International

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INTERNATIONAL LODGE (CHINA)

Location: Peking, China

Chartered By: Melvin M. Johnson

Charter Date: 06/14/1916 1916-255

Precedence Date: 11/22/1915

Current Status:

MA_International.jpg


PAST MASTERS

  • George A. Derby, 1915-1917
  • Paohan Mienseng Wang, 1918
  • Alfred John Skinner, 1919, 1920
  • Irvin Van Gorder Gillis, 1921-1923
  • Ssu Ping Chen, 1924
  • Harold C. Faxon, 1925
  • James S. Hogg, 1926
  • Lau-Ch'i Chang, 1927
  • Vergil F. Bradfield, 1928
  • Patrick T. Carey, 1929
  • Carl A. Felt, 1930
  • Morris B. DePass, Jr., 1931
  • Richard H. P. Sin, 1932
  • Stanley Frederick Howard, 1933
  • Franklin C. Fetté, 1934
  • William G. Alston, 1935-1937
  • George N. Mertirys, 1938, 1939
  • Charles Thunder, 1940
  • Reno W. Backus, 1941
  • Chi-Chun Lin, 1942
  • IN RECESS 1943-1947
  • Jui Hua Liu, 1948
  • Edward J. Aeschlimann, 1949-1952
  • IN RECESS SINCE 1953

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1915
  • Petition for Charter: 1916

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

  • 1922 (Prince; 3 visits; Special Communication of District Grand Lodge, part of Grand Master's Tour)
  • 1930 (H. Dean; Special Communication of District Grand Lodge, part of Grand Master's Tour)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1925 1931 1932 1935 1939 1949

OTHER

  • 1921 (Address by Wor. W. B. Pettus at September Grand Lodge Quarterly, 1921-273; see below)
  • 1923 (Address by Wor. William Pettus at June Grand Lodge Quarterly, 1923-171)
  • 1928 (Address by Wor. William Pettus at March Grand Lodge Quarterly, 1928-48)
  • 1929 (Presence of representatives at March Quarterly, 1929-16, and September Quarterly, 1929-140)
  • 1942 (Presentation of a Joseph Warren Medal to a PM at June Quarterly. 1942-143)

WOR. W. B. PETTUS ADDRESS AT GRAND LODGE, SEPTEMBER 1921

From Proceedings, Page 1921-273:

Most Worshipful Grand Master, Wardens, and Brethren:

The belief which many of us held in the past that Masonry, as we know it, exists and has existed for centuries in China, is not home out by the facts. Careful students of the subject in China are convinced that while there are secret societies in China which bear some accidental resemblance to our Craft, they have no historic connection with Masonry. These societies have their words, signs, and tokens; some of them are religious and moral in their foundation, some are largely political in their objects, others are a banding together of men and sometimes women for no good purposes. The life of the Chinese, however, is shot through will) the same teachings and ideals as those that we hold.

More than 2,000 years ago Mencius wrote that except as we use squares and compasses we cannot form rectangular figures and circles, meaning liy this, that there cannot be righteousness of life and self-control except in accordance with the teachings of these useful instruments. The common expression in everyday life for regularity and righteousness of conduct is Kueichu, "Square-Compass." The Chinese are a people whose sweet reasonableness reminds one of the ideals of Masonry.

During the revolution in 1911 a group in Wuchang tried to exterminate the Manchus. The latter in fear attempted to conceal their identity by wearing Chinese clothes and thus escape. Their pronunciation of certain words, however, is different from that of the Chinese, who immediately applied the shibboleth test to them, and those whose speech betrayed them lost their lives. This butchery, however, was soon stopped by wiser heads and better hearts.

Historic Masonry as we know it, however, has already made a good start in China. There are now three District Grand Lodges in China. Two of these are District Grand Lodges of the Grand Lodge of England; one is located at Hong Kong, and the other at Shanghai, and each has under it a goodly number of Blue Lodges. The third is the District Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, which meets in Shanghai. This District Grand Lodge has under it three Blue Lodges in Shanghai, one in Peking, and one in Dairen. There are besides this in Shanghai two Scottish Blue Lodges, and until recently there was also a German Lodge.

American Masonry was introduced into China by the captains of clipper ships, who came out from New England to trade with the Chinese. They naturally applied to the Mother Grand Lodge in America, in the jurisdiction in which they lived and worked, and secured charters from Massachusetts.

One also finds Royal Arch Chapters, both British and American, and in Shanghai and in Peking there are Scottish Rite bodies holding charters from the Supreme Counsel for the Southern Jurisdiction whose see is in Washington.

Most of the members of these Masonic organizations of all jurisdictions have been Americans and Europeans. There have been a few Chinese made Masons in China, and a few made in America and Europe who have returned to China. In the ease of International Lodge in Peking and the Scottish Rite bodies in that city, however, Chinese Masons were among the Charter members. They now have Chinese Cast Masters and a number of the membership are Chinese.

Experience has shown that Chinese Brethren are excellent in exemplification of the degrees, and they are faithful in practising out of the Lodge those virtues which arc inculcated within it. The Peking bodies include in their membership several cabinet officers, judges of the Supreme Court, university professors, and other professional men. members of the National Senate, and leaders in every department of life. Three of the Chinese .Masons in Peking were in Versailles representing China in the peace conference. The Chinese race comprising, as it does, at least one-fifth of the population of the world, is the greatest field for the expansion of Masonry.

The Masons in Peking have met with unusual favor on the part of the highest officials of China; the President presented for hunting in the Temple a handsome silk scroll with a motto from the Confucian classics written in his own hand.

The Minister of the Interior has repeatedly granted the 
use of the wonderful triple terraced marble Altar of 
Heaven for the exemplification of the 32nd degree at mid
night by moonlight.

The bodies in Shanghai and Peking have taken a large part in the founding and fostering of schools. They have done their share in combating the opium and morphine evil, and have contributed as organizations and individuals for the relief of the famine sufferers of North China.

In order to meet the last; mentioned need, they seni a special appeal through Dr. John R. Hykes, 33rd degree honorary, to the Sovereign Grand Commander, Bro. George F. Moore, which resulted in the Sovereign Grand Commander telegraphing to Peking a contribution of $40,000, which is probably the largest gift made by a Masonic organization to the relief of non-Masons.


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

OTHER BROTHERS


DISTRICTS

1915: China District

1947: North China District

1957: China District


LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges