Difference between revisions of "Elm"

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ELM LODGE

Location: West Springfield

Chartered By: Dudley H. Ferrell

Charter Date: 03/11/1925 1925-93

Precedence Date: 04/18/1924

Current Status: in Grand Lodge Vault; merged with Belcher Lodge 11/17/1988 to form Elm-Belcher Lodge.

PAST MASTERS

Continued with Elm-Belcher Lodge.

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

ANNIVERSARIES

• 1949 (25th Anniversary)
• 1974 (50th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

• 1949 (Keith; 25th Anniversary, 04/23; Special Communication)
• 1961 (Eaton; Reception for Junior Grand Warden Edson S. Dunbar, 02/10; Special Communication)
• 1974 (Vose; 50th Anniversary, 04/20; Special Communication)
• 1982 (Berquist; West Springfield, 10/15)
• 1988 (Ames; Uniting of Elm and Belcher, as Elm-Belcher, 11/17; Special Communication)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1928 1930 1937 1938 1942 1949 1952 1954 1956 1971 1972 1980 1981 1983 1984

HISTORY

• 1924 (Petition for Dispensation)
• 1925 (Petition for Charter)
• 1925 (Lodge constituted, officers installed; West Springfield; 06/11, Special Communication)
• 1987 (Petition to remove to Agawam; granted and charter amended.)
• 1988 (Petition to consolidate with Belcher, as Elm-Belcher, 09/14; granted.)

1949 (25th Anniversary History, 1949-46)

25TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, APRIL 1949

From Proceedings, Page 1949-46:

By Right Worshipful Edson S. Dunbar, P. D. D. G. M., Senior Past Master of Elm Lodge.

On a cold, windy Sunday afternoon, March 2, 1924, to be exact, eleven Master Masons met at Masonic Hall, West Springfield, for a very important discussion. These Master Masons were Wor. Harrison E. Dunbar, Past Master of Mount Holyoke Lodge of South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts, Frank Hays Webb, William Ernest May, William H. Gay, Edson S. Dunbar, Herbert Wallace Headle and Henry Day Colton. With these Masons there were three other Past Masters of Mount Orthodox Lodge of West Springfield, Worshipful Brothers Frank O. Scott, Fred C. Hubbard and Herman Foerster. In order to make sure that everything proceeded according to Grand Lodge specifications, Right Worshipful Edward O. Marshman, District Deputy Grand Master of the 18th Masonic District, was present in the capacity of adviser.

These Brothers met on that cold, windy Sunday afternoon in the front hall of the Masonic Temple. There being no fires in the two hot air furnaces on that particular Sunday, all present sat with their overcoats tightly wrapped around them and "remained covered" during the meeting, only removing their gloves to sign a petition requesting Mount Orthodox Lodge for concurrent jurisdiction in Wrest Springfield and Agawam. And thus, on March 2, 1924, was conceived a new Lodge in West Springfield.

In due time the request for concurrent jurisdiction was granted. Another meeting was held and Worshipful Harrison E. Dunbar was recommended for the office of Worshipful Master of a new Lodge. Henry D. Colton and Herbert Wallace Headle were recommended for Senior and Junior Wardens respectively. Between the first and second meetings it was requested that all seven of the original group as well as several additional interested Brothers, including Harry A. Hubbard, Edward E. Williams, Thomas O. Farrell and H. Adolph Jacob, submitted suggestions for a name for the new Lodge. At the second meeting, after careful consideration of many excellent suggested names, Brother Herbert W. Headle's suggestion was adopted. Since the Masonic Temple was located on Elm Street (which before the hurricane was lined on both sides with stately elm trees), and since the elm tree has always stood for strength, beauty and New England tradition since the very founding of New England, the name Elm was selected. And thus a name for the new baby Lodge in West Springfield was selected and appeared on the request to the Grand Lodge for a dispensation. The Grand Lodge granted our request, and in May, the dispensation was presented by R W. Edward C. Marshman, District Deputy Grand Master of the 18th Masonic District. The following officers were appointed to serve under dispensation:

• Harrison E. Dunbar, Worshipful Master
• Henry D. Colton, Senior Warden
• Herbert W. Headle, Junior Warden
• Frank H. Webb, Treasurer
• William H. Gay, Secretary
• Lewis S. Erickson, Chaplain
• Nelson Feeley, Marshal
• Edson S. Dunbar, Senior Deacon
• William E. May, Junior Deacon
• Thomas G. Farrell, Senior Steward
• Axtell A. Lloyd, Junior Steward
• Adolph Jacob, Inside Sentinel
• Alexander H. Allan, Organist
• Carl C. Perkins, Tyler
• George B. Perry, Lecturer

And thus Elm Lodge was born and soon became a healthy bab yin Western Massachusetts Masonry.

