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Old Globe Chapter - 200 |
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Consecrated, under the present Charter of Constitution, on the 22nd March 1859 in the Lodge Room at the Old Globe Hotel. The consecrating officer, Excellent Companion George Marwood, being the only Provincial Officer present formed his "Consecration Team" from the founders present. On completion of the Consecration Ceremony Excellent Companion Bean was invested as MEZ. After the meeting the companions dined at the Talbot Hotel in Queen Street.
It is unfortunate that no actual records of the early days of Old Globe Royal Arch Chapter exists today, other than references in the Old Globe Lodge minute books and treasurers accounts. These indicate that in 1796 at least thirteen members of the lodge were Royal Arch Masons. In the early days of Royal Arch Masonry the qualification for admission to the chapter was that the candidate had to be a past master. This was because he had to give the "Master’s" word during the ceremony of "Passing the Veils", a prelude to the exaltation, which is not now included in Chapter working. As such a qualification naturally restricted the number of candidates to the chapter the ceremony of "Passing the Chair" was apparently introduced into craft masonry. This enabled a brother below the rank of installed master and desirous of joining the chapter could obtain the word of an installed master to enable him to "Pass the Veils". Very little is known locally of the details of this ceremony but from the minutes it would appear that it was some shortened form of the installation ceremony in which the brother was installed in the chair and immediately resigned from it, having during the ceremony been given the word he desired. The last record of such a ceremony in Old Globe Lodge was in 1825. Although the union of the two Grand Lodge’s was in 1813 it was not until 1817 that the two Grand Chapters united to form the present Supreme Grand Chapter. Possibly on the formation of Supreme Grand Chapter they were expected to apply for a new warrant. It may be that if the Old Globe Chapter had done this recognition of its continued existence from its early days to the present time would have been assured. However, although they made returns to Grand Chapter and acknowledged Provincial Grand Chapter, there is no evidence that a Chapter Warrant was applied for until the time of the present Charter of Constitution, dated 1859, under which the chapter is still worked. No doubt they considered the craft lodge warrant of the "Antients" authorised the working of the Royal Arch ceremony. On the 20th July 1853 W/Bro Bean, the last MEZ of the earlier days of the chapter, proposed that "the Royal Arch should be resuscitated", to take the place of and to supersede the chapter which has become inoperative from lapse of time and dissolution of its members. This proposal was seconded and formally adopted by the lodge. At that time there were only two companions of the former Old Globe Chapter active in masonry and as the petition required nine signatures, it was necessary to delay the proceedings. Eventually a petition was submitted to Supreme Grand Chapter on the 15th December 1858 to form a new chapter to be named the Old Globe Chapter. "In consequence of this desire we pray for a new Charter of Constitution to be numbered 337 to be held with and attached to the Old Globe Lodge No. 236 to meet as a regular chapter on the first Wednesday of every month". The Charter of Constitution, to be held with and attached to the warrant of the Lodge No. 236 called the Old Globe Lodge was granted on the 2nd February 1859. On The 22nd March 1859 Excellent Companion George Marwood the Grand Superintendent of Yorkshire North and East Ridings consecrated the new Chapter in the Lodge Room of the Old Globe Hotel. He was the only provincial officer present and formed his "Consecration Team" from the founders present. After the consecration ceremony, the details of which are not recorded in full in the minutes, Excellent Companion Bean was invested as MEZ. Following the investment of the officers there was a ceremony of exaltation at which nine brethren were admitted into the chapter. Amongst those was W/Bro John Woodall Woodall, John Chapman landlord of the Old Globe Hotel and William Milner who apparently was admitted as a serving member as janitor. In addition to the Grand Superintendent, Founders and Exaltee’s there were four visitors to the ceremony, the total attendance being twenty-four. After a five hour meeting the companions dined together at the Talbot Hotel in Queen Street then owned by Companion Spong, who had been exalted during the ceremony. Thus ended the first meeting of the present Old Globe Chapter. A period of five years was to elapse before the chapter met again on the 6th July 1864. During this period the companions met but not in sufficient numbers to open the chapter. Never the less it is recorded that they spent these evenings in social intercourse. Although `the