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REX ALBERT TERRY 1888-1964

Grand Master of South Dakota, 1944-1946

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BIOGRAPHY

From "The First 100 Years of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of South Dakota, 1875-1975", Page 159:

Rex Terry was a native of South Dakota, having been born at Sturgis, Dakota Territory, February 21, 1888. He received a common school and Business College education.

He started his career as a merchant but later changed to banking. He served for several terms as a State Senator and for three terms as Lieutenant GoYernor of South Dakota.

He married Miss Delia Campbell at Philip, South Dakota on October 11, 1916.

He was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in Hiram Lodge No. 123, Fort Pierre, South Dakota, on February 24, 1911. The Capitular degrees were received in Pierre Chapter No. 22, the Orders of the Temple in Capital City Commandery No. 21, and the Royal and Select Master degrees in Temple Council No. 7, all of Pierre. He was a member of Oriental Consistory No. 1, Yankton, where he was coroneted a 33rd Degree Mason in 1935. He belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star at Fort Pierre and El Riad Temple in Sioux Falls.

The Government of the United States, through the Director of War Mobilization, issued an order effective February 1, 1945, prohibiting the assembly of more than fifty persons in any kind of convention or conference, which applied specifically to fraternal organizations as well as all civic groups.

1945

On February 5, 1945, Grand Master Terry called a meeting of Grand Lodge Officers for the purpose of counsel. It was unanimously agreed that the seventy-first Annual Communication, scheduled to convene in Yankton, not be held. This information was then sent in the form of a letter to all the Constituent lodges in the state. The basis for this decision was embodied in the following:

Section 1 of Article V of the Constitution of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A.F. and A.M. of South Dakota provides that: The Grand Master may, in case of an emergency, postpone the date of the Annual Communication not to exceed thirty days.

A streamlined one day business session was called by Grand Master Terry for Tuesday, July 10, 1945, and held in SiouxFalls. The Grand Master reported a busy year with a nice gain in membership as well as the financial status. Seventeen 50-year medals and two 60-year palms were authorized.

Blazing Star Lodge No. 191 at Seneca had consolidated with Faulkton Lodge No. 95 during the year.

The Grand Masters' Conference and Grand Secretaries' Conference held annually in Washington, D.C., had been cancelled for the current year.

Lack of time caused most reports to be made in short form. Matters requiring more discussion were postponed until the next annual meeting. All Grand Lodge Officers held over in their respective offices for another year.

1946

As he opened the seventy-second Annual Communication at Yankton in 1946, Grand Master Terry set the tone of the Meeting when he said, "At the time of the Grand Master's Conference held in the City of Sioux Falls, July 10, 1945, this nation was engaged in a global war and faced with the responsibility ow winning that war. The clash of arms is heard no more and the dread of the loss of our loved ones no longer haunts us, The war is over and we must now look forward to an increased activity in our lodges. Great numbers are petitioning for membership, and now is the time we should guard well against taking members into our organization who do not have all the qualifications necessary to become a good Mason."

It was business as usual at this Annual Meeting as the reports began to unfold. The Grand Secretary, Elvin F. Strain, reported a membership of 15,795, with 168 chartered lodges, and a 694 net increase in membership. During the year LeSever Lodge No. 203, Bancroft, had consolidated with York Lodge No. 53, Iroquois.

The Grand Trustees reported, "Requests for aid have been less than for a great many years." As a result they were able to return to the Permanent Grand Charity Fund some of the money they had borrowed during the lean years. The Permanent Charity Fund had reached an amount of $299,968.59. It was resolved and adopted that "the Grand Lodge appropriate, not to exceed the sum of $200.00, to assist such subordinate lodge as may host future regular Grand Lodge Communications."

As a personal reference, Grand Master Terry reported that he had realized a lifetime ambition on March 11, 1946, when he had raised his 100th candidate to the sublime degree of a Master Mason.

The Board of General Activities proposed that an award known as the Distinguished Service Award be authorized. The Award to be in the form of a lapel button. A set of rules for suggested recipients was proposed that it might "remain a decoration prized and valuable." It was to be given for distinguished service to Masonry by a Mason. The Committee on Finance granted an appropriation of $300.00 to put the proposal into operation.

The Board of Custodians had attended a program of District Lecturers at which willing brothers passed an examination to assist ritualistic instruction in the lodges. The plan was working well.

The Masonic Service Center Committee recommended that $1200.00 be appropriated from the General Fund to the European Masonic Relief Fund of the Masonic Service Association. The Committee on Finance agreed but suggested the funds come from the Masonic Service Fund of the Grand Lodge, which was adopted.

The Grand Master proposed that the time between degrees be reduced but the Jurisprudence Committee rejected the proposal saying, "It is our studied judgement and conclusion that Masonry in this jurisdiction would not be better served by reducing the minimum time between successive degrees."

Grand Master Terry thanked the Grand Master of North Dakota, Most Worshipful Brother Rilie R. Morgan, for his thoughtfulness in bringing the Grand Master's Jewel of the original Grand Lodge of Dakota for Brother Terry to wear during the Communication.

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