grand royal arch chapter maine grand council royal & select masters

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GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER

MAINE

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY NINETH ANNUAL CONVOCATION

2003 - 2004

ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

GRAND COUNCIL
ROYAL & SELECT MASTERS
MAINE
DONALD PRESTON COATES
Grand High Priest

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DONALD PRESTON COATES
MOST EXCELLENT GRAND HIGH PRIEST

Companion Donald P. Coates was born in Lowell, MA on March 26, 1935, the son
of Ill. Bro. Ralph P. and Ruth A. (Smith) Coates. He graduated from Chelmsford High School
in 1952 and attended Lowell Technological Institute (U. Mass-Lowell) where he received a
degree in Textile Engineering in 1956. While in school he was a member of Lowell Chapter
Order of DeMolay.

After graduation he accepted a position as a Mechanical Engineer in the Design Division
of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he worked over 34 years as a Mechanical Engineer,
Supervisory Mechanical Engineer and Supervisory General Engineer and retired in 1990 as the
Design Division Funds Administrator. While at the Shipyard he was a member of the National
Association of Naval Technical Supervisors and served as President of the local Chapter in 1980
and National Vice President in 1982 and 1983. He was also a member of the American Society
of Naval Engineers.

On June 29, 1968 he was united in marriage with the former Marie Ann Bachman Stone.
Between them they have five children, Deborah A. Silva and her husband James of South
Portland, ME, Martin P. Stone of Kittery, ME, Judith R. Perez and her husband Juan of
Glendale, CA, Squeak S. Stone and her husband Stephen of Brattleboro, VT and Elizabeth D.
Welch and her husband Richard of Medford, MA. They are the proud grandparents of five
grandsons and two granddaughters.

Companion Coates is a Deacon of the Second Christian-Congregation Church of Kittery
and a member of the Prudential Committee. He has served as Chairman of the Finance
Committee, Church Moderator, Chairman of the Diaconate and sings in the choir. Other civic
affiliations include four years on the Budget and Finance Committee of the Town of Kittery and
several years as President of the Kittery Art Association.

He was raised a Master Mason on November 9, 1956 in William Sewell Gardner Lodge in
Lowell, MA. He affiliated with St. John’s Lodge No. 51 of South Berwick as a dual member in
1983 and served as Worshipful Master in 1988. He has served as Lodge Historian since 1989
and is a member of the South Berwick Masonic Temple Corporation.

Companion Coates was Exalted in Maine Chapter No. 73 of Kittery on April 22, 1960 and
served as High Priest in 1968. Between 1970 and 1982 he was Chaplain or Lecturer several
times and in 1984 was elected High Priest a second time. Since 1985 he has served as
Secretary and Lecturer. He is a dual member of Unity Chapter No. 32 of South Berwick, and
an honorary member of Ipswich-Ferson Chapter of Ipswich, MA and King Cyrus Chapter of
Newburyport, MA.

He was Greeted in Maine Council No. 7 of Saco on May 24, 1960 and elected Illustrious
Master in 1973. He was Master of Ceremonies for about 15 years and has played various parts
in the Super Excellent Master Degree, including the part of Zedikiah for the past 17 years.

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Companion Coates was Knighted in St. Amand Commandery No. 20 of Kennebunk on
January 5, 1961 and elected Eminent Commander in 1979. He has served as Master of
Ceremonies and Military Instructor several times and in June of 2000 was elected Commander
for a second time.

He is a member of Chalcedon Conclave, Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine, and was
elected Most Puissant Sovereign in 1990. He served as Illustrious Grand Sentinel for Most
Illustrious Grand Sovereign Roger W. Staples in 1992.

Companion Coates is a member of the Past Officers Association of Maine and was elected
President in 1995 and has served as Secretary/Treasurer of that body since April 28, 2000.

