENNIAL
OBSERVANCE JUNE IA
BURLINGTON Nav Q. 1917.

Burlington May Q, 1917.
The grandest grand convOcation
which the Grand Chapter of Vermont
will have held in many year will be
the annual gathering next month
when the State body will celebrate its
centennial. Grand High Priest James
r. Roberts announces that the execut-
i've heads of all the Grand Chapters in
New England. New York and Quebec,
Canada. as well as the General Grand
High Priest of the General Grand
Chapter, who is the head of capitular
Masonry in the United States. have
been invited to help observe the event.
Never hitherto has the latter attended
an annual convocation of the Grand
chapter here. An echo of anti Mas
onic days lies in the coming celebrat-
ion, for the Grand Chapter of Yer
mont was really organized on Decem-
Der 20, 1904. but suspended meetings,
while retaining the same officers. be-
tween June IS, 1884, and July IL,
1849.
Past Grand High Priest George W.
Wing of Montpelier will read an his
torical paper and the usual ceremon-
ial routine in full and ample form Will
be carried out. The afternoon of June
IA will be given up to social ObserV-
ances, with dinner for all Royal Arch
Masons in the assembly hall OF the
temple at six O'Clock. The next day
at noon the invited guests will be din
ed at one of the local hotels. Grand
Chapter day is the 18th, the 14th is
the regular meeting day of the Grand
Chapter. At nine o'clock in the
morning of the 14th the order of the
High Priesthood, a purely honary de-
gree to which only Grand HighPriests
are eligible, will be worked on the
Grand High Priest-elect. Grand High
Priest Roberts, anointed high priest,
will preside.
June 1l-l5, inclusive, are the dates
of--the annual meeting of the Yer
mont Council of Deliberation, the
Grand Commandery, Grand Council.
Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge. The
meetings will be held as usual at the
temple.
The story of the beginnings of the
work of the Royal Arch and other de-
grees goes back to January 22, 1900.
when Dewitt Clinton, the noted gov
ernor of New York, as Grand High
Priest of the Grand Chapter of New
York granted a charter to Green
Mountain Chapter, No. 1, of Rutland.
1t was not until December 20, 1904.
that the chapter, by virtue in part per-
haps of the jurisdiction given it by
the three Mark Masters lOdges-Tem-
pie of Bennington, Aurora of Poultney
and Union of Middlebury-became
Grand Chapter. The three lodges be-
came the chapters which bear the
same names, except that Aurora's title
was changed to Poultney, No. 10. The
first officers of the Grand Chapter then
organized were: Jonathan Wells,
grand high priest: Ozias Fuller, depu-
ty grand high priest; Benjamin Lord.
grand king; Ezekiel Porter. grand
scribe; Cephas Smith, grand secre-
tary, and John Cook, grand tfeasur-
er. ~
Before entering upon the part
which the grand chapter of the state
took in the organization of the Cen
eral- Grand Chapter. little of the
latter's history might be given. Up
to 1897 the chapters were under blue
lodge jurisdiction. The first. convo-
cation was held at Boston. Mass, on
October, "a. 1891, theS chapters pres
ent being st. Andrews Of Boston.
Temple of 'Albany and Newburyport of
Newburyport. Mass. They adjourned
untilf January "a. 1913, when at
meeting in Hartford, Conn, delegates
were present from nine chapters in
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connec-
tietit land New. York, and a transition
ORGANIZATION was formed. On Janu-
airy g.. 1899. at q third convocation in
Providence. r. l., 4 constitution was
adopted and the rite modified for the
sin northern states.
Vermont. chapter. first appears at
cohvocation on January 8, 1906, in
Middletown, Conn, when the title was
FORMALLY adopted of General Grand
Chapter.
Philip c. Tucker, who succeeded
Nathan B. Haswell as grand high
priest of the Grand Chapter Of Ver-
m6nt, became deputy general grand
high priest of the General Grand
Chapter, then organized. Mr.. Tuck
er is regarded as the greatest Masonic
light Vermont Freemasonry ever pro-
duced. Tucker Chapter No. Is, of
Morrisville and Tucker Lodge. No. 4S.
of North Bennington are named after
him. Mr.. Haswell, also a grand high
priest of the Grand Chapter of Yer
mont, gave his name to Haswell Lodge
of Perfection of the Ancient Accepted
Scottish Rite, to Haswell Chapter, No.
II of St. Johnsbury and Iaswell
Lodge, No. SO. of Sheldon.
ROUSING SEND-OFF
Given College Bows On Their DeDar-