Evening Star Newspaper, June 10, 1935, Page 38

Washington’s *““Alham- bra Palace” Sounds the Capital’s Keynote of “Welcome to the Thou- sands of Shriners Gath- ered Here in Joyous Celebration at the For- ty-First Annual Session of the Imperial Council. BY HAROLD B. ROGERS. IKE the muezzin of old, calling afar to the faithful from his lofty minaiet, Almas Temple, from the colorful Moor- ish arches of its “Alhambra Palace,™ has sounded the old, old cry to trekking thousands from all parts of North America to join here in the solemn, the phxlz_m- thropic, the joyous and spectacular celebration of the Forty-first Annual Session of the Im- perial Council, Ahcient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. ) Almas—which means ‘“diamond”—has striven brilliantly to live up to the glittering beauty of its name. So, flashing up from the depths of this diamond there shines forth a welcome to the nobility of this continent. It is bright with the promise of one of the best, the gayest times ever offered this jovial group from the playground of Masonry. Yet, it is iridescent with a new significance of the Shrine, for this group of carefree Ma- sons, on pleasure bent, has taken within comparatively recent years a philanthropy. the care and cure of crippled little children. These tots will get their full share of devotion. Almas, with its 4000 members, has planned heroically, and is ready to present to the no- bility of North America a week so sparkling with color and pageantry, so full of sports, fun and flavor, as to shed glamour over the temple’s nearly half century of history. This will be the third time that the Imperial Conclave of Shrinedom has brought its cara- vans to the National Capital. In the early days—1900—that first session here was im- portant, but small, not so glorious as these of later years. " Memories of the gorgeous days of June, 1923, when marching gay-garbed thousands virtually took this city by storm of music, pageantry and gayety, still are green. "AS ALMAS thus is giving the Shrine its second great holiday here, it is also about to present to this colorful fraternal order its second imperial potentate. ‘This is fitting, as the man who this week assumes the regal robes as head of the North American nobility was, in 1923, potentate of Almas and head of the Convention Committee of those days—Leonard P. Steuart, prominent business man and Masonic Jeader, whose name and fame in Shrinedom has been spreading not only far and wide, but deeper and deeper among the nobles of this country and its neighbors. Noble Steuart, who becomes imperial poten- tate Thursday, will follow in the illustrious footsteps of his previous Almas brother, the late Harrison Dingman, who headed the nobility in 1896 and 1897 as imperial potentate. Heading Almas Temple this year as potentate and running the show as director general of the Washington, D. €., 1935 Shrine Commit- . tee, Inc., is Robert P. Smith, attorney, who was not even a member of the Shrine when the previous convention was here before, but who has grown in Shrine stature so rapidly that he now is renowned for his prodigious capacity for hard work, and his genia] ability not only to direct, but to co-operate in such & big job. Although the world-wide depression has come in between the two big Shrine conventions here, and the country is just now supposed to be recovering from the late shock, Almas jeaders, bulwarked by about 1500 committee- men, plunged into preparations for this con- clave to make their old Almas diamond glitter and the crescent and scimitar cavort in such style as to make the conclave, in the words of Director General Smith, “an outstanding event, rivaling anything ever attempted on a similar occasion.” | The city 1s gay with festive decoration. lower Pennsylvania avenue has been trans- formed into the golden way, with festoons, with golden lights, with decorated lamp poles, and with an Oriental court of gorgeous pomp on historic Pennsylvania avenue in front of the White House, transforming that famous part of the city into almost an Arabian Nights dream. Functions for entertainment of the visiting Bhriners are designed not only to spread Ori- ental gayety of the most festive fashion among the nobility itself, but will provide a kind of Roman holiday for the Washington populace. Three great parades, two of which will be at ght, a water carnival, prize fight and divine €S are among only a few of the high lights s varied sort, to uplift, to amuse e visitors and the home folks of the hilarity, of course, which B s THE EVENING STAR, WAS Almas has built around the Imperial Council, on June 11, 12 and 13, at the National Theater. will be the official sessions of the council itself, LMAS next year will be 50 years old. Al- though only half a century in age, its ceremonials hark back to the ancient of days, as do all other Shrines in the united North America jurisdiction, over which a Washingto- nian soon will preside. The ritual now in -use here is a translation