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CHAPTER 34: THE NINETEEN TWENTIES

At the Annual Communication of 1922 Dudley Hays Ferrell was elected Grand Master.

Bro. Ferrell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, January 28, 1879. He was educated in the public schools in Iowa, Monmouth College in Illinois, Tarkio College in Missouri, Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary. Upon graduation he took a Presbyterian parish in Slatlngton, Pennsylvania, From there he went to the Unitarian church in Natlck, and, except for the time when he served the Grand Lodge as Relief Commissioner, occupied Unitarian pulpits until his death.

Bro. Ferrell received the Masonic degrees in Paul Revere Lodge in 1906. Becoming a Charter Member of Baalis Sanford Lodge in 1918, he was its first Master under Charter. He was Deputy Grand Master in 1922 and Grand Master in 1923, 1924, and 1925. He was a Director of the Grand Lodge from 1927 until his death in 1932. He became Relief Commissioner in 1927, on the death of M. W. John Albert Blake and served in that office until 1931, when he resigned to give undivided attention to the important pastorate of the Second Church in Boston.

M. W. Bro. Ferrell was a member of all the collateral branches of Masonry but held no offices except in the Scottish Rite. He was Most Wise Master of Mount Olivet Chapter of Rose Croix at the time of his death. He was made an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council in 1924.

Grand Master Ferrell was a man of fine appearance and unusual charm of manner. Trained as he was in the arts of expression, he was a speaker of great force and persuasiveness. He had an unusual power of attracting affection, which made him greatly beloved by all who knew him.

At the March Quarterly of 1923 M. W. Melvin M. Johnson called attention to the activities of certain publications, some of them bearing Masonic names, which professed to be the organs and exponents of Masonic sentiment and opinions, and presented the resolution which follows:

"Resolved: That this Grand Lodge speaks only through its Most Worshipful Grand Master, through its official Proceedings and other instruments issuing under the attestation of its Right Worshipful Grand Secretary, and through Brothers especially deputed by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master to the extent of their authority; and further

Resolved: That this Grand Lodge maintains no representative in Washington or elsewhere; that no person and no proper, magazine, or other publication has the right officially to voice or to represent the principles, opinions, or attitudes of this Grand Lodge except as hereinbefore provided."

The resolution was adopted and the Grand Secretary was directed to communicate it to the Lodges and the Grand Lodges with which this Grand Lodge was in correspondence. The difficulty appears to have been a temporary one as we hear no more about it.

At the same Quarterly it was announced that the Grand Lodge was soon to become the beneficiary of large sums under the wills of Bro. Orlando P. Davenport and of this widow who survived him but a short time, Bro. Davenport left $100,000 for the benefit of the Masonic Home. Mrs. Davenport left the family estate in Roxbury for a home for aged Masons and an endowment of $150,000. A decree, similar to that issued in the Williams case, was later obtained and the bequest was used to build the Davenport wing at the Masonic Home. This and the Williams Wing are substantial brick buildings. It is expected that ultimately the central building, the original wooden structure used for the Home, will be replaced by a brick building for which funds are being accumulated. There appears to be no immediate prospect of need for further enlargement. We are now able to care for all applicants and the govermental provisions for the aged are preventing any considerable increase in the number of applications.

On November 1, 1923, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, for the first time in its long history, held a Communication outside the boundaries of its Jurisdiction, By the gracious permission of M. W. James H. Price, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia and the fraternal courtesy of the officers and members of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, the Grand Lodge met in Alexandria, Virginia, for the purpose of participating in laying the corner-stone of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. All the Past Grand Masters were present and more than fifty officers of Grand Lodge and private members of the Fraternity, including two from the Canal Zone. The weather was very favorable and a long procession of many thousand Masons from all parts of the United States, escorted by detachments from the termed forces of the country, marched out to the site of the Memorial where the corner-stone was laid with full Masonic ceremonial. An admirable address was delivered by Rt. Rev. Bro. James E. Freeman, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Washington.

