The Supreme Lodge
Introductory
Properly to tell the history of the Supreme Lodge, it is necessary to recite some happenings that preceded its creation, so that the reader of the present day may be informed as to the genesis of the central government of Pythian Knighthood.
Almost immediately following the organization of Washington Lodge No.' 1, some of its members started the project of creating a Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and, on April 8, 1864, the same was organized with Joseph T.. K.. Plant as Grand Chancellor, and A. D. -VanDerveer as Grand Scribe. Following this, Franklin Lodge No.2, Columbia No.3, and Potomac No.4, were organized in the District of Columbia, and Alexandria No.1 at Alexandria, Virginia, but when the next meeting of the Grand Lodge took place, early in June, 1865, only Lodges Nos. 1 and 2 were represented. Clarence M. Barton became Grand Chancellor, but his term was short. On June 13, 1865, the so-called Grand Lodge held its last meeting, Washington Lodge No.1 went out of existence, and, in October following, its remaining members, as well as those of Columbia No.3 and Potomac No.4, were accepted by Franklin Lodge No.2, and on it, the sole survivor, all the burden rested until April 18, 1866, when a Charter was granted, by Franklin Lodge, to Mount Vernon No.5.
On May 1, 1866, the record of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia shows, that "pursuant to agreement, Past Chancellors Rathbone, Barton, Dunn, King, Cook, and Beech, of No.2, John I. Downs of No.5, and Representative Stromberger, of No.5, met for the purpose of reorganizing the Grand Lodge, which had held no meetings since June, 1865. The offices of Grand Marshal, Herald, Prelate, and Inner and Outer Guardian, in vogue at that time, were discontinued," and J. H. Rathbone was elected Grand Chancellor, with Clarence M. Barton as Grand Scribe. These officers were elected to fill the unexpired term, ending June 30, 1866. On July 9, 1866, Edward Dunn became Grand Chancellor, Brother Barton continuing as Grand Scribe.
On July 30, 1866, a charter was granted to Liberty Lodge No.6, and on August 27th following, Webster Lodge No.7 was organized in the hall of Franklin Lodge N o. 2.
At the session of the Grand Lodge, January 14, 1867, the first mention is made of the -probable extension of the Order into Pennsylvania, but nothing was done until February 12, 1867, when an appropriation was made to pay the expenses of Brother C. M. Barton to Philadelphia, where he went, on February 15, and arranged for the organization of Excelsior Lodge No.1, of that city. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge, March 12, 1867, the Representatives of this Lodge were accorded a seat. For the term of 1867-1868, William P. Westwood was elected Grand Chancellor, and Clarence M. Barton was Grand Recording Scribe. Then follow the institution of several Lodges in Philadelphia, and, soon after, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
On August 27, 1867, the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was amended so as to read:-
ARTICLE I: " This body, whose title shall be' The Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias Dis- trict of Columbia, exercises its functions by the right of organization; but, on the establishment of a Supreme Lodge of the United States, shall exercise its functions by authority of that Supreme Lodge. This Grand Lodge shall be composed of all Past Chancellors and duly elected Representatives of all Subordinate Lodges in the District of Columbia, and of all States which have not a Grand Lodge.”
ARTICLE II: " This Grand Lodge shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all the Knights of Pythias within the District of Columbia, and over all States which have not a Grand Lodge; and no Lodge can exist without its sanction in this District, or in any State or States which have no Grand Lodge. It possesses the sole right and power of granting charters, of suspending or taking away the same upon proper cause; of receiving and hearing all appeals; of redressing grievances and complaints arising in the several Lodges under its jurisdiction; of enacting laws for its own government and support, and rules and regulations for the government of Subordinate Lodges under its jurisdiction; and of doing all other acts tending to promote the interests of the Order, provided the same are not in violation of the laws of the land or: of the Supreme Lodge. of the Knights of Pythias."
And at that period the title page of the Journal bears the somewhat pretentious inscription: "PROCEEDINGS OF THE GRAND LODGE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND THE PROVISIONAL SUPREME LODGE OF THE UNITED STATES."