from the original Arabic found preserved in the archives of the Order at Aleppo, Syria, whence it was brought in 1860 to London, Eng- land, by Rizkallah Hassoon Effendee, who was the author of several important works in Arabic. His “History of Islam” offended the Turkish government because of its humani- tarian principles and he was forced to leave his native country. He was a ripe scholar in Arabic poetry and the general literature of his age and his improvement in the diction of cer- tain parts of the ritual of the Shrine Temple are of great beauty and value. The salutation of distinction among the nobllity is known as “Es Selamu Aleikum,” by which ‘one Almas noble says to another “Peace be on you,” and the answer being shifted in order says, “On You Be the Peace.” The jewel of the order is a crescent formed of any substance, through which usually is struck a scimitar in one form or another. The most valued materials by which the Shrine crescent is formed are supposed to be the claws of the royal Bengal tiger. The beginning of Almas, according to the~ records, was on December 22, 1885, when 10 eligibles met in private apartments at 502 Ninth street and took action to form a temple. The 10 brethren mentioned in the minutes of that meeting, according to Edward Burk- holder, editor of the Alma. Alibi, “were not guided by the brilliance of a supernatural star nor were they of the caste of Magi, but they were guided by the light of a reasonable hope, and there lay in the ardor of their zeal an undiscerned wisdom which has produced re- sults far beyond the dreams of our founders.” The early history of Almas Temple is closely linked with that of Boumi Temple of Balti- more, for it was a group of Boumi nobles that launched the craft of Almas on the waters of Shrinedom. The date of the charter, which hangs on the wall of the office of the recorder, F. Lawrence Walker, is January 17, 1886. Ap- parently some nobles didn't like the name of Almas, meaning “diamond,” which had been adopted, but on a reconsideration it was for- mally adopted. The fair of the Shrine for esoteric and odd names was early indicated and in those days such terms as ‘“eats” and “putting on the feed bag” were unknown. Instead, according toe Noble Burkholder, the early records em- braced such cryptic things as refectio ichthyophgus, Saharan alimentation, Collatione Almas Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S, 1315 K street. ~8tar Staff Photo. orientale, Din al Musaffir, Symposium oriental, Cibarian ceremonies, Haboob, joys of the faith- ful, nutricatory reunion, LMAS grew steadily through the years, from the time it was granted its charter as the twenty-fourth temple in North America. The Imperial Conclave here in 1900 drew but a few temples to the National Capital. But by 1923 Almas had grown along with the United States, and a week of ceremonies drew Shrinedom to this city for such a series of functions as are outstanding among the thousands of parades and public functions here, But Almas in another way has made great strides since 1923, in the building of its beau- tiful Oriental temple on K street, which now is the dynamic headquarters for the week of fes~ rivities. Its Moorish arches gleaming through the gorgeous temporary decorations placed there for the conclave appear virtually to bulge with the pressure of activities within., Almas Temple's new home, while not the largest in North America, is considered to typify perfectly the spirit of the Shrine. Its polychromatic front, inspired by the Alhambra in Spain, stands forth as a shining example of this type of architecture in the National Capital, color- ful, picturesque, unique, Almas plans to make an excellent showing of its own uniformed bodies in the spectacular parades. These units have been placed under the command of Charles Shackelford, past potentate of the temple. who has brought them up to full strength in membership and skill in their own specialties. The Arab Patrol, under Capt. Jesse E. Porter, contains 68 nobles, in picturesque regalia, The band under leadership of Director . Frederick Wilken, and the drum corps, led by Frank J. Paul, now number 100 men. They plan te do their best to vie with the finest Shrine bands throughout the country. The Legion of Honor, under Capt. Clyde N. Strange. recruited up to full strength of 27 Legionnaires, plans to put the military touch into Almas presentation with snap and pre=- cision, The Oriental Band, numbering 14, is under leadership of Frank M. Graham, an unusual outfit, with unusual offerings for the parade. The list of Almas’ potentates down through the years presents a group of men well known not only in their chosen Masonic field of activ= ity. but for the most part in many other phases of Washington life, Begining in 1886, the potentates of Almas have been the following: Maj. W. Baylis, George H. Pratt. George H. Walker. Fred G. Alexander, Harrison Dingman, Harry Standiford, Frank H, Thomas, Frank K. Ravmond, William F. Gude. Fred