Table of Contents
Foreword
A Time of Giants 1888 - 1912
The Golden Era 1913 - 1937
War and Fire 1938 - 1962
Guided by Narrow Lights 1963 - 1980
Appendices
Foreword
The last history of Gate City Lodge No. 2 was published more than fifty years ago, and for at least the past quarter-century it has been felt that there is a need to update the history and heritage of the Lodge for the benefit of the current membership. Certainly the story of Gate City Lodge is an extraordinary one, worthy of being known and appreciated by all of her members. Little was done on the project until 1973, when Worshipful Master C. B. Jones approached my father and asked him to be Lodge Historian and Chair a committee to write a new history. He and I began at once to do the research necessary to put together the full story of the Lodge. When my father died in October 1977, the effort was handicapped severely, but the writing continued, with this volume as the result.
The principal sources utilized were the two previous histories of the Lodge (1912 and 1929), the Lodge minutes, The Trestle Board (from 1915 to date), and T. C. McDonald's invaluable 1924 work, "Freemasonry and It's Progress in Atlanta and Fulton County." Additional information was made available to the researchers by many individuals. At the risk of inadvertently omitting a few who made significant contributions, the following must be recognized for their special assistance: Carl F. Lester, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, who patiently answered so many questions and provided assistance in pouring through the records of the Grand Lodge; the late Talley Kirkland, whose detailed and insightful review of the Worshipful Masters he had personally known gave a new dimension to the story of the fifty years from 1892 to 1942; Lester W. Israel, Field Services Director of the Order of DeMolay, Kansas City, Missouri, who answered several inquiries on Gate City men in DeMolay; the late Walter M. Callawae, Jr., who reviewed a draft of the history and suggested several improvements; and George L. Evoy, General Secretary of Valley of Atlanta, A.&A.S.R., who supplied data on Gate City's 33° honorees and on the Crippled Children's Hospital.
While a dedicated effort was made to compile a complete history of the Lodge, it was neither possible nor appropriate to the purpose of the project to undertake time-consuming efforts to track down bits of data not found in readily available sources. Ultimately, the major problem was in dealing with the mass of information at hand: in deciding which events, incidents, and circumstances should be included and which excluded in order to produce an objective, balanced, and interesting history of the Lodge.
The time and effort expended on the work will be amply repaid if its publication results in a renewed appreciation by the members for the history of our Lodge. Such an appreciation cannot help but inspire both her leaders and her members to even greater zeal in upholding the high standards and indomitable spirit which have characterized Gate City Lodge for ninety-three years.
Fred L. Williams, III
February 1, 1980
Antecedents
The origins of Freemasonry are enshrouded in the mists of antiquity, with no better guides for the armchair archaeologist than legends that tell of participation in the mysteries by Solomon, Noah, and even Adam. Freemasonry as we know it today - regular, Grand Lodge Freemasonry - however, began in London in 1717, when representatives of four local Lodges met at the Apple-Tree Tavern, Charles Street, Covent Garden. They constituted themselves a "Grand Lodge pro Tempore" and resolved to hold an "Annual Assembly and Feast". Accordingly, they met again on St. John the Baptist Day, June 24, 1717, this time at the Goose and Gridiron Ale- house, St. Paul's Churchyard, and elected Mr. Anthony Sayer, Gentleman, as "Grand Master of Masons."
The idea of a Grand Lodge was one whose time had come, and by 1725 enough of the heretofore-independent Lodges of England had come to recognize its authority that it could be considered a national organization. In 1727 a Lodge at Gibraltar became the first Lodge outside of England to come under the Grand Lodge, and by the early 1730's Freemasonry was be- ginning to appear in North America. There are many and conflicting claims among the various Grand Lodges of this continent as to the oldest Lodge, oldest Provincial Grand Lodge, etc., with many of the claims resting on disputed evidence or the use of words such as "regular", or "constituted", or other qualifying terms. What emerges from the muddle is that individual Freemasons were living in New England as early as 1705 (twelve years prior to the establishment of the Grand Lodge), that independentLodges were meeting in Philadelphia (and perhaps elsewhere) by 1730,and that the first American Lodge to be entered upon the rolls of the Grand lodge of England was No. 126, in Boston, in 1733.
The second Lodge in America to enter the list of the Grand Lodge of England was "the Lodge at Savannah in Ye Province of Georgia", No. 139, in 1735. Although the Masonic membership of General James Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony, has never been conclusively proven, the over- whelming circumstantial evidence is that he was a member of the Craft, and it is thought that he was the first Master of the Lodge at Savannah when it was organized on February 21, 1734. (There is - naturally - dispute over the matter, but gaps in the continuity of existence of other Lodges of that era make it likely that Lodge No. 139, since 1771 known as Solomon's Lodge and now No. 1, is the oldest existing Lodge in America, regardless of date of recognition by a Grand Lodge).
The Grand Lodge of Georgia was organized in Savannah in 1786, with representatives of only two Lodges (Solomon's and Hiram, both of Savannah) present. The records of the Grand Lodge were lost in a fire in Savannah in 1820, so it is impossible to speak with certainty about the years before that date, but it seems that the growth of the fraternity Georgia was slow, with only ten Lodges in the state in 1818, three of them in Savannah. Only two Lodges chartered in the Eighteenth Century survive today in Georgia: Solomon’s No. 1 of Savannah and Social No. 1 of Augusta, chartered in December 1799.
There was a dramatic growth in the number of Lodges in the 1820's but the seeds of a rift were also being sown with the increasing "inland" membership. A new constitution adopted in 1820 called for the March and June quarterly communications of the Grand Lodge to be held in Savannah as usual, but in recognition of the difficulties of travel of the times, foe the September and December meetings to be held in Milledgeville, the new state capital. Those same difficulties of travel prevented any degree of continuity in the Savannah and Milledgeville communications, and the inevitable result was two effectively independent bodies, each revising or nullifying the actions of the other. The records show that the Savannah group included fourteen Lodges, and that there were thirty Lodges in the Milledgeville-body. The animosities grew until, in 1827, the two factions began electing separate slates of Grand Officers, and in 1829 the Milledgeville body declared that the Lodges of the Savannah group had forfeited their charters. By 1839 attrition, partly due to the "Morgan affair", had greatly reduced the Lodges following the Savannah viewpoint, and it remained only to reconcile the differences with Solomon's Lodge for the rift to be repaired. This was accomplished in a spirit of love, with no undue embarrassment to either side, Solomon's having the Number One restored to her, although she now had to share it with Social Lodge of Augusta.
In 1847, just eleven years after a stake was driven to mark the end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, Freemasonry came to Terminus, or, as it was now called, Atlanta. In that year, Atlanta Lodge No. 59 was constituted on the second floor, over a grocery, of a building at the corner of Alabama Street and Lloyd Street (now Central Avenue). It was in the same building that Atlanta's other antebellum Lodge, Fulton No. 216, was constituted in 1857.
The growth of the two Lodges and the other Masonic organizations in the city at that time (Mount Zion Chapter No. 16, R.A.M., chartered in Decatur in 1847, moved to Atlanta in 1853; Jason Burr Council No. 13, R.&S.M., chartered 1855; and, just organizing, Coeur de Lion Commandery No. 4, K.T., constituted 1860) necessitated the erection of a larger hall. Arrangements were made to add a story to a proposed two-story building on the north side of Decatur Street, between Ivy and North Pryor Streets. It was here that Grand Master William S. Rockwell laid Atlanta's first Temple cornerstone on August 11, 1859. The various groups occupied the building the next year, and utilized it throughout the "unpleasantness" with the Damnyankees. The building escaped the torch of Sherman's troops, but burned accidentally in Atlanta's first major post-war fire on May 1, 1866, the Fire Department being unable to control the blaze-due to a lack of water.
Following the fire, the Lodges and other bodies met for a short time over a store at the corner of Decatur and Pryor Streets, then at the southwest corner of Peachtree and Marietta Streets. Later, they met over John Ryan's store at 59 Whitehall Street; it was here that Georgia Lodge No. 96 was constituted in November 1869. These arrangements were all temporary, however, pending construction of a new Temple. A Masonic Hall Company was formed following the 1866 fire, and a lot was purchased at the corner of Forsyth and Marietta Streets. Construction began in August 1866 and was completed on September 18, 1867. The total cost of the building was $11,735.16, but the Company was able to raise only $3571.10, and on October 5, 1869, the building was sold at sheriff's sale to L. DeGive for $21,000. The building was remodeled and opened in 1870 as the DeGive Opera House. It was later known as the Bijou Theater. It was razed in 1921 to make way for the Palmer Building.
In 1871 all of the Lodges moved to the Old Grant Building at the corner of Broad and Marietta Streets (now 22 Marietta Street), where the Hall was noted for its beautiful ceiling. This building was the home of the Craft in Atlanta for almost twenty-one years, and it was here that Gate City Lodge No. 2 was organized in 1887.
Architect for 22 Marietta Street was Thomas Henry Morgan. He was born in Manilius, New York on December 11, 1857. By the time he was four years old his mother had died, and he was brought by his father to Knoxville, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee. In 1878, at the age of twenty-one, he came to Atlanta. There was plenty of work for an ambitious young architect to undertake in Atlanta, for the city was busily engaged in rebuilding from the ashes left by General Sherman.
THE FOUNDING OF THE LODGE
1887
The definitive story of the founding of Gate City Lodge was written by John Z. Lawshe, the first elected Master of the Lodge. His account is taken from The Trestle Board of June 27, 1921:
I was Worshipful Master of Fulton Lodge, No. 216, when the conception of Gate City Lodge was planned. At that time there were only three Lodges in Atlanta - Atlanta Lodge No. 59, Fulton Lodge No. 216, and Georgia Lodge No. 96.
On account of a certain question, which arose at a communication of Fulton Lodge, a number of the members became dissatisfied and asked for their dimits instanter. As Worshipful Master, I ruled that such was not the proper procedure and that the members so affected allow time and collection for their calmer thoughts. It was with considerable difficulty that order was restored, although one could see the sentiment of certain members.
Before closing the communication, I stated from the East that if the protesting brethren were sincere in their feelings, the best plan would be to organize another Lodge. I invited them to meet me after the close of the communication at the Secretary's desk. They did so, and it was decided to hold a meeting of those brethren at my office the next morning. The meeting was held in the little office I used to have at 3 ½ Whitehall Street, which is now the southern terminus of the Whitehall Street viaduct.
It was the decision of those attending the meeting that a new Lodge should be formed and I wrote the application for the dispensation for a new Lodge., which was to be presented to John S. Davidson, of Augusta, then Grand Master of Masons in Georgia. The first petitioners signed their names at the meeting in my office. In a short time a number of additional petitioners signed the application. Every signature was affixed in my presence and no one was permitted to sign unless I was of the opinion that he was qualified in every way.
It was the wish of the brethren that the dispensation should be granted, if granted, as quickly as possible. Grand Master Davidson was one of the closest friends I ever had. He was at that time president of the State Senate. To see that no time would be lost I went by train to Augusta to the home of Brother Davidson, carrying the petition with me. As soon as I stated the purpose of my visit to Grand Master Davidson, he said: "John, I cannot grant this application, as much as I wish to, because there are several Atlanta Past masters who have objected to it. There are three Lodges now in Atlanta and the objectors claim that is a sufficient number.
I asked if he would give me the names of the dissenting Atlanta Past masters and he advised me that they were David Meyer, W. L. Hubbard, A. C. Ladd, Levy Cohen, and Calvin Pay.* I was in a serious quandary. I had promised the brethren who had signed the petition for dispensation that I would bring back the dispensation that night.
I finally told Brother Davidson that I would promise him if he would sign the dispensation I would immediately return to Atlanta and secure and mail to him the written withdrawals of the objections of the Atlanta Pastmasters or I would return to him his dispensation. Under these conditions Grand Master Davidson signed the dispensation and I returned to Atlanta about three o'clock in the afternoon.
* McDonald gives them as follows: David Mayer, W.M. Fulton Lodge 1859- 63; W.L. Hubbard, W.M. Fulton Lodge 1875-77, 1889-90, and 1898; A.C. Ladd, W.M. Atlanta Lodge 1871; Levi Cohen, W.M. Fulton Lodge 1870-73 and 1891-92; and Calvin Fay, W.M. Georgia Lodge 1873-74.
I wanted to get those written withdrawals and mail them back to Grand Master Davidson on the night train. There were no telephones and no automobiles in those days. I hurried to my office where my horse and buggy was waiting for me. I immediately got in touch with Hubbard, Ladd and Fay and procured their signed written withdrawals. Then I found Cohen, and he said he would sign if Meyer would. So, I went after Meyer. It was tit for tat, he would sign if Cohen signed, and Cohen would sign when Meyer did.
Finally I said to Brother Meyer: "If you will sign this I give you my word and honor as a Master Mason, that if Brother Cohen does NOT sign this, I will bring the paper back to you and you may erase your signature with your hands." Meyer signed and I went back to find Cohen, who had left his store. I went to Cohen's home and waited for him. He chided me for coming again to him, saying, he would "only sign when Meyer signed." I showed him Meyer's signature. "Do you know that handwriting?" I asked. Cohen assented. "Then sign," I said. Cohen signed.
Here began the race to mail the written withdrawal on the train for Augusta. In that old buggy and with that horse I looked like a fire department chief going to a fire. I had already addressed and stamped the envelope to Grand Master Davidson. As I reached the old car shed, Pat Carroll, a Georgia Railroad conductor, was waving his hand from the rear coach to the engineer for the train to start. I shouted to Pat, who jumped off, ran back to me, took the letter and then dashed to his train again. Grand Master Davidson received the letter the next day and wrote me that he was glad we had the dispensation.
With our dispensation safety tucked away, we began to think of a number for the Lodge, which we had named Gate City. In looking over the roster of the Grand Lodge I noticed that there were a number of "dead numbers," or numbers that had been given up by defunct Lodges. My eyes fell upon the number "TWO"' It was the number that had been given to old Stith Lodge*, which had passed out of existence. I immediately made up my mind that our new Lodge should be Gate City Lodge, Number Two.
I went to the October sessions of the Grand Lodge as the representative of Fulton Lodge. I boasted and boasted too loud, that I had found the number I was going to have and that it was Number Two. My ambition was rudely checked by an Atlanta Past Master, W. P. Parkhurst** who at the time was Grand Marshal of the Grand Lodge. He promptly told me that I would never obtain my desire. I asked him why, and he said that such and such a section of such and such an article of the By-Laws of the Grand Lodge prohibited the using of any number which had originally been given to any Lodge.
For my own information, I consulted the By-Laws and there it was
as plain as day. I sought up Past Grand Master Bingham***, a friend of mine, who was chairman of the Committee on Appeals and Grievances. I told him-that it was improper for the Grand Lodge to have only a certain number of Lodges, when the numbers were far in excess of the actual Lodges. He agreed with me and asked that I introduce a resolution wiping out all old numbers and requiring new Lodges to take the numbers of dead Lodges until the list was filled, the first chartered Lodge to take the first lowest number.
Past Grand Master Bingham introduced the resolution the next morning, and it was unanimously approved by the committee, which presented it in its report to the Grand Lodge. Immediately Grand Marshal Parkhurst secured the floor and fought the resolution. Past Grand Master Bingham
* Stith Lodge, of Sparta, was founded in about 1830, and surrendered its charter in 1841.
** Worshipful Master of Atlanta Lodge No. 59, 1872, 1874-77, 1880, and 1884-85.
*** Worshipful Brother Lawshe apparently had reference to B. H. Bingham, a Deputy Grand Master, but never Grand Master.
responded others opposed, others supported, until I finally presented the contention that it was improper for the Grand Lodge of Georgia to give the impression by numbers instead of Lodges as to the number of Lodges there were in the grand jurisdiction. The resolution went through overwhelmingly.
All that awaited our success then was to have the Committee on Charters read the name of Gate City first as a Lodge granted a charter. John P. Shannon, afterward Grand Master, was chairman of the Committee that would make this report. I went to see him, and with all of his quaint humor he told me that Gate City would be the LAST named Lodge he would read out. The next day when he dictated his report to the Secretary of the Committee, I slipped up behind Shannon and whispered into his ear the name of Gate City. Again, he told me that he would do no such a thing.
I knew Shannon so well, I went into Grand Lodge and secured a blank from the lamented Brother A. M. Wolihin, who was then Grand Secretary. I fitted out the charter with my own hands, and took it to every officer of the Grand Lodge and had him sign it. I placed the seal of the Grand Lodge on it myself. I rushed out of Grand Lodge and found Brother Charles F. Malone, who was serving as Worshipful Master of Gate City Lodge, Under Dispensation, and gave it to him. Brother Malone took the afternoon train for Atlanta, and that charter was signed_, seated, and on its way to Atlanta before the Grand Lodge had formally granted it. The charter was read that night in Atlanta Lodge as information.
The "certain question" which caused the dissatisfaction of a number of the brethren of Fulton Lodge was the subject of an article in The Trestle Board of August 8, 1927, by W. G. Hastings. His story, entitled "Gate City - Past, Present, Future", goes like this:
The IF's of history are quite interesting but none more so than the one concerning Gate City Lodge, for if there had been no prohibition sentiment in Atlanta in the seventies, there would be no Gate City Lodge today!
Those who consider the Volstead Act the end of a recent thing may be surprised to know that Gate City Lodge No. 2 was founded partly because of a prohibition issue which disturbed Atlanta forty years ago.
In 1887 there were men who sought to emulate Billy Sunday's desire by making Atlanta so dry that one would need to affix postage stamps with pins. During that year, one of the leading exponents of prohibition, a man of unquestioned character and Pastor of Atlanta's leading Baptist Church, applied for membership in an Atlanta Masonic Lodge. His application was denied. Some of the members of the Lodge that turned him down, believing that the application had been rejected because of his political views, were so incensed that they held a meeting at the close of the Lodge and decided to dimit and form another Lodge. Worshipful Brother John Z. Lawshe was the Worshipful Master of that Lodge. It was he who crystallized the sentiment in favor of the new Lodge, when it became apparent that the rift that had been made could not be mended.
Many of those who so strenuously objected to a man being rejected because of his prohibition views were outspokenly against prohibition, but they believed in the spirit of tolerance and fair play. Thus, because a man was blackballed on account of his prohibition activities, Gate City Lodge No. 2 was founded.
Accounts of the founding of the Lodge are consistent in saying that there were forty-two signers of the original petition for dispensation to form a Lodge. Unfortunately, neither the petition nor a complete list of the signers has survived, and it is necessary to speculate to some extent as to who the forty-two were. The 1912 history of the Lodge lists twenty-one petitioners and an August 22, 1921, Trestle Board article by John Lawshe lists forty-one. Together, the two sources contain forty-five different names - four of them of men who could not have been petitioners since they were later raised in Gate City! The two lists on only seventeen men:
John F. Blodgett
Robert Hunter McDougall
Morris Brandon
Manning W. Manahan
Howard L. Crumley
W. F. Manry
W. C. Dodson
I. S. Mitchell
W. S. Duncan
Charles D. Montgomery
James M. Goldsmith
Dempse H. Perkerson
Spartan Goodlet
T. J. Shepard
John Z. Lawshe
John R. Wilkinson
Henry Lewis
The other four names from the 1912 version are:
Henry L. Atwater
William Abram Love
W.E. DeLay
W. A. Martin
Omitting the four who were raised by the Lodge after its formation, the 1921 account also included:
R. S. Armstrong
A. M. Law
George C. Bancroft
E. P. McBurney
John F. Barclay
Charles F. Malone
W. R. Dimmock
A. P. Morgan
D. 0. Dougherty
John D. Owings
J. A. Farnsworth
John S. Parks
J. D. Frazier
H. F. Scott
James A. Gray
W. H. Sharp
Eugene Harman
Mell R. Wilkinson
F. M. Kenney
W. I. Zachry
Of the twenty in the last list, six must be viewed with some skepticism since Frazier, Harman, Morgan, and Owings apparently never became members of the new Lodge, while Armstrong and Barclay did not affiliate until 1888.
One last bit of evidence as to the signers is found in The Trestle Board of July 22, 1929, where it is reported that J. D. Rhodes had been added to the rolls of the Charter Members Association after it was discovered that he had been inadvertently overlooked, despite having been one of the original signers of the application.
The date of the first meeting of the Lodge Under Dispensation is not known, but the first degree work was on April 12, 1887, when the Entered Apprentice Degree was conferred on Dan B. Harris and J. D. O'Rear. The same two men were the first ever raised in Gate City Lodge, on May 2, 1887.
