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Article NOTES ON AMERICAN FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 2
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Notes On American Freemasonry.
grandeur , and the permanency of Freemasonry . A few more touches of the limner ' * brush , and we shall have a Masonic home unrivalled in the universe . " The following new arrangements was made for disseminating the work : — " Resolved , That the Grand Master appoint for each district an officer to be called Inspector and Deputy Grand ^ Lecturer ,
whose duty it shall be to visit annnally ( and oftener if desired by the Lodge ) each Lodge in his district ; to inspect the work , and , if necessary , correct the same , in accordance with the work as adopted , and as exemplified before this Grand Lodge at the present session ; to report the working condition of each lodge in his district to the Grand Lecturer , on or before the first day of October in each year ; to examine the records of each lodge , its manner of transacting its business with reference to its conformity to the constitution aud regulations ; and to report thereon to the Grand Master .
" Resolved , That each Lodge shall pay the necessary expenses of the Inspector aud Deputy Grand Lecturer incurred in performing the visitation required by the preceding resolution . " The president of the Masonic Board of Relief , presented a report from which it appears that during the year , this noble charity has disbursed for the relief of tho sick and distressed , seven thousand eight hundred and thirty dollars and seventy-five cents .
Number of Lodges , 175 ; Members , 9 . 52 S . COLORADO . The Grand Master ' s address thus exhorts the brethren upon the necessity of discrimination in tho proposition of candidates . "I think the utmost care has been exercised in the selection , of candidates , and while we may have rejected some good men whose characters were not sufficiently known at the time of the
application , yet it is better that we should use the black ball too freely than to allow bad men to get into our lodge . Let me say to you , my brethren , as I have often said to yon before , wo cannot examine too carefully the character of candidates for initiation . Do not receive the applicant because no brother has any objection , or no reason is known why he should not be made a Mason . Let not the committee , whose duty it is to inquire into the character of the applicantconfine themselves to
, the inquiry ? Let the inquiry be , on the contrary , Do you know of any reason why he shonld be made a Mason ? Is he honest , temperate , virtuous , and intelligent ? AA ' ould you be proud of him as a friend and brother ? Would you make him a companion at your fireside ? My brethren it these last questions cannot bo answered in the affirmative , then the candidate ou"ht not to be received . "
The address also contains some rather severe strictures upon those Masons who seize every opportunity of airing their Masonry at public procession' -, aud yet are not forthcoming when there is work to do in Lodge , concluding thus : — " We want men who are attracted , not by idle curosity , not because Masonry is honourable , not because it is a passport to place or power , but men in search of light—anxious inquirers alter truth , with mental and moral preceptions to understand our symbols
and sacred mysteries—such men will come to us , not because we indulge in imposing ceremonies iu public , not because it is popular to bo a Mason , but because they are actuated by the love of truth and virtue , "
Number of Lodges , 19 ; Members , S 54 . CONNECTICUT , At the Session of Grand Lodge , every Lodge iu the jurisdiction was represented . Dispensations had been granted during the year for six new Lodges . Says the Grand Master : " This Masonic year has been fo me very pleasant , having
had no important decisions to render render and no unpleasant duties fo perform . Universal peace , harmony , and prosperity prevail throughout this jurisdiction , with , perhaps one exception ; and , I trust , Masonry with ns not only stands as high as one year ago , but has made a healthy advancement . " The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was recognised , the subject of Quebec was postponed to another year . Number of Lodges , 115 ; Members , 13 , 072 .