An interesting side light showing how easy it is for a new Lodge to make a mistake occurred immediately after our request *or a dispensation. Several of the original signers told their Masonic friends that they could become charter members by signing up and paying $10.00. As a result, thirty additional names were forwarded to the Grand Lodge to be included on our charter. Back in 1924 Right Worshipful Frederick W. Hamilton was Grand Secretary. He came back at us with a very strong letter in which the word "No" appeared many times, the gist of his letter being that we could not include these additional names on the charter. Those of us who knew him realized that when he said "No" he really meant it. However, Worshipful Harrison E. Dunbar was also inclined to be stubborn. After about six letters and two trips to Boston, a compromise was made and Elm Lodge paid $30.00 for the engrossing of a new charter which included thirty names in addition to the original seven signers of the dispensation.

During that first year under dispensation, Elm Lodge raised twenty-eight candidates. The first Master was a very exacting ritualist, and as a result of his insistence of perfect ritual, Elm Lodge right from the start established a record for good ritual that has followed through the years. At our first Exemplification, Elm Lodge came through with a score of 100%. Right Worshipful Brother Edwin L. Davis was the Grand Lecturer at that time and was loud in his praise for the way the new Lodge was conducting itself.

When Elm Lodge first started, the Masonic Temple, although it had been extensively renovated back in 1914 when Mount Orthodox bought it from the First Congregational Church, was still far from being perfect as a meeting place. The building enjoys a beautiful location on the top of a hill, but is a target for all the winds from the North, Northeast or Northwest. In the winter time they are inclined to be a little strong. The building was heated by two hot air furnaces, one in the Northwest corner, the other in the Southeast corner right on the first floor — in fact these furnaces rested on the wooden floor, and when they were taken out, the boards were charred half way through from hot ashes that had been dropped on them. Many a time during that first year the candidates were furnished with overcoats and extra pairs of wool socks to avoid catching cold or pneumonia.

Shortly after Elm Lodge got under way, representatives of Mount Orthodox and Elm got together and started to raise a fund by taking shares in the William R. Harvey Masonic Building Association. This ultimately resulted in a modern heating plant as an addition to the back of the building, over which a modern kitchen was installed. This gave us much more banquet space and club room facilities on the first floor and much better heating.

However, another interesting incident took place during our first official visitation by Right Worshipful H. Greeley Randall. His visitation came exactly one week after they began to tear out to make these new alterations on the heating plant and kitchen. The net result was that after the meeting in the lodge-room, we adjourned to the banquet hall below and could only use one corner of it with absolutely no kitchen facilities. As a result, the refreshments which had been planned were changed suddenly to pumpkin pie and cider. Then, to our dismay, the silverware was locked up in a safe under piles of tables, chairs and lumber and the dishes were in storage. The representatives of the Grand Lodge and Elm Lodge officers and members ate their pie with their fingers off paper plates. Several tuxedos had to go to the cleaners the next day.

On June 11, 1925, Most Worshipful Dudley H. Ferrell, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, with the Grand Lodge Officers, constituted Elm Lodge and presented it with its charter. This was a gala occasion with a large delegation of Grand Lodge Officers, District Deputy Grand Masters from the surrounding territory and the Masters and Officers of most of the Lodges in the immediate vicinity attending. Tickets for the roast turkey dinner had to be limited, and the walls of the build-lng in the area of the lodge-room must have bulged in order to accommodate the crowd that was present on that occasion.

Under dispensation, Elm Lodge was assigned to the 18th Masonic District. After our constitution, we were made a part of the Springfield 33rd Masonic District.

At the first election of officers after our constitution in 1925, considerable pressure was brought to bear to have Worshipful Harrison E. Dunbar continue another year, but as his health had not been too good, he declined. All of the other officers, with but one or two exceptions, had never held Masonic office before and they felt rather inexperienced to carry on.

And here again an incident happened that is a little bit irregular. Henry D. Colton, who had been serving as Senior Warden, was elected Worshipful Master. Brother Headle, who had only been an officer for a year, asked that Brother Edson S. Dunbar, who had served as Junior Warden in Mount Holyoke Lodge the previous year while serving as Senior Deacon of Elm Lodge, be considered for Senior Warden as he would like to remain another year as Junior Warden. The Lodge followed out his desires so Brother Edson S. Dunbar was elected Senior Warden and Herbert W. Headle remained as Junior Warden.

Everything proceeded smoothly until early in January when the Senior Warden received a call to come immediately to Worshipful Brother Colton's home. When he arrived there he found a doctor and a nurse, who told him to go in and see Worshipful Brother Colton and only to stay five minutes. The Senior Warden did as requested, and in that five minutes, lived an eternity. Brother Colton was critically ill with pneumonia. He presented the Senior Warden with his complete details for his own funeral, and specifically requested that since he was also Senior Warden of the Episcopal Church, he wanted only the Episcopal Service because he did not want the Brothers to stand in the cold cemetery around his grave with bared heads, fearing that they might all contract pneumonia. The next morning Brother Colton died and was buried beside the old White Church which he so dearly loved, in fact he lived in the first parsonage in West Springfield.