He is a member of Kora Temple A.A.O.N.M.S., the York County Shrine Club and a
Charter Member of the Kora Kraftsman Club where he served as Degree Master for three years.
He is also a member of the Maine Council, Order of High Priesthood; Maine Council, Order of
Thrice Illustrious Masters; Past Commanders Association of the State of Maine; Maine Chapter
of Knights Preceptors; Pine Tree Priory No. 65, Knights of the York Cross of Honor; Pine Cone
Council No. 31, Knight Masons and Dirigo York Rite College No. 103. He is also a member of
Gaspee Order No. 99 Order of the Sword of Bunker Hill of Rhode Island and the Order of Old
Saratoga of New York. In the Scottish Rite he is a member of the Valley of Portsmouth-Dover
and New Hampshire Consistory of the Valley of Nashua, and a member of the Pioneer Scottish
Rite Club of Springvale, ME. He has also served as Chairman of the Advisory council of
William Whipple Chapter Order of DeMolay.

In the Grand Chapter, Companion Coates was appointed as a Grand Steward on May 2,
1979 by M.E. Marvin A. Timberlake and on May 2, 1984 he was appointed Grand Principle
Sojourner by M.E. Edward B. Parker. M.E. Earl Daniels appointed him as a District Deputy
Grand High Priest on May 8, 1985. He served in that capacity in 1986 and 1987 and was
elected Grand Scribe on April 30, 1988. M.E. Daniel C. Pratt appointed him an Assistant
Grand Lecturer on May 1, 1993 and he served as an Assistant Grand Lecturer for six years until
he was appointed Grand Lecturer by M..E. John O. Bond, Sr. on April 29, 2000. Companion
Coates was elected Grand King on April 28, 2001, Deputy Grand High Priest on April 27, 2002
and Grand High Priest on April 26, 2003. He is the Representative of the Grand Chapters of
Colorado and New Hampshire near the Grand Chapter of Maine and an Honorary Member of the
Grand Chapters of New Hampshire, Vermont, New Brunswick, New York and. Rhode Island.

WATERVILLE, MAINE
June 6, 2002

The summer meeting of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter was held at the Governor’s
Restaurant, Waterville, Maine. All Past Grand Officers and Present Grand Officers were invited.

The MEGHP stated that the purpose of this meeting was to meet with present and past
officers for a general discussion on the following areas of concern to him:

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1. Inspection assignments:
A. Inspecting Officers are to update all inspections date for publication.
B. A discussion on Consolidation and/or Merging of Chapters.

2. Inspection reports:
A. A better use of the Remarks Section. Be more informative and complete.
B. Confirm that all financial accounts have two approved signers.

3. Grand Lecturer’s:
A. Continue the importance of the approved and accepted Signs and Grips used in
our degrees.
B. Mispronunciation of words. More attention need be given in this area.
C. Cover any other area of interest and/or concern to the Chapter.

Robert M. Hennessey talked about the success that Washington RAC #16 was
experiencing and how to get new members.

Leslie E. Buzzell expressed the need for a Long Range Membership Plan and the need to
up-date the 4-Step booklet.

The meeting closed in ample form at 9:30 p.m.

Fraternally Submitted,

Robert D. Chaput
Grand Secretary

GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF MAINE
2004
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINTH ANNUAL CONVOCATION

The Most Excellent Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Maine met for the One Hundred
Seventy-Ninth Annual Convocation at the Howard Johnson’s Verrillo’s , Portland, Maine
on Saturday, April 24, 2004 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) with Most Excellent
Donald P. Coates presiding. Prayer by Reverend David E. Wigley, Grand Chaplain.

VISITORS

The Most Excellent Grand High Priest ordered admission of all Royal Arch Masons
in good standing as visitors.

RECORDS

It was voted to dispense with the reading of the records and that they be confirmed as
printed.