Five more men were raised before the end of August, and the charter membership was 86* when John Lawshe sent Charles Malone back to Atlanta with a charter yet to be granted by the Grand Lodge. The date of that original charter, later lost in the Temple fire of December 27, 1894, was October 27, 1887. On December 27, 1887, Grand Master John S. David- son presided at an occasional communication of the Grand Lodge to constitute Gate City Lodge No. 2 and to install its officers.
Among the seventy-nine affiliated Charter Members were William Abram Love, Deputy Grand Master in 1867, and at least nine other Past Masters:
James A. Gray
R. F. Lester
C. C. Hammock
Charles F. Malone
W. L. Hubbard
John T. Stocks
F. M. Kenney
G. W. Taylor
John Z. Lawshe
Hubbard had certainly changed his views since his original opposition to the formation of another Lodge!
Lawshe, who had served his complete term as Master of Fulton Lodge in 1887 (i.e., through most of December) was listed on Gate City's return (as of the end of August) as an affiliated member.
One of the seven men raised prior to the issuance of the charter was Alfredo Barili, a young Italian pianist who had come to Atlanta in 1880. A nephew of the famous singer Adelina Patti, he was one of the city's most distinguished musicians and teachers, founding in 1884 the Mendelssohn Society. Among his compositions were "There Little Girl, Don't Cry", "Cradle Song", "Modern Minuet", and "Butterfly Waltz".
* See Appendix IV for a list of the Charter Members
A Time Of Giants
1888 – 1912
The young Lodge prospered from the beginning, attracting to the Craft men of quality from all walks of life. While it was blessed with a growing membership, the Lodge took more pride in its work and accomplishments than it did in its size. It became known as a "young man's Lodge" and as a "business man's Lodge", reflecting the character of Atlanta herself, a young commercial town only just beginning to burgeon into a major city. In many respects, the first quarter-century of the Lodge was a time of giants, men of stature and strong personality who guided well the affairs of the Lodge and themselves rose to positions of trust and responsibility, both in the Craft and in other fields of endeavor. When the Lodge commemorated her first twenty-five years by publishing the "History of Gate City Lodge No. 2, F. & A. M." in 1912, it was noted that not only was her membership the largest "south of Baltimore", but that she had furnished Georgia Masonry with one Grand Master, one Grand High Priest, two Thrice Illustrious Grand Masters, and two Grand Commanders - as well as having a Gate City man in the line of promotion for each of those four Grand bodies! The Lodge was fortunate to have exceptional men as Master in her first few years. The first two, Charles Malone and John Lawshe, were Past Masters of Fulton Lodge, and the third, John Parks, had been Senior Warden of the same Lodge. The fourth Master, Thomas H. Jeffries, became Grand Master of Georgia, serving two terms (1907-1909), and Grand High Priest (1917). The fifth man to sit in the East, John R. Dickey, the first Master to have been raised in the Lodge, served as Grand Commander in 1907. John Parks and Tom Jeffries are the only two men ever to serve more than one term as Master of the Lodge, Parks for three years (1889- 1891), and Jeffries for two (1892-1893). The spirit of the young Lodge attracted outstanding young men to leadership (Malone was 37 when Master, Lawshe 31, Parks 32, Jeffries 37, and Dickey 36), and Gate City was thus able to call upon their sage advice for many years thereafter.
Perhaps the most beloved of the first five Masters, indeed perhaps of all who have ever so served Gate City, was Tom Jeffries. A native of Atlanta, he was raised in Tilton Lodge No. 291 (Whitfield County) in 1879, and served as Master of that Lodge in 1883 and 1885. His affiliation with Gate City earned him a unique distinction because he was installed as Senior Deacon at the institution of the Lodge on December 27, 1887 - before being elected to membership! By consent of Grand Master Davidson he was appointed and installed as Senior Deacon on the same night his application for affiliation was read for the first time; two weeks later he was elected a member of the Lodge.
"Uncle Tom", as he was known to his brothers of Gate City, became a living institution and was a pillar of strength to the Lodge until his death in 1948. His interest and activity never waned, and he was always ready with a speech on "love" if he foresaw any controversy or bickering arising. From at least 1899 until 1942 he was the Installing Officer at almost all of the Lodge's annual communications, usually assisted by his life-long friend, John Dickey. It is said that in later years these venerable men, their eyes and ears grown less keen, while reciting their installation ritual, would often be talking at the same time, detracting not one whit from the impressiveness of the occasion!
Not all of the outstanding men in Gate City during the first few years served as Master. One of the Lodge's most notable sons was Henry W. Grady, the eminent journalist and the leading spokesman of the "New South" toward the end of the Nineteenth Century. A native of Athens,
Georgia, and a graduate of the University of Georgia, Grady bought an interest in the Atlanta Constitution in 1880. Although he did not become a Freemason until entering Gate City in 1888, at age 37, his legendary charity, willingness to champion worthy causes, and forthright calls for harmony and good will had given indication that his was a spirit well attuned to the principles of the Craft. He was an excellent speaker (he claimed to be a "talker" by inheritance, his father having been an Irishman, and his mother a woman!), and his keen insight and uncommon common sense were in great demand. He contracted a severe cold while in Boston on a speaking engagement in December 1889; it worsened into pneumonia prior to his return to Atlanta, and on December 23, 1889, Henry Grady died. The passing of such a man was a tragedy of national scope, and a Lodge of Sorrow was held, with the brethren of the Lodge marching in solemn procession to the First Methodist Church where the service was held. Gate City's 1912 "History" stated that "in many respects, this was the most impressive and sacred Masonic service ever held in Atlanta."
Another prominent member before the turn of the century was George V. Gress, a native of the state of New York who made his fortune in the lumber business in Georgia. It was his purchase of animals that founded the Atlanta zoo in 1889 (the year in which he affiliated with Gate City), and nine years later he gave the city one of her most valued and important possessions: the famous Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta.
During the first term of Tom Jeffries, in February 1892, Gate City, with the other Atlanta Lodges, moved from the Old Grant Building to new quarters in the Old Capitol Building (also known as the Venable Building) on the southwest corner of Marietta and North Forsyth Streets. The five- story brick building had originally been an opera house, but had been remodeled to house the state government from 1870 until 1889. The Lodges met there for almost three years, until a fire of unknown origin destroyed the building on the morning of December 27, 1894. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that most of the records of the Lodges, including those of Gate City, were lost.
It is not known where Gate City next met, but the various Lodges met in temporary quarters until March of the next year when the commodious upper floor of the Chamber of Commerce Building, at the corner of Pryor and Hunter Streets, opposite the Fulton County Courthouse, was rented. That was the meeting site for seven years. Then, in January 1902 the Lodges moved to the corner of Mitchell and Forsyth Streets.
Despite fire and relocation, Gate City continued to grow and the leadership continued to be strong. The years 1896 through 1898 were banner years as John R. Wilkinson, Albert P. Wood, and Joseph C. Greenfield successively assumed the chair in the East. John Wilkinson, raised in Fulton Lodge in 1886, was a Charter Member of Gate City and served as Treasurer from 1887 through 1893. At the time of his death in 1915 he was serving as the Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Georgia. A 33° Mason, he became the first of the three Gate City Past Masters for whom Lodges have been named, John R. Wilkinson Lodge No. 432 being constituted on November 1, 1916.
In December 1896 the Lodge elevated the first non-Georgian to the Master's chair. Albert P. Wood was born in New York in 1866, but had come south and had been raised in Gate City in 1893. He became the second Gate City Past Master to serve as District Deputy Grand Master of the Fifth Masonic District, serving the 1900-1901 term; John Lawshe had been the first DDGM of the Fifth District when the system was begun in 1889. (Ironically, when the system was discontinued in 1911, Royal Daniel of Gate City was the DDGM.)
The "experiment" with a Master from the wrong side of the Mason- Dixon line having worked out so well, the brethren decided to take things to extremes, and elected Joseph C. Greenfield, a native of Montreal, Quebec, to be their Master in 1898. Never was a wiser selection made, for Joseph Greenfield became one of the Lodge's greatest sons.
He was raised in Gate City in 1895, at age 32, having come to Atlanta about nine years earlier. It is said that he received his Masonic education at the knee of Tom Jeffries, and the success of the pupil adds luster to the brilliant record of the teacher.
Joseph Greenfield was involved in every phase of Masonic activity, serving as Grand High Priest, Thrice Illustrious Grand Master, Grand Commander, and in 1912 as General Grand Commander of the General Grand Council, Royal and Select Masters, of the United States. He was one of the first Atlantans to be made a 33° Mason, being so honored in 1907.
He was Senior Grand Deacon in 1917 and served for a number of years on the Grand Lodge Board of Trustees of the Masonic Home, as well as on the Committee for a home for aged Masons. When the delicate task of promulgating the Uniform Work arose in 1914, Joseph Greenfield was named Chairman of the Grand Lodge Committee, and the success of the endeavor was largely due to his leadership. In October 1920, shortly before his death, the Grand Lodge awarded him its Medal of Honor for faithful service.
Despite all of the accomplishments noted above, Joseph Greenfield's greatest contributions probably were in the Scottish Rite. He and Forrest Adair (W. D. Luckie Lodge No. 89) were the organizers of Atlanta Consistory (chartered 1909), and he was the General Secretary of the Scottish Rite bodies of Atlanta for the fourteen years preceding his death. In 1914 he showed Forrest Adair, then Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Scottish Rite bodies, an article he had written entitled "What Are We Doing?", the gist of which was that Masonic bodies were inclined to devote large sums of money on temples, but relatively little on humanitarian efforts. Adair called a meeting of the Executive Committee at which it was proposed that the Scottish Rite of Atlanta sponsor and further the work being done with crippled children by Doctor Michael Hoke at Wesley Memorial Hospital. The proposal was accepted and, finally, the present hospital was begun with two little cottages with twenty beds in September 1915. This hospital was the inspiration for the establishment of the famous Shrine crippled children's hospitals in 1920 - all the result of Joseph Greenfield's conviction that Masons were not doing enough for mankind! The hospital was the work he loved best; it represented his concept of Freemasonry. He spent countless hours with the children, and was the foster daddy of them all. His
passing was a serious loss to many organizations, but perhaps most of all to the hospital and to the children.
Joseph Greenfield served his blue Lodge as well and faithfully as he served the other organizations. "Mister Joe" rarely missed a communication, was a member of the Finance Committee for twenty-two years, and was Gate City's Director on the Atlanta Masonic Temple Company board for many years. He acted as Lodge Historian, preparing historical accounts upon the occupation of the new Temple (1909) and at the Lodge's twenty-fifth anniversary (1912). A good ritualist with keen insight to the underlying principles of the degrees, he wrote for the Lodge both the Entered Apprentice charity lecture and the Senior Deacon's Fellowcraft lecture. He died on December 20, 1920, and was buried in Fayetteville. The Masonic service was performed by Past Master Bill Hastings, assisted by the officers of Gate City, with the Scottish Rite Guard and other bodies furnishing honorary escorts. Both of his sons, Paul F. and Joseph, Jr., were members of Gate City, and Paul, an outstanding ritualist with an impressive personal appearance, served as Master in 1925. Joseph C. Greenfield Lodge No. 400 was constituted in 1922, a fitting memorial to one of Gate City's most notable members.
In December 1900 the Lodge commenced one of its most cherished and durable traditions by voting to present a Past Master's Jewel to the retiring Master. Later, in 1903, it was discovered that every Past Master except John Parks had by then been presented such a jewel, and the inadvertent omission was corrected at once. The only change in the custom came in 1947 when it was voted to present the outgoing Master with a "practical and suitable gift", which has been the practice ever since.
In May 1901, Mr. L. DeGive offered Gate City Lodge the corner stone of the DeGive Opera House (the intended Masonic Temple sold at Sheriff's sale in 1869) for the cost of recovering it. A committee from the Lodge had the stone recovered (at a cost of $16.75) and on June 25, 1901, in the presence of Grand Master Max Meyerhardt and three other Grand Officers, it was opened. One account says that the contents were unpreserved, but
the minutes of the meeting relate that coins found within were presented to the Grand Lodge Officers, to three brethren who had been present at the laying of the stone almost thirty-five years before, and to others. The Lodge retained the stone until 1907 when Grand Master Meyerhardt laid it beside a new one for the Peachtree and Cain Temple.
The annual communication of December 23, 1902, was the first, so far as can be determined, at which a banquet was served. This custom has survived with several interruptions to the present, although in recent years the meal has been served before the meeting, whereas it had been served afterwards from 1902 until 1909.
There were many outstanding meetings held in the first few years of the century, including the conferring of the Fellowcraft degree on Robert A. Henderson (who would be Master in 1906) at the Fifth District meeting on August 29, 1902, with Grand Master Meyerhardt in attendance. On June 23 of the following year, the two Grand Wardens, Henry Banks and George M. Napier, assisted by two other Grand Lodge officers and the Gate City Past Masters, conferred the Master Mason degree on five candidates. There was a banquet after the first section, at which, according to the minutes, "sat one of the largest assemblages of Masons that ever gathered in Georgia." It was at this meeting that the four- teen Past Masters gave the Lodge a large photographic composition with pictures of each of them. One meeting particularly worthy of note was that of May 30, 1905. Worshipful Master Charles E. Hall conferred the Master Mason's degree on six Fellowcrafts (including John Gilmore, Master in 1910) before a very large crowd. The highlight of the evening was the lecture, which was illustrated by "stereopticon views". To cap the affair, a banquet was served following the meeting.
Lodge charity was a frequent subject during these years. As early as June 1900 the Lodge had gone on record as favoring the establishment of a Grand Lodge home for "indigent widows, orphans, and brethren". This support took a more tangible form in May 1903 with a pledge of one hundred dollars a year for five years for the home to be established in
Macon. Actually, at least $850 was donated by the Lodge from 1903 through 1907 to assist the fledgling home, which opened its doors on June 14, 1905. One other interesting charitable act was the vote on April 24, 1906, to provide twenty-five dollars for the "relief of Masons in San Francisco", the earthquake having struck only six days earlier.
The Lodge was also concerned with more mundane affairs, and the minutes record the purchase of "a half dozen cuspidors for the Hall" (1902) and the passage of a resolution banning smoking during meetings (1904).
The Grand Lodge of Georgia elected Thomas H. Jeffries to be its Grand Master in October 1907, and Gate City held a called communication on October 31 to welcome her Past Master back to Atlanta. The brethren marched to Terminal Station, greeted the new Grand Master, and escorted him back to the Lodge room. Many speeches of love and honor were de- livered that day - by Masons of Gate City and many other Lodges - the proudest day in the twenty year history of the Lodge!
The Lodges of the city had been meeting in "temporary" quarters for 24 years when, in the spring of 1890, a new Atlanta Masonic Temple Company was founded. In September of that year property at the corner of Auburn Avenue (then Wheat Street) and North Pryor Street was purchased, but the shape of the lot proved to be unsuitable, and it was sold at a profit three and a half years later. Shortly thereafter the Berry property on the corner of West Cain and Peachtree Streets was purchased for $30,000, and at last,-on May 8, 1907, Grand Master Meyerhardt laid the corner stone of the new Temple in the presence of almost one thousand Masons.
Work on the Temple was slowed by the financial near panic of 1907, but on February 22, 1909, the Masons of Atlanta finally had a home ready for occupancy. The building, which cost about $210,000, was constructed of manganese brick trimmed with terra cotta and Bedford Stone. The vestibules were finished in Georgia marble from the quarries of Pickens County, and all woodwork in the corridors and the main staircase was of mahogany.
The Temple was dedicated and consecrated to Lodge purposes by Grand Master Tom Jeffries on the evening of February 22. It was presented for dedication by Joseph Greenfield, on behalf of Symbolic Masonry. Following the dedication, an address was given by Hoke Smith, President of the Atlanta Masonic Temple Company, Governor of Georgia, and member of Gate City Lodge. (One of the Lodge's most famous sons, Hoke Smith was owner of the Atlanta Journal from 1887 until 1900; was Secretary of the Interior under Grover Cleveland; was twice Governor of Georgia; and was a United States Senator from 1911 until 1920).
The first Lodge meeting held in the new Temple was a called communication of Gate City at 2:00 p. m. the day after the dedication. The meeting was called to pay respects to the memory of Charter Member William J. O'Neal, who had died the day before. Past Master John Lawshe was Acting Worshipful Master.
The first regular communication held in the new Temple was a Gate City meeting on the evening of February 23, with Worshipful Master Royal Daniel in the East. Joseph Greenfield read a brief history of the Lodge, five Fellowcrafts - A. V. Gude, Jr., F. H. Richmond, F. L. Bullard, C. L. Walker, and W. T. Miller - were raised, and several members of the Lodge entertained the large crowd with music.
At the annual communication in 1908 the Finance Committee reported that the membership of the Lodge stood at 420, and noted that it was thereby the second largest in the state, trailing Georgia Lodge No. 96 by only one member. Six months later the Lodge's membership was 457, making Gate City the largest Lodge in Georgia and possibly the largest in the South. There was some concern that the Lodge was becoming too large, and a committee was appointed to consider the wisdom of limiting the membership to 500. The committee's report at the next Lodge meeting was that it was not in favor of a membership limitation, and the matter was dropped.
At the end of 1910 the Financial Committee referred to Gate City as the "foremost Lodge in the South", and a year later - with membership at 581 - their report claimed that she was "the largest body of Symbolic Masons in the Southern States".
For many years Gate City Lodge seemed to have a special relation- ship with the Atlanta Journal, and some of her most respected members helped to "cover Dixie like the dew". (Henry Grady was, of course, owner of the rival Constitution). The Master in 1911, John A. Brice, was one of the Journal men, serving as President of the newspaper from 1939 until his death in 1945. Others included Major John S. Cohen, a United States Senator in 1932 and 1933, who was President, Editor, and Publisher of the Journal from 1917 until his death in 1935; Royal Daniel (Master in 1909); Raymund Daniel (Master in 1912); and John Simmons (Master in 1899), said to have sold the first copy of the Journal ever sold on the streets of Atlanta and who later rose to become its Circulation Manager.
The year 1912 - the year of the Lodge's twenty-fifth anniversary - saw yet another "giant" presiding in the East. Raymund Daniel was only thirty-one when elected to be Master of the largest Lodge in the South, but that quiet, gentle young man was one of the most outstanding Masters the Lodge ever had. He had a deep, abiding love for Gate City Lodge and for Freemasonry, and was a tireless worker for both. Among his many duties for the Grand Lodge, he was Foreign Correspondent from 1916 until 1948, was Grand Historian for several years, and was Editor of the Masonic Home Messenger (now renamed the Masonic Messenger) from 1928 to 1936. In recognition of his labors, in 1936 he was awarded the Grand Lodge Medal of Honor for distinguished service. As Foreign Correspondent and Grand Secretary pro tem he accompanied Grand Master Robert J. Travis (an Honorary Member of Gate City) to London, England, in June 1919 to attend the World Masonic Peace Jubilee. In October 1927 he became the second Gate City member to be elected Grand Master. As the head of Georgia Masonry he put special emphasis on promoting the establishment of a "Masonic cottage" for tubercular children at the state hospital at Alto, and its success was largely due to his efforts.
Within the Lodge Raymund Daniel was known as an unusually good ritualist and as an exceptional orator, well versed in Masonic lore and tradition. His greatest service to Gate City, however, was in the founding of the Lodge newspaper, The Trestle Board, in May 1915. He was the first Editor, holding the position until December 1918, and one of its foremost contributors for many years thereafter.
Prior to 1926 it was not at all unusual for the Grand Master of Georgia to serve for more than one year, but since then only one Grand Master - Raymund Daniel - has been asked to serve another year. This signal expression of love and appreciation on the part of the Grand Lodge was perhaps the most appropriate honor ever bestowed upon Raymund Daniel, a man who had received virtually every award and distinction available within the Craft. (He was an Honorary Member of at least seventeen Lodges, for two of which he was the only Mason so honored.)
Raymund Daniel was not the only outstanding member of his family. His brothers Royal and Raleigh, both Gate City members, also achieved success. Royal was Master in 1909, then later moved to Quitman, Georgia, where he was Publisher of the Quitman Free Press. Raleigh moved to Augusta, where he eventually became Mayor.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Lodge was celebrated at a called communication on December 27, 1912, with a large crowd filling the Commandery Asylum of the Temple. Among those present were Grand Master, Robert L. Colding, Deputy Grand Master N. H. Ballard, and Senior Grand Warden Frank 0. Miller. An "interesting and instructive" (as noted in the minutes) history of the Lodge was read by Joseph Greenfield, to which Charles D. Montgomery responded for the Charter Members. Musical entertainment was furnished by Gate City Brethren Frank Cundell, C. E. Buchanan, and P. M. Hubbard. Grand Master Colding and Deputy Grand Master Ballard installed LeRoy Duncan as Worshipful Master for the ensuing year, after which the brethren sat down to a sumptuous banquet.
