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GEORGE PHILIP 1880-1948

Grand Master of South Dakota, 1914-1915

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BIOGRAPHY

From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 93:

Brother George Philip was born July 16 1880, at Fort Augustus, Inverness-Shire, Scotland. He attended school through the common and high school branches in Scotland. Afterward he attended the University of Michigan, graduating from the Law Department in 1906. Having already settled at Fort Pierre, he entered the practice of law immediately after graduation.

He was married May 31, 1911, to Miss Isle Waldron. Two children, a son and a daughter, were born of this union.

Brother Philip received the degree of Master Mason on February 21, 1902, in Hiram Lodge No. 123, Fort Pierre. He received the Capitular Degrees in Pierre Chapter No. 22 and was a member of Capital City Com­mandery at Pierre. He was a member of the Yankton Consistory No. 1 Yankton, where he attained the rank and honor of the 32nd degree KCCH.

1915

Grand Master George Philip outlined his conclusions to the forty-first Annual Communication as to why some candidates take the Entered Ap­prentice Degree and advance no further. He gave four possible reasons: 1. the applicant is an improper person to receive the degrees, 2. the conditions surrounding the initiation and the lodge generally are inhospitable, 3. the difficulties of preparation in the lecture could not be met, and 4. the duties and functions of the officers and brethren in conferring the degree may have been performed in an unworkmanlike manner.

Minnehaha Lodge No. 5 and Unity Lodge No. 130 were hosts to the Grand Lodge as it opened its forty-first Annual Meeting in Sioux Falls.

During the year cornerstones had been laid for new Masonic Temples at Watertown, and Howard, as well as the All Saints School in Sioux Falls. A new Masonic Temple at Watertown was dedicated. Lodges had been con­ stituted at Wood, Buffalo, Cottonwood, and Java.

Plans for funding the George Washington National Memorial were discussed and the Grand Lodge decided to take six life memberships of $100.00 each in the organization.

At the last Communication the by-laws were amended so that each member paid fifty cents to the Grand Charity Fund. This led Grand Master Philip to report, "In my judgement the Grand Lodge has solved the Grand Lodge Charity Fund problem, and I am pleased to report to you that there is now $17,153.59 of this fund invested in good interest paying securities.

The Grand Master reported that he had visited many individual lodges "in the state without any formal announcement of my coming and in that way got a better idea of actual conditions in the lodges than could be had in any other way."

It was resolved that the Grand Secretary be authorized and instructed to use his influence and good offices to secure, if possible, a conference of Grand Secretaries of the United States.

The Grand Secretary reported a total of 142 chartered lodges and 11,163 members, with a net gain of 433.

Thomas H. Brown, first Grand Master, installed his son, Marshal R. Brown, as the new Grand Master.

• Find A Grave page

LODGES

• Java #177 (06/10/1914)
• Cottonwood #178 (06/10/1914)
• Cedar Branch #179 (06/10/1914)
• Wood #180 (06/10/1914)

Grand Masters of South Dakota