In April of the second year, a second tragedy hit Elm Lodge in that its first Master was ordered to bed with a heart condition, which kept him confined to his room or bed for sixteen months before he died. And may your historian say right now that never has he seen such Masonic loyalty paid to any Brother as was paid to Worshipful Brother Harrison E. Dunbar. During the sixteen months that he was confined, there was never a time of over two or three days but that one or as many as eight or nine Brothers came to visit him.

And so the passing of these two great Masons, who went to their reward so soon after the birth of Elm Lodge, left a heritage of Brotherly Love and affection and set a standard for good ritual and good leadership that has played an important part in the success of our Lodge.

After the death of Worshipful Brother Henry D. Colton, the officers of Elm Lodge moved up one station and continued for the balance of that year. The same officers were re-elected for the following year. This added experience made them more competent and efficient and Elm Lodge proceeded on a smooth basis from then on.

During this period there were plenty of candidates. On several occasions during our first three years of Masonic service it was necessary to work five candidates on the first degree, five on the second and five other candidates on the third all on the same night. We would open Lodge at 6:30, and at the close of the three degrees, would serve refreshments. As a result, it would often be 12:30 before we left the hall. On several occasions the Worshipful Master received calls the next evening from wives of Kim Lodge members asking a very simple question, "What time did Elm Lodge close last night." Although the Worshipful Master at that time was not married, he still had an idea of what might be transpiring so he always gave the members the benefit of at least a half or three-quarters of an hour in reporting the time of closing of the Lodge. After one of these nights of three degrees on five candidates each it was necessary for Reverend Oldfield, who was Chaplain of our Lodge, to go with one of the Brothers who had been present the night before and convince his wife that he had been at Elm Lodge until 12:30.

During those early years in the life of Elm Lodge, people evidently did not seem to be quite as hurried as they are today, and it was nothing unusual to have Lodges from the city or surrounding towns send delegations of twenty-five or thirty Brothers on a surprise visit, with the result that our poor Junior Warden had to scurry around and get additional food because we always had a collation after a business meeting or a degree. The Brothers would sit around the piano and sing or tell stories and make Masonry the friendly, brotherly fraternity it is supposed to be.

As time marched on, our Lodge continued to prosper in true Masonic tradition. Our leadership and the wholehearted cooperation of the members carried us through the lush years of the late twenties. Then we tightened our belts and dug our way out through the dismal thirties. We rightfully acknowledge the outstanding work of the officers, members and service committees who nurtured the Lodge in its youth, through the storms and adversities of depression and brought it safely through to the present day. We particularly commend those who worked so diligently and heroically during the flood of 1936 and the hurricane of 1938. Here again was another outstanding demonstration of Brotherly Love and of rendering aid and assistance when and where needed the most.

In the early forties, war clouds reared their ugly faces over our peaceful valley. Then came war itself. During the next several years, one by one of our officers or members joined the armed forces until nearly 10% of our members were serving with Uncle Sam in all parts of the world. Those were hectic days. Between rationing and members in the service, to say nothing about extra night work for those of us who remained on the home front, there were times when the Worshipful Master hardly knew whether he was coming or going — but we carried on and emerged from the war years stronger and more united than ever. Here again officers and members and active service committees working together pulled us through. Elm Lodge service flag proudly displays twenty-two stars. Only one of these Blue stars turned to Gold — our one member who failed to return to us was Brother Herman G. Koch.

And so today Elm Lodge reaches its maturity after twenty-five years of Masonic service in our community. We are proud of our past. We mourn those officers and members who have gone on to that "undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns," but who contributed so much to Masonry while they were still among us. We rejoice in our little successes along the way. We acknowledge our short-comings. We face the future unafraid, with the pledge in our hearts to live our Masonry as it is given to us in the book of Sacred Law, the Holy Bible, and interpreted to us in our three Masonic degrees, to believe and practice the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, and to so live that others seeing us will say, "I too want to be a Mason."

OTHER

• 1924 (Springfield, Corner-stone laying for a Masonic Temple, 06/24; Special Communication)
• 1940 (Reduction in fees authorized)
• 1972 (Visit to St. Andrew's Lodge, Montréal, Québec, in conjunction with Grand Lodge; 10/13-10/15)

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

• David A. Davies, Grand Sword Bearer 1990, 1992; Junior Grand Warden 1993
• Edson S. Dunbar, DDGM, District 33 (Springfield), 1940, 1941; Junior Grand Warden 1961; N
• Guido Simone, DDGM, District 33 (Springfield), 1987, 1988; SN
• Everett H. Warren, DDGM, District 33 (Springfield), 1958, 1959; N
• Raymond W. Williamson, DDGM, District 33 (Springfield), 1979, 1980; N

DISTRICTS

1924: District 18 (Springfield)

1927: District 33 (Springfield)

LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges