The following Charter history was compiled by Companion Dean Clatterbuck in 2016 for the 90th anniversary of the St. Simeon Stylites Conclave.

PREFACE
As Masons, most of us have embedded within us a particular interest in our history and roots. Knowing who our predecessors were and how they operated is always desirable, because they form the fabric that has been woven tightly and expertly enough to survive these past 90 years. Thanks are due the many members of this Conclave who must have had the future members in their minds, with special appreciation to Knight Companion Carl H. Claudy, who served as Recorder for almost 30 years. Most of the minutes of the Conclave have survived these 90 years and reveal to us a considerable amount of information about what went on and who these shakers and movers were.
Also, our Grand Recorder, Frederick G. Kleyn, Ill, has been of great assistance as well. He has reviewed some of the proceedings of the Imperial Grand Council (now the United Grand Imperial Council) and provided some very interesting insights, one of which being that St. Simeon Stylites Conclave was not the first Red Cross Conclave to be chartered in Washington, D.C. The Imperial Grand Council proceedings show that a St. Thomas Conclave No. 12 was chartered in 1907. However, there was apparently little effort expended in keeping it viable, and by 1923, it no longer existed. A review of our Conclave minutes suggests that perhaps at least one of the former members of St. Thomas may have joined St. Simeon Stylites, as will be noted later.

Author's Note: As with any history of this nature, it is likely that errors and omissions will be found and future revisions will be required to improved accuracy. If the reader notes anything erroneous or missing, please kindly communicate the same to the Conclave Recorder so that necessary corrections can be made.

Our Conclave has existed, virtually from day one, principally as a social organization to which some of the most important and influential Masonic personages in our Grand Jurisdiction have belonged. One benefit of history is that we can get to know, perhaps a little better, some of these who have gone before us; men who have existed perhaps only as names we often see in the older proceedings of the Grand Lodge and other Masonic histories. Being largely social in nature, there is not usually much of an earth-shaking nature in the minutes, but it is clear that in the early years, many discussions were held about upcoming Grand Lodge business and there is little doubt that members of St. Simeon Stylites most likely exerted considerable influence on many matters, but such discussions were never recorded in detail in the Conclave minutes, although occasionally referred to in somewhat cryptic terms, such as "A discussion of Grand Lodge matters was held," or "the Temple Heights situation was discussed." In one set of early minutes, it is noted that "A very full exposition of matters of vital importance to the Fraternity was given by a Fra, with the understanding that he was not to be quoted or the matter spoken of discussed, outside of the meeting."

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS
The first organizational meeting was held on March 5, 1923, at the office of L. Whiting Estes in the Acacia Life Insurance building on Louisiana Avenue, N.W. Present were L. Whiting Estes, Harry Standiford, Worth L. Landon, Carter B. Keene, J. Claude Keiper, Roe Fulkerson, Carl H. Claudy and Perry W. Weidner, acting as advisor. Bro. Claudy was appointed Secretary pro tem and instructed to draw up tentative bylaws and to secure information on a suitable Saint for whom a Conclave could be named.

At the second meeting held on March 23, 1923, also at the office of L. Whiting Estes, a set of by-laws was discussed, amended, and then adopted. Bro. Claudy presented information on St. Simeon Stylites, the first of the Pillar Saints, and following a discussion, the name was selected for the Conclave. Bro. J. Claude Keiper was elected the first Sovereign, L. Whiting Estes as the first Viceroy, and Carl H. Claudy as the first Recorder. Discussions were also held about issuance of several invitations to join St. Simeon Stylites Conclave.

The third organizational meeting was held on April 16, 1923, again in the office of L. Whiting Estes. At this meeting, the Sovereign-elect discussed the history of Constantine, reading excerpts from the national body and suggested that all members inform themselves regarding the usages and customs of the Order.

(Author's Factoid: Acacia Life Insurance Company began its existence as a Masonic Mutual Relief Association, which assessed its members each time one died. It was later converted to a regular life insurance company and, as its name implies, had significant Masonic overtones; most of its principal officers for many years were Masons, and while the company's clientele was not exclusively Masonic, the Masonic community was courted. L. Whiting Estes was presumably an Acacia executive at some level.)