FLORIDA . With reference to the difference with the Grand Orient of France , the following resolutions were adopted : "Resolved that the Grand Lodge of Florida will not hereafter hold any fraternal correspondence with the Grand Orient of France , or its spurious offspring in the state of Lousiana , until the said Grand Orient shall place itself ariht before the
g Masonic world in the premises . Resolved , that all fraternal intercourse between the Masons of Florida and such as owe or acknowledge fraternal allegiance to , or connection with , the Graad Orient of France , ortho said irregular organisations in . Lou . sia . na , is hereby interdicted and forbidden . '
And was also this : " Resolved , That the Grand Lodge of Florida fraternally sympathises with her long-since acknowledged sister Lodge of Canada , in this her day of trouble and confusion , and deem it inexpedient to hastily recognise the new organisation in tbe province of Quebec . " Number of Lodges , 59 ,
GEORGIA . The following scrap of history is not without interest : — 'April 27 , 1870 . —At the request of the Bethesda Union Society of Savannah , I convened an Occasional Grand Lodge , and laid the corner-stone of a new edifice at Bethesda , ten miles below the city , on the original grounds donated the society by the celebrated George' AVhitlield , Charles AVesley , Selina
Countess of Huntingdon , and others . " The brethren brought with them , to grace and sanctifj- the occasion , tbe ' oa-lt chair made from tbe tree -under which General Oglethorpe held the first Masonic Lodge , at Sunbury , Georgia ; also the Bible whicn was used on that occasion in the year 1733 , —both the property of Solomon ' s Lodge , No . 1 , of Savannah , Georgia . "
The following report was adopted : " Your committee , to whom was referred an ancient document presented to this Grand Lodge by Mr . Liza Solomon , of Savannah , Georgia , through our AV . Bro . David Mayer , have to report : — "That on examination of said document , they find the same to be a parchment diploma issued ' From the East of the Grand Court of the Most Puissant Council of the Most Valiant Princo and Sublime Masons of the Royal Secret , ' & c , granted by
' Solomon Bush , Prince ot Masons , Deputy Grand Inspector General and Prince of the Royal Secret , ' to one'Isaiah Bush / and bearing date at 'Philadelphia , North America , ' ' the first day of the month called Hesvan , of the year 5784 , * ** * of the vulgar era , the fifth day of October , 1785 , ' and attested by ' Aphston Humphreys , Sum . Grand Seeretary . ' "The document is in a good state of preservation , and wc recommend that the same be deposited in the archives of the
Grand Lodge '; and that the thanks of this Grand Body be returned , by the Grand Secretary , through our R . AV . Bro . Mayerf tc the generous donor , for the same . " The following resolution was adopted : — ^ "Resolved , . That the M . AV . Grand Master appoint a committee of five , who shall be known as and styled the Building Committee of the Grand Lodge , who shall be empowered to proceed to purchase a site in the city of Maconand erect
there-, on a suitable building for the use of this Grand Lodge ; and they shall have the authority to sell the investments for the purposes aforesaid , and to borrow such an amount as may be requisite to finish said building , at a reasonable rate of interest ; such building committee to have the same completed for the annual communication of this Grand Lodge iu October . Also ,
Resolved that all fraternal relations and Masonic intercourse between tbe Grand Loiige of Georgia and the Grand Orient of France cease and be discontinued until such time as the said Grand Orient shall rescind her action , recognising the spurious and clandestine . body styling itself 'The Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for the state of Louisiana , ' and duly acknowledges the dignity and all the rights of our sister Grand Lodge of Louisiana . " Number of lodges , 268 ; members , 13 , 921 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On American Freemasonry.
grandeur , and the permanency of Freemasonry . A few more touches of the limner ' * brush , and we shall have a Masonic home unrivalled in the universe . " The following new arrangements was made for disseminating the work : — " Resolved , That the Grand Master appoint for each district an officer to be called Inspector and Deputy Grand ^ Lecturer ,
whose duty it shall be to visit annnally ( and oftener if desired by the Lodge ) each Lodge in his district ; to inspect the work , and , if necessary , correct the same , in accordance with the work as adopted , and as exemplified before this Grand Lodge at the present session ; to report the working condition of each lodge in his district to the Grand Lecturer , on or before the first day of October in each year ; to examine the records of each lodge , its manner of transacting its business with reference to its conformity to the constitution aud regulations ; and to report thereon to the Grand Master .
" Resolved , That each Lodge shall pay the necessary expenses of the Inspector aud Deputy Grand Lecturer incurred in performing the visitation required by the preceding resolution . " The president of the Masonic Board of Relief , presented a report from which it appears that during the year , this noble charity has disbursed for the relief of tho sick and distressed , seven thousand eight hundred and thirty dollars and seventy-five cents .
Number of Lodges , 175 ; Members , 9 . 52 S . COLORADO . The Grand Master ' s address thus exhorts the brethren upon the necessity of discrimination in tho proposition of candidates . "I think the utmost care has been exercised in the selection , of candidates , and while we may have rejected some good men whose characters were not sufficiently known at the time of the
application , yet it is better that we should use the black ball too freely than to allow bad men to get into our lodge . Let me say to you , my brethren , as I have often said to yon before , wo cannot examine too carefully the character of candidates for initiation . Do not receive the applicant because no brother has any objection , or no reason is known why he should not be made a Mason . Let not the committee , whose duty it is to inquire into the character of the applicantconfine themselves to
, the inquiry ? Let the inquiry be , on the contrary , Do you know of any reason why he shonld be made a Mason ? Is he honest , temperate , virtuous , and intelligent ? AA ' ould you be proud of him as a friend and brother ? Would you make him a companion at your fireside ? My brethren it these last questions cannot bo answered in the affirmative , then the candidate ou"ht not to be received . "
The address also contains some rather severe strictures upon those Masons who seize every opportunity of airing their Masonry at public procession' -, aud yet are not forthcoming when there is work to do in Lodge , concluding thus : — " We want men who are attracted , not by idle curosity , not because Masonry is honourable , not because it is a passport to place or power , but men in search of light—anxious inquirers alter truth , with mental and moral preceptions to understand our symbols
and sacred mysteries—such men will come to us , not because we indulge in imposing ceremonies iu public , not because it is popular to bo a Mason , but because they are actuated by the love of truth and virtue , "
Number of Lodges , 19 ; Members , S 54 . CONNECTICUT , At the Session of Grand Lodge , every Lodge iu the jurisdiction was represented . Dispensations had been granted during the year for six new Lodges . Says the Grand Master : " This Masonic year has been fo me very pleasant , having
had no important decisions to render render and no unpleasant duties fo perform . Universal peace , harmony , and prosperity prevail throughout this jurisdiction , with , perhaps one exception ; and , I trust , Masonry with ns not only stands as high as one year ago , but has made a healthy advancement . " The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was recognised , the subject of Quebec was postponed to another year . Number of Lodges , 115 ; Members , 13 , 072 .
