M.W. JAMES G. GAYLES

MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER

To:  the Most Worshipful United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for the State of Washington and Jurisdiction, Greetings:

The footstep of old Father Time has brought us to the point that marks the thirteen years of our endeavors in the State of Washington to build an edifice and beautify it with moral, mental and social fabric that will redound to the honor of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry.

I do not think It would be well to mark very many of the steps made by the craft of Washington during the thirteen years of our existence, for reasons best known to ourselves at this particular time. However, my brothers, let us forget the steps already trod and press with vigor on. This is an age of gigantic problems, great Issues and radical reforms. We are living in a perilous age, an age of war and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.

All these things are the beginning of sorrows. Disasters of every kind by land and sea, but when I see the Thirteenth annual session opened first by invoking the blessing of God, I know that it is being ushered in properly. For without His guiding hand our cause ere now would have been lost. As we again meet in one of our thrifty little cities of the State of Washington, may we grasp inspiration from the surrounding atmosphere and go at the task before us with a determined effort to add such material to this Masonic structure as will tend toward the extirpation of vice, the elimination of creeds and clans, the suppression of tyranny and the elevation of man to one common level, whose ideal standard shall be perfection.

Two centuries ago the world struggled for religious liberty; a century ago for political liberty, and today we are struggling for fraternal liberty, which causes the individual to forget self and work for the good of the fraternity; that liberty that binds and knits our hearts together in a common cause; that liberty that cements the divine elements of our progress and success, spreads the mantle of charity, extends the helping hand, melts the icy heart and unites us in one sacred band or society of friends and brothers.

Being thus identified with this most ancient and honorable fraternal institution, none realizes more than we the impelling force of the great issues of the age, thus driving us to see the need of the fraternal spirit that we may successfully meet the obstacles in life’s battle.

A society can attain no greater height than the material of which it is composed and the fraternal spirit can only be kept alive by teaching the principles for which Masonry stands. Teach Masons the true import of their obligations and help them to live up to them. Teach them that the mere stereotyped words of the ritual are not Masonry, but we must imbibe the spirit of the same. Let no business crowd out the instruction that is intended to be con­veyed. For the principles of the institution are the foundation upon which it rests. There should never be so much business in a lodge room that we do not have time to develop and foster the principles of the institution as they are applied to man in every-day life. Masonic knowledge may be varied and rich, but unless it works out into action and practical efficiency it will perish with the individual. For Masonry is an energy working for the good of humanity by developing the proper relation of man to man and establishing the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. When Masons learn rightly to consider the principles of the fraternity there will not be so many seeking to make the institution a political machine by virtue of which they may ride into office; nor will there be Masons seeking to defame the character of their brothers or belittle the institution of which they are a. member simply for self-aggrandizement. In fact, there are too many billboard Masons who put their stock on display for the sake of self. Too many who give advice and are absent when the time comes to give aid. Too many who profess to know the law and fail to obey the same. Too many who advocate honesty and uprightness and too few to live up to its behest.  Too many who always see the evil and never the good. Let us then for once turn over a new leaf and see if we cannot as readily behold the good, as well as the evil. Let us see if we can advertise the good, as well as criticize the cad. in fact, let us be as ready to correct an error as we are to find one. In short, let us look on the bright side of life, he optimistic as all Masons should be.

Condition of the Craft

All lodges visited seem to possess that fraternal spirit that should exist, and peace, harmony and brotherly love seem to prevail

The first lodge visited was Cassia Lodge No. 5. at the little city of Tacoma. I found them working in harmony, peace and brotherly love. In fact, the same can he said of all the lodges in the jurisdiction. I made my annual visit to all the lodges except Cascade Lodge at Roslyn, Guiding Star Lodge at Yakima and Inland Empire Lodge at Spokane.

I made Bro. E. H. Holmes Special Deputy to inspect Inland Empire Lodge.

I personally inspected Cascade Lodge and Guiding Star Lodge through their representatives.

Lodges                                                                                                  Membership.

Enterprise Lodge No. 1 has                                                                   27 members

Harmony Lodge No. 2 has                                                                     22 members

Inland Empire Lodge No. 3 has                                                             28 members

Cassia Lodge No. 5 has                                                                        13 members

Guiding Star Lodge No. 6 has                                                               12 members

Evergreen Lodge No. 9 has                                                                  15 members

Time will not allow me to say all that is necessary to say about the falling off of the membership, but suffice to say if we do not turn over a new leaf our Grand Lodge will wither and die like a green leaf in the burning and scorching rays of the sun.

