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Thomas Strong, Secretary
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The History of Theodore Roosevelt Lodge #322
Excerpt from: The Short Talk Bulletin November, 2000, Vol. 78,
No. 11
by: Brother Robert Morris, Secretary of Manchester Lodge, Manchester-by-the-Sea,
Manchester, MA.,
(article text posted here with permission)
...The first meeting of Roosevelt Lodge #322. Under Dispensation, was held on
Oct. 30. 1919. It was organized by members of Washington Lodge #21 who wanted
the opportunity to be officers, but were unable to because of the size of that
Lodge. Officers were elected and the meeting nights set for the 2nd and 4th
Thursday of each month. Lee F. Blood was elected the first Worshipful Master. A
motion was made on Nov. 13, 1919 that the 27th day of October (Theodore
Roosevelt's birthday) be observed each year in a fitting manner and to be
commemorated as the founding date of the Lodge. Grand Lodge met on June 9 . 1920
and voted to constitute the Lodge. On July 16, 1920 a special communication was
held to constitute the Lodge, present the Charter, and install officers. Grand
Master Shaeffer presided and gave a "splendid address". The Lodge name was later
changed to Theodore Roosevelt #322 to clarify which president Roosevelt the
lodge was named after.
Initially the fees were set as follows: petition fee - $10, EA degree - $15,
FC degree - $25, and MM degree - $25. The Tiler was paid $5 and the Secretary
served gratis until Nov. 1920, then he was paid $150/year. In 1928 an Official
Poster was paid $1.50 per degree, not to exceed $100/year. As late as 1956 the
fees were the same, but the dues were now $7.50. Our present fees are $100.00
for the petition and three degrees. Dues are $30.00 per year. Meetings for the first few years consisted mainly of conferring several
degrees and balloting on candidates. Attendance was good then. On Sat. June 3,
1922, 350 members and visitors attended a Fellow craft Degree. By 1956. the date
of the last printing of the Bylaws the meeting night had been changed to the
first and third Tuesday of each month.
The early Lodge brothers were dedicated to meeting on Thanksgiving night and
Christmas. However, on Thanksgiving (Nov. 25. 1920) the minutes state "on
account of small attendance matters of importance were put off until next stated
communication". The Bylaws were read and accepted on Dec. 9. 1920 and 200 copies
were printed. The dues were raised to $5/year at this time. Lee Blood served as
Master until Dec. 29. 1921 when W. M. Knudson was installed.
The Lodge had many petitioners and the members were very careful in their
selection of new Brothers. Many petitioners were rejected then. On June 9, 1921
a Masonic trial was held and "Brother Robert L. Whittenburg was found guilty of
charges as specified and sentenced to expulsion".
These early Brothers cared for each other. On Dec. 22, 1921 the members voted
to donate $10 to fund Christmas dinners for disabled soldiers, and also set up
an "employment committee" to assist Masons out of employment. Another example of
generosity is a vote of the members to help the widow of a Brother who was in
"destitute circumstances" by paying 50% of her house rent or $6.50 per month,
later increased to $10 per month.
The Lodge met in a building co-owned with Washington Lodge on Cherry Street
in Green Bay until it burned in the mid-1970's. For a few years the Lodge met in
a building owned by Des Peres Lodge, until that building was sold. They later
met in the Oddfellow building. On Sept. 8, 1979 the Northeast Wisconsin Masonic
Center was dedicated as the home of Theodore Roosevelt. Washington, and Des
Peres Lodges as well as all other Masonic bodies in the area. This building is
still used today and is an impressive witness to the Masonic Fraternity.
To date Theodore Roosevelt Lodge has had 77 Masters with six of them serving
more than one year - Lee Blood 1919,1920,1921). Leo Eichelberger (1928,1929).
Cecil Forehand (1962, 1975), William Duhm (1976,1977). Milt Berger (1973,1981)
and Dennis Siewert (1978, 1983). One Master. Kurt Wallinger. presided while his
father. George, was Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin. And Dale Vollrath
(Master in 1986) is the father of Tom Vollrath (Master in 1993). Several members
of the Lodge served as Grand Lodge Officers. Morman Smith, a member of our
Lodge, was Grand Master in the 1940's and Ralph Knowlton, Secretary of the Lodge
for many years, served as Grand Lecturer.
Lodge membership is currently about 167, down from 300 in 1987, and a high of
601 in the 1961. This is partly due to a decline in Fraternities in general and
follows the decline in the number of Masons in Wisconsin. We hope that we can
reverse this trend and begin to attract new members as Masonry in Wisconsin.
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