The Financial Committee noted with pride that Gate City's last installment on the new Temple had been paid, and recommended that the Lodge - grown from 42 petitioners to 624 members in twenty-five years - consider new programs for its expanding resources.
The Golden Era
1913 – 1937
As it entered its second quarter-century, Gate City was a strong, mature Lodge, ready, as recommended by the Finance Committee, to under- take new programs. Its size, financial condition, and position of leadership in the fraternity gave it stability as the world slipped into war, pulled itself into the "roaring" twenties, plunged into depression, and began the slow recovery, which followed. Like most Lodges and other institutions, Gate City was profoundly affected by these cataclysmic social phenomena, but, relatively, she prospered. In many ways, this was the "golden era" of the Lodge: two and a half decades of confident fraternity, service, and leadership. An unofficial Lodge motto was "doing and being something different", and during this time she lived up to it.
The growth of the Lodge was remarkable. Membership had doubled from 1905 to 1912, and the increases continued. There was a net in- crease in membership every year from 1902 through 1922 (from 220 members in 1902 to 1203 in 1922, an average annual growth of almost 9%), with the number on the rolls peaking at 1252 in 1928. The first seventeen years of the "Golden Era" were particularly busy; during these years the Lodge:
• Raised 966 men (not including courtesy candidates)
• Conferred 3240 degrees (including at least 465 courtesy degrees)
• Accepted 291 men by affiliation 25
During the busiest years, from 1918 through 1929, the Lodge was opened early more often than not, sometimes as early as 2:00. This era was not without its "giants", and one of them was Master in 1913. John Leroy Duncan was elected to the East on the night of the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration. He was only 31 years old, and had been a Mason for less than four years, but he was a man of remarkable charm coupled with outstanding ability. He was widely known as a ritualist (Hastings said he was "perhaps the best ritualist in the state"), and the minutes of February 28, 1911, contain this comment on a degree he had conferred that evening: ". . . in the humble opinion of the recording Secretary" (Heard W. Dent, who had witnessed many a degree) "the Entered Apprentice degree has never been more beautifully and impressively rendered." Lee Duncan became Gate City's unofficial mentor, and it became customary to have a private rehearsal with him before conferring one's first degree.
Lee Duncan and Joseph Gregg are credited with working out the first examination on the Master Mason degree in Georgia. It was conducted in open Lodge by Bill Hastings, a member of the class, on October 28, 1913. Grand Lodge was in session at the time, so a telegram was sent to Lee Duncan in Macon, informing him of the success of the examination, which he read to the assembled Grand Lodge.
The greatest achievement of Lee Duncan's Masonic career was the adoption of the Uniform Work by the Grand Lodge. Prior to then there were very few Lodges in the state capable of conferring the degrees in an informative, interesting manner, and there was no standard by which to judge the quality of ritual work. Using the ritual as it had been handed down in Gate City (originally, of course, from Fulton Lodge), Lee Duncan pushed for the adoption of a uniform ritual. Over- coming much opposition, he finally attained his goal in 1916, and was made the Chairman of the Grand Lodge Board of Custodians of the uniform work. (Joseph Greenfield had previously been Chairman of the Grand Lodge committee charged with investigating the uniform work). When Lee Duncan resigned as Chairman of the Board of Custodians in December 1917, John W. Bachman succeeded him and held the post until 1919. In 1914 Lee Duncan was elected Worshipful Master of the Fifth Masonic District (at age 33!), and in 1917, at 36, he became one of the youngest men ever to be coroneted a 33° Mason. The vast potential of this exceptional young man only heightens the tragedy of his sudden death due to typhoid pneumonia on October 16, 1918. His burial, two days later, was attended by an enormous throng, including Governor Dorsey. The death of such a man could not dim the memory of what he had meant to so many, however, and twelve years later, on November 14, 1930, LeRoy Duncan Lodge No. 292 was dedicated and constituted by Raymund Daniel, Acting Grand Master, and Thomas Jeffries, Acting Senior Grand Warden. It was the third Lodge to be named for a Past Master of Gate City.
One of the finest tributes to Lee Duncan was that of T. C. McDonald, in "Freemasonry and Its Progress in Atlanta and Fulton County." McDonald had likened Joseph Greenfield to Wisdom, and Thomas Jeffries to Strength, then he wrote: Brother Lee Duncan is significant of Beauty. Although claimed by Death, he will ever be remembered as a true man and Mason, honor, virtue, integrity, loyalty, and fidelity personified. The shadows of death never claimed a more beautiful character.
1915 was one of the most momentous years in the history of the Lodge. The Master that year was Henry C. Heinz, another of Gate City's 33° Masons. A prominent civic and Masonic leader, he served on the boards of trustees of both the local Scottish Rite Hospital and the Shrine Crippled Children's Hospitals. The Lodge moved forward in several important areas during his tenure in the East.
The first major event that year occurred on January 12, when eighteen of the twenty-three living Past Masters met at the Winecoff Hotel and organized the Past Masters Association to more effectively mobilize their assistance in meeting the needs of the Lodge.
Ever since, the Association has held its annual meeting on the evening of the first Lodge meeting of the new year, with the Grand Master as their traditional guest. Following their dinner, initiation of the immediate Past Master, and consideration of business, they enter the Lodge as a group. For several years after the founding of the Association another meeting was held each year in Macon during the sessions of the Grand Lodge, with the Grand Lodge officers and other distinguished Masons as their guests at a sumptuous banquet at the Dempsey Hotel, always 'head- quarters' for the Gate City contingent. Down through the years, in good times and in bad times, the Past Masters Association has handsomely lived up to its purpose of service to Gate City Lodge.
Another major event of 1915 was the formation of the Chatter Members Association on October 12, with Charles D. Montgomery elected the first President. The purpose of the Association was to keep alive the heritage and traditions of the Lodge, particularly concerning the founding. Twenty-eight years had passed since the founding and it was recognized that, if the Association was to be of genuine service to the Lodge, new blood would have to be introduced as the actual Charter Members passed away. Thus it was decided that new members would be elected from among those who had been members of the Lodge for twenty or more years; the number of members was limited to forty-two, in commemoration of the signers of the petition for dispensation to form the Lodge. The Association was active for several years, but became dormant about the time of the Second World War.
The impact of the two associations notwithstanding, the most important occurrence during "Billy" Heinz' year as Master was the founding of the Lodge publication, The Trestle Board. Until 1913 post-card meeting notices had been mailed, and, later, folders had been sent out. Raymund Daniel, sensing that more could be done, discussed the idea of a Lodge newspaper (more a magazine, actually) with Heinz and James McNelley, then Senior Warden. Heinz and McNelley persuaded Daniel, a former newspaperman and an excellent writer, to be the Editor, and he brought out the initial issue - believed to be the first such publication in Georgia and possibly in the South - on May 15, 1915, terming it editorially "a little journal to promote brotherly love and a broader understanding of Masonry- among the members of Gate City Lodge No. 2". The Trestle Board was issued twice a month until 1931, when, as an economy measure, it was made monthly. Through the years, especially with the inevitable dispersion of membership which came with the in- creased mobility of modern society, the little paper has been a most valuable ingredient in the cement of the Lodge's fraternal bonds, per- haps the most brilliant of the many jewels of Gate City Lodge.
There were a number of outstanding meetings held during the years just prior to the First World War. One was held on July 27, 1915, with Governor Nat E. Harris, Past Master of Macon Lodge No. 5, the guest of honor and speaker. Over a thousand attended the meeting, which was held in the Scottish Rite Hall of the Temple to accommodate the crowd. Another was held on February 22, 1916, to celebrate the birth of Brother George Washington and the anniversary of the dedication of the new Temple. Grand Master Ballard made the principal address, there were five other speakers, including Tom Jeffries, and there was a musical program led by John H. Mullin.
Perhaps the most unique meeting ever held by the Lodge was on June 26, 1917, when Gate City celebrated the bicentennial of the foundering of the Grand Lodge of England. The festivities began at mid-day with the Past Masters Association hosting a luncheon for distinguished guests at East Lake Country Club. The Lodge meeting that evening was held in the Scottish Rite Hall, which had been decorated with the standards and flags of all the allied nations.
The crowd, one of the largest ever to gather in the Temple, included Grand Master Frank 0. Milfer and five other officers of the Grand Lodge; Grand Master Walter A. Smith of the Grand Lodge of Alabama; Past Grand Masters Thomas H. Jeffries, Henry Banks, and George M. Napier of Georgia; Past Grand Master J. Lynn Bachman of Tennessee; and many representatives of other Grand bodies. Raymund Daniel spoke on the "Mother Grand Lodge", Grand Master Miller spoke on the history of Freemasonry in Georgia, and other addresses were delivered by Jeffries, Banks, Napier, Bachman, Smith, and Greenfield. Music was furnished by a double male quartet under the direction of Organist Paul M. Hubbard. At the conclusion of the meeting Grand Master Miller sprang to his feet and addressed the Master, John W. Bachman: "Worshipful Sir, I wish to take this occasion-to declare to you that the Grand Lodge of Georgia is proud of the celebration that Gate City Lodge has held tonight. It is a splendid idea that Gate City has conceived and accomplished. I am proud of your Lodge and I know I speak in behalf of every member of the Grand Lodge when I declare that the Grand Lodge is proud of your Lodge and the work that you are doing for the advancement of our fraternity."
Most Worshipful J. Lynn Bachman, Past Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, the father of Gate City's John W. Bachman, was a frequent visitor at Gate City meetings for several years. On December 12, 1916, he installed his son as Master and was elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge on the same evening.
The years 1915 through 1917 were exceptional ones for Gate City .men in the three Grand bodies "beyond" the Grand Lodge. In May 1915, William A. Sims was elected Grand Master of the Grand Council, Royal and Select Masters, and he was reelected the following year. In October 1916, John W. Murrell was elected Grand Commander, Knights Templar of Georgia. The Next May, Tom Jeffries was elected Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter. (William A. Sims later also served as Grand High Priest, being elected in 1925).
The entry of the United States into World War I in 1917 affected Gate City profoundly, with 109 of her members serving in the armed forces at one time or another, including seven of the Lodge officers. It is believed that only two members of the Lodge, S. W. Wood and C. D. Montgomery, Jr., were killed in the war, but the loss of "Charley" Montgomery seemed to especially touch the heart of the Lodge. The death of the young Lieutenant in action in France was mourned not merely because of his membership in the Lodge or because of the offices he had held (Junior Deacon in 1917), nor because his father, who survived him, was a Charter Member, but because he had been a remarkable young man of great promise whose own life had influenced many others. One man personally influenced by him was Charley's sergeant who, after the war, traveled from Cincinnati to Atlanta to become a Christian and join Charley's church, Central Presbyterian.
Another effect of the war was the unprecedented call for courtesy degree work as men from all over the nation were uprooted and sent to military camps far away from the Lodge, which they had petitioned. Gate City was in the forefront in meeting the Masonic needs of "travelers" in the Atlanta area, both in extending a hand of welcome to visitors and in conferring courtesy degrees. From 1918 through 1923 the Lodge conferred 384 courtesy degrees (127 in 1918 alone), and a survey of the minutes for 1918 and 1919 revealed that courtesy degrees were conferred upon men representing at least twenty-four different Grand Lodges.
The classes for the degrees were, of course, unusually large. Some degree conferral's worthy of note because of the size of the class were:
• August 3, 1918 - Master Mason degree on 16 men, all courtesy (from seven Grand jurisdictions)
• August 27, 1918 - Entered Apprentice degree on 13 men, 12 courtesy (nine Grand jurisdictions)
• March 25, 1919 - Master Mason degree on 22 men (the most ever in Georgia to that date), 3 courtesy
• November 11, 1919 - Entered Apprentice degree on 22 men, 8 courtesy
• November 25, 1919 - Fellowcraft degree on 28 men, 12 courtesy
• January 27, 1920 - Fellowcraft degree on 26 men, 6 courtesy
• October 12, 1920 - Master Mason degree on 21 men, 1 courtesy
About the only thing, which slowed up the work, was the height of the Spanish influenza outbreak in 1918. Degrees were postponed on one date, October 22, on that account. A year later the Lodge was closing at 10:30 p.m. to conserve coal, but not reducing its work.
The Master in 1919 was William G. Hastings. As indicated, it was an extremely busy year, a circumstance which Bill Hastings used to the lasting advantage of the Lodge by organizing, in the spring of the year, the Third Degree Club. Originally formed merely to assist the officers in conferring the Master Mason degree (primarily by providing the "twelve, originally fifteen" workmen on the Temple), greater possibilities were soon foreseen, and it became an important aid to the Lodge in many social and ritual activities. Although its name and some of its functions have changed, its usefulness has remained unchanged, and through the years the most active members of the Lodge have belonged to it.
Bill Hastings was well liked within the Lodge and was widely known as an excellent extemporaneous speaker on, seemingly, any subject. He succeeded Raymund Daniel as Editor of The Trestle Board with no lessening of the high standards established by his predecessor. He was Editor for eleven, years - getting out a four-page magazine, crowded with brilliantly written articles, twice a month! This was a labor of love for which no Lodge could adequately compensate a man except with honor and respect, and he was showered with both. It was to him that the Lodge turned for the writing of the 1929 history. Bill Hastings was also held in high regard by the Masons of the Fifth District, who elected him to be their District Master in 1924.
The Lodge had another banner year in 1920 under the Mastership of Arthur J. Stitt. On July 13 Gate City welcomed the Masons of the state Legislature to a meeting, and on August 10 the Lodge reached membership of 1000 when John Lawshe raised John T. Elder, Jr. A "rally" was held on October 12, completely filling the Scottish Rite Apartments. Among those present was Norcross Lodge No. 228 in a body. The evening included the conferring of the Master Mason degree on twenty-one men, an address by Grand Master Charles L. Bass, and a banquet. Despite all that caterer Tip Harrison could do, the banquet facilities were not adequate for the throng; 550 were served and about 100 had to go hungry. The Trestle Board reported that one of Harrison's helpers was heard to mutter, "Ah been comin' up heah an' heppin' Mista Ha-i-son fer yeahs an' Ah ain't nebber seen no crowd lak dis befo'. Wheah in de hell did de come frum?"
The Master for 1921, Morris M. Ewing, maintained the standard of outstanding meetings. About 500 were present on February 22 when Governor-elect Thomas W. Hardwick Spoke on "The Democracy of Washington". The officers of the Lodge were attired in colonial costume in honor of Brother Washington. Also on the program were an account by Raymund Daniel of the first meeting in the Temple and music by five of the brethren. Morris Ewing, incidentally, was renowned as the finest Senior Deacon of his day. When he took that part (as was usually the case) on the Past Masters team, good attendance was assured because many would be on hand just to hear and see him in action again.
Michael Hoke, the doctor whose work inspired the Scottish Rite Hospital, received both the Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees "in short form", by dispensation of Grand Master Bass, who also did the raising, on September 15, 1921. He had received the Entered Apprentice degree in Gate City some six years earlier. The Grand Master supposedly had been willing to exercise the seldom-used prerogative of making Entered Apprentice Mason Hoke a "Mason at sight", but Brother Hoke was able to arrange to receive the remaining two degrees in a more normal manner. He was the recipient of the Grand Lodge Medal of Honor for faithful service in 1922, and he became another of Gate City's 33° Masons in 1923. In 1931 he was named to head the Warm Springs Foundation. He passed away in 1944.
The Secretary for 1922 was a hard-working, active young man named William B. Hartsfield. A lawyer by education, he entered politics and served several terms as a city Councilman. Becoming disillusioned, he dropped out of the political arena, but was eventually persuaded to run for Mayor as a "reform" candidate. His campaign was successful, and he became one of Atlanta's most popular and progressive chief executives, serving, with one short hiatus, from 1937 until 1961. He saw aviation as a key to the future, and is credited with pushing Atlanta to the front as a regional air center. It is fitting that the city airport, one of the world's busiest, is named for him. (For many years, Bill Hartsfield's Executive Secretary at City Hall was Joseph Gregg, Jr., Master in 1914).
Succeeding Hartsfield as Secretary for 1923 was another remarkable man, Howard Geldert. A quiet and soft-spoken native of Nova Scotia, Geldert was quite unlike Hartsfield, but each had the requisite talents to bring success to their endeavors. Howard Geldert brought the Order of DeMolay for Boys to the state of Georgia, founding Atlanta Chapter in 1922 under the sponsorship of Hermes Lodge of Perfection. Of the ten men on the original Advisory Council of Atlanta Chapter, six were Gate City members: Hugh N. Fuller, Arthur J. Stitt, Morris M. Ewing, John Westmoreland, Perry Blackshear, and Geldert. "Skipper" Geldert was also later responsible for the formation of DeMolay Chapters in Columbus, Newnan, Marietta, Cornelia, and Gainesville. He had the distinction of being one of the few Masons other than a Master or Past Master to make a formal address to the Grand Lodge, which he did in 1926. He was mourned by thousands of DeMolays and Masons upon his death on December 28, 1936, at the age of 70. William H. Turner, the first DeMolay initiated in Georgia and the first Master Councilor of Atlanta Chapter, was made a Master Mason in Gate City Lodge in 1926.
A meeting of the Lodge on April 25, 1922, was of special interest:
the first "radio" Masonic Lodge meeting ever held (or so it was thought). The meeting, held in the Scottish Rite Apartments to accommodate the large crowd, was to hear an address by Grand Master Joe P. Bowdoin, speaking from the radio studio of the Atlanta Constitution. Unfortunately, the receiver in the Temple refused to work for operator Bill Hartsfield, and the brethren had to be satisfied with the Grand Master joining them later. A month or so later it was discovered that Gate City was not first with the idea, anyway - Woodbridge Lodge No. 131, Woodbridge, California, had done it on September 3, 1921.
Such misfortune was not the rule, however, and an ambitious program of outstanding special features continued to be highly successful. In 1924, under Master J. M. B. Bloodworth, more than 300 turned out for a "Homecoming" on June 10; there was a banquet at 6:00, "recitals and imitations" by Oscar J. Coe (Hinsdale Lodge No. 934, Hinsdale, Illinois), and music under the direction of Paul Hubbard. Then, on September 23, several hundred attended to see the officers of the Fifth Masonic District confer the Master Mason degree on four Fellowcrafts. This is believed to be the first time that officers of a District had conferred a degree in a regular Lodge meeting in Georgia; perhaps we should not be surprised to find that the innovative District Master was Bill Hastings!
The annual meeting in December 1924 marked the passing of an era in two ways. First, Tom Jeffries (70 years of age) and John Dickey (67) requested that they be relieved of their duties on the Finance Committee on which each had served for many years. Second, it was the first annual communication of Gate City Lodge, which John Lawshe had not attended. Indeed, Worshipful Brother Lawshe had been prevented by illness from attending the Lodge since February 12, 1924, and never again was he to sit with the brethren of the Lodge he had founded, loved, and served so well. He was incapacitated for over three years before passing away on July 5, 1927. His good friend Tom Jeffries conducted the Masonic burial service on July 7.
The Lodge membership continued to increase despite losses to new Lodges, which were being formed with some regularity in this period of Masonic "boom". (Four new Lodges were constituted in Fulton County from 1921 through 1924). In 1923, for example, twenty-seven men dimitted to become Charter Members of Joseph C. Greenfield Lodge No. 400.
The siren song of golden California took her toll, too. In January 1922 it was noted that at least fourteen Gate City members were residing there, including Past Masters Gregg, Woolley, Henderson, and Bachman. The old ties were still strong, however, and a good group turned out in 1922 when the Lodge footed the bill for a dinner in Los Angeles. Two of the California group were voted the only gold member- ship cards ever presented by the Lodge: Past Masters J. Albert Woolley and Joseph Gregg. In September 1929, The Trestle Board reported that the Lodge had between twenty-five and thirty members in the Los Angeles area.
A similar group formed in that other sunshine Mecca, Miami, in the mid-1920's. A Gate City Club with thirty-two members was started there in 1926, with Wendell W. Fentress as President. Tragedy touched the Lodge in the terrible hurricane of September 1926 when the wife of Brother F. G. McCool was killed. Raymund Daniel, covering the story as Associate Editor of the magazine -Insurance Field, contacted many Gate City members personally to ascertain that they were safe.
Back home, the Lodge was prospering. The membership went over 1200 in 1922, and the Lodge was broadening its program of activities. The list of social amenities available to members in the 1920's is impressive. For several years a large table at the Kimball House Cafe (one of the city's better eating places) was permanently reserved for Gate City men for luncheon. For baseball fans, the Lodge had a season reservation (Box 25 in 1921) to the Cracker games. Music was a regular and important part of the program at many meetings, and the Lodge had, at various times, an orchestra (1923), a quartet (1923), and a Third Degree Club Chorus (1929). And for those members whose children were interested in college, a lending fund of $500 was established, the first in the state (1929.).