Chapter must have adopted "By Laws" soon after Consecration there is no record of the form these took. At the November meeting in 1876 the existing "By Laws" were commented on at great length by the first principle who also read to the Chapter those of the Kingston Chapter No. 1010 Hull referring to these as a model of brevity and conciseness. It was agreed at that meeting that the Chapter adopts these "By Laws" subject to the obvious alterations such as fees and dates of the meetings. In 1877 Chapter, as well as Old Globe and Leopold Lodges, were expressing dissatisfaction with the environment and accommodation at the Old Globe Hotel. Premises were sought elsewhere and in 1881 the three Masonic bodies moved to the Londesborough Rooms, Westborough where they were joined by the Star in the East Mark Lodge and Knight Templars. The Old Globe Chapter met at the Londesborough Rooms from November 1881 until November 1884 when the whole of the local Masonic bodies moves to the present Masonic Hall on St. Nicolas Cliff. In 1888 the Chapter applied for a Centenary Warrant but Supreme Grand Chapter would not accept a date earlier than the 1791 Warrant from the "Antients". In a letter dated 10th October 1889 Grand Scribe "E" acknowledges the existence of the former chapter but that after 1824 the Chapter must have died out as no returns appear to have been made. He goes on to say that in 1859 a Charter for an entirely new Chapter was granted therefore the date of the foundation of the present Old Globe Chapter is 1859. Although in 1895 the returns to Grand Chapter indicated that the Chapter had 38 members it was very seldom that more than ten or twelve, visitors included, attended the meetings. A similar situation was being experienced in Denison Chapter. In March 1896 the newly installed "MEZ" unofficially reported that the Denison Chapter were considering an amalgamation of the two Chapters. The matter was fully discussed between the two Chapters and the Provincial Grand Scribe "E" and after consultation it was agreed that the two Chapters should be amalgamated under the title of "The Old Globe and Denison Chapter". A petition to this effect was forwarded to Grand Chapter. This was returned by Grand Chapter who said that all that need to be done was for Denison Chapter to surrender their warrant and for its members to become joining members of Old Globe Chapter. The change of name could be achieved by an alteration of the By Laws. A resolution was passed at the November meeting amending the By Laws to give the Chapter the new title of "The Old Globe and Denison Chapter", and all members on the books of the Denison Lodge were then proposed as joining members of the Old Globe Chapter. At an emergency meeting held on 3rd February 1897 it was announced, due to problems over charity votes and seniority, that the Denison members had decided to abandon the proposal for amalgamation. At the regular meeting in March the Old Globe Chapter rescinded the Minute in respect of the change of title. At these early meetings only Installed and Past Principles were allowed to be present at the opening ceremony of the Chapter. The remainder of the Companions was admitted after the Chapter was declared open. In May 1902 Grand Chapter passed a resolution allowing all Royal Arch Masons to be present at the opening of private Chapters.Up to 10th January 1930 the officers were elected by the companions. After election the Principle Sojourner would select and appoint two companions as Assistant Sojourners and prior to 1866 these assistants were known as the Senior and Junior Sojourners. At this meeting a resolution was passed empowering the "Z" elect to select his own officers with the exception of the Treasurer and Janitor. >Early in January 1962 it was decided that due to the historical character of the chapter floor cloth it should be placed in safe storage to avoid further damage through wear and tear and carefully preserved to be used at the next and last time at the Centenary meeting. Excellent Companion W S Knowles said to mark the centenary he would present an exact replica of the floor cloth prepared and painted by his son. This was used for the first time at January 1962 meeting. The centenary meeting was held in the Grand Hotel on the 26th November 1964 attended by the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent the Most Honourable Marquis of Zetland TD DL accompanied by the second and third Grand Principals and other Provincial Grand Officers. There were twenty eight members of Old Globe Chapter and many visiting Excellent Companions and Companions including Companions of the Zetland Chapter No 236 York and the All Saints Chapter No 422 who had been so helpful in the founding of the chapter.The centenary was marked by numerous gifts to the chapter. A new floor cloth as previously decribed, a new bible and a set of five models of the "Regular Platonic Bodies" for use during the ceremonies. A total attendance of 101 after which the companions sat down to dinner in the Sea View Lounge of the Grand Hotel. |
