ORGANIZATION

OF THE

M. WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS

OF THE

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, FOR 1862.

M. W. William D. Coolidge, of Newtonville, Grand Master.
R. W. Marshal P. Wilder, of Dorchester, Deputy Grand Master.
Henry Chickering, of Pittsfield, Senior Grand Warden.

66 Peter C. Jones, of Newton, Junior Grand Warden.

John McClellan, of Boston, Grand Treasurer.

Charles W. Moore, of Boston, Recording Grand Secretary.
Charles L. Woodbury, of Boston, Corresponding Grand Secretary.
Rev. Samuel Osgood, D. D. of Springfield, G. Chaplains.
Rev. T. J. Greenwood, of Malden,

William D. Stratton, of Melrose, Grand Marshal.

William H. Sampson, of Boston, Senior Grand Deacon.

C. C. Dame, of Boston, Junior Grand Deacon.

D. McB. Thaxter, of South Boston,

Henry F. Thomas, of New Bedford,Grand Stewards.
Wm. F Salmon, of Lowell,

C. J. Cleveland, of East Boston,

James A. Dupee, of Boston, Grand Sword Bearer.
Isaac Cary, of Newtonville, Grand Pursuivants.
J. W. Barton, of Boston,

Benj. F. Nourse, of Cambridgeport, Grand Lecturers.
B. D. Bancroft, Groton.

Samuel H. Gregory, of Boston, Grand Chorister.

Irving I. Harwood, of Boston, Grand Organist.
Eben F. Gay, of Boston, Grand Tyler.

William D. Coolidge, Henry Chickering, Peter C. Jones, Charles W. Moore, ex-officiis—
John T. Heard, Winslow Lewis, William North, G. Washington Warren,
William Parkman.

AUDITING COMMITTEE.

S. D. Nickerson, C. J. F. Sherman, and Sylvester Trull.

COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY.
Winslow Lewis, Charles W. Moore, Rev. George M. Randall.

COMMITTEE ON CHARITY.

William Read, Robert L. Robbins, and Eben F. Gay]

GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS. THE Grand Lodge of this Commonwealth was organized, and its officers for the current year duly installed, on the evening of the 27th ult., in the presence of a large assemblage of the Brethren. It was the second inauguration of the M. W. WM. D. COOLIDGE, Esq., as Grand Master, and was an occasion of much interest. At the conclusion of the ceremonies of installation the Grand Master read his annual address, which we give below. This was followed by the following Ode, written for the occasion by R. W. Brother JOHN K. HALL:

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Supreme Grand Master! we to thee
Again as suppliants bow the knee;
Our labor here can nought avail;
Without thy aid all efforts fail.

Let our Grand Master be thy care,
And let him thy rich blessings share;
Guide and instruct him by thy grace,
With wisdom to adorn his place.

Restore once more o'er all our land
That scene of a united band,

Where heart and hand in concert move,
And join in deeds of heav'nly love.

Unite again that broken chain,

From Ocean to our Western plain,

And to the North and South once more
That peace and harmony restore.

While prosp'rous we thy care forgot,
Unmindful of our pleasant lot;
Not heeding that by God 't was given,
To lead our thoughts to thee in heav'n.

But now let grateful incense rise;

The contrite heart thou 'lt not despise ;
Accept our tribute we implore,

God of our fathers! bless once more.

This was followed by an eloquent and fitting Address by Rev. Wм. R. ALGER, who never fails to interest and delight his audience. Old Hundred was then sung, and the Brethren were dismissed with a benediction by Rev. Brother W. T. GREENWOOD, of Malden, one of the Grand Chaplains.

ADDRESS OF THE GRAND MASTER.

Never, Brethren, in the history of this Grand Lodge have we been permitted to assemble when first of all we should acknowledge with more heartfelt and sincere gratitude the protecting love, the ever watchful and guiding care of a divine Providence than this on which this evening we are convened. When, as

I addressed you from this spot just a year ago, as I entered on these duties with a heart full of hopeful gladness, how little did we think of what the coming year was to develope, yet through it all our work of usefulness and charity has been blessed; and reverently and devoutly do I desire to acknowledge our dependence, and implore the continuance of divine aid to guide our deliberations in the future, in the words, that

"As He was with the fathers, so may he be with us."

Let me express to you, Brethren, how profoundly I appreciate the distinguished honor you have conferred upon me, and the sincere gratitude I feel at this renewed expression of your confidence and brotherly regard.

I judge by my own heart, Brothers, that I touch the key note in yours, when, at this early period of my annual address, I speak to you of our country. I know the intense excitement in which every one of you has shared the past year. I know it by your correspondence with me and by my frequent visits among you; and therefore while I admit most fully that sectarianism and political disputation has no place in the Lodge-room, love of conntry, honor, valor, fidelity, truth and justice have a place, and that on these themes you will bear with me; and while we are in the midst of this excitement and strife, and this outbreak of folly, madness and crime is being forced upon us by a portion of our people, let me, Brethren, if I can by any word of mine cheer your hearts to duty, and strengthen your trust in an Almighty Guide and Protector, let me utter a few thoughts at this time, and see if the principles of our institution do not guide us aright in this trial of our faith.

Our country had become enervated by prosperity and her officers corrupt and unfaithful; degeneracy was apparent; honesty, patriotism and subordination were dying out in our land; and as the lightnings of Heaven clear and purify, so this nation requires purification as by fire. Through this wholesome discipline we are passing; but if we will open our ears and our minds to the voice, almost audible, speaking to our hearts, and learn the lessons taught of purity, self-sacrifice, honesty, patriotism, and subordination; if respect for established usage, respect for age and authority so lamentably deficient in our day; if these are the lessons learned by such hard trials, our country will rise again, put on her beautiful garments, and be our pride and glory, and the hope of the world.

Let us show as Masons, by our example, this spirit of loyalty, subordination and fraternity, and the time will soon come when our prayers will be answered and this great madness be rebuked, our nation redeemed, and the end be glorious, and its great consummation be, a purified, patriotic, united, invincible and happy people-when our

"Hopes shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise."

Brethren, I might dwell on this theme, but I must hasten to the business portions of my address, and I am detaining you from the music of that voice we all so much love to hear.

Notwithstanding the preoccupancy of our minds, and the intense anxiety which

has pervaded all your hearts, the work of the Lodges has gone on to an unexpected extent, and there is but little falling off during the past Masonic year in the number of initiates. Number of Lodges in our jurisdiction is 121.

The number of initiates in 1858 was 1323; in 1859 there were 1188; in 1860 one thousand one hundred and seven. It cannot be reasonably expected that the present year will bear any proportion to the few preceding ones; but, Brethren, this I do not regret; it will be well for us to stop and breathe a while, and to let those who have borne this burden and heat of the day rest from their labor, and give them and all an opportunity to look back over the work that has been done, and gather strength for the present, and hope for the future; it will enable the Brethren to become more and better acquainted with each other, and the circumstances of the present year will afford many opportunities for the practical workings of our institution, which a continued course of prosperity does not afford. We are to show that our institution is no idle pageant, but that our symbols have inculcated duties in our hearts, and we must show that we are ready and willing to exemplify those duties in our lives; and though there may be fewer applicants for admission, keep the standard high and lofty, and remember that the honor of the institution is in your keeping, and see to it, that none but those possessing high moral, social and intellectual qualities are admitted to share our honors and our happiness.

The following Dispensations have been granted to new Lodges the past

year:

February 22. Lodge at South Dedham, to Brother Addison Boyden and others. May 6. Bay State Army Lodge, 3d Regiment, to Brother Timothy Ingraham and others.

July 13. Pythagoras Lodge, at Marion, to Brother John D. Allen and others. August 12. Massachusetts Army Lodge, No. 2, 16th regiment, to Brother Leander G. King and others.

September 16. United Brethren Army Lodge, No. 3, 17th regiment, to Brothers John F. Fellowes and others.

October 17. Fraternal Army Lodge, No. 4, 25th regiment, to Brothers Joseph B. Knox and others.

November 4.

Bunker Hill Army Lodge, No. 5, 2d regiment, to Brother George H. Gordon and others.

December 24. Union Lodge, No. 6, in the 1st regiment of Massachusetts Cavalry, to Brother M. A. Moore and others.

Lodges have been Constituted and Consecrated; Corner Stones Laid, and Halls Dedicated at the following places :

January 2. Constituted and Consecrated Hammatt Lodge, at East Boston, and Installed its Officers.

January 17. Constituted and Consecrated John Warren Lodge, at Hopkinton, and Installed its Officers.

June 24. Constituted and Consecrated Dalhousie Lodge, at Newton, and Installed its Officers.

September 20. Constituted and Consecrated John Hancock Lodge, at Methuen, and Installed its Officers.

September 20. Constituted and Consecrated Pacific Lodge, at Amherst, and In. stalled its Officers.

April 15. Laid Corner Stone of St. John's Episcopal Church, at Lowell, by Br. G. W. Warren, D. G. M.

May 30. Laid Corner Stone of First Universalist Church at Chelsea.

June 12. Laid Corner Stone of Howard Methodist Episcopal Church, at Cam bridgeport present the Grand Lodge.

January 22. Dedicated a new and most commodious Hall, at New Bedford, and Installed the Officers of Star-in-the East and Eureka Lodges.

January 28. Dedicated new Hall, at Southbridge, and Installed the Officers of Quinebaug Lodge.

November 12. Dedicated new Hall at Worcester for Montecute Lodge, and Installed its Officers.

We are largely represented in the army of the United States. We have the names of more than three hundred Brethren, a large portion of whom are offi. cers. We have granted them six Lodges, and have done all that we could to spread over them the ægis of our protection. We watch them with parental solicitude, and I am grieved to say, that among those held as hostages in Richmond, is our worthy and well beloved Brother, Capt. Bowman, Past Master of the Lodge at Clinton. Every effort that we can lawfully make for his exchange or relief, will be made, and so of all others of our band. You will unite your prayers, Brethren, for their safety and their honor; cheer them with your best words and counsel; and should they fall, honor their memories, and embalm their good deeds and heroism in the history and archives of your Lodges.

I take this occasion to mention how largely I am indebted to the District Deputy Grand Masters for their zeal and devotion. I have been most effectively aided by you, my beloved Brethren, and I most cheerfully acknowledge the great obligations we are under to you, for your prompt and generous devotion of time and talent to your duties. Nor can I omit to mention, in this connexion, how much my own duties have been relieved by the enlightened and sound knowledge of Masonic Jurisprudence of the Recording Grand Secretary. His pocket edition of the Trestle-Board and Digest of Masonic Law has been of great service to me, and should be in the hands of every Brother desirous of perfecting himself in Masonic culture.

Our beloved Brother, the D. D. G. M. of the Second Masonic District, has again placed us under obligations by his generosity; but as he is so continually doing these kind acts, to recount them would be more than my space will permit.

Let me recommend to you, Brethren, as far as in your power, to add to the impressiveness of our ritual the cultivation of music in your Lodge-rooms. The Grand Lodge have set an example, and we have had our spirits exalted and gladdened to-night by the stirring notes of the organ and the voices of our people in glad and holy unison for the return of peace in our land. Music is the language of love, gentleness, kindness, devotion, and how much it adds to the sun.