The fourth pre-organization meeting was held at the Columbia Country Club on July 2, 1923, at which time was read a Dispensation Granted by the Imperial Council in Dallas, Texas. All Masons of the Royal Arch present were then installed as Knights of the Imperial, Ecclesiastical and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine by Knight Companion Weidner, acting as the installing officer. Knight Companion Keiper and Knight Companion Estes were then consecrated as Viceroys after which Knight Companion Keiper was enthroned as Most Puissant Sovereign. An offering of $40.00 as installation fee was authorized. The Most Puissant sovereign made the following appointments: Joseph H. Milans as Senior General, Harry Standiford as Junior General, John J. Boobar as Prelate, Roe Fulkerson as Treasurer, Carl H. Claudy as Recorder, William F. Roberts as Prefect, James T. Gibbs as Standard Bearer, John C. Koons as Herald and Worth F. Landon as Sentinel. A motion was also duly made and seconded, that Perry W. Weidner be made an Honorary Member for Life.

We have little information about Knight Companion Weidner, and this may be a matter for further research. He appears to have been either a banker or an insurance executive and he was a California Mason. He served as the Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of California in 1915 and was the Most Excellent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar in 1931-32. He also was the Sovereign Grand Inspector General in California for the A.A.S.R. Obviously, he was a Mason of considerable repute and renown. But exactly how he came to take a particular interest in establishing a new Conclave of the Red Cross in Washington, D.C. is not clear. Probably, he had a close fraternal relationship with one or more of the founding members of the Conclave. In any case, he came to serve as the advisor and was evidently very instrumental in helping the Conclave to organize and become chartered.

The fifth meeting took place on October 1, 1923, at the City Club, with dinner preceding the meeting. Eleven members and Knight Companion Weidner, Honorary Member, were in attendance. A document proving the resignation of Knight Companion Carter B. Keene from St. Thomas Conclave was read, following which Knight Companion Keene was readmitted to the circle of St. Simeon. It was also announced that Most Puissant Sovereign J. Claude Keiper had been appointed as the Intendant General of the Order for Virginia and Washington.

(Author's Note: The above notation in the minutes of October 1, 1923, suggests that Knight Companion Carter B. Keene had resigned from St. Thomas Conclave No. 12, said Conclave having preceded St. Simeon Stylites. This suggestion is further reinforced by the fact that Keene was installed)

A NEW CONCLAVE IS BORN
The charter for St. Simeon Stylites Conclave No. 51 was issued by the Imperial Grand Council on June 12, 1924, and received by the Conclave between assemblies, so it was not read to the Knights Companions until the October 2, 1924 Assembly which was held at the summer home of Knight Companion William F. Roberts.

There were thirteen Charter Members: John Johnston Boobar, Carl Harry Claudy, Llewellyn Whiting Estes, Roe Fulkerson, James Thomas Gibbs, Carter Brewster Keene, Joseph Claude Keiper, John Cornelius Koons, Worth Finley Langdon, Joseph Hercus Milans, Andrew Lawrence Randell, William Florian Roberts, and Harry Standiford.

The original by-laws specified that the Annual Assembly and election of officers would be held in December of each year and the officers installed the following February. A cap of 25 members was set. Only Royal Arch members in good standing in a Consistory of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and a Commandery of the Knights Templar were eligible for membership in the Conclave.

Interestingly, elections for membership were by verbal proposition only, and a single objection constituted a bar to further consideration. Of particular note was the requirement that once an objection had been made, the brother objected to could not again be proposed for membership except by the person who objected, A fee of $25.00 for installation and membership was established, but no offering was required for someone who was affiliating.

At the early assemblies, offerings were determined at each meeting, usually reflecting the costs of the evening. Offerings ranged from as little as $1.00 to as much as $10.00, with the usual amount being $5.00 per member.