FLORIDA . With reference to the difference with the Grand Orient of France , the following resolutions were adopted : "Resolved that the Grand Lodge of Florida will not hereafter hold any fraternal correspondence with the Grand Orient of France , or its spurious offspring in the state of Lousiana , until the said Grand Orient shall place itself ariht before the
g Masonic world in the premises . Resolved , that all fraternal intercourse between the Masons of Florida and such as owe or acknowledge fraternal allegiance to , or connection with , the Graad Orient of France , ortho said irregular organisations in . Lou . sia . na , is hereby interdicted and forbidden . '
And was also this : " Resolved , That the Grand Lodge of Florida fraternally sympathises with her long-since acknowledged sister Lodge of Canada , in this her day of trouble and confusion , and deem it inexpedient to hastily recognise the new organisation in tbe province of Quebec . " Number of Lodges , 59 ,
GEORGIA . The following scrap of history is not without interest : — 'April 27 , 1870 . —At the request of the Bethesda Union Society of Savannah , I convened an Occasional Grand Lodge , and laid the corner-stone of a new edifice at Bethesda , ten miles below the city , on the original grounds donated the society by the celebrated George' AVhitlield , Charles AVesley , Selina
Countess of Huntingdon , and others . " The brethren brought with them , to grace and sanctifj- the occasion , tbe ' oa-lt chair made from tbe tree -under which General Oglethorpe held the first Masonic Lodge , at Sunbury , Georgia ; also the Bible whicn was used on that occasion in the year 1733 , —both the property of Solomon ' s Lodge , No . 1 , of Savannah , Georgia . "
The following report was adopted : " Your committee , to whom was referred an ancient document presented to this Grand Lodge by Mr . Liza Solomon , of Savannah , Georgia , through our AV . Bro . David Mayer , have to report : — "That on examination of said document , they find the same to be a parchment diploma issued ' From the East of the Grand Court of the Most Puissant Council of the Most Valiant Princo and Sublime Masons of the Royal Secret , ' & c , granted by
' Solomon Bush , Prince ot Masons , Deputy Grand Inspector General and Prince of the Royal Secret , ' to one'Isaiah Bush / and bearing date at 'Philadelphia , North America , ' ' the first day of the month called Hesvan , of the year 5784 , * ** * of the vulgar era , the fifth day of October , 1785 , ' and attested by ' Aphston Humphreys , Sum . Grand Seeretary . ' "The document is in a good state of preservation , and wc recommend that the same be deposited in the archives of the
Grand Lodge '; and that the thanks of this Grand Body be returned , by the Grand Secretary , through our R . AV . Bro . Mayerf tc the generous donor , for the same . " The following resolution was adopted : — ^ "Resolved , . That the M . AV . Grand Master appoint a committee of five , who shall be known as and styled the Building Committee of the Grand Lodge , who shall be empowered to proceed to purchase a site in the city of Maconand erect
there-, on a suitable building for the use of this Grand Lodge ; and they shall have the authority to sell the investments for the purposes aforesaid , and to borrow such an amount as may be requisite to finish said building , at a reasonable rate of interest ; such building committee to have the same completed for the annual communication of this Grand Lodge iu October . Also ,
Resolved that all fraternal relations and Masonic intercourse between tbe Grand Loiige of Georgia and the Grand Orient of France cease and be discontinued until such time as the said Grand Orient shall rescind her action , recognising the spurious and clandestine . body styling itself 'The Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for the state of Louisiana , ' and duly acknowledges the dignity and all the rights of our sister Grand Lodge of Louisiana . " Number of lodges , 268 ; members , 13 , 921 .