Sinim

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SINIM LODGE (CHINA)

Location: Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan (1952)

Chartered By: Baalis Sanford

Charter Date: 09/14/1904 1904-105

Precedence Date: 12/02/1903

Current Status: Active. Relocated to Japan following the 1949 Chinese Revolution.


PETITION, 1903

The original petition of dispensation for this lodge bore the name Cathay, as shown below.

CathayDispensation.jpg
The original petition.

The petition was approved as shown below:

Cathay_Approval1.jpg
By Ancient Landmark Lodge.
Cathay_Approval2.jpg
By District Grand Master Hykes.

NOTES

HISTORICAL NOTES, 1989

From TROWEL, Summer 1989, Page 2:

SINIM LODGE ALIVE AND WELL
in Land of Rising Sun

In the lobby of the Masonic Temple in Boston is an exhibit of memorabilia of Sinim Lodge, once of Shanghai, China, and now meeting in the Tokyo Masonic Temple in Japan. Among the artifacts displayed are programs, jewels, the collar of an officer, books, and reminders of visits by Past Grand Masters Arthur D. Prince in 1922, Herbert W. Dean in 1930, and J. Philip Berquist in 1983. In company with Robert P. Beach, then Grand Secretary, R. W. Robert C. Patey, Grand Marshal, and their ladies, Bro. Berquist visited Tokyo as part of the 250th anniversary of our Grand Lodge.

What vision Grand Master Baalis Sanford had for Sinim Lodge at the turn of the 20th century we shall never know, but judging from M. W. Thomas S. Roy's Proclamation on April 9, 1952, he might have had a dream of "extending the jurisdiction of Sinim Lodge of Shanghai, China, to include the city of Tokyo in the Country of Japan," in order that further light for the Craft be cast toward a prosperous recovery from a war-torn world. His dream has reached fruition. "Sinim Lodge is alive and well and we are happy to share some pages in TROWEL and shed some light about a Lodge that is probably unknown to most Massachusetts Masons," writes R. W. Joe A. Diele, District Deputy of China for our Grand Lodge.

The word Sinim is taken from the 12th verse of the 49th chapter of the Book of Isaiah, which is generally understood to mean China. It also means silk or the land of silk, signifying continuity. Little wonder that, among the Lodges in the China District, Sinim Lodge is the only one currently in operation.

While darkness now hovers over Freemasonry in Communist China, perhaps there is hope for the future. With the youth of the world denouncing military conflicts as a modern means of settling international strife, and opposing the teachings of Karl Marx to govern people, democracy may — slowly but surely — emcompass the world and permit its people to freely express themselves in their chosen religious convictions and social lifestyles, like Freemasonry. Although Masonry still exists in Hong Kong, its future is uncertain once the Chinese government takes over in 1998. The International, Ancient Landmark, Shanghai, and Hykes Memorial Lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts have been in recess since communism became the way of life in mainland China. Our Caribbean Naval Lodge at Guantanamo Bay will meet the same fate when the Castro government takes over the naval base in Cuba at the end of the century.

There is no written record of the reasons Sinim Lodge was formed. Ancient Landmark Lodge in Shanghai was chartered by Grand Lodge in 1864. From its membership records we find two bodies of Brethren applying to Grand Lodge in July 1903, for dispensations to form new Lodges in Shanghai. One, originally called Orient Lodge, is now Shanghai Lodge (in recess), and the other is Sinim Lodge, originally called Cathay Lodge. The dispensation to form Cathay Lodge was held Jan. 28, 1904 at the old Masonic Hall, 30 The Bund. At that meeting, a letter was read from the District Grand Lodge of Northern China, English Constitution, requesting that the name "Cathay Lodge" be changed because in 1901, a Lodge in Hankow was constituted under the name "Far Cathay Lodge No. 2855, E.C." When the seventh meeting was held on June 15, 1904, the Lodge voted to ask the Grand Lodge at Boston to change its name to Sinim Lodge. Sinim was regularly chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on Sept. 14, 1904, but the document contains the following paragraph: "And we do hereby declare the proceedings of the said Lodge, in the Grand Lodge and elsewhere, to commence from the second day of December, A.D. 1903, A.L. 5903."

In October 1922, M. W. Arthur D. Prince was the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to visit China, despite the fact that Ancient Landmark Lodge had been on the Grand Lodge rolls since 1864. Bro. Prince visited Ancient Landmark and International Lodges, installing the officers of each Lodge. The first Chinese member accepted by Sinim Lodge was Dr. Hua-Chuen Mei. He was initiated on Feb. 27, 1923. Later, he was active in the organization of Amity Lodge No. 106, Shanghai, working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands.

