Difference between revisions of "MassachusettsYear1894"

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1894

OTIS E. WELD, Grand Master

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS

(Held at Masonic Temple, Boston)

• 03/14: 1894-1;
• 06/13: 1894-19;
• 09/12: 1894-49;
• 12/13: 1894-103; (Annual Communication)

03/14 Agenda

• 1894-11: Installation of District Deputy Grand Masters not present at the Feast of St. John in 1893.

06/08 Agenda

• 1894-26: Report of Charity Committee.
• 1894-31: Presentation of a ritual cipher by the Recording Grand Secretary, considered a Masonic offense; a committee was appointed to investigate its preparation and to "ferret out the guilty parties."
  • 09/12: 1894-67ff; Report of committee. Extensive documentation on the purported miscreants; it was declared that withholding information on the basis of Masonic trust between brothers (the MM oath) should not apply when contrary to the "demand of the Grand Lodge for a disclosure." The two participants (George H. Earl and Gifford H. G. McGrew) were expelled from Masonry.
  • 09/12: 1894-75; Resolution that possession of the above-mentioned cipher would be considered a Masonic offense, and that the Committee on Ritual be directed to report on legislation, or orders, to make the work of no Masonic value - including the possibility of revising the Ritual.
• 12/12: 1894-139; Report of Committee on Ritual, recommending that any Mason who would print, buy or sell, or use or circulate keys or ciphers, should be subjected to expulsion.
• 1894-32: Proposal for a permanent charity fund, based on the contribution of $1 yearly per member; referred to a committee.

09/13 Agenda

• 1894-57: Presentation (by letter) of a burial lot to the Grand Lodge, located in Mount Hope Cemetery, by Bro. John Hoffman Collamore. Note: this philanthropic Mason appears to have donated quite a bit to Massachusetts Masonry; a portrait of him can be found in the Commandery offices on the ninth floor of the Boston Masonic building.
  • 10/29: 1894-85; See Special Communication, below.
  • 12/12: 1894-137; Additional burial lot presented, increasing the area to 5,500 sq. ft.
• 1894-58: Report of Charity Committee.

12/12 Agenda

• Recorded in Grand Master Weld's address, beginning on page 1894-120, made by Deputy Grand Master Holmes:
  • Lodges visited:
    • Revere, Boston (01/02)
    • Beth-Horon, Brookline (01/09; installation)
    • Revere, Boston (03/06)
    • Bethesda (Brighton) (03/12; 75th anniversary of the lodge.)
    • King Solomon's, Charlestown (04/10)
    • Mount Vernon, Malden (04/19; Grand Master of New Hampshire present)
    • Wyoming, Melrose (06/24; Feast of St. John the Baptist)
    • Beth-Horon, Brookline (11/15)
    • Lodge of St. Andrew, Boston (11/30; Feast of St. Andrew)
  • Hall and Building Dedications and Cornerstone Layings:
    • North Attleborough (06/16; Special Communication; by Rt. Wor. Holmes)
    • Nahant (07/23; Special Communicationl by Rt. Wor. Holmes)
    • Roxbury (09/29; Special Communication; by Past Grand Master Wells)
    • Bethany, Merrimac (10/10; Special Communication; by Rt. Wor. Holmes)
    • Burial lot in Mount Hope Cemetery, Boston (10/29; Special Communication; by Rt. Wor. Holmes)
• 1894-134: Election of Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes on the second ballot. Election of other Grand Officers. Remarks by Past Grand Master Wells and Grand Master-Elect Holmes.
• 1894-137: Charity committee report.
• 1894-145: Auditing Committee Report.

Grand Constitutions Amendment Proposals

• 03/14: 1894-11; Proposal to amend Part 5, Section 13, regarding dual membership. The proposal would permit members of lodges outside of the Commonwealth to simultaneously hold membership in Massachusetts-based lodges. Adopted.