Early in 1924 Grand Master Ferrell began the long fight against lotteries. Taking the ground that lotteries are unethical and inconsistent with Masonic tenets and professions as well as generally contrary to law, he held that such practice must stop, and declared that "the operation of lotteries and the sponsoring of financial methods that partake of the character of gambling by the Masonic Lodges of this Jurisdiction will be adjudged a Masonic offense." The fact that other organizations use these methods is no excuse. The fact that in some cases there is no technical violation of the law is no defense.

There has been very little difficulty with the Lodges. Some has been encountered from organizations which are not Masonic but are composed of Masons. The general public, not aware of this essential difference often, perhaps generally, regards them as Masonic and their acts, good or bad redound to the credit or discredit of Masonry. While these groups, as organizations are not amenable to Grand Lodge control their individual members are liable to Masonic discipline. In one rather flagrant case two officers of ouch an organization were tried by the Grand Lodge Trial Commission, found guilty of conduct unbecoming a Mason, and sentenced to public reprimand. While the defendants do not seem personally to have taken their conviction very seriously, nevertheless the case was a very significant reminder that such offenders were not out of reach of the Grand Lodge and had a most salutary effect. Since that time it has generally been possible for Grand Masters to heed off these improper enterprises by by assuring their sponsors that they would individually be liable to Masonic discipline and in ail probability would have to undergo it. Perhaps the worst feature of these large scale lottery enterprises is that they are promoted by outside parties who make a business of it. They lure local groups into participation by specious promises of easy money and persuasive claims that what they propose is not a technical violation of law. The temptation to get something for nothing is a difficult one to control.

At the March Quarterly of 1924 Grand Master Ferrell made another important pronouncement. He spoke as follows:

"During the administration of Most Worshipful Brother Prince he made a definite suggestion which, coming from him, should have carried the inspiration of a recommendation, that the clubs whose membership was confined to Masons and which were located within the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge should drop the name Masonic from their titles wherever that name was being used. This suggestion was made upon two grounds:

1. "The title Masonic can only be used by permission of the Grand Lodge. Not one of these clubs had obtained such permission nor asked for it.
2. "It was observed that in their functioning these organizations in varying measure revealed the virtues and the shortcomings that all purely social groupings possess.
   

Yet bearing the title Masonic they became representative even in their inevitable shortcomings, of the Craft in general. There was slowly growing in the public i Ind a confusion as to who or what represented Masonry; a confusion that was more than liable to resolve itself into a conclusion that was false. The consistently public nature of their life may be considered an excuse for the clubs being placed in this position. Past conditions warranted their b ing falsely regarded as Masonry's representatives. -i-n consideration of these two things, one a fact, the other a possibility very nearly apprehending a reality, your present Grand Master reiterated the suggestion made by Most Worshipful Brother Prince and in a more or less direct way brought the matter to the attention of the clubs. Their response has been most gratifying. Some have already eliminated the term Masonic from their titles. In other clubs the change is in process. We speak of the matter now because by April 30, 1924, it is expected that every club .of Masons in the Commonwealth will have complied with the aforementioned suggestion. The Grand Lodge has tacitly ignored the situation thus far, but because of the considerations above stated, can do so no longer; and, by the above date, the change in tho name of each and every club composed of Masons and within our jurisdiction must be made."

At this time tho regular revenue of the Grand Lodge consisted of (1) a tax of $10.00 on each initiate, (2) a small tax levied on each Lodge, and (3) the net rentals of the Temple property. Added to this were the annual contributions to the Rainy Day Fund, which helped the Relief Department to meet its deficits. These contributions would be entirely Insufficient to meet the inevitable additional expanse entailed by tho opening of the Williams and Davenport buildings. Moreover the Grand Lodge had no adequate means to provide for Masonic service or Masonic education. What little it had for these purposes had to be raised by solicitation.

At the March Quarterly of 1924 M.W. Arthur D. Prince called attention to the situation and declared that all the expenses of the Grand Lodge ought to be provided for by regular revenue and the special contributions of all sorts discontinued. He offered an amendment to the Grand Constitutions providing that the ten dollar tax on initiates should be continued, the direct tax on Lodges should be abolished, and that Grand Lodge dues of two dollars a year should be paid by every affiliated Mason in the Jurisdiction. This measure had been fully considered by the Directors, who were entirely agreed as to its necessity.