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PAST GRAND HIGH PRIEST OF MAINE

Norton B. Churchill Dwight C. Whitney
Douglas B. Taylor Wilbur F. Loveitt
Daniel C. Pratt Raymond J. McLellan
Colwyn F. Haskell Robert V. Damon
Peter Davis Couture John O. Bond, Sr.
Jesse R. Rollins

DISTINGUISHED GUEST

Massachusetts: Connecticut:
Charles A. O’Wrill, Jr., MEGHP Charles C. Maxson, MEGHP
Richard E. Monroe, PGHP Robert G. Fitzgerald, GR KING
Michael A. Brown, PGHP
c. Edward Estes, PGHP New Hampshire:
Charles R. heaphy, PGHP Dennis A. Sheridan, MEGHP
Henry P. Thurlow, Gr. Rep. Ronald E. Metcalf, PGHP
Wallace F. Emerson, PGHP
Rhode Island: Melvin L. Covey, PGHP
Douglas E. Connell, Sr., MEGHP Richard Gilbert, Sr., Gr. Capt of Host
Nathaniel H. Sawyer, PGHP
Vermont: Edward F. Brown, PHP
Donald C. Murray, MEGHP
Daniel Ebbighauson, PGHP New Brunswick:
Guy W. Oldenburg, GR. KING Peter P. Devlin, 1st Gr. Principal
Fred Healy, P1st Gr. Principal
Newfoundland: David D. Dalzell, P1st Gr. Principal
William J. Baldwin, PGHP

Maryland: Oregon:
Daniel L. Crouse, MEGHP Lowell Amundson, PGHP
Clifton R. Friel, PGHP Lawrence O. Weaver, MEGHP
Philip A. Tilson, Grand Council

Ontario:
Alan Seabright, ME 1st Gr. Principal
MAINE

M.I. Gordon E. Reynolds, Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council of Royal & Select
Masters of Maine; S.K. Donald J. Paulsen, R.E. Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery
Knights Templar of Maine; Wilbur F. Loveitt, President, Maine Past Officers Association;
Harold A. Clough, Em. Prior, Knight York Cross of Honor, Pine Tree Priory No. 65; Alton R.
Kinney, Imperial Grand Sovereign, Red Cross of Constantine of Maine; Gilbert P. Prevost, Sr.,
Very Em. Predceptor, Cross and Crown Tabernacle, No. 53, HARAKTP; Gordon L. Kimball, Jr.,
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Executive Officer Order of DeMolay; Donald Ricker, President, Council of High Priesthood;
Keith W. Bennett, President, Past Commanders Association; Richard P. Day, Grand Governor of
the York Rite College of Maine, Noble Carroll I. Goodwin, Jr., Past Potentate of Anah Shrine
representing Noble Albert Gibson, Potentate of Anah Shrine, A.A.O.N.M.S.; Peter P. Bowler,
Chief Adept, Maine College, SRICF Rosicrucian’s

GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER

All Past Grand High Priest Retire and Present

M.E. Roger A. Douillette.
Deputy General Grand High Priest
Northeastern Region

John O. Bond, Sr.
General Grand Chapter, Ambassador to Maine

M.W. GRAND LODGE OF MAINE

All Past Grand High Priest Retire and Present

M.W. Charles E. Ridlon
Most Worshipful Grand Master
Of
Masons in Maine

CREDENTIALS

Chapter Represented by Chapter Represented by
Cumberland- Montgomery-
Mt. Vernon #1 Raymond J. McLellan St. Bernard #2 Arthur V. Chapman
Lincoln #3 John L. Cousins, Sr. Jerusalem #4 William H. Sawyer
York #5 Forrest E. Tripp Mt. Moriah #6 Gordon E. Reynolds
Waldo #7 Alton R. Kenney King Solomon’s Temple #8 Randall C. Foster
Bradford #9 Greg. W. Edwards Eagle #11 Thomas A. Emery
Dunlap #12 Edward Brownell Mt. Siani-Greenleaf #13 David L. Thurell
St. Paul’s #13 Paul A. Adams Somerset #15 Gilbert S. Prevost, Sr.
Washington #16 Robert R. Cole Hancock #19 Richard R. Robshaw
Piscataquis #21 Reginald A. Page Aurora #22 Hilton D. Gilpatrick
Keystone #24 Douglas Rackliff Crescent #26 Donald K. Rice
Drummond #27 Kenneth R. Libby Stevens #28 Charles F. DeBeck
Oxford #29 Colwyn F. Haskell Oriental #30 Donald MacPherson
Acadia #31 Gordon W. Harrington Unity #32 Thomas B. Lord
Murray #33 John Nompleggi Franklin #34 Edward A. Lowell
Winthrop #37 Lewis Flagg Turner #41 C. Arthur Allen
Garfield #48 Dale M. Ames St. Andrew’s #51 Timothy Bennett
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Teconnet #52 Douglas B. Taylor White Rose #54 Rene Doironr
Ira Berry #57 Harold F. Glencross Kennebec #67 David E. Woods
Boaz #72 Gordon L. Kimball, Jr. Maine #73 Timothy W. Hawkes
Mosiac #74 Roger B. Windsor Penobscot #75 Robert H. Gillahan
Lubec #76 William J. Hatch

ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE GRAND HIGH PRIEST

DONALD PRESTON COATES

Portland, Maine
April 24, 2004

To the Officers and Members of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Maine

Companions: Welcome to the 179th Annual Convocation of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter
of Maine. Your attendance here today is sincerely appreciated and I thank you for that as well
as for the support that you have given me during the past year. This is your Grand Chapter and
your support is needed.

To the distinguished guests from our sister jurisdictions I bid you welcome and hope that
your stay here will be a pleasant and memorable one. Lady Marie and I have enjoyed our visits
to several of your jurisdictions and hope the friendships that we made will long endure.

To the Past Grand High Priests, Permanent Members and my Grand Officers, I wish to
extend my thanks for your help and assistance whenever I called on you. You are a dedicated
group and Capitular Masonry could not continue to exist without you. My special thanks to
my frequent traveling companion M.E. John O. Bond, Sr. who received the most of my calls for
“what do I do now”. John and I share membership in the same Blue Lodge, Council and
Commandery as well as being a local phone call away.

I would also like to welcome the Presiding Officers or their representatives of the other
Masonic Bodies in this Grand Jurisdiction to our Annual Convocation. Your dedication and
hard work is recognized as one of the contributing factors to the warm fraternal friendship that
exists between the members of the Maine Masonic family.

M.E. Roger A. Douillette, General Grand Master of the Second Veil and Deputy General
Grand High Priest of the Northeast Region, we are happy to have you with us today. Your
attendance at this Convocation is most welcome and appreciated. As a member of the Past
Officers Association of Maine and an honorary member of Maine Chapter No. 73 in Kittery we
hope that you feel right at home in Maine.

I am honored to receive and welcome M.W. Charles E. Ridlon, Most Worshipful Grand
Master of Masons in Maine. We are happy that you could find time in your busy schedule to be
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with us today. Your leadership and dedication to all the Masonic Bodies in Maine during the
past two years has been an inspiration to us all.

NECROLOGY

The Supreme Architect of the Universe has called several Companions to the Celestial
Lodge above. It is with sadness that we report the passing of M.E. Owen F. Whitten, Grand
High Priest in 1998, who with the assistance of Lady Jan served as the Grand Coordinator for the
Grand Sessions. Their untiring work will be missed by all of us. Later in our proceeding
there will be a Memorial Service for our departed Companions.

