Granville Then & Now – September 16, 2021 – Slate Valley Chapter OES at 125 years

Slate Valley Chapter OES at 125 years

By Erik Pekar, Town Historian

The Slate Valley Chapter No. 122, Order of the Eastern Star, reaches its 125th anniversary this year.

Prior to the formation of the present chapter, there was another chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Granville. Lily of the Valley, No. 17, was chartered in early 1870. It initially met in the E. Guilder building before moving by the end of the year to the C.H. Bull building where the Granville Lodge met at the time. The chapter’s charter was turned in by the time the Granville Lodge moved to the present-day Village of Granville.

The Slate Valley Chapter was originally formed around the start of 1896, the centennial year of the Granville Lodge, when steps were taken to form an Eastern Star chapter in Granville. On March 9, 1896, interested wives of the Granville Lodge members met with their husbands at the lodge rooms, then at the Joe Green building, to organize the chapter. Mrs. Anna W. McArthur was designated Worthy Matron, James M. Potter as Worthy Patron, and Mrs. Oscar Adams as Associate Matron.

Alice Acker, District Deputy for the Warren-Washington District of the O.E.S., and C.B. Thompson, Patron of Glen Star Chapter No. 95 (Glens Falls), came to Granville by train on March 17, along with a group of officers from the Glen Star chapter, to formally organize the Sylvan Star chapter and install its officers. There were 33 charter members.

The name of the Sylvan Star Chapter No. 122 was created by James M. Potter, then Master of the Granville Lodge and a charter patron of the Eastern Star chapter in Granville. He remembered his brother John W. Potter was a member of the Sylvan Chapter, Royal Arch Masons in New York City. Potter recommended “Sylvan” and adding “Star” afterwards; the name was adopted by the charter members.

Initially, the chapter served as a social club for women, who in the late 19th century had few other opportunities to gather. The scope of the chapter eventually expanded beyond social gathering. During World War I, wool was given to members, who knitted sweaters for soldiers on the front lines. After the war, in 1921, the members purchased a service flag with nine stars, symbolizing the nine men from Granville who had given the ultimate sacrifice in the war. The chapter became a civic, charitable and social group.

The Sylvan Star Chapter aided in the formation of two other Eastern Star chapters: Ondawa No. 467, Salem, and Cambridge Valley No. 570, Cambridge.

The chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary on March 12, 1946, with a banquet held at the Granville Masonic Lodge rooms on Main Street. The number of people attending the grand occasion, including members and guests, totaled about 350. Guests were from other chapters in the area on both sides of the state line: Evergreen No. 63, Poultney, Vt.; the Fair Haven, Vt., chapter, No. 70; Evening Flower No. 94, West Pawlet, Vt.; Cambridge Valley No. 570, Cambridge; Ondawa No. 467, Salem; Emerson No. 147, Argyle; Anolia No. 140, Hartford; Battle Hill No. 262, Fort Ann; Skenesborough No. 663, Whitehall; Crown Star No. 143, Hudson Falls; the Lake George chapter, No. 670; and the Fort Edward chapter, No. 376.

There were guests from other chapters elsewhere in the state, from other neighboring states, and from as far away as Nebraska. Letters were read from M.W. Anna W. McArthur, mother of the chapter, and from the two other remaining charter members, Elsie Potter and Brother Carey (first name not given). The Poultney Welsh Male Choir, conducted by Evan G. Williams and accompanied by Mrs. Gladys Jones at the piano, rendered three vocal selections. Mrs. Kathryn Sheldon wrote “The History of Sylvan Star Chapter” in the form of verse; this was read and later printed in the Granville Sentinel of March 28, 1946. Several members of the chapter presented a drill, “The Golden Ladder,” portraying the 50 years of the chapter. Life memberships were presented to Estella Gray, Erma White, Hattie Hatch and Helena Carter; they had been members for 40 years or more. After the program, refreshments were served in the dining room.

The year 1996 was the centennial of the Sylvan Star Chapter, and May 30 was the celebratory day. An open house was held at the Norton-Hewitt Masonic Temple, where scrapbooks and other mementos were displayed. A dinner of boneless breast chicken followed at the Granville High School cafeteria. During the events Village Mayor Ernie Roberts presented a “Key to the Village” to Lois Warner, matron of the chapter. A program followed at the junior high gym. The Granville High School chorus rendered vocal selections, under the direction of Crystal D’Amico.

In 2002, the Skenesborough Chapter No. 663, Whitehall, was merged into the Sylvan Star Chapter; the merged chapter was called the Sylvan Star – Skenesborough Chapter, keeping the Sylvan Star’s number of 122.

In 2011, the Battle Hill Chapter No. 262, Fort Ann, was also merged; the chapter adopted the new name of Slate Valley Chapter, again keeping the number 122. This merger in a way brought the Fort Ann and Whitehall members of the Eastern Star together; the Masonic lodges for each town had combined some years ago, becoming the Mount Hope-Phoenix Lodge No. 96.

This year marks 125 years since the formation of Slate Valley Chapter No. 122, Order of the Eastern Star. Through the years the chapter has been involved in the Granville community and supported civic endeavors towards the betterment of the Granville area. May the chapter continue for at least another 125 years.