I refused to grant a dispensation to Cassia Lodge No. 5, and to Guiding Star Lodge No. 6, to make Masons out of time and for a less fee than that prescribed by law.

I granted two dispensations, one to Enterprise Lodge and one to Cassia Lodge, for the purpose of conferring the Master’s Degree on members in less time than that prescribed by law.

I drew two warrants on the treasurer, one for six dollars and seventy-five ($6.75) cents for printing Grand Master Inspection blanks and envelopes, and one for thirteen ($13.00) dollars for Grand Master’s traveling expense, stamps and stenographic fees. On or about the 12th of March I received a letter from Bro. Braggs that he had turned over to Bro. Shepperson $150, and at that time he only had in the treasury $15.27. In answer to Bro. Braggs, letter I said I would order Bro. Shepperson to turn the $150 back into the treasury, and I took the matter up with Bro. Shepperson in the manner the following letters will show. I will ask the Secretary to read them. I carried out the mandates issued to me by the Grand Lodge in making full payment to Mrs. E. J. Hawkins and the undertaker at Snohomish. They are both paid in full. But after strict investigation of Bro. Allen’s case, I found his case was improperly stated before the Grand Lodge. I therefore set aside the action already had in his case for informality, and remanded the case for further proceeding. I will now read in your hearing a letter to Bro. Allen, which will more fully explain my action. The letter reads as follows:

“I have reason to believe that a majority of the members were not fully aware as to how Bro. Allen’s case came before the Grand Lodge. I was on the. Committee on Grievances and Appeals when Bro. Allen’s case first came before the Grand Lodge at Portland, Oregon, and reported favorably in the case, and I am frank to admit I did not know how his case got before the Grand Lodge as the chairman of that committee objected to my questioning those who came before the committee to testify, and gave me to understand that he was chairman.  Hence I could not find out how Bro. Allen’s case got before the Grand Lodge. It was clearly the duty of the Grand Lodge, if they had known all of the particulars in the, case, to return his appeal to him until such time as it came regularly before the Grand Lodge. In granting a certificate of good standing to a member of a subordinate lodge the Grand Lodge clearly assumes the exercise of power which belongs solely to a subordinate lodge, and by it infringed upon the privileges and dignities of said lodge. I trust I have explained the case clearly, and I shall not dwell longer on it. I shall leave it to you to approve or disapprove by action.”

I postponed the annual communication one day in order that the representatives could have the benefit of the reduced rates.

I appointed representatives of this Grand Lodge near other Grand Lodges to receive an accredited representative of other recognized Grand Lodges near this Grand Lodge.

Foreign correspondence is as follows:

The Grand Jurisdiction of Ohio.

Grand Jurisdiction of Louisiana.

Grand Jurisdiction of New York.

Grand Jurisdiction of Maryland.

Grand Jurisdiction of Virginia.

Grand Jurisdiction of Iowa.

I summoned the Worshipful Master and Wardens of Enterprise Lodge No. 1 to be in attendance at this Grand Lodge communication.

By reason of not being able to keep in touch with the Grand Secretary, I ran out of official paper and could not get any until I had some printed. Hence I got behind in my correspondence.

 Recommendations

I recommend that the Grand Lodge get out rosters for 1916. I recommend that Mackey Jurisprudence instead of the Washington Code be used until such time as we are able to have a Code of our own. I recommend that the Treasurer and Secretary give bonds in such sums as may be fixed hereafter, for the faithful performance of their duties.

I recommend that the Grand Lodge secure a lot in some city to be named hereafter, and build a Masonic hall and furnish it with the necessary furniture, that the Grand Lodge may have a Masonic home.

I recommend the repeal of the law requiring the Secretary and Treasurer of subordinate lodges to give bonds in the sum of a thousand ($1000) dollars each.

I received from Inland Empire Lodge twenty-two ($22.00) dollars and seven ($7.00) dollars from Evergreen Lodge for traveling expenses.

Respectfully submitted, I remain,

Yours Fraternally,

JAMES G. GAYLES,