INSPECTIONS

When I assigned the Inspections this year I assigned most of the Inspections in each
District to the District Deputy. I also assigned each of the top four Council Officers two
Inspections each spread over the six Districts. In early June R.E. Joseph W. Unnold told me
that he was going to go to Florida about the first of October and could not complete his assigned
Inspections. Therefore these Inspections were divided up among the other Inspecting Officers
at the summer School of Instruction. I thank them for their willingness to assume those added
responsibilities. It was necessary to change some other Inspection assignments during the year
due to other commitments. A summary of the Inspections that I did, and which I will not read
at this time, follows:

Unity Chapter No. 32, South Berwick. October 14, 2004. I arrived at Unity Chapter
and met with the Secretary to go over the books. His records are in excellent condition as is
the Book of Marks. The minutes state that the Annual Reports are spread upon the records, but
they are kept in a separate book. I told him that they, along with the Audit Report, should be in
the Secretaries records. He said that he would transfer them. I examined the Treasurers
book and found it in very good condition. Unity Chapter has appointed an alternate signer of
checks.
After supper Ex. John F. Ford assumed the East and did his usual perfect job and worked
the Most Excellent Master Degree on one candidate. The High Priest opened and closed in
very good form. He is new to the Chapter line and has not learned any Chapter degrees yet,
but having seen him work in the EA, FC and MM Degrees in St. John's Lodge No. 51, I know it
will be only a matter of time before he does.

With only two Past High Priests in line Unity Chapter is in good hands. They have a
School of Instruction scheduled for November 18th.

Oriental Chapter No. 30, Bridgton. October 16, 2003. I arrived at Oriental Chapter
and met with the Secretary, R.E. John W. Moore. He told me that I might as well copy last
years Inspection Report because nothing has changed. I did look at his records and rated them
fair. I took Oriental Chapter in place of R.E. Joseph W. Unnold because I wanted to talk to the
Companions about their proposal to join with Oxford Chapter No. 29. Oriental has already
voted to consolidate with Oxford and are waiting for Oxford to hold a meeting to vote on this.
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With only four members plus myself the Chapter could not be opened. No work had been
scheduled. During and after supper we discussed the joining of the two Chapters. I explained
the difference between a consolidation and a merger and told them they would have to decide
what they wanted to do. If they decide on a merger it would have to wait until after the Grand
Chapter vote to change the By-laws, also, that they would have to have a new vote if they wanted
a merger. One bright point, they did have a quorum to hold two meetings since last years
Inspection. This is better than they did the year before. I also told them to get some
candidates and that the Grand Chapter would help them do the work.

I will contact M.E. Colwyn Haskell to find out what Oxford is planning to do.

Murray Chapter No. 33. October 30, 2003. I arrived at Murray Chapter and was met
by several companions. I examined the books of the Secretary and found them in excellent
condition with his annual report properly spread upon the records. The Book of Marks is up to
date and in very good condition. I examined the books of the Treasurer after supper and rated
them fair. He did not have his annual report, but the High Priest e-mailed it to me the next day
and said he would properly spread it upon the records.

The work of the evening was the Mark Master Degree on one candidate. Ex. James
Wiggin assumed the East for the first section with Ex. Richard Amirault taking over for the
second section and lecture. All officers did a very good job. ALL officers were present and
in their stations. Only three line officers are Past High Priests. The High Priest has not
learned any Chapter Degrees yet, but he did an outstanding job while going through the line in
Arundel Lodge No. 76.

Murray Chapter is in good hands. They have exalted four candidates his year, with one
going through now and an application pending.

CONDITION OF THE CRAFT

As usual we must report that membership is still declining due to deaths, demits and
suspensions. While we would like to control the grip reaper, his hand is beyond our control.
We can try to limit the number of companions who each year request demits or are suspended for
non-payment of dues.

On March 11th Washington Chapter No. 16 in Machias and Murray Chapter No. 33 in
Kennebunk each worked four candidates in the Mark Degree. On March 24th White Rose
Chapter No. 54 in Sanford also worked four candidates in the Mark Degree. Companions there
are about twenty-five thousand Blue Lodge brethren in the State of Maine. There are fewer
than five thousand Chapter Masons. According to my math this makes twenty thousand
brethren who do not belong to the Chapter. Get your applications out and go to work.

I think that the formation of our Chapters into Districts is helping to keep the District
Deputies better aware of what is happening in the Chapters in their District. A more lengthy
report on the condition of our Chapters is included in the Annual Report of the Committee on the
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