November 7, 1870 to January 27, 1871

One special and six regular communications were held during Dispensation. In this period, four applications for the degrees were received, three candidates were given the Entered Apprentice Degree and two their Fellowcraft Degree.

At the 6th regular communication under Dispensation it was voted to make the second and fourth Fridays of each month the stated meeting nights thereafter. No change was ever made in this assignment.

Constitution

The seventh regular communication of Fidelity Lodge was held on January 27, 1871. At this communication Right Worshipful James V. Bently, Junior Grand Warden, and Worshipful Brother William W. Mead, Grand Lecturer, duly constituted Fidelity Lodge No 113, Free and Accepted Masons under a warrant dated January 19, 1871. For this purpose the two grand officers formed a Grand Lodge of Master Masons from Joppa, Paterson-Orange, and Falls City Lodges, all of Paterson. The same officers as under Dispensation were installed.

It was voted at this meeting that all expenses of Lodge Meetings during Dispensation should be covered by assessment and not taken from the Lodge Treasury.

1871

After constitution, Fidelity Lodge prospered, candidates continued to apply and nearly all were accepted. But the end of the year 1871, twenty-eight regular and eleven special communications had been held. It should be noted that the Charter Membership was not sufficient to fill all the chairs. The first two candidates were raised on February 10, 1871 at the 8th regular communication, at which time the degree was conferred by Joppa Lodge. These two brothers were immediately installed Senior Steward and Tyler. The third candidate was raised June 16, 1871, at a special communication at which time the degree was conferred by Passaic Lodge No. 67. This candidate was immediately appointed Junior Steward. The first by-laws were adopted on February 10, 1871 and a lodge seal ordered.

At the close of the year 1871, Fidelity Lodge had paid off the $300 borrowed by the Master to outfit the Lodge Hall and had a balance of $131 in the treasury. It had a roll of twenty-one members, eleven had been raised and two had received the Entered Apprentice Degree. As reported to the Grand Lodge the elective and appointed officers for the year 1872 were as follows:

The first candidate to apply for membership by initiation in Fidelity Lodge was Albert G. Hopper. Bro. Hopper was also the first to receive each of the degrees. The second candidate was Horace Holcomb.

At the end of its first year under constitution, Fidelity Lodge had a membership sufficient to furnish officers for all its stations. Two of the charter members, John M. Knapp and John A. Marinus were to continue active in all of Fidelity's fortunes for a long time even beyond the end of the century.

Two of its members raised that first year, Garret G. Van Dien and George Morrison were to become noted Masters of Fidelity and were destined to serve it well throughout their lives.

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