CHARLES A. DURAND. Another native son and of Royal Masonic lineage has ascended the Throne of Michigan Masonry. Charles A. Durand was born at Flint, Michigan, September 27, 1860. He graduated from the Flint High School in June, 1878, and then entered his father's law office and was admitted to the bar September 27, 1881. He practiced in Detroit from 1884 to 1888, then in Saginaw until 1890; was then in business in Rochester, New York, until 1896, when he returned to Flint and was a member of the firm of Durand & Carton until after the death of his father in 1903. He was at one time Deputy Commissioner of Insurance of Michigan and also managed the State Accident Fund until October 1, 1917, since which time he has been retired except that he is a member of the firm of Durand & Doherty of Flint and owns the Cooper Agency in the same place. His Masonic record is as follows: He was raised in Genesee Lodge No. 174 of Flint, May 7, 1902, and was elected Worshipful Master in 1907. He received the Capitular Degrees in Washington Chapter No. 15, R. A. M., the Cryptic Degrees in Flint Council No. 56, R. & S. M., the Order of Knighthood in Genesee Valley Commandery No. 15, K. T. He has also received the Degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite 32°, and is a member of Bay City Lodge of Perfection, Bay City Council P. of J., Mt. Olivet Chapter of Rose Croix (of which he is a Past Most Wise Master) and Michigan Sovereign Consistory of Detroit. He is also a member of Moslem Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. of Detroit, Flint Chapter O. E. S., and is the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Flint Chapter Order of DeMolay for boys. He is also a Past Exalted Ruler of Flint Lodge No. 222, B. P. O. E., a Past Chancellor of Ivanhoe Lodge No. 17, K. of P., a member of Genesee Lodge I. O. O. F. of Flint, Senior Warden of Christ P. E. Church, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Exchange Club, all of Flint. He was elected Grand Marshal of the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of the State of Michigan at the Seventy-third Annual Communication held in the City of Lansing, May 22, 1917, and regularly promoted each year, being installed Grand Master at the Seventy-ninth Annual Communication, held in the City of Kalamazoo, May 22, 1923. In complying with our request for data relative to information from which to write up this historical sketch, the Grand Master maintained a noticeable silence relative to what we consider the chief event of his life: that of taking to himself a wife. We do not wonder that he does not feel particularly proud of the fact that until he was sixty years of age he deprived some good girl of a good husband and not until he was elected to office in Grand Lodge did he awaken to the full enormity of his offense to society,-true, he did better than some of his illustrious predecessors, notably Past Grand Masters Lodge and Fead, and has awakened in time to provide the Grand Lodge with a most estimable "Grand Mistress," and we wish to testify, having known the Grand Master for many years, that there has never been such a marked improvement in his character and in his appearance in any other period of his career as since this notable event. The election of our present Grand Master is the first instance in the history of the Grand Lodge of Michigan where a son of a former Grand Master has succeeded to the office; his father, George H. Durand, was Grand Master of Michigan in 1875, and was one of the most brilliant men that ever presided over this Grand Lodge, and we confidently expect that additional laurels will surround the name of Durand at the close of the present administration. COMMITTEES, 1923-1924. CHARLES A. DURAND, Flint.... Ben J. Henderson, Bay City M. W. Grand Master R. W. Deputy Grand Master R. W. Senior Grand Warden Charles A. Donaldson, Grand Rapids, R. W. Junior Grand Warden Hugh A. McPherson, P. G. M., Lansing. *LOU B. WINSOR, P. G. M... R. W. Grand Treasurer Masonic Temple, Grand Rapids. Frank O. Gilbert, P. G. M.. *Committee on Credentials. R. W. Grand Lecturer R. W. Grand Chaplain W. Senior Grand Deacon W. Junior Grand Deacon W. Grand Marshal Grand Tiler Assistant Grand Secretary Official Stenographer COMMITTEES. JURISPRUDENCE-John J. Carton, P. G. M., Flint; Ira A. Beck, P. G. M., Battle Creek; Louis H. Fead, P. G. M., Newberry. FINANCE Clark W. McKenzie, P. G. M., Kalamazoo; Arthur Hurd, Lansing; Kenneth H. McKenzie, Sandusky. APPEALS-Sherman T. Handy, Lansing; William C. Hovey, Benton Harbor; Harry V. Blakley, Detroit. LODGES-Charles E. Kean, Port Huron; August H. Ludwig, Detroit; Russell A. Kirkpatrick, Saginaw. CORRESPONDENCE-William H. Gallagher, Grand Chaplain, Allegan. BOARD OF CONTROL OF MICHIGAN MASONIC HOME-Charles A. Durand, Flint, Grand Master; Ben J. Henderson, Bay City, Deputy Grand Master; Arthur M. Hume, P. G. M., Owosso, to 1924; Lou B. Winsor, P. G. M., Grand Rapids, to 1925; Clark W. McKenzie, P. G. M., Kalamazoo, to 1926. The next (80th) Annual Communication will be held in the City of Flint, commencing on the fourth Tuesday in May, being May 27th, A. D. 1924, A. L. 5924, at high twelve. LOU B. WINSOR, Grand Secretary. |