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Under date of December 5th, 1907, the Grand Lodge of Texas adopted the following report of Bro. E. E. Douglass for the Committee on Work:
To the M. W. Grand Lodge of Texas:
We, your Committee on Work, to whom was referred that part of the revision of Taylor's Monitor by R. W. Bro. Sam R. Hamilton, P. G. M., which refers to the ritual, beg leave to report that we have carefully examined this work, so faithfully and judiciously performed, and find that Bro. Hamilton has revised, corrected, rearranged and harmonized the Monitor with our authorized ritual, and that although our former Monitor has served a useful purpose so long, we recognize in this revision quite an improvement, and that it will prove of great practical utility.
Having as actual workers in Masonry long felt the necessity of a thorough re-vision of our Monitor, we feel that Bro. Hamilton (himself for many years an active worker), has in this revision rendered the Craft a great service, and one that merits and should receive at our hands our most greatful approval.
Fully approving this revision ourselves, we recommend the following for adoption:
1. Resolved, That the revision of Taylor's
[paragraph continues] Monitor by Past Grand Master Sam R. Hamilton be, and the same is hereby approved and recommended for use as the latest and most approved monitorial textbook, but not to the exclusion of our former Monitor being used by those now provided with them.
2. Resolved, That this revised Monitor. shall be known as the Taylor-Hamilton Monitor of Symbolic Masonry.
Fraternally submitted,
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[Signed] |
E. E. DOUGLASS, |
This report was referred to a Special Committee composed of Bros. W. S. Fly, Anson Rainey, Geo. W. Tyler, J. Y. Hogsett, Friench Simpson and W. L. Burdette, which committee made the following report, which was adopted:
"We, your Special Committee, to whom was referred the matter of the Taylor-Hamilton Monitor for publication, would report that it is inexpedient for the Grand Lodge to publish same at this time, and recommend that Bro. Hamilton shall publish same, if he so desires, and preserve the copy plate of same, and he is hereby
authorized to preserve the copyrights of the same."
During the 1918 Communication of the Grand Lodge a resolution was introduced and adopted, as appears on page 200 of the printed proceedings, calling attention to the fact that the price of the Taylor-Hamilton Monitor, under the then system of management, had increased from fifty cents to one dollar and fifty cents per copy, and requesting the Committee on Printing to secure the lowest bid from the then publishers. The Grand Secretary, in his 1919 report, stated that he had been unable to secure a satisfactory bid from the publishers who were custodians of the copyright, but had received a satisfactory bid from a concern which proposed to electrotype the plates, the same to be the property of the Grand Lodge. (See P. P. 1919, page 138.) This report was referred to the Committee on Grand Officers' Reports, which rendered a detailed report
and introduced the following resolution, which was adopted. (See P. P. 1919, Page 314.)
"Your Committee is most thoroughly of the opinion that this Grand Lodge should at once relieve itself of all such co-partnerships and entangling financial alliances. We are fully competent, and every legitimate interest demands, that we should provide our own authorized Monitor, and own outright the copyright and plates for same, as well as for our laws. To meet any existing or possible emergency, we know of no reason why this Grand Lodge may not have published our old Taylor Monitor, which our subordinates are already authorized to adopt and use. This would give us a much smaller volume, and one which we could furnish to the Craft at not to exceed one-third the present cost of the Taylor-Hamilton Monitor. We therefore offer the following, viz:
"Resolved, That the Grand Master appoint a committee of three with our Grand Secretary as its Chairman, whose duty it shall be to make all necessary investigation and secure all needed bids, etc., and to report at our next Annual Communication definite recommendations looking to the securing and printing of a Monitor for this Grand Lodge; said contract whenever made to provide for the copyright and plates to be vested in and retained by this Grand Lodge, and further,
"Resolved, That if in the judgment of the above named Committee, the emergency
should demand, they are hereby authorized and instructed to have a sufficient number of the Taylor Monitor published to meet the urgent demand, provided, however, same may be furnished to the purchaser at a price not to exceed 50c per copy, and further that any and all such contracts for printing shall be first approved by the Grand Master.
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Fraternally submitted, |
W. M. FLY, |
The Grand Master then appointed the following committee: M. W. W. B. Pearson, Grand Secretary, Chairman; K. Robey and J. F. Scott.
This committee rendered a full and complete report on revision of the Monitor, By-Laws and Forms at the 1920 Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, which was referred to the Jurisprudence Committee, as appears on page 171 of the printed proceedings.
The Jurisprudence Committee approved
the report of the Revision Committee at the 1921 Annual Communication, and the report was finally approved and adopted on December 7th, 1921.
The By-Laws and Forms have been eliminated from the Monitor and will be found with the Constitution and Digest.