(Author's Factoid: At this juncture, it may be of some interest to consider how these amounts translate in terms of today's dollar. The following figures reflect the differences between amounts in 1924 and 2014, according to the Consumer Price Index: An offering of $5.00 in 1924 equates to an offering of $53.24 in 2014 dollars. An offering of $10.00 in 1924 equates to $106.47 in 2014 dollars, The initial installation fee of $25.00 tojoin the Conclave equates to $266.18 in 2014 dollars. )

Although the fees and offerings seem nominal today, when expressed in terms of what the amounts translate to in 2014 dollars, it can readily be seen that membership in St. Simeon Stylites Conclave in the early days was not inexpensive! This is even more impressive when examining the frequency of assemblies in the early decades.

Assemblies were held much more often in the early years than later. It was not until about 1939 that the Conclave settled into a routine of 2-3 assemblies per year. Prior to then, the usual number of assemblies was 5 or 6 per year, with 1927 being a high-water mark with 9 assemblies. And remember, those offerings of $5.00 or $10.00 were collected at each assembly.

THE EARLY YEARS
Not surprisingly, there was a good deal of enthusiasm among the members as the Conclave really began to operate. Many of the assemblies were held at the Columbia Country Club, which appears to have been a favorite spot. Others were held at Glenmoor, the country estate of Knight Companion William Florian Roberts. Precisely where Glenmoor was situated is not known today, but records suggest it was somewhere in nearby Virginia.

At one of the assemblies in 1925, the question of proper dress was discussed at some length and it was ultimately decided, by a unanimous vote, to dress in the future in "full dress rather than day or dinner clothes, except in hot weather and for afternoon meetings." The minutes do not define what was meant by "full dress," so it is not known if this term referred to tuxedos or to white tie and tails. It does suggest, however, that the practice of "dressing for dinner" may still have been in vogue, at least to some extent.

In March of 1925, the Conclave voted to purchase a banner at a cost of $130.00 and present it to the Patrol of the Robert LeBruce Chapter, Order of DeMolay, and to attend the April meeting of the DeMolay Chapter. This was a most generous donation from which we may deduce that there was a genuine interest among the Knights Companions in the male youths of our jurisdiction. Perhaps this was in part because Robert LeBruce Chapter was sponsored by the D.C. Scottish Rite, to which most members of St. Simeon Stylites Conclave belonged. Also, the founder of the Order of DeMolay, Frank S. Land, was a member of the Red Cross and served in the Imperial Council.

The Conclave also voted to send the Sovereign and one other Knight Companion (the Recorder) to represent the Conclave at the Annual Assembly of the Grand Imperial Council in Indianapolis, Indiana. Three other members of the Conclave elected to accompany Knights Companions Keiper and Claudy to this event, thus providing an impressive delegation from the new Conclave.

At the December 1925 meeting, the Conclave voted to invite the members of the Baltimore Conclave (Saint Cyprian) to join them for dinner at their January meeting. The minutes of the next meeting, however, make no mention of any attendance from Baltimore, so it is unknown if the invitation was ever extended, but there is no record that anyone from Baltimore was in attendance.

In April of 1926, the Conclave held its first annual trip, a one-day, two-night excursion on the Potomac River. Departing from Baltimore aboard the S.S. Northumberland, a vessel of the Potomac River Line of the Baltimore and Virginia Steamboat Company, they sailed to Washington, D.C. On Sunday evening, April 11, somewhere between Leonardtown and Bushwood, the first shipboard meeting of the Conclave was convened. The twelve members who participated on the trip each paid $21.00 as their individual cost for the weekend.

The following May, the Conclave again voted to attend the Annual Assembly of the Grand Imperial Council in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This time, seven members attended, and they went with an agenda:

They were intent on seeing Knight Companion J. Claude Keiper elected to the bottom of the progressive line. A formidable challenge for a Conclave not yet officially two years old, but they were determined! The following excerpt from a record of the trip by Knight Companion Claudy tells the story:

On May 19th (1926) seven members of St. Simeon left for the annual meeting of the Imperial Council at Grand Rapids, Michigan. The M.P. Sovereign, L. Whiting Estes, was accompanied by the Viceroy, Joseph H. Milans, the Treasurer, Roe Fulkerson, the Prefect, James T. Gibbs, the Junior General, Jack Boobar (who traveled separately but joined the party in Grand Rapids and returned with it), the Intendant General of this Jurisdiction, J. Claude Keiper and the Recorder, Carl H. Claudy.