The needs of others were not neglected, either. As mentioned, Gate City men were deeply involved in the formation of DeMolay in Atlanta, and the Lodge undertook the support of the Chapter's athletic program as it's special project (1922). Other efforts beyond normal charity activities included donating $100 to the Berry Schools (1920), giving $50 to the Anti-Tuberculosis Society (in both 1919 and 1920), furnishing a "moving picture machine" (i.e., projector) to the Scottish Rite Hospital (1923), and the contribution of "complete basketball equipment" to the Masonic Home (by the Third Degree Club in 1930). In 1923 a dozen scuppernong clippings were given to the Home for improvement of the grounds.
The Master in 1926 was Daniel 1. Maclntyre, Jr., one of the most popular men ever to rule the Lodge, and another of her 33° Masons. He had a deep love for Freemasonry, especially for Gate City Lodge, and could be counted upon to fill in at any place in any degree or ceremony at a moment's notice. Talley Kirkland said that Dan Maclntyre was "perhaps the most versatile man in Gate City". He succeeded Tom Jeffries as Acting Grand Master for the annual installation of new officers, discharging that duty at every annual communication from 1943 through 1969. Dan MacIntyre was a true gentleman, and his conduct, both Masonically and personally, was at all times strictly proper. There was an occasion in 1928, however, when he found himself in a compromising situation within the Lodge room. It was "Old Timers' Night", with the Lodge at refreshment following a short business meeting, the brethren enjoying an evening of cigars, music, skits, and talks. Suddenly a woman burst into the room, exclaiming that Dan MacIntyre had promised to meet her on the corner and had stood her up! There was a moment of confusion - until everyone realized that the "woman" was Brother Forrest Traylor, dressed in feminine attire! "Worshipful Brother Dan", as he was always known to his brethren, loved a good joke as well as any man, and he enjoyed this one as much as everyone else.
Perhaps recalling the problems of the first radio meeting five years earlier, another was held on April 12, 1927. This time, though, it was all a hoax - a Brother in another part of the Temple simulating a broadcast from Washington, D. C., on the history of Gate City! Unfortunately, Gate City's "Walter Winchell" was not named. At the same meeting sixteen Past Masters were present, and they conferred the Entered Apprentice degree upon five candidates.
Until the death of John Lawshe in 1927, Gate City had only once (in 1889, following the death of Henry Grady) held a Lodge of Sorrow as a tribute to departed brethren. Such a ceremony seemed appropriate following the passing of the Lodge's beloved founder, however, and was held on July 26, with Bill Hastings officiating. The practice of setting aside a meeting each year for the specific purpose of honoring the dead of the previous twelve months caught on, and a Lodge of Sorrow was held every year, usually at the second regular meeting in November, from 1927 through 1942 (except for 1941, when a "short memorial service" was held at the annual communication). For some reason the observances were discontinued during World War 11 and have yet to be re-instituted.
In 1928, under Leo S. Gilbert, Gate City had another outstanding year, and a number of noteworthy meetings were held. On March 27 there was a "song fest" with A. D. McCain leading the singing; Grand Master Raymund Daniel joined in, as did Past Grand Masters Tom Jeffries and N. H. Ballard. On May 29 more than two hundred were present for the "Old Timers' Night" at which Dan Maclntyre stood up his "girl friend". Then, on September 11, the Lodge was opened early (4:30) to confer the Master Mason degree on ten men, hear a talk by E. P. King, and enjoy more singing; the large crowd included fifty-eight visitors, representing eleven Grand Lodges.
The custom of the Past Masters Association to hold a banquet for the Grand Lodge officers during the annual sessions in Macon had been dropped during the war to aid in the food conservation effort, but was resurrected in style in 1928. All but three of the Grand Lodge officers, as well as the Grand Masters of South Carolina and Florida and the Senior Grand Warden of Florida, were present at the feast at the Dempsey Hotel. It was at this session that the Grand Lodge re-elected Raymund Daniel as Grand Master (the first re-election of a Grand Master in four years and the last to this writing).
Membership growth continued in 1928, with a net gain for the year of twenty-three; the annual report gave the membership as 1252, the highest year-end total the Lodge has ever recorded. A drop to 1225 the next year was viewed with no particular alarm, and, indeed, the annual figures had shown a comparable net loss every alternate year since 1923. The seriousness of the economic situation was not yet apparent, and the Lodge, still strong in every dimension, had yet to reach the conclusion of her "golden era".
The Master in 1929 was Stacy H. Darrington, who with his father, David P. Darrington, had printed every issue of The Trestle Board. At the annual communication of 1928 the two Darringtons presented the Lodge with a complete bound set of The Trestle Board from 1915 through 1928, culled from the files of Raymund Daniel, Bill Hastings, and the printing firm. Even then it was recognized that this was the only complete set in existence. Raymund Daniel officially accepted the four volumes on behalf of the Lodge.
Thirty men were raised and twelve affiliated during Stacy Darrington's term of office (the net loss of membership was due to forty-two suspensions for non-payment of dues) and the Lodge enjoyed a banner year. A special Mothers Day meeting was held on May 10, with wives, mothers, and sweethearts as honored guests. Red and white roses were given to the ladies, and a printed program listed the musical performers: Floyd Jennings (soloist), Forrest Traylor (accordion), Perry Bechtel (banjo), and a group known as "The Music Box of Cable Piano Company" under W. H. Shrader.
The Masonic highlight of the year was the reciprocal visitations of Gate City and Marshall A. Weir Lodge No. 448 of Macon. Gate City's trip was on May 30, the Lodge opening a called communication at 11:45 a.m., at once going from labor to refreshment, and boarding a bus at noon. Thirty-two members, including Grand Master Raymund Daniel and
five other Past Masters, made the journey, reaching Macon in the late afternoon. A dinner was held at 6:30, and then Marshall A. Weir Lodge was opened at 8:00 with a good crowd on hand to see the Gate City degree team confer the Master Mason degree in their usual fine form. After the long ride home, the Gate City meeting was finally closed at 2:00 the morning of May 31.
Much interest was excited by the visitation and a crowd in excess of four hundred (including members of thirty-eight Lodges under eleven different Grand Lodges) was present in the Scottish Rite Apartments for the return visitation on St. John the Baptist Day, June 24. The visitors arrived somewhat late due to bus problems, but their degree team, under Master John F. Laney, lived up to its reputation for excellence as they raised two new Master Masons.
One of Georgia's leading Masonic historians, William B. Clarke, Junior Grand Deacon, and Past Master of the state's oldest and most revered Lodge, Solomon's No. 1, of Savannah, was the featured speaker on August 13, 1929. His topic was "Symbolisms of Masonry", which was well received by a large crowd, including Grand Master Daniel and eleven other Past Masters.
The annual communication of 1929 was highlighted by the first awards of the Gate City Merit Bar (sometimes referred to as a Distinguished Service Pin) for "conspicuous and distinguished service to the Lodge". It was specified that the award, a black enameled pin with 'Gate City No. 2, Distinguished Service' in gold letters on the front and the name of the recipient and the date of the award engraved on the back, was not for officers or Past Masters of the Lodge and was not to be awarded retroactively. Paul Greenfield, who had conceived of the award, made the presentations to Howard Geldert (for arranging the Weir Lodge visitations), H. G. "Tiny" Cagle (President of the Third Degree Club), and James W. Setze, Jr. (the tutor of every class during the year).
Merit bars were awarded at each of the next three annual communications, as well, then discontinued with no mention of the reason in either the minutes or The Trestle Board. A total of ten bars were awarded in all:
• 1929 - Howard Geldert; H. G. Cagle; James W. Setze, Jr.
• 1930 - Donald Dunwoody; Talley Kirkland; C. E. Hall, Jr. 1931 - Larkin D. Cathcart; John W. Young
• 1932 - Theodore J. Whitehead; Leo S. Gilbert
The years during which the merit bars were awarded were the first four of Gate City's "seven lean years", at least so far as membership is concerned. As mentioned, at the end of 1928 the membership stood at 1252, the highest ever, but that figure was an increase of only three over the total at the end of 1924. Suspensions for non-payment of dues had been a nagging problem through the 1920's, with two to three percent of the rolls being purged every second year. The decline in net membership, which began in 1929, however, was more than merely nagging: it was steep, much steeper, in fact, than the growth had been. In the seven years, 1929 through 1935, the growth of fifteen years was eradicated. Actually, the number of new petitioners did not suddenly dry up (the number dropped steadily from thirty in 1929 to two in 1935), but the hard economic times certainly reduced the number of men able to shell out $50 for the degrees. During the seven years, a total of seventy-four men were raised, and another forty-nine were affiliated.
A more serious problem was in retaining those members already in the Lodge, because there was also a reduction in the number of men able to shell out $7.50 a year for dues. The Lodge lost 45% of her peak membership from 1929 through 1935, most of the loss due to non- payment of dues. During those years the incredible total of 533 men were suspended, while only 53 were reinstated. The worst years were 1930, 1933, and 1935, when those suspended totaled 96, 148 (in one year! - almost 15% of the membership at that time!), and 89, respectively. Other Lodges suffered losses of similar magnitude, but in 1935 Gate City lost her position as the largest Lodge in the state to Solomon's No. 1.
The efforts to which the Lodge went to retain her members were heroic. In 1929 the dues of twenty-seven were remitted in their entirety. In 1930 the ninety-six suspended were the hard core of 125 who were seriously in arrears; each got a personal letter from the Master, and dues were remitted or extended upon the slightest indication that the brother desired to meet his Masonic obligations; unfortunately, as noted in the minutes of August 25, 1930, "the great majority ... (are) indifferent and not interested". In 1933, the worst year of all, of a membership of 995, 622 had not paid their dues by July, and 325 were two or more years behind - it is amazing that only 148 were suspended!
Even through the lean years the spirit of the Lodge never flagged, and the traditions of outstanding meetings, leadership, and innovation were maintained. On St. John the Baptist Day in 1930, for instance, Gate City hosted a joint meeting of the eight Lodges which met in the Temple, in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Masonic Home. The featured speaker was Grand Secretary Frank F. Baker.
Another memorable meeting was Old Timers' Night on May 12, 1931. Perry Bechtel played the guitar, a group called the DeMolay Quartet sang, Tom Jeffries and Billy Heinz gave talks on the history of the Lodge, and A. W. Clapp delivered a "Negro sermon" in black face. One of the visiting brethren was T. E. Doss, Grand Secretary of Tennessee, who had been raised in Gate City back in 1916.
In retrospect, 1930 would seem to have been an inauspicious year in which to begin a new Masonic Lodge, but on November 14 LeRoy Duncan Lodge No. 262 was dedicated and constituted. The first elected Master of the fledgling Lodge was Joel 0. Perry, Jr., who had dimitted from Gate City. (Other Gate City men who dimitted to become the first Master of a new Lodge include Jesse M. Wood (Capital City No. 642, 1913), T. C. Burford (Joseph C. Greenfield No. 400, 1923), and E. P. King, Jr. (Fort Benning No. 579, 1924)). LeRoy Duncan Lodge is still thriving, so 1930 wasn't such a bad year to start a Lodge, after all!
The Gate City record for the longest time between entering and raising is almost surely held by John T. Lively, who was passed and raised in 1932 as a courtesy candidate by King Solomon Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Washington - twenty-three years after being entered!
One of the foremost Masonic figures in Atlanta in the 1920's and 1930's was E. P. King, General Secretary of the Scottish Rite bodies in Atlanta. A native of Charleston, he was raised in Gate City in 1912, was coroneted a 33° Mason in 1917, and assumed the position of General Secretary in 1920. Other services to the Masonic community included being President of the Atlanta Masonic Temple Company, being Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of the Masonic Hall Trustees, and being Secretary-Treasurer of the Scottish Rite Hospital. He was in great demand as a Masonic speaker, and Gate City was fortunate to have him speak at many meetings over the years. In 1935 Grand Master Eugene D. Thomas referred to him as "perhaps Georgia's foremost Masonic student and philosopher". E. P. King's two sons were both also members of Gate City, with one of them, J. Olmstead King, becoming a 33° Mason in 1933. The other son, Edward P. King, Jr., was raised in 1912, the same year his father was raised, as a courtesy candidate by Solomon's Lodge No. 1 of Savannah. In 1924, he dimitted to become the first Master of Fort Benning Lodge No. 579, his Army career having taken him to the Fort. He attained the rank of Brigadier General in 1940, and that of temporary Major General the next year. He was commander of the troops on Bataan when it was overrun by the Japanese in April 1942 and was a survivor of the infamous Death March. He retired from the Army in 1946 and passed away in 1958 at the age of 74.
The Master in 1934, George R. Trippe, an outstanding ritualist, was the first Master in thirty-eight years not to have been raised in the Lodge. He had been raised in Temple Lodge No. 23 of Jacksonville, Florida, but had been a member of Gate City for over twelve years at the time of his election to the East. This period of indoctrination seems to have been adequate because he had a very good term of office. His program for the year featured a series of special meetings planned and conducted by members of the Lodge engaged in various professions. The insurance men put on a meeting at which Raymund Daniel was the principal speaker; the bankers had a talk on "Ancient Georgia Masonry"; Judge Verlyn B. Moore of Bolton Lodge No. 416 was the speaker for the lawyers; and the doctors presented Past Grand Master Dr. Joe P. Bowdoin as their speaker.
In 1934 Grand Master Eugene D. Thomas ordered that all 544 Lodges in the state meet on St. John the Evangelist Day, December 27, in a statewide Masonic "Jubilee". He then spoke to every Lodge, through radio receivers, from the studios of WGST in Atlanta. The eight Atlanta Temple Lodges held a joint meeting in the Scottish Rite Hall, the eight Masters serving as the officers, with Gate City's newly installed Master, James W. Setze, Jr., presiding in the East. The crowd, which included two Grand Masters (Eugene D. Thomas and Frank Hart of South Carolina), four Past Grand Masters (T. H. Jeffries, N. H. Ballard, and Raymund Daniel of Georgia, and Samuel A. Moore of Alabama), taxed the capacity of the Hall. Gate City had seventeen Past Masters present, the most of any Lodge represented.
Grand Master Thomas returned to Gate City on April 11, 1935, when, at his request a series of dinners at the first meeting of each month was inaugurated. He felt that the practice would bolster attendance and urged that it be adopted across the state. The first such dinner at Gate City featured not only food, but a hillbilly band, as well, and about 125 were present. The Grand Master was back again for the dinner in May, which drew about 100, even without hillbilly music. The Lodge had a meal - sometimes free and sometimes at a cost of twenty-five cents - before the first meeting of each month for the remainder of the year.
Another in the long line of outstanding meetings of the Lodge was held on May 26, 1936, during the term of Larkin Cathcart as Master. The Trestle Board of May 11, 1936, referred to the coming event as "probably the first time in the Masonic history of the United States and the State of Georgia that any Lodge has met as a Table Lodge." (It is improbable that The Trestle Board's claim is strictly true, although the ceremonial form of toasts with elaborate procedure and jargon which made up the French 'Loge de Table' which was followed that evening had certainly not been widely practiced in this nation prior to the Gate City meeting). Most of the rest of the issue was devoted to the history and traditional procedures and vocabulary of the Table Lodge. The brethren - the largest crowd of the year - gathered around the horseshoe-shaped table in the Temple banquet hall at 6:30, when the tiled meeting was opened. After a brief business session, the members of the Third Degree Club served a dinner. The meal was followed by music under Bill Shrader and a talk on "Citizenship" by Edgar Watkins. The event was a resounding success and the Master promised to hold another Table Lodge during the year, but the next one was not held until 1972, after thirty-six years had gone by.
October 1936 brought the death of one of the Lodge's best-known members, William Candler. Candler, born in 1890 and raised in Gate City in 1918, was President of the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel Company, Vice-President of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York, Director of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, and in 1925 had headed a civic committee to publicize Atlanta. He had been a great community leader, and his death was a loss to all of Atlanta as well as to the Lodge.
The Lodge's second quarter-century - her "golden era" - had not quite run its course at the annual communication in 1936, but in some ways that meeting did mark the end of an era: it was the last annual meeting at which Gate City's "four grand old men" - Tom Jeffries, John Dickey, Charles Montgomery, and James Wright - served together. For many years, Jeffries had installed the new Master, with Dickey acting
as Grand Marshall, and Montgomery serving as Head Teller; Wright, while not a part of the election/installation team, had served as Treasurer since the annual meeting in 1901. When they took their places in 1936, their combined ages were 324 years (Wright was the youngest at 75, Montgomery the oldest at 85), and they gave their usual heart-warming performances. Dickey was too ill to attend the next two years, and, in 1939, was the first of the four to die. Jeffries and Montgomery continued to serve through 1942, but Montgomery died the following March at 91 (he had been extremely proud of the fact that he had missed only one of the fifty-six annual communications of the Lodge, beginning with the first in 1887). Wright, who had resigned his office in 1937, passed away in December 1945, at 84. Jeffries was the last of the venerable four to die, in November 1948, having reached the age of 94.
The Lodge had another very good year in 1937, under the leadership of Talley Kirkland. The number raised (7) had not been exceeded in six years, and fewer were suspended (23) than in any year since 1928. Highlights of the year included conferring the Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees at Sweetwater Lodge No. 421, Luxomni, on February 20 and March 13; hearing Ralph McGill of Greenfield Lodge and the Atlanta Constitution speak on Kipling on February 23; a special joint meeting of the Temple Lodges on May 21, with emphasis on "citizenship"; and 0. J. Coe's recitation of "Casey at the Bat" on October 12. Strangely, however, the Lodge's fiftieth anniversary seems to have been over- looked, and no mention of it was made in either the minutes or The Trestle Board.
The Lodge's second quarter-century closed with her membership at 644, only twenty more than it had been twenty-five years earlier. In the interim, it had practically doubled and then plummeted, much in accordance with the financial conditions of the times. Despite the fact that she was no longer the largest Lodge in the state, she still retained her position as a leader in the fraternity, and she was offering an innovative, interesting program to her members.
War and Fire
1938 - 1962
Although membership continued to decline in the late 1930's, there were more new candidates, more reinstatements, and fewer suspensions than there had been in a decade and the Lodge was still strong and confident. The chaos of war in the 1940's produced a surge-of Masonic interest similar to that of World War 1; as ties were broken, men turned to Freemasonry for a refuge of harmony, stability, and a sense of be- longing - a fixed point in a changing age. Unfortunately, however, the changing age meant more than just the call to arms; the Second World War set into motion winds of political, economic, and social change which bode ill for the "down-town" Lodges of large cities. Thus, al- though the trend of the 1930's was reversed, Gate City's recovery following the war was not dramatic. Still, in 1950 the Lodge was enjoying its seventh consecutive year of membership increases and it seemed that a period of stability lay ahead. Then, in September of that year, the beautiful Peachtree and Cain Temple was destroyed by fire, and the Lodge spent a decade in a temporary home - ten years tinged with frustration and despair. And when the Lodge once again was able to meet in a Temple of its own, the tide had been missed; membership had peaked in 1953, and a net loss of members was to be recorded in each of the next eighteen years. The Masters in the four years preceding the war were among the most respected men ever to rule the Lodge. In 1938 the Master was Charles E. Hall, Jr., the second Gate City Master who was the son of a former Master. (The first father-son team was Joseph and Paul Greenfield; sadly, neither of the two fathers lived to see the son installed in the East.) Charlie was considered to be as close to "letter perfect" in the degree work as ever heard in Gate City. At the conclusion of his term of office he was given the Past Master's jewel, which had been presented thirty-three years earlier to his father.
Charlie Hall was succeeded by Wallace W. Rhodes, the son of Wallace Rhodes, the Lodge's very popular Tyler from 1918 until his death in 1930. "Dusty", as the son was known, was quite a poet and contributed many fine pieces to The Trestle Board over the years. At the end of his year in office he resumed the custom of holding a banquet as a feature of the annual communication, a practice that had been observed only once (1935) since 1917, but has been a regular event ever since.
In 1940 the Master was Theodore J. Whitehead, another excellent ritualist, and another who was to become a 33° Mason. Ted earned a special place in the history of the Lodge for his work as Secretary, a position he held from 1954 until becoming ill in 1979. His tenure in that office was the longest of all the Secretaries the Lodge has had.
The last of the pre-war Masters was Herbert T. Briscoe. Although Herb was very soft-spoken and unassuming, he was an extremely effective ritualist due to his clarity and obvious sincerity. For many years he was one of the workhorses of the Lodge, active in both the Third Degree Club and the Craftsmen's Club and serving on the Finance Committee.