On June 12, 1930, Sinim Lodge was honored by the presence of M. W. Herbert W Dean who was accompanied by R. W. Charles C. Balcom, Grand Marshal. He witnessed the First Degree by Sinim Lodge, the Fellow Craft Degree by Shanghai Lodge, and on the third night Ancient Landmark Lodge worked the Master Mason Degree. While he was there, the Grand Master officially dissolved the Lodge of Instruction that was started in 1913, and on Jan. 9, 1932, a new type of Lodge of Instruction was created in all of the Lodges in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

Lodge records of the Japan area begin with the "Minutes of a meeting of the China Square and Compass Club of Japan held in the home of Bro. Joseph N. Sbath on July 16, 1952." The business included the reading of the Proclamation by M. W. Thomas S. Roy, dated April 9, 1952, declaring "the jurisdiction of Sinim Lodge of Shanghai, China, to be extended to include the city of Tokyo in the country of Japan..." and directing, "that Brother Roger Sears Ormberg shall be Worshipful Master, Brother Herman Bylandt, Senior Warden, and Brother Anselm Chuh, Junior Warden of said Lodge until the annual election of officers..." Bro. Ormberg sought permission of the Master of Lodge No. 125 of Tokyo to use the Masonic Temple. At another meeting conducted by the "present acting officers" on July 22, 1952, it was decided to pay Lodge No. 125, $50 per month for six months to rent the Lodge rooms and after six months, if Sinim Lodge was solvent, to increase the amount to $150 per month, retroactive to Sept. 1, 1952. Early in the 1953-54 Masonic year, Lodge No. 125 decided that Sinim Lodge would not be required to pay monthly rental for use of the Masonic Temple as of December 1953. Sinim members then decided to contribute the equivalent of three months' rent to purchase 15 chairs for the Tokyo Masonic Center; some of these are still in use. Sinim and three other Lodges meeting in the temple still do not pay rent.

Sinim Lodge has held a strong relationship with the Tokyo Masonic community. At its first installation on Sept. 16, 1952, the Grand Master's Deputy for the Grand Lodge of the Philippines, R. W. William J. Eichorn, took part in the qualification of the Master-elect. At the 1953 installation, M. W. Carlos R. Jiminez, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Venezuela (and subsequently the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Japan), was present. R. W. Eichorn again qualified the Master-elect (Bro. Anslem Chuh) and gave the charge. Wor. George Mesnooh, Lodge Star in the East No 640, Scottish Constitution, was the installing Marshal. Bro. Eichorn was elected an Honorary Member on Jan. 19, 1954.

At a First Degree meeting on Feb. 2, 1960, M. W. George Horiguchi, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Japan, was present. He was an Honorary Member of Sinim Lodge. Bro. Osmo Lares, Finnish ambassador to Japan, was present at the June 18, 1974 meeting. On Sept. 21, 1976, M. W. Floren L. Quick, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Japan, gave the charge to the new Master and the Presiding Grand Master of Japan, Shi-geru Nishiyama, charged the Wardens. Among the visitors at the Sept. 22, 1979 installation were M. W. Howard M. Voss and eight other officers from Grand Lodge of Japan, R. W. Phillip M. Lassleben, District Grand Superintendent of Japan, District Grand Lodge of Hong Kong and the Far East, Scottish Constitution, who presented to R. W. Joe A. Diele, a commission as Hononary District Grand Marshal, Grand Lodge of Scotland. As can be read, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Japan attends most of the Sinim Lodge installations and drops in occasionally at other meetings. Sinim Lodge members are frequent visitors at meetings of other Lodges in Japan. Sinim has had visitors in recent years from 13 countries and Massachusetts members have been present from King David, Brookline, The Harvard, and Dalhousie Lodges.

During the 1957-58 Masonic year, Presiding Master Alphonse Rigod was directed by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to investigate the legitimacy of the formation of the Grand Lodge of Japan. A committee was formed and carried out its work, returning to Boston with a favorable report. Recognition of the Grand Lodge of Japan was officially recorded on June 11, 1958. R. W. David T Carleton of Brockton is the Grand Representative to Japan at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and Wor. Myron G. Bettencourt is the Grand Representative from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Sinim Lodge members played an important role when the Grand Lodge of England recognized the new Grand Lodge of Japan.

When M. W. Lord Cornwallis, Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, visited from the Far East in April 1984, R. W. Joe A. Diele and Sinim Presiding Master Keith L. Hager joined with the Scottish Constitution's District Superintendent for Japan, Phillip M. Lassleben, in hosting a dinner for the Pro Grand Master who was accompanied by R. W. Christopher Haffner, District Grand Master for Hong Kong and the Far East, E.C. Bros. Diele, Hager, and Wor. Robert F. Connelly, Past Master of Sinim Lodge, traveled to Kobe to attend a meeting of Rising Sun Lodge No. 1401 with Lord Cornwallis where the latter announced he was hoping that the problems created for the members of the English Constitution by the non-recognition of the Grand Lodge of Japan, would be put before the Grand Lodge of England. Recognition finally came on March 13, 1985.