• 03/14: 1894-13; Proposal to amend Part 4, Article 1, Section 5, to permit lodges to hold meetings away from their usual location in order to attend the funeral of a Master Mason. Approved.

• 03/14: 1894-14; Proposal to amend Part 4, Article 3; a draft of the document to be submitted to candidates seeking admission to the Fraternity, along with provisions for fees, and prohibitions to membership for residence, jurisdiction, and physical capability. Referred.
  • 06/13: 1894-27; Postponed vote to September quarterly, so that amendments and revisions could be proposed and considered. Some revisions appear on page 1894-28.
  • 09/12: 1894-59ff; A revised form of this Article, including amendments and corrections, appears on these pages. Adopted.

• 12/12: 1894-140; Proposal to amend Part 3, Article 7, Section 2, regarding jewels for subordinate lodges; to provide a jewel for the Inside Sentinel.

Grand Master's Address

12/13: 1894-115: Grand Master's Address, presented by Deputy Grand Master Holmes. "During a large portion of the past year, the state of my health has been such that it has been impossible for me to perform most of the public duties devolving upon the Grand Master." Visits; Grand Lecturer's report; Board of Directors report; Masonic Education and Charity Fund. Income disposition from Grand Charity Fund. Referred to committee. Grand Master Weld declined to be a candidate for the Grand Master's office. An expression of regret and sympathy appears on page 1894-140.

Lodge By-Law Changes

• 03/14: 1894-18;
  • Full Codes : Thomas.
    • 1894-18: Approved with slight changes.
  • Amendments: Acacia, Ezekiel Bates, John Hancock, Merrimack, Monitor, Mount Hope, Starr King, William Sutton.
    • 1891-18: Approved.

• 06/13: 1894-25;
  • Full Codes : none.
  • Amendments: Norfolk Union (to reduce the fee for the degrees from $45 to $35 "to place itself on an equality with [neighboring lodges]." Approved.

• 09/12: 1894-66;
  • Full Codes : Mizpah, Puritan.
    • 1894-66: Approved with necessary changes.
  • Amendments: Aberdour, St. John's (Newburyport), Washington, Wilder, William Sutton.
    • 1891-66: Approved.

• 12/12: 1894-138;
  • Full Codes : Meridian Sun, U.D.
    • 1894-138: Approved with some changes.
  • Amendments:, Belcher, Brigham, Faith, Grecian, Star of Bethlehem, Starr King, Winslow Lewis, Zetland.
    • 1891-66: Approved.

Necrologies and Memorials

• 12/12: 1894-141: Memorial to Rt. Wor. DeWitt C. Jansen, District Deputy Grand Master for the China District; presented by Rt. Wor. Sereno D. Nickerson.

Petitions for Charters

• 03/14: 1894-10; John T. Heard Lodge, Ipswich, to replace the original, destroyed by fire; granted.

• 12/12: 1894-114; Meridian Sun U.D., North Brookfield; referred.
  • 12/12: 1894-138; granted.

Petitions for Dispensation for Lodges

• Dispensations for new lodges, mentioned in Grand Master's Address, beginning on Page 1894-120:
  • Meridian Sun, North Brookfield (12/28/1893)

SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS

• 06/16/1894: 1894-34; North Attleborough. Corner-stone laying for the Richards Memorial Library. Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes, Deputy Grand Master, presiding.
  • 1894-35: Grand Lodge opened at Bristol Lodge, procession to the building site.
  • 1894-35: Address by Rt. Wor. Edward R. Price.
  • 1894-36: List of contents of cornerstone box; corner-stone laying ceremony.
  • 1894-38: Address by Deputy Grand Master Holmes.

• 07/23/1894: 1894-41; Nahant. Corner-stone laying for the Library. Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes, Deputy Grand Master, presiding.
  • 1894-42: Grand Lodge opened in a building adjacent to the steamboat landing, procession to the building site with the escort of Mount Carmel and Golden Fleece Lodges.
  • 1894-43: List of contents of cornerstone box; corner-stone laying ceremony.
  • 1894-44: Address by Deputy Grand Master Holmes.