The amendment of the proposal in Grand Lodge caused a shock of surprise and the first reaction was evidently against it. An intensive campaign of education was immediately undertaken by the Committee. The Committee in charge of the amendment held four hearings in representative parts of the state. In addition the matter was presented in meetings held in every Masonic District in the state except one. In that District the District Deputy Grand Master reported that the sentiment had become so favorable that no meeting was needed.

At every meeting detailed reports covering the financial operations of the Grand Lodge for the preceding ten years and a tentative estimate of immediate and prospective needs were presented. Very effective work was done in the presentation of these facts by R. W. Frank L. Simpson, the Deputy Grand Master. After the facts end figures had been presented there was general agreement as to the need of Grand Lodge dues for providing dependable revenue to meet Grand Lodge needs.

It soon appeared that the principle of Grand Lodge dues was being agreed to. There was some suggestion chat the amount was too large, but it was easy to show that it was the smallest consistent with financial necessity.

On one point the Committee soon saw the necessity of change. As originally drawn the amendment provided that two dollars per member should be charged to the Lodges and paid by them. It was soon evident that the amendment could not pass in this form. When the Committee reported it recommended that the Grand Lodge dues should be assessed directly on the individual members, the Lodges acting only as collecting agents for the Grand Lodge.

With this change the Committee recommended adoption of the amendment at the June Quarterly of 1924. It was adopted on roll call by the very decisive vote of 804 yea and 46 nay. This vote showed the essential sense and sanity of the Masons of Massachusetts when an issue is clearly presented to them.

There were surprisingly few objections to payment from individual members. The most numerous and most serious of these objections came from life members, who asserted that as such they were not liable to the new dues. The answer, of course, was that Grand Lodge dues had no relation to Lodge dues. The Lodges were fulfilling their contract and would continue to do so. The Grand Lodge dues were not covered by life membership contracts.

The adoption of this amendment gave the Grand Lodge new lease of life. While the revenue thus assessed was not large enough to encourage waste or extravagance, it m a sufficient, if prudently used, to make the Grand Lodge able to meet its organized expenditures, to support its benevolent enterprises, and to render to the Craft many services heretofore impossible. For a few years, while the new enterprises wore developing there was some surplus available and in 1928 the last remnant of debt upon the Temple was paid off. The Grand Lodge was now entirely free from indebtedness of any sort and all current incline was available for current use.

This was the period of great business expansion. A good deal of it proved to be unhealthy, but the general feeling was one of great prosperity and the common expectation was that it would be permanent. The natural result was a considerable activity in building projects. In many places Masonic Temples were built in a flush of enthusiasm which in some cases caused serious financial embarrassment later.

Boston did not escape the contagion. For some years there was talk of a new Temple. There was considerable expectation that the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite for the Northern Jurisdiction would co-operate in building a temple on the unit plan to accommodate themselves and the Grand Lodge, No promises to that effect were actually made, but the expectation was supposed to be finally justified.

Accordingly the Directors took the matter up end offered at the March Quarterly of 1925 a proposition for the sale of the Temple and recommended its adoption. The price offered was a million and a half, and the proposition must be accepted or declined at the March Quarterly. Only a few days before the Quarterly it was definitely ascertained that the Supreme Council would not come. The avails of the sale would provide quarters for the Grand Lodge, but if the other bodies meeting in the Temple were, to be adequately provided for at least a million must be raised among them. These bodies had never raised money for Temple building. Like all the other Lodges in the state the Boston Lodges had met the per capita tax of previous years, but that was all. They had always been tenants of the Grand Lodge. Whether so large a sum as a million dollars could be raised among them was open to grave doubt. The matter was discussed at considerable length at the March Quarterly and finally laid on the table. Under the conditions of the proposed purchase this definitely closed the matter. This was probably very fortunate. The Grand Lodge was left with an unencumbered estate and consequently in good position to meet the depression which soon set in.