Next came Maryland, on November 27, 1867, with applications for charters for Golden Lodge No.1, and Monumental Lodge No.2, at Baltimore, which were granted, and on December 31, 1867, Grand Chancellor Westwood was authorized to "proceed to Wilmington, Delaware, and organize- the Lodge in that city"- of the initial steps regarding this latter, no mention is made in the record. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge, December 10, 1867, charters were granted to New Jersey Lodge No.1, at Mount Holly, and Damon Lodge No.2, at Camden, New Jersey, and other Lodges followed in that State, early in 1868.
On December 31, 1867, the Grand Lodge adopted (S. L. Jour., 1868. page 3) , the following:
ARTICLE XI. " Sec. 1. When there are three Grand Lodges in complete working order, this Grand Lodge shall give notice of the same, under seal, of the time of electing ten delegates from each Grand Lodge to meet in joint convention, for the purpose of recommending to each Grand Lodge some definite way of forming the Supreme Grand Lodge, which must be ratified by a majority of the Grand Lodges. . " Sec. 2. But in no case can the convention disqualify the Past Grand Chancellors from forever being members as long as they remain in the Order :and upon the formation of that body this Grand Lodge ceases its functions as the Supreme Lodge, and, together with all Grand and Subordinate Lodges, shall receive and honor them as the Supreme Head."
At the quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, April 14 1868 Grand Chancellor Westwood made the first report, setting forth in detail his official acts-among these, that on March 16, 1868, he had organized the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, and that of Maryland on the following day-thus .giving to the Order four Grand Lodges. Following this, Brother Clarence M. Barton presented a series of resolutions looking toward the organization of a Supreme Lodge-the following is their full text, as amended and adopted:-
1. BE IT RESOLVED, (agreeably to Article XI, Section 1, of the Constitution) , That the Grand Recording Scribe be directed to notify the Grand Lodges of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland to elect ten delegates for the purpose of meeting in joint convention to recommend to the Grand Lodges now in existence some definite way of forming the Supreme Lodge of the United States.
2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That each Grand Lodge shall notify their delegates to meet in convention in the city of Philadelphia, on Friday, May 15, at 9 o'clock a. m., and said delegates shall continue in session until some definite plan is determined upon.
3. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Grand Chancellor of the Provisional Supreme Lodge shall call said convention to order, whereupon a permanent organization shall be effected by the election of a President and Secretary.
4. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER, That, after the Convention has determined upon some definite plan, the Secretary thereof shall transmit a copy of the same, attested by the President of the Convention, to the Grand Lodges of the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which Grand Lodges will hold a special session and take action thereon, and transmit the result of said action to the Secretary of the Convention.
5. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER, That if the President of the Convention finds that a majority of the Grand Lodges have ratified the plan of forming the Supreme Lodge as presented by the Convention, he shall cause the Secretary of the Convention to inform the Grand Lodges of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland of the ratification of the same, and the Supreme Lodges shall be formed at such time and of such representation as the Convention may have determined upon.
6. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER, That each Grand Lodge shall pay the traveling expenses of their delegates.
7. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER. That the. Provisional Supreme Lodge and Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia immediately go into an election for ten delegates.
8. BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER.. That the Grand Recording Scribe be directed to notify the different Grand Lodges above named, or any other Grand Lodge which may be chartered previous to the meeting of the Convention."
At the evening session of the same day, delegates were elected to the contemplated Convention.
Conforming to instructions, the Grand Scribe issued the call, and the following then appears of record (S. L. Jour., 1868, page 4) :
" Proceedings of the Convention to devise, a plan to form the 'supreme Lodge. " Pursuant to call, agreeably to Article XI, Sections 1 and 2, of the Constitution of the Provisional Supreme Lodge of the United States, Knights of Pythias, the delegates from the Grand Lodges of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey; Maryland, and Delaware assembled in convention in the city of Philadelphia, on the 15th day of May, 1868, (in the hall of the Southwark Hose Company, Third street, below Lombard,) to devise a plan to form the Supreme Lodge of the United States.