• 09/29/1894: 1894-77; Rosbury. Corner-stone laying for the First Universalist Society of Roxbury. Rt. Wor. Samuel Wells, Past Grand Master, presiding.
  • 1894-78: Grand Lodge opened in Prelate's Room of Joseph Warren Commandery. Procession to building site escorted by the Germania Band and Washington Lodge.
  • 1894-79; Address by Mr. William O. Curtis, chairman of the Standing and Building Committee, Rev. E.L. Rexford, and Rev. James DeNormandie.
  • 1894-80: "A novel and pleasing" Corner-stone laying ceremony. Noted that the Corner-stone of the original edifice was laid by Washington Lodge on 07/28/1820.

• 10/10/1894: 1894-82; Merrimac. Dedication of the Masonic hall of Bethany Lodge. Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes, Deputy Grand Master, presiding.
  • 1894-83: Procession by Grand Lodge into hall; welcome by Master of Bethany Lodge.
  • 1894-84: Dedication of hall; Paul Revere Charge delivered by Deputy Grand Master Holmes.

• 10/29/1894: 1894-85; Boston. Dedication of the Burial Lot and Monument. Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes, Deputy Grand Master, presiding.
  • Lodges represented: Belmont, Bethesda (Brighton), Beth-Horon, Columbian, The Lodge of Eleusis, Faith, Isaac Parker, King Solomon's, Lafayette (Roxbury), Macedonian, Mizpah, Orphan's Hope, Prospect, Satuit, Simon W. Robinson, Temple, Washington, Winslow Lewis.
    

A picture of this monument appears facing page 1894-85.

• • 1894-87: Grand Lodge travels to Forest Hills, Mount Hope Cemetery.
  • 1894-87: Order of exercises listed, including the presentation of Bro. Collamore, reply of the Acting Grand Master, Scripture and response, and dedication.
  • 1894-96: Deputy Grand Master Holmes' Address.

FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

(held at Masonic Temple, Boston, 12/27/1894)

• 1894-144: Opening and roll call. Rt. Wor. Edwin B. Holmes presiding.
• 1894-146: Report of Charity Committee.
• 1894-147: Installation of Grand Master Edwin B. Holmes ‚"in manner and form according to the time-honored usage of this Grand Lodge." Installation of other Grand Officers.
• 1894-152: Report of Recording Grand Secretary: 1,663 Master Mason diplomas issued in 1894.
• 1894-154: List of lodges not represented in Grand Lodge in 1894, as well as the past 2-5 years (plus Aconcagua Valparaiso, not represented for the past 13 years).
• 1894-157: Feast of St. John, listing toasts and names of speakers:
  • 1894-158: Grand Master Edwin B. Holmes.
  • 1894-162: Rt. Wor. Charles H. Norris.
  • 1894-166: Senior Grand Warden George F. Walker.
  • 1894-167: Grand Chaplain Rev. Bro. John Cuckson.
  • 1894-173: Rt. Wor. Charles Levi Woodbury.
  • 1894-178: Rev. Bro. Adolph A. Berle.
  • 1894-182: Rt. Wor. Solon W. Stevens.
  • 1894-189: Bro. R. Perry Bush.
  • 1894-196: Past Grand Master Wells.
  • 1894-198: Past Grand Master Welch.
  • 1894-203: Past Grand Master and Recording Secretary Nickerson.
  • 1894-205: Rt. Wor. Charles C. Hutchinson.
  • 1894-210: Deputy Grand Master Thorndike.
  • 1894-213: Past Deputy Grand Master Ely.
  • 1894-218: Junior Grand Warden Henry J. Mills.

LIST OF LODGES IN MASSACHUSETTS BY DISTRICT: 1894

There were 28 districts in Massachusetts in 1894, as well as districts for Chile and China.

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