On February 22, 1925, Grand Master Ferrell left Boston for a visit to the Lodges in the Canal Zone and Chile. He was absent until May 6. It was a very fruitful visit. Especially in Chile, relations were much clarified with the Grand Lodge of Chile and our fraternal relations with that Grand Lodge much improved.

While the Grand Master was still in South America an official invitation was received for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to send a representative to the bicentenary observance of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, to be held in Dublin in June. The directors authorized acceptance of the Invitation and requested the Grand Master to go or, if not convenient for him to do so, to authorize some one to represent him. On being communicated with by cable the Grand Master appointed the Grand Secretary to represent him. This the Grand Secretary did, attending also in his capacity as an Active Member of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite for the Northern Jurisdiction, the centenary of the Supreme Council of Ireland which was held concurrently with the Grand Lodge celebration. Curiously enough the only other official representative from the United States was V. W. John Whicher, Grand Secretary of California. Here, as elsewhere in Great Britain, the representative of Massachusetts was accorded all the honor and consideration due the representative of the senior Grand Lodge in the western hemisphere. The visit to Ireland was of especial importance because it was the first personal contact between this Grand Lodge and that of Ireland. It was the beginning of a relation which has since been fruitful in delightful Masonic contacts. After leaving Dublin the Grand Secretary visited Edinburgh and London, where he was able to have important conferences with leaders of the Craft.

The increased income of the Grand Lodge now made possible far wider service to the Craft than had over yet been possible. A Department of Education was established on a state wide basis and a Masonic Service Department was organized, also on a state wide basis. These beginnings were destined to grow to most important parts of our work.

At the very close of his administration Grand Master Ferrell made an extremely important ruling. It had always been customary to allow candidates to sign the by-laws and thus become full Lodge members, as soon as they were raised. This had brought about a very serious difficulty. Candidates were obliged to become proficient in the first and second degrees or they could not be advanced. Having once signed the by-laws many, probably a majority of the candidates, not realizing the very great importance of proficiency in the third degree, and not being under any compulsion in the matter, neglected to make such proficiency and could not be induced to do so.

Grand Master Ferrell ruled that under the Grand Constitutions a candidate might be forbidden to sign the by-laws until he had made due proficiency in the work and lectures of the third degree. This ruling was re-affirmed by the next Grand Master. It is now the well established law of the jurisdiction that a candidate is not entitled to sign the by-laws and take membership in the Lodge until he has made due proficiency in the third degree. It was a most salutary ruling and has been productive of great good.

At the December Quarterly of 1925 Frank L. Simpson was elected Grand Master.

Frank Leslie Simpson was born in South Barnstead, New Hampshire, March 19, 1875. Corning to Lynn in boyhood he was educated in the Lynn Classical High School, Boston University Law School, receiving the the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1898, Bachelor of Law in 1905 and Master of Laws in 1910. On graduation from the Law School he entered the practice of Law and continued practice ever since. He has been on the teaching staff of the Boston University Law School since 1904. and has been Professor of Law since 1910. He has published several law books.

Bro. Simpson received the degrees in Damascus Lodge in 1911 and was its Master in 1919. He later was a Charter member of Bethlehem, Boston University, and Benjamin F. Arrington Lodges and affiiiated with Fraternity and Dalhousie Lodges. He took dimlts however from all except Bethlehem and Dalhousie Lodges. He served the Grand Lodge as Junior Grand Warden in 1921 and as Deputy Grand Master in 1924.

He was a member of all the collateral bodies but held office in none of them . He became an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite in 1927.

One of Grand Master Simpson's first tasks was the organization of the Grand Lodge activities into related, but autonomous, departments, so as to produce the greatest possible efficiency and economy. This was called for by the much increased revenue of the Grand Lodge derived from the Grand Lodge dues and the consequent increase in Grand Lodge activities. There were four departments which could be immediately organized. The Administration and Property Department had to do with the care and administration of the Temple property; the general purchasing, and the accounting. For the purposes of Masonic Education and Masonic Service the state was divided into more zones. Each department was headed by a Director who was assisted by a Committee of Zone Managers. In this way all sections were represented in the management of the department and the Director was kept in touch with every part of the state. All these departments were created by executive order, as no constitutional provisions were involved.

