War makes many changes necessary. This we find is no less true in Lodge routine and affairs than in individual civilian life. For the first time in twenty-five years we find ourselves conferring all three degrees upon a candidate in less than one week.
At a regular communication on Friday evening, September 25th, 1942, Mr. Allen D. Seaman was voted upon and elected to become a member of Monticello Lodge.
Due to the fact that the candidate had been inducted into the Army, was on his fourteen day furlough and was to leave for camp on Thursday, November 1st, the First Degree was conferred upon him this same evening.
Due to the emergency and the candidate's desire to receive all three degrees in his own lodge, Wor. Bro. Benton telephoned the Grand Master, Most Wor. William F. Strang, who granted us a special dispensation to confer the Second Degree at a special communication on Monday evening, September 28th, and the Third Degree at a Special Communication on Wednesday evening, September 30th.
Here again our older members will note a change from similar emergencies during World War I when all three degrees were conferred upon candidates all on the same evening and when they remained in Lodge until 4 and 5 A. M. in order to do so.
From the standpoint of Masonry this practice was found mot so satisfactory. Thus the change in the present emergency to the practice of allowing at least one day between degrees where at all possible. Thus the candidate, instead of a confused sense of what he has gone through has a much clearer idea and is able to make at least some degree of proficiency in thc preceding degree before receiving the next.
This we are glad to say Bro. Seaman did to a marked degree.
We also were glad to see the high degree of efficiency on the part of the officers and the brothers who assisted them in the Second Degree on such short notice (a few minutes in some cases).
Also the fine attendance as well as the efficient work on Wednesday, September 30th, when the Third Degree was conferred upon Bro. Seaaman was most gratifying and highly appreciated by both the candidate and the officers.
In Memorium Lodge records indicate that Bro. Seaman was raised to the Celestial Lodge on February 24, 1988.
[LODGE HISTORY]