Among the most popular activities during the pre-war period were reciprocal visits for degree work with other Lodges. Such fraternal exchanges were made with Canton Lodge No. 77 and Greenfield Lodge No. 400 in 1938, Carroll Lodge No. 69 of Carrollton in 1940, and Rockmart Lodge No. 97 in 1941. (Individual members were also getting around. The Trestle Board in February 1940 reported that Joseph M. Cormack had attended the annual meeting of Huelen Lodge, Santiago, Chile).
Banquets and buffet dinners were another attraction during this period, with at least nine such affairs held in the four years. Perhaps the most popular of these was the annual Ladies Night, which always drew a large crowd of families and friends. In 1940, for instance, a brief business meeting was held, then the members joined the others for a buffet supper. After the meal there was a musical program and Mayor Bill Hartsfield showed movies, including news shots of the "Gone With The Wind" premier. About 300 were present. 1940 was both an interesting year and a successful one. It happened that the second meeting in January, on the 23rd, coincided with a record-breaking 10.3 inch snowfall which paralyzed the city; the meeting was held, however, with the five members present assuming the stations for the opening, brief meeting, and closing. On May 16 Atlanta Commandery held a meeting to pay tribute to two Past Commanders, Gate City Past Masters Tom Jeffries and John Dickey; life-size portraits of the two patriarchs of the fraternity were unveiled during the ceremonies. Within the Lodge itself, the highlight of the year was on May 28, when eight men (two of them courtesy candidates) were raised before a crowd of over 200, including many visitors.
During the four years of the Second World War it was "business as usual" as much as possible, but, like almost every aspect of life, the business of Freemasonry became entwined with the war effort. Many members of the Lodge were drafted or volunteered for the service (33 by the end of 1942, including Secretary C. E. Hall, Jr., Treasurer L. D. Cathcart, and four of the other seven officers). "Service flags" were hung in the balcony of the Temple, Lodge funds were invested in War Bonds (at least $2000 in 1944 and 1945), and even the entertainment after meetings was of a martial nature (war films and talks by military brethren).
Through it all, the labors of the Craft continued. In 1942, under Master Fred Morgareidge, the Lodge had a number of noteworthy meetings. One was on January 13, when, with eighteen Past Masters present, Worshipful Brother Kreis of Brooklyn, New York, spoke on the history of King Solomon's Temple. Another was on April 28, when Brothers Frank Gaither and John Fulton, "Frankie and Johnnie", of WSB and WGST, respectively, directed a delightful Quiz Night program; Sam Dettlebach took home the big prize, five dollars in defense stamps.
J. Dial Lathem, installed as Master at the annual communication of December 1942, was the first Master of Gate City to fail to complete his term of office. He fulfilled his duties through March, when he found it necessary to move to Thomasville to accept a favorable employment opportunity. In July the Lodge requested the permission of the Grand Master to elect an "Acting Master". Such permission having been granted, A. N. "Nick" Anderson was elected on August 8, 1944. His election to a full term the following December made him the first man in more than fifty years to serve as Gate City's elected head for more than a year.
During the war Gate City Lodge had given fully of her men and financial resources, had curtailed her program to help the national effort, and had mourned with grieved families the loss of fine men; no group was more thankful when the ordeal finally ended. The Japanese surrender was announced on August 14, 1945 - the second Tuesday of the month - and the Lodge met that evening amid "noise and excited celebration from the street" which "made the Lodge room almost untenable". (In the pre-air conditioning era, there was no alternative to opening the windows in the hope of catching a breath of breeze on a mid-August evening in Atlanta). The grateful Lodge stood silently for a moment, then recited the Lord's Prayer.
Apparently, the first time Gate City had ever witnessed the dramatization of the Fellowcraft degree (written by Raymund Daniel and published by the Grand Lodge Educational and Historical Commission in 1935) was when Canton Lodge No. 77 had visited in 1938. Six years later, in March 1944, Fred Morgareidge volunteered to select and coach a team to present the Fellowcraft degree in dramatic form the next autumn. This was done, with the debut of the "Fellowcraft Club" occurring on October 10. The Third Degree Club continued to assist with the Master Mason degree through the end of the year, but 1945 saw a new group - the "Craftsmen's Club" - assisting in both degrees. The venerable and faithful Third Degree Club, after almost thirty years of invaluable service, had evolved into a new organization with an expanded sphere of responsibility. The dramatic form of the second degree was presented by Gate City through 1947, but the practice was dropped in 1948 following a ruling by the Grand Master that the play could not be given as a part of the Fellowcraft degree.
A resurgence of Masonic interest began in 1944, when twenty men were raised and the Lodge recorded its first net increase in membership in sixteen years. Twenty-six were raised the next year and another net increase was realized. The five years after that were among the busiest in the history of the Lodge, with 146 men raised (44 in 1946 alone) and 479 degrees conferred (138 in '46), forty-three of them courtesy degrees. There were two especially large classes in 1946, sixteen being raised on February 26 and thirteen more on April 23.
One of the interesting meetings of the post-war years was the annual communication of 1946, at which Mayor Bill Hartsfield spoke on the tragic Winecoff Hotel fire of December 7, just three days earlier. Other memorable programs included Family Night in March 1947, featuring "Frankie and Johnnie", the LeFevre Trio (Urias and Alphus LeFevre were raised in Gate City a year and a half later), and Jim Waits, a local radio personality; Georgia Tech football films in 1948 and 1950; and a talk by long-time city Councilman M. M. "Muggsy" Smith in April 1950.
The hallowed tradition of presenting a Past Master's jewel to the retiring Master was altered in 1947, when it was decided to present a "practical and suitable gift" instead. Accordingly, outgoing Master Charles P. Taylor was given a Hamilton wristwatch with an inscribed Past Master's emblem. The Master in 1948 was one of the Lodge's most illustrious Masons, Thomas Shean Perry, who can rightfully take his place as one of the Lodge's "giants". A native of Michigan, he was raised in Gate City in 1942 at the age of 26 and at once began a long career of outstanding service to Freemasonry. He was appointed Junior Steward in 1944 and became the Worshipful Master just four years later, at thirty-one years of age. He was Treasurer of the Lodge the year after his term in the East. In 1968 he dimitted to become a Charter Member of Buckhead Lodge No. 712, but returned to the fold of his mother Lodge in 1976. Among many fraternal and civic responsibilities, he has served on several Grand Lodge committees, was Chairman of the Grand Lodge Finance Committee in 1978, Vice-Chairman of the Scottish Rite Hospital Board of Trustees, and Potentate of Yaarab Temple in 1963. He was made 33° in October 1955, and in 1978 was appointed Deputy of the Supreme Council in Georgia for the Scottish Rite. In October 1979 he was elected Sovereign Grand Inspector General in the State of Georgia. He was honored with "special nights" by the Lodge on two occasions (in 1963 as Potentate and in 1978 upon his appointment as Deputy of the Supreme Council), a rare if not unique distinction.
During Tom Perry's year as Master the Great Architect of the Universe saw fit to take both of Gate City's Past Grand Masters from the Lodge where they had so often sat in harmony with their brethren. The younger, Raymund Daniel, was the first to die, on March 2. He was buried the next day at Westview Cemetery with Grand Lodge and Gate City representation. At the next session of the Grand Lodge he was eulogized by Past Grand Master Zach Arnold who read a poem written by Brother George Starr Peck, inspired by Raymund Daniel's Masonic Messenger column "Windows of Narrow Lights":
Windows of Narrow Lights
Many years ago we found ourselves in groping darkness,
Bound about by walls, not knowing light.
One came who fashioned windows –
Windows with narrow lights -
set high - almost beyond our reach.
But they afforded light to find our way-
And we ceased stumbling.
And looking upward, we could catch a glimpse of Heaven.
A Heaven so blue that purity filled our souls.
And if we struggled, ever so little, we could raise ourselves,
And see the world as God made it.
Not bespoiled by man -
Not seething with ambition –
Not blinded by intolerance –
But a world of love –
As pure as Galilee.
"Windows” greeted all: "Beloved!"
"Windows" loved children.
And in our Masonic Home they flocked to him.
Stricken children found hope and health in Masonry's
Alto "Cottage" which his efforts built.
"Windows" helped to found the Educational and Historical
Commission.
"Windows" accepted the exalted office of Grand Master as an
opportunity for service.
"Windows" wrote, and well, for Masonry.
"Windows" edited the "Messenger" for many years.
Though clouds should hide the sun, there always flowed
through "Windows" the light of inspiration.
On a sudden, darkness fell.
An unseen hand had drawn the veil.
About the place where "Windows" shown a halo dwells.
A radiance abides.
No rainbow ever glowed so brilliantly,
Nor love its aura so deserved.
But "Windows" would not wish the light to fail.
Nor grief to dim one saddened hour.
But challenges that you and I find other ways –
To open lights -
To dissipate the darkness -
To bring within Abiding Love all humankind.
A sunset glory lights his forward way.
"A span of night. "
The dawn.
"Eternal Day."
"Windows" was gone, but his visions, works, and challenges remained guides to Gate City Lodge and all of Freemasonry.
Eight months later, on November 6, Tom Jeffries also passed away. He had been ill for some time, and had not attended the Lodge since last Masters Night (January 8, 1946). His last appearance at the sessions of the Grand Lodge had been in 1945, the sixtieth year in which he had attended. (This achievement was exceeded by at least one other Grand Master, Dr. James W. Taylor, Grand Master in 1896 and 1897, who attended sixty-five sessions through 1924). Two days after his death, "Uncle Tom" was buried with Masonic Honors, with thirteen Gate City Past Masters present. He was eulogized at the next Grand Lodge by W. B. Jesse M. Wood, who said, in part: "Early in life he acquired a passion for Masonry. He had a fine conception of its meaning and teachings and with a rare gift of eloquence proclaimed the gospel of Masonry and brotherhood from one end of this state to the other. If praise for the noble dead be an inspiration for the living, then, as we contemplate the life of this great Mason, we find abundant inspiration for all of us for all the years to come.... It can be safely said that no man in Georgia ever rendered a finer and better service to mankind than did Thomas H. Jeffries." Tom Jeffries' will called for his Masonic jewels to be left to the Lodge if a "suitable case" were provided. A committee, chaired by Raleigh Crawford, was formed to look into the matter. They met with success when Atlanta jeweler Walter R. Thomas, a member of W. D. Luckie Lodge No. 89, donated a case, and the seven exquisite jewels - Past Grand Master, Past Master, Past Grand High Priest, Past High Priest, Past Illustrious Master, Past Commander, and the 33° - were put on display in the Scottish Rite office of the Temple.
Not all of Gate City's illustrious sons stayed at "home" like Raymund Daniel and Tom Jeffries. In 1948, while in Wichita Falls, Texas, on family business, Fred Morareidge looked up Albert Ellis, who had been raised in Gate City in 1914. He had left Atlanta and the Lodge in 1921, but continued his Masonic activity in the Lone Star State, serving as Master of Faith Lodge No. 1158, Wichita Falls; as District Deputy Grand Master and Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Texas; and as Recorder of Maskat Shrine Temple (for 26 years as of 1948), among many other Masonic memberships and duties. Many honors came his way, including being a 33° Mason and an honorary member of 117 Shrine Temples! He always attributed his Masonic success to the excellent foundation he had received in Gate City Lodge-
The elected Master for 1949, Victor F. Hollingsworth, became the second Master in Lodge history to fail to complete his term of office when, because of a transfer to Knoxville, Tennessee, he resigned on January 11, 1949, having presided at only one meeting. By dispensation, a special election was held that same evening, with Tommy D. Davidson being elected to the station in the East. Although Vic Hollingsworth has sometimes been listed as a Past Master of Gate City, he is, in fact, not one (as officially noted in the 1949 Grand Lodge "Proceedings"), not having served his full term of office.
The Worshipful Master in 1950 was Albert W. Gordon, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, who had been raised in Corinthian Lodge No. 414 of Nashville, Tennessee, and had affiliated with Gate City three months later. It fell his lot to lead the Lodge through one of the most traumatic years of her long history. At 1:50 p. m. on September 7, 1950, a telephone alarm was made to the Atlanta Fire Department from the Temple, reporting a fire started by the acetylene torch of an elevator workman on the top floor of the six-story building. The flames spread rapidly and a second alarm was sounded five minutes after the first, a third in another five minutes, and the fourth and fifth within the next twenty-two minutes. In all, thirteen companies responded, bringing thirty-six water streams to bear on the un-sprinklered building. The efforts of the Fire Department were to no avail, however, and the magnificent Temple was completely gutted, the loss being estimated at $345,000.
The Craft was in confusion, and there were no designs on the trestle board. The Temple Board of Trustees announced that they would be unable to provide meeting facilities "for sixty days". Gate City was offered the use of the halls of Joseph C. Greenfield No. 400, Oglethorpe No. 655, Sardis No. 107, and John R. Wilkinson No. 432, with Oglethorpe's hospitality finally being accepted. For the next ten years Gate City met in Oglethorpe's Temple at 631 Seminole Avenue, N. E. During all that time Oglethorpe Lodge was the perfect host, allowing Gate City full use of their facilities for a very reasonable rent. In turn, Gate City made special efforts to be a good guest, supporting Oglethorpe activities and raising money for new carpeting and paving of the parking lot. It was found that the officers' aprons and jewels had not been in the Temple at the time of the fire and were thus spared. Likewise, Gate City lost no minutes or other records, and Lee Hoyt Williams, General Secretary of the Scottish Rite Bodies, reported that the irreplaceable Jeffries jewels had come through the holocaust unscathed, secure in the Scottish Rite safe. At the annual meeting of 1951 the Craftsmen's Club presented the Lodge a new Bible, a square, a compass, and three gavels made from the mahogany banisters of the old Temple. Thus, with a surprising amount of tangible evidence of the past, Gate City Lodge looked to the future.
The first Master to serve a full term in the Oglethorpe Temple was Fletcher G. Rodgers. He was only the third Master in fifty-five years who had not been raised in the Lodge, having affiliated in 1937, six years after having been raised in Fraternal Lodge No. 37, McDonough. It was during his term of office that Gate City won the pin that became known as the "Worshipful Master's Pin". The pin, with three diamonds, was presented to the Lodge by James W. "Jimmy" Rudder, High Priest of Mount Olive Chapter No. 161 (and a member of Gate City), for having the largest number of members present at the Chapter's open house on November 5. It quickly became the custom for the Master to wear the pin during his tenure and to present it to his successor to do likewise.
That same year the Lodge also won the Atlanta Masonic Club attendance contest by having forty-three present at "Gate City Day" (May 16), the most any Lodge had present on their "day" during the year. Twenty- eight Gate City men were subsequently treated to steak dinners by the Club in recognition of the victory.
The Lodge was especially hard hit in 1953 and 1954 by the deaths of Charles C. Edenfield (Master in 1943, Secretary from 1946 until his death in February 1953), Heard W. Dent (Secretary, 1902 to 1917), and James W. Setze, Jr. (Master, 1935). The leadership and sage advice of such men is invaluable to a Lodge, but of equal worth are the "working Brethren", so often overlooked - men like Franz Arthur Barth, who died on the first day of 1952. Brother Barth, a native of Dresden, Germany, had been raised in Gate City in 1927, had been extremely active in the Third Degree Club, and had been "just a member" for almost twenty-five years when he passed away. It was-not until August that it was learned that Brother Barth had willed some money to the Lodge - and not for some stodgy purpose such as "relief of indigent Brethren" or the like! Oh, no: there was $500 for the Craftsmen's Club entertainment fund (which paid for annual parties through 1956) and $100 for a "memorial dinner", at which those who had participated at his Masonic burial were to gather for a repast in remembrance of good times with their old friend. His charming old country request was fulfilled at the Plantation House on November 11, 1952. Wise leaders and faithful followers ... Freemasonry needs them both.
In March 1955, under Master George J. Awtry, the Craftsmen's Club organized a blood bank, which operated for several years. In 1959 The Trestle Board noted that six pints of blood donated the previous year had saved a brother's life.
Although 1955 was a Pretty good year statistically, it was marred by the resignation of George Awtry as Master on November 8. He was the third Master in Lodge history to fail to complete his term of office, all of them within the span of less than a dozen years. The Grand Master directed that Senior Warden Dave Holland fill the station in the East for the remainder of the term. Brother Dave, raised in Gate City in 1945, was subsequently elected-Master on December 13, 1955.
The Master in 1957 was Charles Augustus Wofford, a remarkable man, a remarkable Mason, and one of the genuine "giants" of Gate City Lodge. A native Atlantan, he received his degrees at successive meetings of Gate City in 1947, immediately joined the Craftsmen's Club (he was President in 1950), and literally "worked himself to the top". A member of the legal profession, he has served successively as Judge of the Atlanta Traffic Court, Judge of Criminal Court of Fulton County, and, since 1967, as Judge of the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. His Masonic accomplishments are equally impressive: he has served as head of all three of the York Rite bodies (he received the York Cross of Honor in 1967), was Potentate of Yaarab Temple in 1969, is very active in the Scottish Rite, and is a 33° Mason. In August 1970 he was elected Worshipful Master of the Fifth Masonic District, the first Gate City member to hold that post since Bill Hastings, more than forty-five years earlier. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Masonic Temple Company from 1976 until the writing of this book. Among many other distinctions, he was the principal speaker at the annual sessions of the Grand Lodge of Alabama on November 15, 1976.
During "Chollie" Wofford's year as Master the Lodge found his dynamism and enthusiasm to be contagious and there was a spurt in spirit and accomplishment. He stressed the Masonic duty of attendance and was able to increase the average number present from about thirty-one in 1956 to just under sixty-two in 1957. And, while it is somewhat misleading to credit new membership to a Master, the new spirit led to twenty-four men being raised in 1957, an increase of eighteen over the previous year and the most since 1951.
In December 1957, at the close of his term as Master, "Chollie" was elected Treasurer of the Lodge, a position he has filled with dignity and devotion ever since. His most remarkable achievement, however, and the jewel in his Masonic diadem which best illustrates his love for his Lodge, is the fact that since being entered on August 26, 1947, he has never missed a stated meeting of Gate City Lodge! As of this writing, this remarkable man has attended more than 650 consecutive meetings of his Lodge, not just to warm a seat cushion but to work and serve! It fell his lot to labor some years after the glory years of the Lodge, but surely no man ever served better or did more for Gate City than Charles Wofford.
The next two Masters, Jack Burns and Fred Williams, were worthy successors to "the Judge". Both were dyed-in-the-wool Gate City men, with Fred Williams holding the distinction of having been a member of the Lodge for more years prior to election (over thirty-two years) than any other Master. He was especially proud of personally raising his son, Fred L. Williams, 111, during his term as Master.
There were many interesting meetings during the late 1950's. The Yaarab Temple Banjo Band (under the direction of Gate City's Perry Bechtel) appeared at Family Night each year, with such added attractions as the Yaarab Temple Chanters (1957), the LeFevre Trio (1958), and a chicken dinner (1959). Bolton DeMolay Chapter, sponsored by Bolton Lodge No. 416, drew good crowds for exemplifications of their degree work at meetings in 1956, '57, and '59; the young men of Decatur Chapter exemplified a degree in 1960, and in 1961 Atlanta Assembly of the Order of Rainbow got "equal time". In May 1957, and again in February 1959, the Fellowcraft Club of Battle Hill Lodge No. 523 (now located in Lithia Springs, but an Atlanta Lodge, in the West End, in the 1950's) presented the Masonic play "Rose on the Alter" at Gate City meetings, and both performances were magnificent.
Two other meetings of the period are worthy of note. On March 11, 1958, the Lodge was honored by the presence of three Past Grand Masters of Georgia - Hugh W. Taylor (1930), J. Wilson Parker (1940), and J. Everett Thrift (1950) - as well as former Secretary Bill Hartsfield. Then, on February 24, 1959, Gate City witnessed the dramatization of the Hiramic legend by the Yaarab Temple's Knights of Mecca, a dedicated group of blue Lodge Past Masters who take great pride in their masterful performances. Their work that evening was up to their usual standards and was warmly received.
Gate City's degree work was also "on the road", with the Crafts- men's Club traveling to Douglasville Lodge No. 289 on March 14, 1959, to present a dramatization of the Hiramic legend. This was apparently the first visiting degree work by Gate City since before the Second World War.
Rarely during the decade following the burning of the Temple was the issue of a new Temple dormant. About two years after the fire the Scottish Rite bodies proposed the acquisition of the Grand Ball Room at the Kimball House and looked for other groups to join them; Gate City considered it, but decided to stay at Oglethorpe until a new Temple could be constructed. On at least two other occasions, in 1953 and in 1956, the Lodge re-affirmed its position as a "down-town" Lodge, with a poll in 1956 showing that about 80% of those expressing an opinion preferred a downtown meeting place.
In January 1954 the Temple Trustees began serious fund raising for a new Temple, with each "Temple Lodge" responsible for raising about $100 per member, Gate City's share being $65,000. Tom Perry was named Chairman of the Lodge Building Fund Committee, and Senior Deacon Charles Wofford became the first member to fulfill his pledge, handing over a crisp new hundred-dollar bill on the first night of the drive.
In December 1957 the Trustees announced that property for a new Temple had been purchased at the corner of Peachtree and Deering Road, across Deering from Brookwood Station. The site could hardly be considered "down-town", being over three miles from Five Points, but it was located at the juncture of the Northeast and Northwest Expressways, and was well chosen as the new focus of Masonic activity in the Atlanta area. About fifty members of Gate City were present for the official groundbreaking activities on June 16, 1959. One of them, Elmer Green, recorded the course of construction on movie film from that day right through to completion, and presented the film to the Lodge in June 1951.
The cornerstone of the new Temple was laid by Grand Master R. M. Vandegriff, Sr., on September 17, 1959, with nineteen Gate City members present. A committee consisting of Charles Wofford, Jack Burns, and Carl Herbig had selected the following items for Gate City to deposit in the cornerstone: photograph of the 1959 officers; 1959 dues card and Lodge calendar; Craftsmen's Club card; photograph of P.G.M. - J. G. Standifer with Gate City Past Masters; invitation to Gate City's 25th Anniversary celebration; copy of 1912 and 1941 Lodge histories; 1921 membership roster; copy of November 1948 Scottish Rite News with tribute to Thomas H. Jeffries; copies of The Trestle Board of 12/18/15, 3/10/19, 1/13/41, 7/26/49, 12/25/49, 12/25/51, 9/8/53, 12/14/54, Christmas 55, 6/57, 12/57, 7/2/58, 6/5/59, and 9/3/59.
Grand Master Edwin A. McWhorter dedicated the Temple on September 9, 1960 - ten years and two days after the destruction of the old Temple. Eight blue Lodges and five other Masonic bodies, representing about ten thousand members, once again had a home after a decade of temporary arrangements. Gate City's first meeting in her new home was on September 13, just four days after the dedication, with Senior Deacon Russell Suber entering six candidates. The minutes of the meeting indicate that this was the first degree work done in the new Temple.
The Master at the time of the move to the new Temple was Bill McGee. Although it was a good year in terms of interesting programs, The Trestle Board was not published during the year - the first lapse in publication since the Second World War - and the natural interest and enthusiasm generated by the move to the new Temple was not as fully developed as it might have been had there been a monthly publication keeping the membership aware of the preparations.
The Trestle Board reappeared in 1961 under the Mastership of Jim Futch, and the quality of his program warranted the effort. The year got off to a good start on Past Masters' Night when twenty members of the Association (the most in several years) attended along with Grand Master John A. Dunaway, Grand Marshall Dan MacIntyre, and two other Grand Lodge officers. On February 28 the Master Mason degree was conferred upon six Fellowcrafts by the degree team of Morningside Lodge No. 295; the attendance that evening was 124, the largest attendance at a tyled meeting of the Lodge since at least 1950, when accurate attendance figures were first recorded. The movie "The Mystic Tie" was a special feature of the meeting of August S. On November 28 the Lodge was honored to have five visitors present, including Arie Lynn, Past Master of Hashakhar (Dawn) Lodge No. 32 of Tel-Aviv, Israel, and Dan H. Cook of Algoma Lodge No. 469, Sault Ste. Marie, Grand Lodge of Canada. In all, Jim Futch had a very good year, and his peers honored him by electing him President of the Temple Masters Association.
The Master in the closing year of the Lodge's third quarter-century was George Pope. He, too, had an aggressive program, featuring special "nights", including Hobby Night, Armed Forces Night, and Public Servants Night (with twenty-seven city, county, and state officials present). There were also a Family Night, a Family Picnic, and a fish fry, which raised enough money to purchase a small bus for the athletic teams of the Warren Memorial Boys Club. Like Jim Futch, George Pope was elected President of the Temple Masters, and in 1969 he was coroneted as a 33° Mason.
On February 13, 1962, the Lodge voted honorary membership for Lee Hoyt Williams, a member of Buckhead Lodge No. 712. He had been raised by Gate City on July 26, 1910, as a courtesy to Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 22, Athens, and had affiliated with Gate City the following April. The abilities and dedication of the young man were quickly realized and he was appointed Junior Steward for 1912. He had risen to Senior Deacon in 1915 when he resigned from the officer corps for personal reasons. He dimitted from the Lodge in January 1919, later becoming the Charter Master of Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Foreign Correspondent of the Grand Lodge, a 33° Mason, and one of the most revered Masons of the state. He served for many years as General Secretary of the Scottish Rite bodies of Atlanta. His Honorary membership card was presented by Dan Maclntyre on April 10, 1962, the first such presentation since Governor Hardwick had been made an Honorary member in 1921. His death in 1974 left a wide gap in the fabric of the fraternity in Georgia.
The Masonic Messenger of September 1970 contains an interesting story concerning Lee Hoyt Williams' association with Gate City Lodge. As indicated, he had been raised in April 1910 as a courtesy to Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 22 of Athens and, since he resided in the Atlanta area, Gate City became his Masonic "home away from home". At the annual communication on December 27, 1910 young Brother Williams saw the exquisite Gate City Past Master's jewel presented to the retiring Master, John Gilmore (the Master credited with first developing Gate City's famous teamwork in degrees, and one who took an active interest in the Lodge until his death in 1944.) Those who have seen the jewels which were presented to the Lodge's outgoing Masters from 1900 (and, retroactively, to the founding of the Lodge) until finances made it impossible sometime in the 1930's or 1940's can appreciate the reaction of Lee Hoyt Williams who felt that it was the finest piece of jewelry art and craftsmanship he had ever seen. The device, for many years made by the jewelry firm owned by Rudy Schneider, Master in 1932, consisted of a gold bar with the inscribed name of the recipient, from which two chains of gold links suspended another gold bar with the name, number, and location of the Lodge and the year of service; connected to that by an elaborate gold hinge and link was the jewel itself: gold compasses with an arc, a moon-stone with the face of the Man in the Moon between the arms of the compasses, a sunburst of gold radiating from the moonstone, and the whole surrounded by a wide wreath, also of gold. The beauty of that jewel was never forgotten by Lee Hoyt over the years and he dreamed of someday possessing one like it, not for its intrinsic value but for what it represented in service to Freemasonry and for his respect for John Gilmore. Almost sixty years later, on June 20, 1970, Brother Williams was contacted by Mrs. Jack W. Hall of Jackson, Mississippi, the daughter of then recently deceased Mrs. John Gilmore (she had survived her husband by some twenty-six years), who carried out the wishes of her parents and gave the jewel to him. As Walter Callaway, Editor of the Masonic Messenger, noted, "It is understandable when Brother Lee Hoyt says that his cup runneth over!"
The period from 1938 through 1962 had begun with membership at 644. The number on the rolls had dropped to 570 in 1943, had risen to 666 in 1953, and had fallen every year thereafter, with the closing figure for 1962 at 578. The membership was also becoming more dispersed. More than one-third of the membership resided outside the Atlanta area, with members in thirty or more states (forty-one lived in Florida and fifteen in California in 1959) and in such far-flung spots as Belgium, Germany, Korea, Panama, Egypt, and Costa Rica. (The member in Costa Rica, Lawrence E. Richards, had affiliated with Gate City in 1922, and, in accordance with Masonic law of both the Grand Lodge of Georgia and the Gran Logia de Costa Rica, also held membership in La Luz Lodge No. 3, the English language Lodge in San Jose. He was Master of La Luz in 1942, was Treasurer for some time, and edited The Masonic Messenger, a Lodge paper much like The Trestle Board.)
The decline of Gate City Lodge from its accustomed place of prominence in the affairs of Georgia Masonry was more than a case of a loss of membership. It was also evident in such things as the lack of Gate City men in positions of responsibility in the District and the Grand bodies, the rare requests for the degree team to appear at other Lodges, the irregularity of The Trestle Board, and the fewer Masons who chose Gate City for affiliation. Carl Herbig, Editor of The Trestle Board in 1959, examined the problem in the May issue, referring to it as an "old question": what has happened to Gate City and its Masonic leadership in Georgia? A Blue Lodge or any organization cannot exist without new members and growth. New members don't come unless the Lodge shows by its precepts and examples that it has a duty to the community and per- forms that duty. Everything must have a purpose in God's world. it seems to the Editor that it would behoove the Past Masters Association to get together to see what can be done to enrich the program so Gate City can climb the ladder of leadership in Georgia Masonry and grow again.
It may be symptomatic that there is no record that Carl Herbig's forthright assessment of the situation and his reasonable suggestion for beginning to deal with it received the attention of the Past Masters Association or of any other group within the Lodge.
Guided by Narrow Lights
1963 - 1980
Though she may have lost her former prominence in affairs outside the walls of the Lodge room, Gate City continued to be guided by those narrow lights provided by her early leaders. She continued to elect able men to the East, and they continued to provide worthwhile programs and innovative service.
The opening year of this chapter of the Lodge's history is recalled with sorrow because Worshipful Master Russell Suber passed away on February 14, making him the only Master of the Lodge to die while in office. Russ Suber was an energetic and capable man with an elfin smile and a deep love for Freemasonry. The shocked and saddened Lodge held a special election to name his successor on February 26, with Senior Warden J. Norwood Jones being elevated. Thanks to the careful planning of Russ Suber and the steady hand of Norwood Jones, the program for the year was carried out with great success. The backbone of the program was a series of special "nights", including: Family Night; Shrine Night, honoring Tom Perry, Potentate of Yaarab Temple, at which 212 were present; Ladies Night; Scottish Rite Night; and Public Officials Night. In June the Lodge held a fish fry in cooperation with Buckhead Lodge No. 712, at which over $2500 was raised for the Warren Memorial Boys Club.
In November 1963 the Lodge presented Masonic lapel pins to out- standing workers over the past two years, reminiscent of the merit bar awards of more than thirty years earlier. The recipients for service in 1962 were Jerry A. Coursey, Carlos G. Dick, Paul R. Cooper, G. Albert Fossett, Joel W. Clayton, Eb Daniels, Jr., Alfred E. Hogan, and Jess H. McCurry, Jr. Honored for their work in 1963 were James H. Futch, Thomas R. Hitz, Jr., E. Guy Hope, Jr., Adel D. McCain, and second-time recipients Daniels, Dick, Fossett, and Cooper.
The next two years, 1964 and 1965, under Jimmy Drill and Tom Gilbert, respectively, had several highlights. In 1964, Ladies Night featured a covered dish supper and Brother Lester Maddox as speaker. Later the same year the three degrees were conferred as a courtesy upon James F. Clemmer, Jr., a candidate of Lebanon Lodge No. 831 of Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany, an English language Lodge working under the United Grand Lodges of Germany. Past Masters Night of 1965, with Grand Master 0. Warner Wells and twenty Past Masters present, was also Walter D. Waitt Night in honor of the Lodge's oldest Past Master, who had served in the East in 1908, fifty-seven years earlier.
The Master in 1966 was Carl W. Poss, one of the most faithful workers ever in the Lodge. When he became Master he realized that The Trestle Board could be of great assistance in helping him achieve his goals for the year. Unfortunately, the Lodge publication had fallen on hard times, and there had been only two issues in the previous two years. Carl Poss, never one to let something go undone, added the title "Editor" to that of Worshipful Master, and brought the periodical back to respectability. In fact, he retained the Editorship from that time through 1977, the longest tenure of any Editor in the publication's history. He was also very active in many other organizations, and served as head of each of the York Rite bodies. The high point of his year as Master came at Family Night when there were 167 present for dinner and entertainment featuring the Shrine Chanters.
The year of 1967, with John Sanders in the East, was marred in the memory of the brethren by two sad events. The first was the death of Walter Waitt on May 5;the Lodge's "Grand Old Man" had been a Past Master for over fifty-eight years, and his remarkably regular appearances at meetings were a source of inspiration and dedication to many. The second was the resignation on November 28 of Senior Warden Jerry Coursey, an enthusiastic worker and excellent ritualist, who was in line to become, at age thirty, one of the youngest Masters of the Lodge since Walter Waitt himself (at twenty-seven years of age) in 1908.
The major project of Karl Barbour's year as Master, 1968, was the raising of funds for the redecoration of one of the rooms at the Masonic Home, primarily through donations. Probably the most memorable meeting of the year was on April 9, when Senior Deacon Tom Hitz, on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, presented a 50 Year Pin to H. Fred Lerch, a member of Palatine Lodge No. 314, Palatine, Illinois. In appreciation, Brother Lerch gave Tom Hitz the Masonic lapel pin he had worn for over fifty years and presented the Lodge with two eight-grave lots in Acacia Park Cemetery, Chicago, to be sold or used as the Lodge desired. Refreshments after the meeting included a cake baked by Brother Lerch's daughter, decorated with Masonic symbols and a gold "50". Ten months later Fred Lerch affiliated with Gate City and a month after that presented the Lodge with the set of officers jewels which are now in use.
One of the largest turnouts in years was for "Shrine Night", March 25, 1969, during the term of Carlos Dick as Master. There was a short business meeting, following which the members, guests, and families - 310 in all - proceeded to the Scottish Rite Auditorium to pay special honor to Charles Wofford, Potentate of Yaarab Temple. The entertainment, with Norwood Jones as Master of Ceremonies, was provided by the Yaarab Temple Banjo Band and Chanters. A reception and refreshments followed, with "the Judge" being presented a silver tray by the Lodge.
The years 1969 through 1973 saw a number of notable Masonic figures delivering excellent messages to the Lodge. Some of them were: Julian Hodgskin, Past Master of Palestine Lodge No. 486 and Master of Masonic Research Lodge No. 104 of Atlanta, spoke February 11, 1969, on "Religion and Freemasonry"; Richard S. Sagar, Past Master of Elliott Lodge No. 3557, Malacca, Malaysia (working under the United Grand Lodge of England), spoke January 28, 1969, and again July 28, 1970, on differences in English and Georgia work; Governor Lester G. Maddox spoke at Family Night, August 12, 1969, on preservation of rights under the Constitution; Gate City's Burton A. Scott, one of the Lodge's most noted Masonic scholars, spoke once each year from 1968 through 1971 on "The Sublime Degree of Master Mason" and other Masonic topics; Coleman L. Lantrip, Jr., 33°, Past Master of St. John's Lodge No. 9 of Manila and of Clayton W. Roberts Lodge No. 175 of Nahaoki, Okinawa, both of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands, spoke November 25, 1969, on the third degree as given in his Grand Lodge; Walter M. Callaway, Jr., Editor of the Masonic Messenger, spoke January 27, 1970, on "Problems Confronting Freemasonry Today"; and Arthur Ralph, twice Master of Living Stones Lodge No. 4957, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, spoke each August from 1971 through 1973 on Masonic symbolism, the Master Mason degree, and the Mason's search for light.
The Grim Reaper was busy during the same years, with many of the leaders of the Lodge answering the inevitable call. In 1969 the toll included Thomas Earl Doss, 33°, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee from 1930 until 1966, who had been raised in Gate City on March 28, 1916. Another of the Lodge's 33° Masons to die that year was Frank A. Cundell, Recorder of Yaarab Temple for more than twenty- five years. The following year saw the passing of two Past Masters, John W. Bachman and Dan Maclntyre. John Bachman had been inactive for several years, but Dan Maclntyre was one of the most active and revered members of the Lodge at the time of his passing. Fred Williams, who had been raised by Dan Maclntyre in 1926 and installed as Master by him in 1958, wrote a heart-felt tribute to him in The Trestle Board of October 1970, referring to him as "my favorite Mason"...indeed, Dan MacIntyre was many people's "favorite Mason". Two more of the "old guard" died in 1971: Bill Hastings, Master in 1919 and Editor of The Trestle Board from 1919 through 1929; and Bill Hartsfield, Secretary in 1922 and long-time Mayor of the city of Atlanta.
The most tragic death of this period, however, was that of Adel D. McCain, Tyler of the Lodge since the death of Wallace Rhodes in 1930.
This quiet, unassuming man, born in Temple, Georgia on October 23, 1886, had lived a life of exemplary service to others. He was Rich's first fifty-year employee (he was there from 1905 until retirement in 1960), helping three generations of Atlantans put rugs and carpets into their homes. His church, Inman Park Presbyterian, was at the center of his life, and he served it well, singing bass in the choir (he once gave a concert over WSB radio), and serving as Clerk of Session from 1913 until his death. (The church presented him a loving cup when he reached forty years as Clerk of Session, and a plaque at fifty years.) Masonically, he had been raised in Gate City on October 3, 1914, was a member of the Scottish Rite, and was a Shriner. The life of this wonderful man was wantonly taken on March 23, 1969, when an out-of-control automobile careened onto the sidewalk, striking down Brother Adel and two of the neighborhood children with whom he was sharing some candy. Both Brother Adel and the little girl were killed, and the little boy seriously injured. Gate City had charge of the graveside services at Rose Hill Cemetery at Austell, but the finest tribute to him was the presence of twenty-five of the children of the neighborhood, his favorite friends, at his funeral.
Gate City Lodge was honored in 1970 by being invited to confer the complete Master Mason degree, including the dramatization, at the annual "Masonic Night" of the Scottish Rite bodies, on April 14. There was a dinner at 6:15, a short Lodge meeting at 7:00, and the degree in the Scottish Rite Auditorium at 7:30. The degree was conferred upon Alvis G. Cosby by Worshipful Master Elliott Kyle and the dramatization of the Hiramic legend was narrated by Coleman W. Lantrip. The work was excellently done, and the 436 present - including Grand Master Burton A. Greer, Grand Marshal B. J. Burt, and two Past Grand Masters - saw Gate City (as her Master put it) "do herself proud!"
Coleman W. Lantrip, who had become a regular attendee and a willing and able worker in many of the undertakings of the Lodge, was voted an honorary membership on January 26, 1971.
Gate City played host to the 1971 meeting of the Fifth Masonic District, with Charles Wofford as Worshipful Master of the District, on August 11 in the Shrine Temple. That same year saw the return of exemplification of the DeMolay work (by Tucker Chapter) and the Rainbow work (by Glenwood Hills Assembly). The Master that year was Thomas R. Hitz, Jr., who had been raised by Gate City on May 27, 1949 - as a courtesy to William L. Daniels Lodge No. 269, Bergenfield, New Jersey! - while he was an electrical engineering student at Georgia Tech. Finally, in 1960, he "came back" and affiliated with Gate City. He is believed to have been the first Master of the Lodge to have been a DeMolay as a youth.
A native of New Hampshire, George Wise, was elected to the East in 1972, and the son of the Granite State led the Lodge during one of its most notable years. The membership trend was reversed, at least for the year, with the first net increase in nineteen years, and with more raisings than in any year since 1959. Of more importance than the numbers, however, was the excellence of the Lodge's Masonic labors. The high point of the year came on September 26, when Gate City held what was advertised as the "first Table Lodge ever in Georgia". (That Gate City had held a Table Lodge thirty-six years earlier was obviously unknown to the Lodge in 1972. It is interesting to note that, despite extensive publicity on both occasions, no rival claim as to an earlier Table Lodge in the state was ever made to the Lodge.) Grand Master J. Gordon McKenney attended (his second visit to the Lodge that year) along with seven other Grand Lodge officers, Masonic Messenger Editor Walter M. Callaway, Jr., and District Deputy Robert C. Irwin. The program included singing by L. Foy Harris, a member of Doric Lodge No. 548 and Director of the Scottish Rite Choir, a talk about the Bible by Bernard South, and some thoughts on Masonic duties by Grand Master McKenney. All present agreed that the evening was a rousing success.
Another 1972 event worthy of note was the election of John L. Westmoreland, Jr., as President of the Atlanta Masonic Temple Company. A member of Gate City since being raised in 1953, he was coroneted as a 33° Mason in 1973, joining his father (raised in Gate City in 1916, coroneted in 1935) in that signal honor. They were not the Lodge's first father-son 33° pair, E. P. King (1917) and J. 0. King (1933) having preceded them.
An Awards Night was held on November 14, 1972, at which time three of the Lodge's most dedicated workers and leaders were recognized: Carl Poss for having edited The Trestle Board since 1966; Jack Burns for having done an excellent job as Director of Work; and Charles Wofford for not having missed a meeting since 1947.
