THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION. (The Fortieth Communication.) · St. Louis, October 30, A.D. 1845 1 A.L. 5845. This Grand Annual Communication found Fred L. BiIlon, D. G. M. presiding with the representatives of seventeen Lodges present. On the second day, Grand Master Mitchell was present and read his message. It is the first address of a Grand Master in the history of the Grand Lodge~ The address was brief. In it he doubts the expediency of conferring the Past Master's Degree' on. Wardens of Lodges. This statement reveals an unheard of procedure. The balance of the address is devoted to the· Masonic College. The President of the College submitted an excellent report and laid special stress that religious exercises should be .held every Sunday and also calls the attention of the Grand Lodge that only one of the five Chaplains appointed .had performed his duty in this matter. The question of requiring documentary evidence of mem~ership, or a Grand Lodge certificate, for. the purpose of visitation, "tas adopted. The election of Grand Officers ·resulted as follows: M. W. G. M R.. W.D. G. M. R. ·W. S. G.· W.
HBrother J.W. S. MITCHELL
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JOHN D. TAyLOR EDWARD S. RUGGLES JOHN F. L. JACOBY JOHN S.· WATSON FRED L. BILLON
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R. W.i.G. W. "G. Treas.
C.Sec." The number of Grand· Officers. not including District Deputies, was twenty-five, this. included seven Grand Chaplains~ The number of Lodges on the rollwith a total of 738 members ana this is based on incomplete r~turns.
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