"William P. Westwood1, Grand Chancellor of the Provisional Supreme Lodge, called the Convention to order at 10 a. m.
"William Blancbois, of Pennsylvania, was appointed Secretary.
" After the Grand Chancellor had stated the objects of the Convention, R. F. Anderson, of Pennsylvania; moved that F. Turner, of Maryland, be declared temporary Chairman ; which was agreed to.
" On motion of C. M, Barton, of District of Columbia, Wllllam Blancbois, of Pennsylvania, was elected temporary Secretary."
and upon the report of a Committee on Credentials the following were seated as delegates to the Convention:-
" DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-Past Grand Chancellors Clarence M. Barton and J. H. Rathbone; Past Chancellors William L. Childs, Harry Kronheimer, J. R. N. Curtin, I:I. G. Divine, J. W. Bradbury, J. G. Dudley, D. Carrigan and R. Lawson.
" PENNSYLVANIA-Grand Chancellor Fred Coppes; Past Chancellors William S. Sneyd, T. W. Martin, C. W. Showaker, Abel Willls, Sr.., J. H. Rheem, Jacob Somerset, William Blancbois, D. M, Blackburn, MorrIs H. Gorham, and R. F. Anderson.
" NEW JERSEY-Grand Chancellor Samuel Read; Past Chancellors W. B. French, William H. Barton, Robert Muffett, Daniel J. Pierman, T. Brooke Joslin, Richard Wilmot, R. F. S. Heath, James A. Parsons and B. F- Wood.
"MARYLAND-Grand Chancellor James A. Campbell; Past Chancellors Francis Turner. C. F. Abbott, John W. Brown, N. M. Bowen, John A. Reed, John A. Thompson, Jr., Charles E. Lowe, Samuel DeHaven and John Burns.
"DELAWARE-Past Chancellors Ralph Rlgby, James L. Smith, Edwin Hirst, James P. Hayes, James E. Reynolds, Robert White, John Wright, Andrew Carey, E. L. Seely and Henry S. Trultt."
Upon the report of a Committee on permanent organization, the following offi- cers were elected by acclamation: -
WILLIAM BLANCBOIS, of Pennsylvania, President.
| SAMUEL READ, of New Jersey, | Vice Presidents |
N. M. BOWEN, of Maryland, |
|
| JAMES P. HAYES, of Delaware, |
CLARENCE M. BARTON, of District of Columbia, Secretary
The Convention then adopted Rules of Order, and proceeded to business.
A Committee previously appointed, consisting of H. Kronheimer, J. H. Rheem, F. Turner, R. Rigby and D. J. Pierman, then presented a report which, after discussion and amendment, was adopted, and was then, and ever since, known as "The Plan" and read as follows:-
THE PLAN. " The Supreme Lodge shall be composed of Past Grand Chancellors and three Representatives from each Grand Lodge, their election as such making them Past Grand Chancellors. They shall be elected for two years, at the same meeting at which the deliberations of this Convention are ratified :
" They shall meet In Supreme Lodge, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, upon the second Tuesday In August, 1868, and proceed to organize by electing a Founder and Supreme Past Chancellor, Supreme Venerable Patriarch, Supreme Chancellor, Supreme Vice Chancellor, Supreme Recording and Corresponding Scribe, Supreme Banker, Supreme Guide, Supreme Inner Steward, Supreme Outer Steward. –
" The said body, after organizing as above, shall be hailed and known and recognized as the supreme authority of the Knights of Pythias of the World.
" All the present officers of the State Grand Lodges are declared Past Grand Chancellors.
" Respectfully submitted," WILLIAM BLANCBOIS “CLARENCE M. BARTON
It was then decided that, until the formation of the Supreme Lodge, all authority over the Order remained vested in the Provisional Supreme Lodge, at Washington, District of Columbia. After which, the Convention adjourned, to meet at Wilmington, Delaware, in case the "Plan" was not ratified. However, the "Plan" was ratified by the Grand Lodges of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.