W. Behrens, Carter B. Keene, Jacobus S. Jones, Francis A. Sebring, Roe Fulkerson, Alexander Grant, Adolpnus Gude, W. Hamilton Smith. James T. Gibbs, William £ Quinter, L. Whiting Estes, Henry Lansburgh. Leonard P. Steuart, Harry F. Cary, Henry Lansburgh, Charles D. Shackelford, Amos A. Fries, George B, McGinty, Edwin C. Local T'emple, in Addi- tionto Giving the Shrine Its Second Great Holi- day in the Capital, Also Presents to the Order Its Second Imperial Poten- tate,L.eonard P. Steuart, Prominent Washington Business Man. Dutton, James C. Hoyle, Robert Regar, Jumes T. Prendergast. Edward D. Anderson, Warren W. Grimes, William C. Miller and Robert P, Smith. Smith has had a tremendous job with this conclave, but he started on 1t more than a year ago. Meetings were held with business leadors here in Washington before the Minneapolis Shrine ccnvention of last June. To that session in Minneapolis Almas sent Leonard P Steuart, Wiliam C. Miller, then potentate, and Smith, They came back with the convention for 19356, MMEDIATE work was begun this great week in June. The entire meme= bership of Almas was canvassed to find out what particular kind of work the nobles cared to do. Committees were set up and nobles were given their chosen work. Many. short of time, to con= tribute, gave more heavily in money Many gave both. With all preparatory work done and the Shrine conclave opening, “Bob” Smith and his many committees, including about 1,500 workers, have everything in readiness. The official Shrine committees on whom has fallen the load were set up under the Washing- ton, D. C, 1935 Shrine Committee, Inc., of which the president and director general was Smith, with Steuart honorary general chair- man and Harry Standiford executive secretary emeritus. The Board of Directors includes Robert P. Smith, James C. Hoyle, Edwin C. Graham. Paul B. Cromelin, Thomas E Jarrell, L. Whiting Estes, John C. Koons, Joseph H. Milans, Horace G. Smithy, Willlam W. Spaid, Needham C. Turnage, F. Lawrence Walker, William C. Miller, Monie Sanger and George B. McGinty. Other officers of the incorporated Shrine committee are as follows: Vice president, Wil liam C. Miller; general counsel, Paul B. Crom- elin; treasurer, Thomas E. Jarrell; executive secretary, James C. Hoyle. Chairmen of committees—Auditing and Con- troller, James A. Councilor; Automobiles, Her= man Carl; Automobile Parking, Edward An- derson; Baggage, Lloyd Gaines: Banquets, Granville Gude; Citizens’ Committee, George E. Allen; Concessions, Edgar Morris: Decora= tions, Howard P. Foley; Divine Services, Rev, John C. Palmer; Bands and Band Concerts, Raymond Florence; Entertainment, John C. Koons; Imperial Divan and Ladies, Robert P, Smith; Finance, F. G. Addison, jr.; Govern- ment Activities, Lieut. Col. Dan 1. Sultan; Grandstands, Construction, William C. Miller; Grandstand Seats, Sales, Ara M. Daniels; Hos- pitality, Allen H. Potts; Hotel and Housing, Stanley D. Willis; Insurance, William Mont=- gomery; Law, Paul B. Cromelin; Medical, Dr. Charles Stanley White: Music, Theodore C. Lewis; Pageant, Gen. Amos A. Fries: Parades and Patrols, L. Whiting Estes: Postal Service, William M. ooney; Program, Vernon G. Owen; Publicity, Curtis Hodges; Public Order and Safety, Melvin C. Hazen; Recorders, F. Lawrence Walker; Registration, Frank A. Birgfeld; Service and Information, Edwin C. Dutton; Souvenirs, William S. Quinter; Tele- phone, Telegraph and Radio, Edward F, Colladay; Transportation, George B. McGinty; Utilities, Local- Maj. Otto Engelmann; Water Sports, Edward C. Baltz; Ushers’ Committee, Clifford Bangs, Past potentates—William F. Gude, Francis A. Sebring, Carter B." Keene, James T. Gibbs, Roe Fulkerson, H. F. Cary. Charles D. Shackel= ford, Robert S. Regar and W. W, Grimes, Illustrious Potentate Smith has a divan and staff of officers of whom he is proud. They include the following: Alien H. Potts, chief rabban; Ara M. Daniels, assistant rabban; Granville Gude, high priest and prophet; Stanley D. Willis, oriental guide: Frank E. Griselli, treasurer; F. Lawrence Walker. recorder, Appointive officers—First ceremonial master, Karl E. Jarrell; second ceremonial master, Earl W. Shinn; marshal, Howard P. Foley; captain of the guard, Needham C. Turnage; outer guard, John M. Credille; inner guard. George W, Rue; orator, Rev. John C. Palmer; first alchemist, Willlam P. Amos; second slchemist, Harry Gardner; director of publicity. E. Burk- holder; director, Ernest W. Snoots; stage mans= ager, Guy C. Harper:; assistant director. Fred- erick W. Bardsley; assistant director, Thomas S. Courtney; assistant director, Clarence L. Eudy; assistant director, T. Homer Hall; ase sistant director, Gilmore G. Jungkurthi, sssiste ant director, J. A. Schroeder, jr Aide to the potentate, John @ Slye: master of ceremonies, Harry S. Evans; adjutant, Charles D. Shackelford Representatives to the Imperial Council— Leonard P. Steuart, Robert P. Smith. William €. Miller, James C. Hoyle, F. Lawscnce Walker, planuing for