The intention of the party was to elect J. Claude Keiper as Sentinel of the Imperial body, which was accomplished because the delegation from St. Simeon "Knows nothing of politics." Due to a clever speech at an informal meeting, in which Fra Milans laid before the assembly certain facts about the personnel of St. Simeon, and the impression made on the Grand Body by the attainment of fifty percent of the membership which was in attendance, the natural handicap of offering for election a man who is only Past Grand Master, Past Sovereign and Intendant General, Grand Secretary and Secretary-Treasurer of the George Washington Memorial, was successfully overcome, the election being unanimous with no opposing candidates.

On the weekend of July 31-August 1, the second shipboard meeting of the Conclave was held somewhere on the Potomac River aboard the yacht Amorita, owned by Knight Companion William Lafayette Radcliffe, who had been installed the previous April. The group departed at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and returned about 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Conclave subsequently purchased a Sheffield Shaker, tray and six glasses, suitably engraved, and presented same to Knight Companion Radcliffe with the love of his brethren and in appreciation for his generosity.

Author's Note: It is possible that the Sheffield Shaker and engraved glasses were to be used for orange juice, but the nature of the gift strongly suggests that the intended use may have been for somewhat stronger beverages, which would suggest, that although Prohibition was in effect from 1920 until 1933, the Knights Companions may still have been able to get into the spirit of things (or perhaps get into things of spirits!)

Another momentous event of 1926 occurred on September 30, when the Conclave toured and held an Assembly in the then uncompleted George Washington National Masonic Memorial. The assembly took place in the area where today the Replica Lodge Room adjacent to Memorial Hall is located. As noted by Knight Companion Claudy, this was the first meeting of any organized Masonic body ever held in the Memorial. Doubtless this meeting was possible in main because Knight Companion J. Claude Keiper was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Memorial.

On February 27, 1927, at the 26th assembly of the Conclave, a discussion was held regarding attendance at the Imperial Council annual assemblies in the future. The Conclave voted that only the Puissant Sovereign, the Intendant General, and the Recorder, would have their expenses covered by the Conclave. Any other member was welcome to attend at his own expense. Another somewhat cryptic notation stated that "...it was unanimously agreed to stand squarely behind the Grand Master and Grand Lodge in its present controversy with the A.A.S.R." No mention is made as to the nature of the controversy. However, minutes of the next assembly on March 27, 1927, mention that "a lengthy discussion was had on matters relating to certain phases of Masonic custom and law under discussion between the Grand Lodge and the A.A.S.R."

A May 1, 1927, assembly was held aboard the steamer Anne Arundel, somewhere on the Potomac River. The 31 st assembly was held on July 31, 1927, aboard Knight Companion William L. Radcliffe's yacht Amorita, at anchor in the Washington channel. The Knights Companions then sailed to Belmont Bay to see the Belmont Bay Club, of which Knight Companion Radcliffe was the current president. "After two marvelous meals and hospitality as only Fra Radcliffe knows how to express, the meeting was called to order by M.P. Sovereign Standiford."

At an October 15, 1927, meeting again held at Glenmoor estate in Virginia, the minutes reflected some further indication that the members of St. Simeon Stylites Conclave were a potent and driving political force in the activities of our Grand Lodge. A suggestion was made that a Knight Companion who was currently unattached to a Conclave be made an affiliated member of St. Simeon Stylites, but the motion was tabled, "it being the sense of the Conclave that affiliates from other Conclaves would probably not increase the power or the effectiveness of the Conclave here." The Conclave members were evidently not anxious to do anything that might possibly diminish their political influence in the Masonic arena.

Special thanks to Companion Dean Clatterbuck for his research.