The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-28
S, -ign Masons with Guests
Revived Custom Halted
by the War
EXERCISES, DANCE
AND BANQUET
There Was Little Lacking
in the TWENTY Eighth
Observance

a hard-won peace, Foreign Masons with
their guests assembled in Clan Gordon
hall last evening resumed the time hon
ored custom Of observing st. Johns night.
1t was the first celebration of its kind in
three years, for with the years ends since
| 1915 thoughts have been of sterner
things. Yet the war and it's concomitant
of sorrow in every fraternal circle has
not dulled the Foreign Masons faculty
for resolving the day of their patronai
saint into an occasion of jollification,
| There was nothing lacklustre about the
2Sth annual banquet aud dance Jocosity
was the long note, yet when the tenor of
a toast reverted To men who have an
swered the last call the SOLDERING side OF
! this yearly assemblage Of Masons came
to the fore in the reverential mien of
every craftsman present.
1 Spirits were resurgent and every one
OF the 250 people participating went the
distance in summoning good fellowship
into the auditorium. The exercises be-
gan at o'clock and two hours had
elapsed before the feasting was under
way. The hall was colorfully decorated,
with the flags of all the allies figuriag
Iconspicuously in the arrangement A Ia
bic for the toastmaster and his attend
ants was spread on the stage, where
background formed by the Scottish ban
ner with its lion rampant added impress
sively to the effect. Aloft was the fam
ing symbol of the craft, while along the
front of the stage more allied flags were
unfurled.
Seating one of the largest companies OF
the winter was accomplished without
pother, thanks to the careful manage
ment Of the committee and the exercises
proceeded W, .hout delay. The honor OF
presiding fell TO William Hurry deputy
grand master of the Vermont grand
lodge With him on the stage were Mrs.
Hurry; James Glass president of the
Foreign Masons affiliated with Operative
lodge, No $50 Of Aberdeen, Scotland, and
Mrs. Glass; Arthur J.. Averill, acting
master of Granite lodge, No 30, of Barre.
and Mrs Ayeril: and Supt George
Seager of the Barre Town schools, junior
warden of Granite lodge, and Mrs. Sea
ger, The master of ceremonies was in
troduced by Mr.. Glass.
Ii was a large contract, for the taas
master was required to keep up rn-
ming fire OF funmaking while keeping to
his task OF bringing out the best in ora
+ leTN lHut tut IdAHbIlH1 dHoiutN llb
spoke seriously OF the worthy custom OF
coming together in honor Of st. John the
Evangelist and in extending greetings TO
the company he suggested the possibility
that only the hall-rack in Masonic homes
should be left behind to guard the por
tails on st. Johns nights. He offered the
first toast TO the president of the United
States and the craft. 1t was ioyously re
ceived and heartily drunk. Followed the
toast TO the grand lodge OF Scotland, on
which occasion the chairman referred
touchingly to the tremendous sacrifices
which Scottish Masonry has been called
upon to make in the war for freedom.
The three cheers and an ear-splitting
! tiger which followed the toast was re-
echoed a few moments later when the
toast to the grand lodge of Vermont was
pledged. Mr.. Hurry said that the grand
lodge had its beginning back in 1894, al
though the anti Masonic agitation and
! the fact that Vermont Masons We're often
! found in affiliatiou with other grand
lodge bodies delayed its most substantial
growth until a half century afterward
To-day there are l03 lodges and 1887
members in the Green Mountain state.
! One Of the moving tributes of the even
\ ing came from the lips of Mr.. Seager,
when he offered health to Operative
lodge. He spoke eoqueutly of the i'm
mortal 100000, Britains "od contemp
| tibIes," who laid their good lives down in
| 1914 and then referred to the glorious
page which Scotland added to her earlier
achievements in the war, He confessed
to deep sense of admiration for Scot
| tish Masons, many of whom paid the
glorious penalty for their love of liberty
lJames r. Coutts, who went to Scotland
in 1901 while worshipful master Of Gran
| ite lodge, made the reply, telling in an
| interesting way Of his reception as an
! honorary member Of Operative lodge He
alluded to the ceremony as an honor that
! fell the more readily to Granite lodge as
a whole than to its representative. Mr.
Coutts said that 100 members of Opera
! tive lodge answered the call to the colots,
the number including the worshipful
master. Many made the supreme sacri
flee
James Robertson gracefully offered the
toast to Granite lodge bespeaking for
| the Foreign Masons their appreciation OF
the spirit of friendIiness which animates
| the members of the younger lodge in
their attitude to those who claim affilia
| tion with the Aberdeen lodge In tit
ting response, Arthur l.. Averil spoke
feelingly Of the death Of Sidney Kidd
lately master of Granite lodge, and closed
by urging Foreign Masons to make them
selves more at home in the lodgerooms Of
Granite lodge Lester H. Green, one of
number Of Montpelier Masons who en-
tered cordially into the festal spirit Of
the observance, contributed a bit or
two Of wit TO the program and was
greeted with much applause.
A hush fell over the company when the
chairman pledged the next toast-to the
departed brothers. Il was answered by
George N. Tilden, who spoke in yenera
tion of the Masons who have joined the
majority. His words were followed by
an interval OF deep silence. George A
Cross, representative Of Northheld Ma
sonry, responded afterward and then the
program concluded with an enjoyable yo
| cal solo by Mrs Alex MctIahe.
Soloists whose melody eulivencd the
later hours OF the night included Arthur
Muiry, u. M. Tobn, Alfred Edwards, Ar
thur G. Bigelow and George Mcleod.
If the feast Of wit that began the oh
seryance engendered glow Of good com
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