The Relief Department presented much greater difficulties because changes there required constitutional amendments. The existing organization was outgrown and Inadequate and open to serious fundamental objections. It should be said at once that there was never the slightest suggestion of malfeasance on the part of the Board of Masonic Relief or any officer or member of it. The sole difficulty was with the cumbersome and inefficient organization. It was well enough for a relief budget of $25,000 a year, but the budget had grown to nearly $150,000 a year and was likely to grow further.

As organized the Board consisted of twelve Active Members elected by the Grand Lodge and one Associate Member from each Lodge. The Grand Master was ex officio a member of the Board, which elected its own President. Thus the Grand Master was not necessarily President of the Board, although in fact he always was so. The Grand Treasurer was Treasurer of the Board, but it elected its own Clerk and Relief Commissioner and the President approved the Committees. Two of them, the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee practioally managed the affairs of the Board.

The executive Committee consisting of the President of the Board, the Relief Commissioner and one other had charge of the land and buildings, the employment of employees and fixing their salaries. It had authority to purchase supplies, to make rules for the government of the home and dispose of all complaints, grievances, and oases of discipline, whether among employees or Residents.

The Finance Committee had charge of the raising and spending of all funds for the support of the Home, and had general supervision of the accounts of the Home, and of the methods of keeping the same. The Finance Committee passed all bills for approval and recommended them to the Board for payment.

The Grand Lodge had nothing to do with the Board of Masonic Relief except to elect the twelve Active Members who were chosen, four each year for three year terms. The Active Membership was a source of constant irritation. If a roll-call was demanded on any question before the Board only the Active Members could vote and their decision was final. In fact there never was a roil call, but there was always a possibility that there might be one at any time and the great majority of the members of the Board might find themselves helpless.

At the March Quarterly of 1926 the Grand Master resented an amendment to the Grand Constitutions providing for a reorganization of the Board which would do away with the obvious inconvenience of the existing articles. The Committee on the Amendment reported at the June Quarterly. After considerable discussion including lost motion to refer the report back to the Committee, the Amendment was defeated by a vote of 412 to 282, 52 votes short of the required two thirds.

At the December Quarterly of 1926 a new Amendment was proposed. This was adopted by the constitutional majority at the March Quarterly of 1927.

In the general revision of 1930 the final changes were made in the relief machinery, resulting in the present very efficient organization.

The Board consists of three classes of representation, (a) twelve Representatives at large elected by the Grand Lodge, four each year for three year terms (b) District Representatives, one chosen annually from each Masonic District, (c) Lodge Representatives, one chosen annually by each Lodge. The Grand Master is ex officio President of the Board. The Grand Master appoints annually a Standing Committee of at least six members of the Board. The Standing Committee annually elects the Relief Commissioner, with the approval of the Grand Master.

The Board has full charge of the relief work of the Grand Lodge. All applications for admission to the Masonic Home and to the Masonic Hospital and for outside relief are decided by the Board, The Board deals only with Lodges, never with individuals.

Applications for admission to the Home and to the Hospital are made by the Lodges. Applications for outside relief are mode to the Lodges. If the demands are too heavy to be met by the Lodge, the Lodge applies to the Board for assistance. The case is then carefully considered and a division of the burden between the Lodge and the Board is agreed upon. If assistance is granted it is voted as assistance to the Lodge in coring for A. B. All grants are limited to three months to Insure regular examination of all cases.

All requests for admission to the institution and for outside relief are submitted to the Standing Committee by the Relief Commissioner. The Committee considers them carefully and recommends such action as it deems wise to the Board, which meets monthly,

The Board has charge of all major oases of discipline among the Residents, Through the Relief Commissioner it has charge of the operating personnel of the Institutions. The Home and Hospital estates are, like all the other property of the Grand Lodge, in charge of the Directors of the Grand Lodge. All the bills of the Board of Masonic Relief ire passed by the directors under budgetary provisions.