As of Feb. 10, 1989, Sinim's 112 members were widely dispersed over the face of the earth: 37 in Japan, 68 in the U.S., 26 in other nations, and one unknown. The youngest member of Sinim Lodge is 35, the oldest 94, with the average age being 64, which is in line with most grand jurisdictions in the United States. There are also four honorary members, including R. W. Henry D. Ramm of Methuen.

Sinim's first Japanese Master was Wor. Saburo Matsui who presided during the 1988 Masonic year. He was born in 1937, attended Kawagoe High School in 1952-56, and received a B.A. in economics in 1960 from Aoyama Gakuin University. Living in Oiso City, Kanagawa Prefecture, about an hour by train from his office, he has a wife, Yasuko, and two children. He was elected to receive the degrees on March 17, 1981, and signed the by-laws on Dec. 15, 1981. He had held the offices of Senior Steward, Junior and Senior Deacon, and Junior and Senior Warden before being installed Worshipful Master.

Each year, to commemorate its origin in China, Sinim has a Chinese dinner. The first was held in 1954 when 58 members and guests attended. The cost was 95,000 yen: 75,000 for the restaurant, 13,500 for the orchestra, and 6,500 for the entertainment. A total of 87,000 yen was collected at the restaurant, leaving 8,000 to be covered by Sinim Lodge. The dinner this year was on Feb. 4th at the Fu-Ling Restaurant on the first floor of the Daimon Hotel in the Shibakoen district of Tokyo. The 18 attendees were charged 5,000 yen ($38.50 at today's exchange rate of 130 yen to the dollar), which is relatively expensive for Tokyo prices. Bro. Tommy Chien, who claimed he had not been informed about the dinner, was at the restaurant dining with a guest. He is the last born-in-China Sinim member living in Japan.

When the Grand Lodge of Japan holds its annual festival for orphans and handicapped children, Sinim members can be seen working the booths, taking pictures, and entertaining the children. "In 1982 we began sending $50 a month to a distressed Brother and when he died in 1984, we began sending the same amount to his widow. We also paid for our Brother's funeral expenses. We are financially contributing to another Brother as well as giving 25,000 yen each to the local chapters of DeMolay, Rainbow Assembly, and Eastern Star; 150,000 yen (through Kyoto Masonic Lodge No. 5) to the Japan Eye Bank Program; 100,000 yen (through Lodge Hiogo and Osaka) to help a blind girl attend school for a year in the U.S., and 75,000 yen to the Grand Lodge of Japan for the Children's Festival.

Fees for the degrees in Sinim Lodge are 30,000 yen or dollar equivalent; for affiliation, 10,000 yen, with dues for the current year due and payable on signing the bylaws; for rejoining members, 5,000 yen. Annual dues (resident) are 7,500 yen, plus $15 for Grand Lodge dues.

Wor. Brian E. Heger, a native of London, England, and a resident of Tokyo, is the presiding Master. Among the other 37 Masters who have presided, only five have died. Four have demitted and one has been suspended. Bros. Diele and Connelly have served in the East three times and six other Brothers have served twice. Bro. Diele was born in Primero, Colorado, and Bro. Connelly is a native of Los Angeles. Both men make their homes in Tokyo.

(Acknowledgement: "Brief History of Sinim Lodge," 1939. by Won Frank Dufford Drake and Wor. Raymond Gladstone Viloudaki; R. W. Joe A. Diele, D .D. G. M., China District.)


PAST MASTERS

Thanks to Bro. Rob Chan for help in compiling this list.

