Evening star., 1923-06-08

The Masonic and Eastern Star
Home of the District of Columbia,
situated on Sligo Mill road. just off
Rlair road. near Takoma Park. D. G.,
is a corporation organized under and
pursuant to charter granted by an
act of. Congress. approved March 10,
1902
The charter originally ran to the
Eastern Star Home OF the District of
Columbia, but by an act of Congress.
approved March 20. 1906. the charter
was amended to run to the Masonic
and Eastern Star Home of the Dis
trict of Columbia. This right to re-
quest the use OF the word Masonic" "
was granted by the Grand Lodge of
the District of Columbia at its De-
cember communication, 1905. upon the
Recommendation of the then grand
master. The corner stone of the
home was laid by Grand Master of
MasonS Llirtin r. CHM, May 10. 1908.
The home grounds consist Of lit
tle less than ten acres. The building
will aeeemm odate about eighty-five
persons. The rooms are mostly OF
the single type. but a few are COM
husband and wife. if admitted to-
gether. There are two sun parlorS.
affo'djng appropriate rest places. and
a we'll equipped library. The entrance
and other halls are cormodious and
attractive and give the place the i'm:
pression Of q home rather than an
institption. The porches about the
building are spacious. command a
splendid view of the surrounding
country, and in the summer sea son
afford a comfortable lounging place
for the members.
Continual Improvement.
The complete needs of the home
have not yet been fully met, due to
the lack Of funds which may be used
for necessary Improvement and bet
ferment purposes. The home grounds
Improvement is now going on, a Spe-
cial fund having been contributed by
the lodges and Eastern Star chapters
for such purpose. a small auditor
ium or assembly hall will be built
this summer with funds contributed
by the. several Royal Arch chapters
of capituIar Masonry in response to a
request sponsored by Grand High
Priest Roe Fulkerson. This is the
frs. large contribution from any Of
the allied Masonic bodies. and It is
hoped that 1t Is a .forerunner of
others for this or that necessary pur-
pose This contribution was con-
ccived in the finest spirit possible.
and the addition will be a constant
reminder cf the goodness of Royal
Arch Masonry.
1t is believed that another year will
demonstrate the imperative need OF a
dormTtory or building for children.
The separation of the old and young
is becoming more and more neces-
sarN and will be in the interest of
both: according to l.. r. CHM, pres
ident of the home.
Another Improvement in contem-
platiop.. is hospital and sanitarium
in connection with the home. The
ladies' auxiliary home board of the
home has the accumulation of a fund
for this purpose we'll IN hand. and
the results so faF are, so gratifying
as to hold out the hope that this
may become an ccomplished fact in
the year 1925. This will not only serve
the purposes of the home. but of the
lodges and Eastern Star chapters and
the individual members OF the fra
ternity and tho Order of the Eastern
Star in the jurisdiction as well. Il is
believed thnt there is a growing need
for a service of this kind in this
jurisdiction.
Service to Humanity.
Such. in brief. is a pen picture OF
the Masonic and Eastern Star Home
as il is today and as it is hoped to be
in the immediate future. In the more
distant future 1t will grow and keep
pace with the growth of the Masonic
fraternity and the Order of the East
ern Star. and some day it is believed
that It will be the agency or instru-
mentality of those organizations in
going beyond fraternal boundaries
and rendering a distinct service to
humanity generally. That day is not
now, but 1t will come about some
time.
The present officers OF the home.
who are elected for term of one
year. are: Lurtin r. CHM. president;
Mrs Julia n. Streater, first vice pres
1dent; Mrs. E. G. Schneider. second