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Communication, which had been served and testimony taken. All
in connection with the matter was omitted from the publication.
Suffice it to say that the charges were not sustained. Anything in
the nature of intolerance in religious matters or extreme views on
temperance have never found favor among the body of the craft of
Montana. Contrary to expectation, the revenues of Grand Lodge
met all demands, and the balance was actually increased to a small
amount. The District Deputy system had also worked better than
anticipated. There was a report from all four and they had fairly
done their duty.
What we have always regarded as the most important act of this
Communication was the adoption of a series of resolutions, five
in number, modified somewhat from those adopted in Louisiana,
at the instance of Past Grand Master M. E. Girard, our Grand
Representative. They had been published in the proceedings of the
previous year, so that all could be fully advised of their meaning and
importance. To our great surprise, they were adopted unanimously
and with hardly any debate and amendment. We have on several
occasions referred to them as our guide when dispute waxed hot
among warring jurisdictions.
Brother Samuel Word, who had attained the position of Deputy
Grand Master five years before, a Montana-made Mason, a zealous,
active member, who had once revised and codified our Constitution
and Laws, an eminent and successful lawyer, was chosen Grand
Master.
The Masonic year that ended with the Twenty-third Annual
Communication witnessed a fair degree of prosperity. Two new
lodges were organized, one at Great Falls, as Cascade Lodge, U. D.,
and later as No. 34 the other at Walkerville, a suburb of Butte, where
an attempt had previously been made and failed. This time it met
with better success and became Monitor Lodge, No. 35. The gain in
membership had been seventy-five and reached a total of 1,375, and
the dues increased to $2,690.
The leading features of the ‘Twenty-thirdAnnual Communication
was the consideration and adoption of a ritual. During all the preceding
years Montana had no more definite work than that exhibited by the
officers of Virginia City Lodge at the time of organizing the Grand
Lodge. There was no uniformity of work. It varied with every lodge
and every successive Master.