It will.thus be seen that the Board of Masonic Relief is exactly as defined in the Grand Constitutions, "the charity Committee of the Grand Lodge." As such it functions smoothly and efficiently. There are no Home Trustees or other complicating machinery.

There is only one machine —the Grand Lodge - and that is fully competent to discharge all the functions which fall to it.

At the March Quarterly of 1926, the Grand Lodge for the first time adopted a budget. In theory, and undoubtedly in law, the monies of the Grand Lodge had always been expended by authority of the Grand Lodge itself. The records show many cases where the Grand Lodge made specific appropriations, sometimes in very small amounts. The Grand Lodge had also ratified interlm expenditures made by the Grand Master or by the Dlrectors. The Directors, however, having change of all the property of the Grand Lodge had become accustomed to spending the Grand Lodge income at their discretion. Full accounts were rendered to the Grand Lodge annually. There was no question as to the ability or the integrity of the Directors. There was, however, wide and fully justified dissatisfaction with the method. The greatly increased revenue and expenditure of the Grand Lodge very materially altered the picture. The feeling became very strong that the Grand Lodge ought not merely to know how its money had been spent , but also to know how it was going to be spent, and to have something to say about it beforehand.

The Directors recognized the situation and were entirely ready to co-operate, A detailed budget was presented to the Grand Lodge at the March Quarterly, accompanied by a full explanation by the Grand Master of the several items. The budget was printed and placed in the hands of all then present. The budget and the explanations were so clear end satisfactory that the budget was accepted and the votes necessary to implement it were passed without debate or dissent.

The annual budget has ever since been a regular feature, end has added much to the smooth and satisfactory operation of the Grand Lodge. It is interesting to note that up to the time of this writing no budget item has ever been questioned in the Grand Lodge. A small reform, but one which obviated many minor annoyances, was the abolition of the charge for supplies. Many printed forms were needed in the work of the Lodges. It had been customary to make a charge for these to cover the cost of production and of handling. The amount realized was Insignificant and the charge might well have been considered unjust, although there are no records of complaint on that score. The use of the blanks was necessary to the functioning of the Lodges and was compulsory under Grand Lodge legislation. It was only fair that the Grand Lodge should furnish them. From 1926 onward all required blanks have been furnished by the Grand Lodge without charge.

At the March Quarterly of 1926 Grand Master Simpson called attention to the need of better regulations governing the reception of visitors. The principal trouble lay in the proper establishment of the fact that the visitor was in good standing in his Lodge. Visitors properly admitted in the first place became known to the Tyler and were allowed to visit indefinitely, in some cases for years after they had been suspended. Sometimes the production of a "traveling card" or pocket diploma secured admission. This of course, was entirely wrong, as the traveling card showed that the Brother had received the degrees in a certaln Lodge at a certain time. It carried no information as to standing. Cases even occurred where money was improperly obtained on the strength of these documents from persons who were not informed as to their real nature and limitations. Shortly hereafter the issue of pocket diplomas was discontinued to the great advantage of all concerned. The Lodges issued their own receipts for dues, with resultant great confusion, particularly as to the time covered by the receipt. The Lodges usually began their fiscal year at the annual meeting.

The Grand Master recommended the adoption of a uniform receipt for dues, such receipt o be furnished by the Grand Lodge to all Lodges. The result was the adoption of amendments to the Grand Constitutions at the September Quarterly which put the matter of visiting on a much sounder basis.

The fiscal year of all Lodges was fixed at September 1 to August 31, the period already covered by the annual returns. Uniform receipts were to be issued by the Grand Lodge to all Lodges. Dues were payable annually in advance. The receipt showed that the holder was square on the books of the Lodge up to the date named on the receipt. The receipt covered Lodge dues and Grand Lodge dues, as separate items, The same form was used whether the member paid all dues, Grand Lodge dues only.

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