The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-12-07
SOLDIER MAS0NS
ORGANIZE LODGE
SECOND REGIMENT MEMBERS
OF CRAFT COMPLETE FIRST
ARMY FRATERNITY,
Under Jurisdiction of Grand Lodge
of Montana-NlayL Lay to Rest Ma
sonic Dead with HonOrs of Frater-
ity - Organization Similar to
Lodges in Past Wars.

Members of the Masonic fraternity,
serving in the 163rd regiment, for
merly the Second Montana, have the
distinction of belonging to the first
lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, composed exclusively of SOL
diers in the present war. Taking
advantage of permission granted by
the last session of the Montana grand
lodge they have organized Montana
Army lodge No. 1, under it's jurisdic-
ton.
Such action is in line with similar
movements during other wars in the
history of the nation. During the
Spanish-American war, there were
three army lodges under jurisdiction
of state grand lodges. These were
Montana, North Dakota and Ken
lucky. During the civil war several
states instituted army lodges.
The army lodge has the right to
admit to companionship by affiliation
Masons serving in the army and navy
of the United States who are regu-
larly affiliated in lodges holding
charter from the grand lodge of Mon
tana, or, if affiliated elsewhere, citi-
zens of the state of Montana.
May Confer Degrees.
The army lodge is vested with
power to enter apprentices, pass fell
low crafts and raise Master Masons
regularly from such citizen soldiers
as, aforesaid.f6
In order that there may be no in
vasion of jurisdiction of any other
grand lodge, the grand master of
Montana prohibits the meeting of
the military lodge in any state of
the union other than Montana with
out first informing the grand master
of the said state and obtaining his
consent thereto.
Members of the army lodge Gre
ated by initiation are under the i'm
mediate jurisdiction of the grand
lodge of Montana, and when the dis
pensation for the army lodge is re-
called, as it will be when the Mon
tana regiment is mustered out of
service, such companions will be fur
nished with DENTS by the grand sec
rotary and be required to deposit
them in the lodge nearest to their
places of residence and petition for
membership therein.
Montana Rules Lodge.
The Montana army lodge is gov
erned and controlled by all the laws
of the grand lodge of Montana appli-
cable to other constituted lodges.
The only practical difference be-
tween the military and the other
Masonic lodges is that the army lodge
is a temporary organization to meet
the needs of Masons in the service
of the United States
The purpose of the organization as
set forth in the dispensation- given
by the grand master is Gin order that
they may meet as Masons, and thus
encourage the practice of our sub
lime principles while subjected to
the trials and temptations of army
life in time of war, and to regularly
confer degrees upon proper appll-
cants, and to lay to rest, with the
honors of the Craft, any of their
brethren who may fall while engaged
in the service of their country
A partial list of the officers fol-
lows: Worshipful master, l.. A.
Foot; senior warden, Jesse B. Roote;
junior warden, William O. Whips;
secretary, w. e. Olsen; treasurer,
Joseph P. Sternhagen; chaplain,
| William Puppy.