The Masters in 1973 and 1974, C. B. Jones and Kent Taylor, respectively, continued the tradition of interesting, worthwhile meetings. Another first for Gate City was recorded on May 8, 1973, when the Lodge was the first to meet in the just-completed South Lodge Room of the Temple. The LeFevres were featured at Family Night both years, and a good crowd was out each time. The quality of the Lodge's floor work was ably demonstrated by Mark Van Brooks who won the Award for Excellence in the lecture competition at Albany's First Annual King Solomon's Feast on May 26, 1973. His rendition of the Charity Lecture was so impressive he was asked to deliver it again that evening at an open meeting.
On October 10, 1974, Grand Master Henry T. Hooper, Jr., presented a fifty-year pin to John H. Harland at his home. John Harland, born in Bessbrook, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, in 1885, was one of Gate City's most remarkable members. He had come to Providence, Rhode Island, as a youth, had worked for a while in New York, then, in 1906, had come to Atlanta. After several inconsequential jobs he became an office boy at Foote & Davies Company and seventeen years later he was Treasurer of the company. In 1922 he founded the John H. Harland Company, doing primarily printing and lithography, specializing in banking work. The company survived the depression, kept up with the changing needs and procedures of the banking industry, and when the American Bankers Association introduced Magnetic Ink Character Recognition in 1958 the Harland Company was able to take full advantage of the revolution it caused in the business. By 1973 the company operated nineteen plants from coast to coast and in Puerto Rico, had about 1500 employees, and was producing over 215 million checks a month. It is said that one out of every ten checks printed is a Harland check. He had been raised in Gate City on May 9, 1916, and remained a faithful member of the Lodge until his death in March 1976. An endowed chair in Emory University's Business School was created in his memory by the John H. Harland Company Foundation.
Presiding in 1975 was Carl Herbig, who, at age 63, was the oldest man ever to serve as Master of the Lodge. His raising had been in Gate City in 1948, but his membership in the Lodge had not been continuous; he had demitted in 1963 and affiliated six years later. Down through the years, however, Carl Herbig had been one of Gate City's real work horses, filling in as Tyler following the death of Adel McCain, editing The Trestle Board in 1958, 1959, and 1962, and serving long and well as an officer and member of the Craftsmen's Club. His term of office included a very successful Family Night with entertainment by the Yaarab Temple Banjo Band.
Reminiscent of the Gate City activity in Los Angeles in the Twenties was a luncheon get-together at the Huntington-Sheraton out there on August 15, 1975. Gathering to discuss old times and Gate City were area residents Harvey C. Christen and William F. Watson, and Past Master Fred L. Williams, Jr., visiting in the area. After lunch, Brother Christen took the others to the Wrigley Mansion, headquarters of the Rose Bowl Committee, of which he was a member, for a most interesting tour.
Despite an illness, which prevented Master Eugene Musser from pre- siding for most of the first half of the year, the Lodge had an interesting series of meetings in 1976, including the first dramatization of the Hiramic legend in several years on June 8. Family Night on May 25 featured the Yaarab Temple Chanters, and a crowd of 125 was on hand to join in the fun. On October 26, fifteen Past Masters took part in an excellent conferral of the Master Mason degree.
The decade of the 'Seventies saw Death claim many of Gate City's revered leaders and faithful followers. Among the Past Masters to answer the final summons were Virgil Adams and Dave Holland in 1973, J. M. B. Bloodworth in 1974, and Talley Kirkland in 1979. 1977 was an especially sad year, with Fred Morgareidge, Fred Williams, and Norwood Jones all passing away. Among the workers who joined them were Ted Nofio, Lodge organist, in 1971; Lewis Wittington, Tyler since 1972, in 1975; A. R. "Dick" Tracy, Tyler in 1970 and '71, one of the unselfish workers of the Craftsmen’s Club for many years, and an outstanding member of the cast for dramatization of the Master Mason degree, in 1975; and Arnold Ingemann, another "just a member" - who was always there, always ready to help, to work, to do what had to be done - in 1977.
The Master in 1977, Lee Waymire, was the third native Ohioan in four years to assume the leadership of the Lodge, and was the seventh consecutive non-Georgian to serve in the East. He also represents a milestone in the Lodge's history because subsequent checking of the Lodge's records indicate that one of the three men raised the evening of June 9, 1970 - Lynwood A. Avin, Gene A. Mathews, and V. Lee Waymire - was the 2000th man ever raised in the Lodge. His year in office was a busy and interesting one. It featured two Family Nights: on March 22 there was a covered-dish dinner, followed by barbershop singing and gospel music in the Scottish Rite Auditorium, the program arranged by Sam Deavours; on May 24 there was a ham dinner with Earl Peacock and his family entertaining with a travel lecture. There were two special presentations of the Master Mason degree, with the Knights of Mecca of Yaarab Temple presenting it on September 13 and the Past Masters doing the honors on November 22. Another special meeting was that of November 8, designated Awards Night, at which twenty-three 25-year members were honored. Music by Karl Barbour at all of the meetings made them more interesting and entertaining for those present.
Another noteworthy event of 1977 was the appointment of Gate City's Robert Nosworthy to be Masonic Service Association Field Agent, succeeding Harry Tice who for many years was known as Georgia Masonry's "Sun-shine Man".
Brother Tice was a member of Atlanta Lodge No. 59, but he had done so much for the fraternity for so long that he "belonged" to every Lodge in the area.
Gate City Lodge has always been known for a certain style, for a special élan in carrying out her projects, but there is no denying that the Lodge's morale was low in the 1970's. The latter years of the decade, however, gave a hint of what is perhaps the beginning of a renewal of Lodge spirit. Although a slow steady drop in membership continued, attendance was holding its own in response to imaginative programs and 1977 saw eleven men -raised, auguring well for the future. The Lodge's traditional spirit was recognized and commended by Grand Master William H. Waitts when he joined nineteen of the Lodge's Past Masters at their annual dinner on January 11, 1977, and in April of that year Charlie Wofford noted another facet of the new spirit: more of the Lodge's younger members were attending on a regular basis.
Another indication of a renewal of spirit, though not so sweet as praise from the Grand Master, was the fact that in 1977 the membership recognized the need to raise the dues from $15 to $20 per annum, putting Gate City on a much more secure financial base.
Many honored and respected men have served as Master of Gate City Lodge, but few have been paid a personal tribute in the Masonic Messenger, as was Paul King, the Master in 1978. In the December 1977 issue Editor Walter Callaway referred to "the 'Little Lights' that collectively blaze Freemasonry into brilliance", noted that "Brother King has given so much of himself not only to our Fraternity but to individuals on a one-to-one basis that his 'Little Light' seems many times to be a beacon all its own", and went on to say that "Brother King is an innate gentleman, a dedicated Mason, and a cherished friend."
The program, which Paul King offered the Lodge in 1978, was equal to Walter Callaway's praise of him. It included two Family Nights (March 28, with, as Jim Rickman quipped in The Trestle Board, "food to put before a King", and August 8), the degree team doing the Entered Apprentice
degree at Atlanta Lodge No. 59 on July 27, and "Tom Perry Night" on November 14 to honor the new Deputy of the Supreme Council in Georgia for the Scottish Rite. A total of 152, including Grand Master William L. Barrineau, Jr., were present at Tom Perry Night and the "SRO" sign was out for the first time in several years. Visitors during the year included Brothers Jacques Dumont and Florent Carlier, respectively of L'Equite Lodge No. 30 and L'Heureuse Recontre (Happy Meeting) Lodge No. 17, both in Brussels, Belgium, who saw the Master Mason degree conferred on March 14; they pointed out some differences in the workings of our Grand Lodge and theirs, but noted that "we are all brothers".
The Master of Gate City Lodge in 1979 was Jeff Hodges, Texas born and raised, who affiliated with Gate City in 1972. He faced a crisis early in the year when Ted Whitehead, Secretary for twenty-six years, became ill and had to relinquish his duties, but was able to get Jim Rickman to fill in. His program for the year included a dramatization of the Hiramic Legend on November 27 and the "First Annual Sand and Ants Festival" (a family picnic at "Wofford Hall" on Lake Lanier Isle) on June 10.
The man chosen to lead the Lodge in 1980, as this history goes to press, is William D. Smith, a Tennessean raised in Gate City in 1971. The program he has outlined seems designed to continue in the tradition of worthwhile and interesting activities, but that assessment will have to be made by the Lodge's next Historian.
Throughout her history Gate City Lodge has consistently adhered to two principles: she is a "down-town" (i.e., metropolitan rather than neighborhood) Lodge, and she will strive to be a leader in the labors of Craft, both locally and at the state level. The first point has been maintained over several meeting site disruptions, including the decade following the Peachtree and Cain Temple fire. A number of events during the closing years of this narrative give ample indication that the second principle is also still alive within the collective heart of the Lodge. Great pride can be taken in such things as the excellent work at the Masonic Night degree and dramatization in 1970, in the inception and production of the Table Lodge in 1972, and in Tom Perry Night in 1978. Such successes, with the continuing emphasis on good speakers and interesting programs, with more members in leadership positions in other Masonic bodies, and with stability restored to The Trestle Board, are positive signs for the future.
The future is veiled to all of us, and it is not possible for this saga to foretell the accomplishments of Gate City Lodge in the years to come. Still, it can be said that, just as the operative masons of old constructed edifices of delicate beauty and great strength according to carefully prepared plans and upon well-built foundations, so will Gate City Lodge continue to construct the fabric of fraternity upon the foundations and according to the plans provided by the wise leaders of previous years. Pause for a moment...recall the foundation builders: John Lawshe, Tom Jeffries, John Dickey, John Wilkinson, Joseph Green- field... those who laid the plans of great simplicity and exquisite beauty upon the trestle board: men like Lee Duncan, Raymund Daniel, Henry Heinz, Bill Hastings, Howard Geldert, Dan Maclntyre, E. P. King, and Stacy Darrington... and the men who have done so much to continue the work, leading the Lodge with inspiration and dedication: Ted Whitehead, Charles Wofford, Jack Burns, George Pope, Carl Poss, and Paul King, just to name a few.... One is inevitably drawn to the conclusion that the story of Gate City Lodge is not completed, that her heritage augurs a bright future, that she will continue to "find other ways to open lights - to dissipate the darkness", guided by so many "Windows with narrow lights".
WORSHIPFUL MASTERS
Ninety-three men served as Worshipful Master of Gate City Lodge from 1887 through 1980. In recognition of their service to the Lodge, brief Masonic resumes have been compiled. The names are given as they usually appear in Lodge records; full given names and familiar names, where known, are given in parenthesis.
1887 MALONE, Charles F
♣ Born Jan. 12, 1850, Jackson, Ga.
♣ Raised July 16, 1874, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta
♣ W.M., Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta, 1881
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge Under Dispensation, 1887
♣ Charter Member, Gate City Lodge
♣ Died Apr. 18, 1907
1888 LAWSHE, John Z. (John Zimmerman)
♣ Born Sep. 1, 1856, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 15, 1883, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta
♣ W.M., Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta, 1887
♣ Charter Member, Gate City Lodge
♣ First elected W.M. Gate City Lodge, 1888
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1915
♣ First D.D.G.M. of the Fifth District, 1889 - 1893
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1889
♣ Representative, Grand Chapter of Massachusetts
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13
♣ Died July 6, 1927
1889-1891 - PARKS, John S. (John Summerfield; "John")
♣ Born Sep. 29, 1856, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 15, 1883, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta
♣ Charter Member, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1889 - 1891
♣ (the only W.M. to serve three terms)
♣ Died Apr. 19, 1906
1892 – 1893 JEFFRIES, Thomas H. (Thomas Henry; "Tom", "Uncle Tom")
♣ Born Apr. 16, 1854, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised June 21, 1879, Tilton Lodge No. 291, Tilton, Whitfield Co., Ga.
♣ W.M. Tilton Lodge No. 291, Tilton, Whitfield Co., Ga., 1883,1885
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge Dec. 27, 1887
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1892, 1893
♣ Member,GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1916
♣ First W.M. of the Fifth District, 1901
♣ Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Georgia, 1908 and 1909 (two terms)
♣ Representative, Grand Lodge of North Carolina
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1895
♣ Grand High Priest, Grand Chapter of Georgia, 1917
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1904
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1898
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1919
♣ Died Nov-6, 1948
1894 DICKEY, John R. (John Rucker; "John")
♣ Born Aug. 11, 1857, Mineral Bluff, Ga.
♣ Raised Feb. 26, 1889, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1894
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1917
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1899
♣ Grand Commander, Grand Commandery of Georgia, 1907
♣ Representative, Grand Commandery of Maine
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1927
♣ Died June 14, 1939
1895 SMITH, J. Stoval (John Stovall)
♣ Born Jan. 8, 1854, Hamilton, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 10, 1891, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1895
♣ Dim. June 24, 1902 (in favor of Ocean Lodge No. 214, Brunswick, Ga.)
♣ Died July 12, 1913
1896 WILKINSON, John R. (John Robert)
♣ Born June 20, 1856, Newnan, Ga.
♣ Raised June 17, 1886, Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta
♣ Charter Member, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M,, Gate City Lodge, 1896
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1887, 1889 _ 1893
♣ J.G.W., Grand Lodge of Georgia at time of death, 1915
♣ Representative, Grand Lodge of Virginia
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1898
♣ Grand High Priest, Grand Chapter of Georgia, 1911
♣ Representative, Grand Chapter of Quebec
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1903
♣ Representative, Grand Council of Mississippi
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1896
♣ Representative, Grand Commandery of Maryland
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1901
♣ Special Dep. Sov. Grand Inspector General A.&A.S.R., 1903 - 1910
♣ Deputy for Supreme Council A.&A.S.R., 1911
♣ Vice-Pres. and Director, Atlanta Masonic Temple Co.
♣ Died Apr. 7, 1915
♣ John R. Wilkinson Lodge No. 432, Atlanta, constituted 1916
1897 WOOD, Albert P. (Albert Payne)
♣ Born Sep. 23, 1866, Marlius, N.Y.
♣ Raised Apr. 25, 1893, Gate City Lodge
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1894 - 1895, 1900 - 1901 W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1897
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1918
♣ D.D.G.M. of the Fifth District, 1900 - i9Oi T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1898 E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1900
♣ Representative, Grand Commandery of South Carolina Died Sep. 19, 1938
1898 – 1899 GREENFIELD, Joseph C. (Joseph Cholmondeley; "Joe", "Mister Joe")
♣ Born May 3, 1863, Montreal, Quebec
♣ Raised Aug. 23, i895, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1898
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 19i9
♣ Chairman, Grand Lodge Committee on Uniform Work, 1914 - 1916
♣ S.G.D., Grand Lodge of Georgia, 1917
♣ Grand Lodge of Georgia Distinguished Service Medal, 1920 (the first year the Medal was awarded)
♣ Representative, Grand Lodge of Scotland
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1903
♣ Grand High Priest, Grand Chapter of Georgia, 1920
♣ Representative, Grand Chapter of Illinois
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1899
♣ Grand Master, Grand Council of Georgia, 1904
♣ Grand Master, General Grand Council of the United States, 1912
♣ Representative, Grand Councils of Canada and Kansas
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1901
♣ Grand Commander, Grand Commandery of Georgia, 1910
♣ Representative, Grand Commandery of Texas
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1907
♣ Knight, Royal Order of Scotland
♣ Director, Atlanta Masonic Temple Co.
♣ Trustee, Masonic Home of Georgia
♣ General Secretary, Scottish Rite Bodies of Atlanta
♣ Died Dec. 20, 1920
♣ Joseph C. Greenfield Lodge No. 400, Atlanta, constituted 1923
1899 SIMMONS, John D. (John Deloney)
♣ Born May 27, 1872, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised June 25, 1895, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1899
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1920
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1901
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1901
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1903
♣ Died Nov. 4, 1932
1900 WOOD, E. P. (Edward Porter)
♣ Born Apr. 1O, 1874, Syracuse, N.Y.
♣ Raised Nov. 26, 1895, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1900
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1921
♣ Died in March 1922
1901 WRIGHT, James T. (James Thomas)
♣ Born June 15, 1861, Clayton Co., Ga.
♣ Raised Apr. 28, 1896, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1901
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1902 - 1938
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1922
♣ Died Dec. 9, 1945
19O2 SMITH, Samuel E. (Samuel Earl)
♣ Born Mar. 1, 1873, Spencer, N.C.
♣ Raised Apr. 9, 1895, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1902
♣ Died Sep. 19, 1930
1903 GRAVES ' Talley B. (Talley Ball)
♣ Born Sep. 17, 1867, Marietta, Ga.
♣ Raised Mar. 22, 1893, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1903
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ Died Dec. 16, 1943
1904 PEEK, Cicero A. (Cicero Augustus)
♣ Born July 4, 1863, Philomath, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 8, 1895, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1904
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1909
♣ T.I.M., Jason Burr Council No. 13, 1906
♣ E.C., Atlanta Commandery No. 9, 1905
♣ Died Oct. 22, 1933
1905 HALL, Charles E. (Charles Edward),
♣ Born June 18, 1865, Hickory Corners, Mich.
♣ Raised Sep. 25, 1900, Gate City Lodge W.M., Gate City Lodge, i9O5
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1923
♣ D.D.G.M. of the Fifth District, 1908 - 1910
♣ Died Oct. 23, 1933
1906 HENDERSON, Robert A. (Robert Alverson, or possibly Algernon)
♣ Born Aug. 9, 1847, Burford, Ontario
♣ Raised Sep. 9, 1902, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1906 Died Feb. 24, 1925
1907 MULLIN, John H. (John Hatchman)
♣ Born Mar. 16, 1873, Boston, Mass.
♣ Raised Mar. 11, 1902, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1907
♣ Member, GCL Charter Members Assn.
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1924
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1927 Died May 15, 1932
1908 WAITT, Walter D. (Walter Darius; "Walter")
♣ Born Dec. 21, 1881, Charlotte, N.C
♣ Raised June 10, 1903, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1908
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1925
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1955 Died May 5, 1967
1909 DANIEL, Royal
♣ Born Sep. 12, 1870, Newnan, Ga.
♣ Raised Feb. 28, 1905, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1909
♣ Last D.D.G.M. of the Fifth District, 1910 - 1911
♣ Died June 18, 1939
1910 GILMORE, John (“John”)
♣ Born July 11, 1870, Rockbridge Co., Va.
♣ Raised May 30, 19O5, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1910
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1926
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1915
♣ Director, Atlanta Masonic Temple Co.
♣ Died Sep. 30, 1944
1911 BRICE, John A.
♣ Born July 28, 1876, Woodward, S.C.
♣ Raised Feb. 16, 1906, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1911
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1927 Died Jan. 9, 1946
1912 DANIEL, Raymund (Francis Raymund; "Raymund")
♣ Born Sep. 12, 1880, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Dec. 1, 1905, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge 1912
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1928
♣ Founder and Editor, The Trestle Board, 1915- 1918
♣ Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Georgia, 1928 and 1929 (two terms)
♣ Editor, Masonic Home Messenger, 1928 - 1936
♣ Foreign Correspondent, Grand Lodge of Georgia, 1916 - 1948
♣ Grand Lodge of Georgia Distinguished Service Medal, 1936
♣ Attended World Masonic Peace Jubilee, London, England, 1919
♣ Member, Order of DeMolay Honorary Legion of Honor, 1929
♣ Died Mar. 2, 1948
1913 DUNCAN, J. LeRoy (John LeRoy; "Lee")
♣ Born May 25, 1881, Powder Springs, Ga.
♣ Raised Apr. 29, 1909, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1913
♣ Chairman, Grand Lodge Board of Trustees for the Uniform Work, 1916 - 1917
♣ W.M. of the Fifth District, 1914
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1917
♣ Died Oct. 16, 1918
♣ LeRoy Duncan Lodge No.- 292, Atlanta, constituted 1930
1914 GREGG, Joseph, Jr.
♣ Born Apr. 11, 1882, Chicago, Ill.
♣ Raised Apr. 29, 1909, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1914
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1918
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1929
♣ W.M. of the Fifth District, 1918 Died Sep. 25, 1940
1915 HEINZ, Henry C. (Henry Charles; "Henry", "Billy")
♣ Born Aug. 18, 1879, New Haven, Conn.
