GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER OF THE UNITED STATES. Until the year 1797 no Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was organized in America. Previous to that period, a competent number of companions of that degree, possessed of suffi cient ability, under the sanction of a Master's warrant, exercised the rights and privileges of Royal Arch Chapters, wherever they thought it expedient or proper: This unre drained mode of proceeding was subject to many inconveniences and of great injury to the society. Fully sensible of the many irregularities to which the Order wad exposed, and with the view of preventing these difficulties in the future, in the year 1797, a convention of representatives from the several chapters in the State of Pennsyl vania met at Philadelphia, and organized a Grand Chapter for the State. This was the first Grand Chapter in the United States. Ac tuated by similar motives, Oct. 24, 1797, a convention of delegates from several chapters in the northern States, met at Boston to deliberate upon the propriety of forming a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the States of New Hamp shire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York. The convention having taken the subject into consideration came to a determination to forward to each of the chapters within the States before mentioned an address, expressive of their opinions. This address was issued, and the con vention adjourned to meet again at Hartford, Conn., January 24, 1798. Agreeably to the recommendation of the convention of October, and, as requested by the circular, issued by that body, delegates assembled at the city of Boston, Jan. 24,.1798,
from the following chapters, viz: St. Andrew's Chapter, Boston, Mas sachusetts, instituted 1769; King Cyrus Chapter, Mass., instituted 1790; Providence Chap ter Providence, R. I., instituted 1793 ; Solomon Chapter, Derby, Conn., instituted 1794 ; Franklin Chapter, Norwich, Conn., instituted 1796; Franklin Chapter, New Haven, Conn., instituted 1796 ; Hudson Chapter, Hudson, N. Y., instituted 1796 ; Temple Chapter, Albany, N. Y.; Horeb Chapter, Whitestowu, N. Y. The convention, after due deliberation, adopted the following resolution : " Resolved, That the delegates who compose this_ con vention, being invested with ample powers, will establish a Grand Royal 'Arch Chapter, for the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Ver mont, and New York, to be deno minated the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the northern States of America." A constitution was then adopted for the government of Royal Arch Masonry. In 1806 the title of the body was changed to "The General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the United States." From this period this grand body has prospered, and its influence spread throughout the whole coun try. Nearly every Grand Chapter • in the United States acknowledges its jurisdiction and authority.