In Shanghai, China

  • Edward Clinton Jansen, 1903, 1904
  • Charles S. F. Lincoln, 1905; N
  • Peter Charles Sturmann, 1905
  • Stacy Anson Ransom, 1906
  • Carl Ludwig Seltz, 1907
  • John M. Darrah, 1908
  • Thomas F. Morrison, 1909
  • Offley Crewe-Read, 1910
  • Harry E. Gibson, 1911
  • Richard C. Morton, 1912
  • Offley Crewe-Read, 1913
  • Sidney R. Sheldon, 1914, 1915
  • Norman G. Harris, 1916
  • Frank J. Seeman, 1917
  • Horace A. Vanderbeek, 1918
  • Harry E. Pulver, 1919
  • George F. Ashley, 1920
  • George T. Armstrong, 1921 (Apr)
  • James S. Dolan, 1921
  • Arthur Q. Adamson, 1922
  • Charles G. Irons, 1923
  • John S. Potter, 1924
  • Thomas C. Britton, 1925
  • John R. Trindle, 1926
  • Frank D. Drake, 1927
  • Donald H. Wythe, 1928
  • Lewis C. Hylbert, 1929
  • Bruce S. Jenkins, 1930
  • Philip W. Giovannini, 1931
  • Edgar W. Wise, 1932
  • Robert J. Gregg, 1933
  • Chester V. Manney, 1934
  • Harold E. Case, 1935
  • John P. Baston, 1936
  • Restel O. Scott, 1937
  • Raymond G. Viloudaki, 1938
  • Irving S. Brown, 1939
  • Henry F. Kay, 1940
  • T. H. Peter Chao, 1941, 1949
  • Lodge in Recess, 1942-1946
  • Edwin H. Himrod, 1946
  • William M. Awad, 1947
  • Arno F. Kerske, 1948
  • Lodge in Recess, 1950-1952

In Tokyo, Japan

  • Roger S. Ormberg, 1952, 1958
  • Anselm Chuh, 1953
  • Joseph N. Sbath, 1954
  • Kenneth C. Miller, 1955
  • Hawklin Chuh, 1956
  • Alphonse Rigod, 1957
  • Edward G. Freeman, 1959
  • Harold Oppenheim, 1960
  • Joseph F. Screen, 1961
  • Jan I. Shram, 1962
  • Walter C. Arnold, 1963
  • Clifford C. Topliff, 1964
  • Roscoe C. Triplett, 1965
  • Alvin M. Slaton, 1966
  • Paul Herman Wilhelm Jauer, 1967
  • Hans R. Suhr, 1968, 1969
  • Chandanmal P. Nandwani, 1970, 1979
  • Joe A. Diele, 1971, 1972, 1986; N
  • Edward G. Freedman, 1973
  • Jonannes Wolfgang Glauche, 1974
  • Frederick Harris, 1975
  • Dudley J. P. Freeman, 1976
  • Richard Louis Hein, 1977, 1982
  • Robert Frederick Connelly, 1978, 1984, 1985
  • Spencer Lee Alexander, 1980, 1981
  • Keith Leon Hager, 1983
  • Saburo Matsui, 1987
  • Brian Ernest Hedger, 1988
  • Christopher John Earnshaw, 1989
  • Chikara Sekine, 1990, 1991
  • H. Robert Ryker, 1992, 2013, 2014
  • J. Peter McIllwain, 1993
  • Allan Huies, 1994
  • Richard E. Dyck, 1995
  • Janos Cegledy, 1996, 2001, 2010
  • M. Harold, 1997, 1998
  • Dominique N. G. Conseil, 1999
  • Frederick I. Shane, 2000; N
  • Henk Dennert, 2002, 2004
  • Jean Felix Rigod, 2003
  • Anand Jairam Murti, 2005
  • Brian Norman Watson, 2006; DDGM
  • John Vernon Clarke, 2007-2009
  • Jack M. Witt, 2011, 2012
  • Douglas Eames, 2015
  • Roberto di Candido, 2016
  • Dennis Frank, 2017
  • Chad D. Kreller, 2018

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1903
  • Petition for Charter: 1904
  • Petition to Revise Charter to meet in Japan: 1952; approved 1953

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1905 1911 1920 1925 1927 1931 1934 1935 1940 1946 1948 1950 1952 1957 1960 1961 1962 1967 1973 1980 1985 1988 1989 1994 1999 2001

OTHER

  • 1939 (Acknowledgement of participation in Chile relief effort, 1939-247)
  • 1960 (Mentioned in Grand Master's Address, 1960-137)

EVENTS

INSTALLATION, SEPTEMBER 2003

From TROWEL, Fall 2003, Page 24:

Sinim Lodge, Tokyo, Installs Officers for Centennial Year

In 1903, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts chartered Sinim Lodge in Shanghai, China; it was moved to Japan in 1952 because of the Communist takeover of China. Still going strong, the Lodge will celebrate its centennial on December 2. The centennial installation of officers took place on September 13, with Wor. Henk Dennert (front row center) being installed for a second term. Reflecting the multi-national character of the Lodge, Bro. Dennert describes himself as "a Dutchman from Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, living in Japan, Master of the Massachusetts China Jurisdiction-originated Sinim Lodge A. F. & A. M."

SinimInstallation2003.jpg


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

OTHER BROTHERS


DISTRICTS

1903: China District

1911: China District

1927: China District

1947: Shanghai District

1957: China District

2003: China District


LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges