Evening star., 1933-10-09
StockweII Says Fraternity Is
Having Hard Time Financ-
ing Essentials.
700 FROM EVERY STATE
IN UNION ARE PRESENT
Convention of Grand Chapter Will
Follow Meeting of Council,
Ending Tomorrow Night.

The Masonic fraternity has sustained
terrific loss" in membership during the
depression and must inaugurate changes
to insure its we'll being, Walter L. Stock
well, general grand master Of the Gen.
eral Grand Council of Royal and Select
Masters of the United States. declared
this morning at the opening session OF
the organizations eighteenth triennial
convention, held in Masonic Temple.
The monetary loss resulting from the
loss in membership has crippled Sc
riously every Masonic activity in the
country, Mr.. Stockwell said, adding
that I'VE find ourselves at our wits end
to know how to finance the essentials,
let alone the many activities which In
the recent past We have considered I'M
portant."
The tendency toward pretentious
building program and large scale actlV-
tiles of other sorts have worked the fra
ternitys undoing, Mr.. StockWeu de-
clared.
Program Suggested.
To meet the situation. he suggested
the following moves: Consolidation OF
smaller Masonic units; more effective
organization and business methods, Or
ganization by every Masonic body OF its
social and fraternal life in an attractive
Nway; effort toward maintaining the i'm
pressiveness of Masonic rituals, and Sc
lection Of vigorous leaders.
Approximately 700 delegates repre-
senting every State in the Union are
present Following conclusion Of the
General Grand Council sessions tomor-
row night, the forty-second triennial
convention of the General Grand Chap
ter, Royal Arch Masons of the United
States. will convene Wednesday and
continue through Thursday.
The session this morning was de-
voted principally to the internal affairs
elected probably tomorrow. In the Or
dinary course of succession. Robert A
Woods, Princeton. Ind, general grand
deputy master. will succeed Mr.. Stock
we'll as head Of the council. it was said
At noon, there was a luncheon for
the delegates in the basement OF the
Masonic Temple and the business ses-
sion continued into the afternoon.
Exhibition and Drill.
This afternoon at o'clock the Sd
Cavalry and 10th Field Artillery were
to put on special exhibition and drill
in the riding hall at Fort Myer In
honor Of the delegates. 1t will be SINH
lar in scope to that staged for the
President last Spring.
For the members of families OF dele
gates coming to Washington Tor the
conventions. a tour OF the city's public
buildings was held this morning. Thert
was a luncheon for the women at ths
Almas Temple club house and another
sightseeing tour this afternoon.
Tonight a reception will be held II
the Willard Hotel by the Grand Council
Royal and Select Masters. OF North Da.
| kota. assisted by the Grand Lodge. F
A. A. NJ, ard Grand Chapter, r. A
NJ
John H. Cowles of this city. sovereign
grand commander of the Scottish Ritz
! Of the Southern jurisdiction OF tht
United States, was to address the ses'
sion this afternoon. Melvin M. John'
ston. Boston. Mass. head Of the North
ern jurisdiction, will speak tomorrow.
Yesterday afternoon the convention
delegates attended a religious service
at Temple Heights, sponsored by thu
Grand Lodge. F. A. A. NJ. Of the Dis
| trict. Rev. James Shera Montgomery
chaplain of the House Of Representa-
! tives, delivered the sermon. All thu
communicates of the jurisdiction were
present in full uniform. The service!
| were under the direction OF Crane
Chaplain John c. Palmer