Within a short time after obtaining this permission, Ill. Since the ritual was copyrighted, it was necessary for him to get the permission of Ill. Francis Rickards 33°, when he was Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Jurisdiction, decided to establish the Order of the Golden Circle in this Jurisdiction. Pendleton and copyrighted under the laws of the United States in 1908.
The ritual, form of application, the Constitution and the burial service were all written by Ill. The ladies felt that no better nor fitting memorial could be given him than to have his name on their banner under the motto “Peace and Unity.”
He played a prominent part in the history of Black Masonry, and the very prosperous condition of Black Masons of the District of Columbia today is largely due to his tireless efforts. He was the fifth Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio, serving from 1857 to 1861. He was a typical gentleman, courtly and of the old world type of courtesy. During the stirring days of reconstruction, he played a prominent part, at one time being the Lieutenant Governor of the state. Born in the earlier part of the nineteenth century, in that grand old Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in his early manhood he went to the State of South Carolina. This Assembly was named after the late Richard Howell Gleaves, one of the most prominent Masons in the United States at that time. 2, Order of the Golden Circle.” Number 1 was assigned to Queen Esther Assembly of Baltimore, Maryland, because the Scottish Rite Auxiliary of that city was the first to be organized in the Jurisdiction. The ladies named their Assembly, “The Richard Howell Gleaves, Assembly No. The obligations, signs and mottos were given. Sirs conferred the degrees upon the ladies. All the ladies who at that time were members of the Auxiliary were to be eligible, but thereafter, the membership was to be limited to those only possessing the Scottish Rite relationship. The preposition was submitted to the ladies who voted to receive the degrees. Pendleton, the matter was presented to the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction and adopted by that body. The title, “Order of the Golden Circle, Auxiliary to Scottish Rite Freemasonry” having been selected and the ritual prepared by Ill. Thus bringing them into closer relationship with the brethren of the Scottish Rite. Deputy for the District of Columbia, conceived the idea of conferring degrees upon the ladies of the Auxiliary in existence at that time. In October, 1907, the Auxiliary received a new impetus, new members were added, the old ones took on new zeal and the Auxiliary started on its present course of success.Ībout this time, the new Sovereign Grand Commander, Robert L. At many times only two, and sometimes one, attended the meetings. He visited the ladies in every area that he could approach them and urged them to attend the meetings and sought out new members. Laster, who was made of stuff that pioneers were made of, refused to be discouraged. The growth at first was disgustingly slow, but later, Mr. Furnished with the names of certain ladies prominent in Eastern Star Chapters, he proceeded to organize the Auxiliary, hereafter to be known as the Ladies’ Auxiliary to Johnathan Davis Consistory. Andrew Laster, 33°, whose untiring zeal was known to these brethren, was given the task of organizing the Auxiliary. They felt that as in other branches of Masonry, their wives, mothers, sisters and daughters could be of great assistance to them and furthermore could partake of such courtesies as the Sublime Princes could offer to blood relatives. Early in the year of 1907, certain gentlemen of the Ancient Accepted Order of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America conceived the idea of forming a Ladies Auxiliary to the Jonathan Davis Consistory of Washington, D.C.