♣ Raised Dec. 8, i9O8, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1915
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1930
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1919
♣ Potentate, Yaarab Temple, 1920 and 1921
♣ Trustee, Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children
♣ Trustee, Shrine Hospitals for Crippled Children
♣ Died Sep. 28, 1943
1916 McNELLEY, James B. (James Burton; "Jimmie")
♣ Born in 1878
♣ Raised Dec. 8, 1908, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1916
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn.,
♣ 1931 Died Feb. 19, 1937
1917 BACHMAN, John W. (Jonathan Waverly; "John")
♣ Born Nov. 24, 1884
♣ Raised Apr. 11, 1
♣ 9ll, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1917
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1968
♣ Died July 6, 1970
1918 WOOLLEY, J. Albert (James Albert; "Albert")
♣ Born Sep. 9, 1886
♣ Raised Apr. 8, 1913, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1918
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1919
♣ Died July 8, 1964
1919 HASTINGS, William G. (William Guy; "Bill")
♣ Born Oct. 31, 1889
♣ Raised May 27, 1913, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1919
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1924 - 1927
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1932
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1919 - 1929
♣ W.M. of the Fifth District, 1924
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1963
♣ Died June 14, 1971 85
1920 STITT, Arthur J. (Arthur Joshua)
♣ Born in Ohio
♣ Raised Feb. 28, 1914, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1920
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1933
♣ Died Aug. 15, 1957
1921 EWING, Morris M. (Morris Miles; "Morris")
♣ Born Dec. 30, 1890, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised July 22, 1914, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1921
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1934
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1965
♣ Died Mar. 7, 1966
1922 ADAMS, Virgil E. (Virgil Emory; "Virgil")
♣ Born Feb. 26, 1886, Alpharetta, Ga.
♣ Raised July 10, 1917, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1922
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1935
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1967
♣ Died May 4, 1973
1923 FAY, Theodore B. (Theodore Bradshaw)
♣ Born May 3, 1880, Washington, D.C.
♣ Raised Mar. 30, 1914, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1923
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1936
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1945
♣ Died Nov. 13, 1960
1924 BLOODWORTH, J. M. B. (James Morgan Bartow)
♣ Born Dec. 12, 1890, Milner, Ga.
♣ Raised Feb. 12, 1918, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1924
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1937
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1969
♣ Died May 12, 1974
1925 GREENFIELD, Paul F. (Paul Faver; "Paul")
♣ Born Nov. 2, 1895, probably in Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised July 22, 1919, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1925
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1938
♣ Died June 16, 1946
1926 Mac[NTYRE, Daniel I., Jr. (Daniel-Irwin; "Dan")
♣ Born Dec. 1, 1887, Savannah, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 29, 1919, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1926
MacINTYRE, Daniel I., Jr . . . . continued . . .
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1939
♣ G. Marshall, Grand Lodge of Georgia, 1961
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1943
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1969
♣ Died Sep. 12, 1970
1927 DONALDSON, Dowse B. (Dowse Bradwell; "Dowse")
♣ Date and place of birth unknown
♣ Raised Feb. 10, 1920, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1927
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1928 - 1938
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1940
♣ Died May 22, 1967
1928 GILBERT, Leo S. (Leo Sylvenus; “Leo”)
♣ Born Sep. 14, 1894, Mason City, Iowa
♣ Raised Feb. 12, 1924, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1928
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1941
♣ President, Third Degree Club, 1932
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1932
♣ Died Oct. 14, 1950
1929 DARRINGTON, H. Stacy (Holle Stacy; "Stacy")
♣ Born Oct. 29, 1899, LaGrange, Ga.
♣ Raised Jun. 12, 1923, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1929
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1930 - 1935
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1942
♣ Died Aug. 14, 1954
1930 WETMORE, Charles H. (Charles Harvey)
♣ Born July 20, 1888, Spring City, Tenn.
♣ Raised Mar. 28, 1916, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge 1930
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1943
♣ Died Nov. 5, 1965
1931 GAUVREAU, Leon M. (Leon Myron)
♣ Date and place of birth unknown
♣ Raised Nov. 25, 1924, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1931
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1944
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1930
♣ Died Sep. 1, 1962
1932 SCHNEIDER, Rudolph L. (Rudolph Lewis; "Rudy")
♣ Born on Staten Island, New York
♣ Raised Aug. 9, 192l, Gate City Lodge
SCHNEIDER, Rudolph L . . . . continued
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1932
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1945
♣ Died Apr. 10, 1963
1933 McDOUGAL, Edgar B. (Edgar Baird)
♣ Born Sep. 4, 1892
♣ Raised Oct. 12, 1926, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1933
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1946
♣ Died Jan. 29, 1959
1934 TRIPPE, George R. (George Renfroe; "George")
♣ Born in 1879, Cartersville, Ga.
♣ Raised Mar. 11, 1915,
♣ Temple Lodge No. 23, Jacksonville, Fla.
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, July 26, 1921
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1934
♣ Died Apr. 19, 1937
1935 SETZE, James W., Jr. (James Waddell; "Jimmie")
♣ Date and place of birth unknown
♣ Raised Feb. 13, 1920, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1935
♣ Acting Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1942
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1936 - 1942
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1947
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1929
♣ Died May 11, 1954
1936 CATHCART, Larkin D. (Larkin Decatur; "Larkin")
♣ Born Dec. 22, 1902, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Feb. 23, 1926, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1936
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1939 - 1942, 1944
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1948
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1931
♣ Died Mar. 12, 1951
1937 KIRKLAND, Talley ("Talley")
♣ Born Mar. 15, 1901, Nicholls, Coffee Co., Ga.
♣ Raised Sep. 23, 1925, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1937
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1949
♣ President, Third Degree Club, 1930, 1939
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1930
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1976
♣ Died Sep. 15, 1979
1938 HALL, Charles E., Jr. (Charles Edward; "Charlie")
♣ Born Mar. 28, 1905, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 22, 1929, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1938
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1939 - 1945
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1950
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1930
♣ Died Nov. 6, 1965
1939 RHODES, Wallace W. (Wallace Weathersby; "Wallace", "Dusty")
♣ Born Sep. 21, 1893, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Sep. 11, 1928, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1939
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1951
♣ President, Third Degree Club, 1933
♣ Died Apr. 13, 1962
1940 WHITEHEAD, Theodore J. (Theodore James; "Ted")
♣ Born Oct. 22, 1905, Columbia, S.C.
♣ Raised Feb. 23, 1932, Gate'City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1940
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1953 - 1979
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1952
♣ Gate City Lodge Merit Bar, 1932
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1961
1941 BRISCOE, Herbert T. (Herbert Thomas; "Herb")
♣ Born Sep. 14, 1900, Monroe, Ga.
♣ Raised Mar. 25, 1924, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1941
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1943
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1953
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1974
1942 MORGAREIDGE, C. Frederick (Charles Frederick; "Fred")
♣ Born Apr. 9, 1901, Birmingham, Ala.
♣ Raised Sep. 23, 1925, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1942
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1946, 1947 (replaced Anderson)
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1954
♣ President, Third Degree Club, 1934, 1935
♣ Founder, Fellowcraft Club, 1944
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1976
♣ Died Dec. 9, 1977
1943 EDENFIELD, Charles C. (Charles Curtis; "Charlie")
♣ Born in Savannah, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 23, 1937, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1943
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1945
♣ Sec'y, Gate City Lodge, 1946 - 1953
♣ Died Feb. 20, 1953
1944 LATHEM, J. Dial (James Dial; "Dial", "J.D.")
♣ Born Feb. 28, 1898, Woodstock, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 22, 1929, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1944; actively served through March 1944
♣ Died July 12, 1954
1945 ANDERSON, Arthur Nicholas ("Nick")
♣ Born Feb. 9, 1893, Oslo, Norway
♣ Raised Mar. 28, 1916, Gate City Lodge Dim. Oct. 1, 1939
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Nov. 9, 1943
♣ Elected Acting W.M., Gate City Lodge, Aug. 8, 1944
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1945
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1947; died in office
♣ President, Third Degree Club, 1936
♣ Died Feb. 2, 1947
1946 SHELTON, Malcolm H. (Malcolm Hull; "Malcolm")
♣ Born Apr. 18, 1905, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 11, 1936, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1946
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1955
1947 TAYLOR, Charles P. (Charles Percival)
♣ Born Nov. 13, 1907, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Jan. 13, 1942, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1947
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1948
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1956
1948 PERRY, Thomas S. (Thomas Shean; "Tom")
♣ Born May 13, 1916, Kalamazoo, Mich.
♣ Raised Aug. 30, 1942, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1948
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1949
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1957
♣ Dim. Dec. 10, 1968 (to become Charter Member, Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Atlanta)
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, July 27, 1976
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1955
♣ Sov. Grand Inspector General, State of Ga.
♣ Knight, Royal Order of Scotland
♣ Potentate, Yaarab Temple, 1963
♣ Trustee and Vice-Chairman of Board, Scottish Rite Hospital
1949 HOLLINGSWORTH, Victor F. (Victor Folger; "Vic")
♣ Born July 29, 1901, Rochester, N.Y.
♣ Raised Jan. 13, 1942, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1949; resigned Jan. 11, 1949
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1958
♣ Died Apr. 1978
1949 DAVIDSON, Tommy D. (Tommy Drew; “Tommy”)
♣ Born Jan. 23, 1914, Danville, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 23, 1943, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M. Gate City Lodge, 1949 (elected Jan. 11, 1949)
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1950
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1959
1950 GORDON, Albert W. (Albert Walter; "Al")
♣ Born Mar. 29, 1906, St. Louis, Mo.
♣ Raised Nov. 23, 1943, Corinthian Lodge No. 414, Nashville, Tenn.
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Feb. 8, 1944
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1950
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1951
1951 RODGERS, Fletcher G. (Fletcher Grey; "Fletcher")
♣ Born Dec. 12, 1908, Henry Co., Ga.
♣ Raised Mar. 15, 1931, Fraternal Lodge No. 37, McDonough, Ga.
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Nov. 23, 1937
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1951
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1952
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1960
♣ Dim. Aug. 14, 1973
1952 BURNETT, Glenn H. (Glenn Herbert; "Glenn")
♣ Born June 5, 1908, Iberia, Mo.
♣ Raised Apr. 24, 1945, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M. Gate City Lodge, 1952
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1953
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1961
1953 SPARKS, R. E. Augustus (R. and E. are initials only; "Sparky")
♣ Born Sep. 4, 1904, Gainesville, Ga.
♣ Raised June 8, 1943, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1953
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1954
♣ Died June 10, 1956
1954 STROSHERT, Walter W. (Walter Willedge; "Walt")
♣ Born Dec. 4, 1914, Savannah, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 27, 1945, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1954
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1955 - 1956
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1962
1955 AWTRY, George J. (George Joseph; "George")
♣ Born Oct. 3, 1922, Paulding Co., Ga.
♣ Raised Sep. 24, 1946, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1955;
♣ resigned Nov. 8, 1955
1956 HOLLAND, David C. (David Collins; "Dave")
♣ Born Apr. 15, 1906, Holland, Mich.
♣ Raised Apr. 24, 1545, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1956
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1957
♣ H.P., Mt. Zion Chapter No. 16, 1954
1957 WOFFORD, Charles A. (Charles Augustus; "Charlie")
♣ Born Nov. 29, 1914, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Sep. 23, 1947, Gate City Lodge
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1949
♣ President, Gate City Lodge Craftsmen's Club, 1950
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1957
♣ Treas., Gate City Lodge, 1958 - present
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1963
♣ W.M. of the Fifth District, 1971
♣ H.P., Mt. Olive Chapter No. 161, 1956
♣ T.I.M., Euclid Council No. 33, 1961
♣ E.C., Coeur de Lion Commandery No. 4, 1966
♣ Knight, York Cross of Honor, 1967
♣ 33°, A.&A.S.R., 1969
♣ Knight, Royal Order of Scotland Potentate, Yaarab Temple, 1969
♣ President, Atlanta Masonic Temple Board of Directors, 1977-1979
1958 BURNS, Jack J. (Jack James; "Jack")
♣ Born Oct. 11, 1913, Barnesville, Ga.
♣ Raised June 28, 1949, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1958
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1964
1959 WILLIAMS, Fred L., Jr. (Fred Landice; "Fred")
♣ Born Oct. 18, 1904, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Feb. 23, 1926, Gate City Lodge
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1955 - 1957 and Aug. 1961 - 1963
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1959
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1965
♣ 50 Year Pin, 1976
♣ Died Oct. 19, 1977
1960 McGEE, William R. (William Radine; “Bill”)
♣ Born July 18, 1928, Decatur, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 11, 1949, Gate City Lodge
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1953
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1960
1961 FUTCH, James H. (James Howard; "Jim")
♣ Born Dec. 31, 1919, Chattanooga, Tenn.
♣ Raised Oct. 17, 1952, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1961
♣ Gate City Lodge Outstanding Service Pin, 1963
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1966
1962 POPE, George W. (George Wesley; "George")
♣ Born Dec. 20, 1925, Oxford, Ga
♣ Raised Oct. 17, 1952, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1962
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn.., 1967
♣ 33°, A.&A.S.R., 1969
1963 SUBER, Russell E. (Russell Edward; "Russ")
♣ Born July 22, i9O3, Thomasville, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 23, 1948, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1963;died in office
♣ Died Feb. 14, 1963
1963 JONES, J. Norwood, Jr. (Jesse Norwood; "Norwood")
♣ Born Nov. 13, 1908, Macon, Ga.
♣ Raised Oct. 11, 1949, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1963 (elected and installed Feb. 26)
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1968
♣ Died December, 1977
1964 DRILL, James M. (James Monroe; "Jimmy")
♣ Born Nov. 12, 1918, Greenville, Ohio
♣ Raised Sep. 17, 1940, Hanna Lodge No. 61, Wabash, Ind.
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Feb. 10, 1953
♣ President, Craftsmen’s Club, 1956
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1964
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1969
1965 GILBERT, Thomas H. (Thomas Hal; "Tom")
♣ Born Aug. 15, 1927, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised May 28, 1957, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1965
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1970
1966 POSS, Carl W. (Carl Winfrey; "Carl")
♣ Born July 24, 1905, Wilkes Co., Ga.
♣ Raised Mar. 11, 1952, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1966
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1966 - 1977
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1971
♣ H.P., Mt. Olive Chapter No. 161, 1960
♣ T.I.M., Euclid Council No. 330- 1965
♣ E.C., Coeur de Lion Commandery No. 4, 1974
♣ Knight, York Cross of Honor, 1975
♣ Knight, Royal Order of Scotland, 1975
♣ Past Patron, Order of the Eastern Star
♣ President, Atlanta Masonic Club, 1975
1967 SANDERS, John W., Jr. (John Wittier; "John").
♣ Born May 17, 1911, Kline, S.C
♣ Raised June 10, 1957, by Oglethorpe Lodge No. 655 as a courtesy to Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1967
♣ Dim. Nov. 24, 1970
1968 BARBOUR, Karl G. (Karl Glenn; "Karl")
♣ Born June 17, 1919, Atlanta, Ga
♣ Raised Nov. 22, 1960, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1968
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1972
1969 DICK, Carlos G. (Carlos Goldsmith; "Carlos")
♣ Born Oct. 27, 1914, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Apr. 12, 1949, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1969
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1973
1970 KYLE, P. Elliott (Pugh Elliott; "Elliott").
♣ Born July 1, 1918, Atlanta, Ga
♣ Raised Mar. 9, 1954, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1970
1971 HITZ, Thomas R., Jr. (Thomas Randolph; "Tom")
♣ Born June 23, 1921, Glendale, N.Y.
♣ Raised May 27, 1949, by Gate City Lodge as a courtesy to William L. Daniels Lodge No. 269, Bergenfield, N.J.
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Feb. 9, 1960
♣ Gate City Lodge Outstanding Service Pin, 1963
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1971
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1974, 1975
♣ President, Craftsmen's Club, 1978
1972 WISE, George A. (George Augustus; "George")
♣ Born Feb. 28P 1921, North Stratford, N.H.
♣ Raised May 26, 1964, Gate City Lodge
♣ President, Craftsmen's Club, 1965
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1972 President,
♣ GCL Past Masters Assn., 1976
1973 JONES, C. B., Jr. (Cummins Bachman; "C.B.11)
♣ Born Apr. 2, 1927, Bowling Green, Ky.
♣ Raised Feb. 28, 1950, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1973President,
♣ GCL Past Masters Assn., 1977
♣ 33° A.&A.S.R., 1979
1974 TAYLOR, Kent C. (Kent Custer; "Kent")
♣ Born Oct. 14, 1924, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
♣ Raised June 8. 1965, Gate City Lodge
♣ President, Craftsmen's Club, 1968
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1974
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1978
1975 HERBIG, Carl A. (Carl Arthur; "Carl")
♣ Born Apr. 4, 1911, Cincinnati, Ohio
♣ Raised Apr. 27, 1948, Gate City Lodge
♣ President, Craftsmen's Club, 1955, 1957
♣ Editor, The Trestle Board, 1958 - 1959
♣ Dim. Jan. 8, 1963
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Feb. 8, 1969
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1975
♣ President, GCL Past Masters Assn., 1979 1976
1976 MUSSER, Eugene H. (Eugene Harvey; "Gene")
♣ Born July 25, 1936, Baltimore, Md.
♣ Raised Nov. 10, 1970, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1976
1977 WAYMIRE, V. Lee (Versa] Lee; "Lee")
♣ Born Oct. 26, 1925, Arcanum, Ohio
♣ Raised June 9, 1970, Gate City Lodge
♣ President, Craftsmen's Club, 1972
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1977
1978 KING, Paul A. (Paul Albert; "Paul")
♣ Born Jan. 23, 1930, Atlanta, Ga.
♣ Raised Nov. 8, 1966, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1978
♣ H.P., Mt. Olive Chapter No. 161, 1977
1979 HODGES, Jeff W., Jr. (Jeff W i I son; "Jeff")
♣ Born Jul. 11, 1924, Fairiand, Texas
♣ Raised Oct. 1946, J. D. Giddings Lodge No. 280, Giddings, Texas
♣ Aff. Gate City Lodge, Mar. 14, 1972
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1979
♣ Past Patron, Faith Chapter No. 504, O.E.S.
1980 SMITH, William D. (William Delmar; "Bill")
♣ Born Sep. 7, 1943, Nashville, Tenn.
♣ Raised Nov. 9, 1971, Gate City Lodge
♣ W.M., Gate City Lodge, 1980
Although complete biographical data is available for only eighty-one of the ninety-three men who have been Worshipful Master of Gate City Lodge, the following "Masterful trivia" has been gleaned from the available information:
PLACE OF BIRTH: 17 states, the District of Columbia, 2 Canadian provinces, and Norway have furnished Masters to Gate City. Eight places of birth are unknown. States with more than one are:
Georgia 48 (21 from the Atlanta area)
New York 5
Ohio 5
Michigan 3
South Carolina 3
North Carolina 2
Tennessee 2
Missouri 2
YOUNGEST MASTER was E. P. Wood (1900) who was 25 years, 260 days old upon being installed. Walter Waitt (1908) was only 94 days older. Others under 30 include: John Simmons (1899), 26; Samuel Smith (1902), 28; Bill Hastings (1919), 29; Morris Ewing (1921), 29; Paul Greenfield (1925),29;and Stacy Darrington (1929), 29.
OLDEST MASTER was Carl Herbig (1975) who was 64 years, 249 days of age when he relinquished the gavel to his successor. The only other Master over 60 was Carl Poss (1966), 61.
MASTER WITH FEWEST YEARS SINCE RAISING was Joseph Greenfield (1898), who was raised only 2 years, 126 days before being installed as Master.
MASTER WITH MOST YEARS SINCE RAISING was Fred Williams (1959), who had been a Master Mason for 32 years, 289 days before being installed.
LONGEST TIME AS PAST MASTER was Walter Waitt (1908), who died 58 years, 134 days after stepping down as Master. Others with notably long service as a Past Master include Tom Jeffries (1892 - 1948), John Bachman (1917 - 1970), Bill Hastings (1919 - 1971), Virgil Adams (1922 - 1973), and J. M. B. Bloodworth (1924 - 1974).
LODGE OF RAISING: 81 were raised in Gate City, 4 were raised in Fulton Lodge No. 216, Atlanta 2,(Jeffries, Rodgers) were raised in other Georgia Lodges, 5 were raised in out-of-state Lodges: Trippe (Florida) Gordon (Tennessee) Drill (Indiana) Hitz (New Jersey; but actually raised by Gate City as a courtesy) Hodges (Texas)
BROTHERS: Two sets of brothers have served as Master:
Albert (1897) and E. P. (1900) Wood
Royal (1909) and Raymund (1912) Daniel
FATHERS AND SONS: Three sets of father and son have served as Master:
Joseph (1898) and Paul (1925) Greenfield
Charles (1905) and Charles, Jr., (1938) Hall
Leo (1928)-and Tom (1965) Gilbert
There was also Tom Hitz and William Hitz. Tom was the only father that lived to see his son installed in the East.
Secretaries
Inasmuch as the minutes of a Lodge constitute its chief written record, the clarity and richness of the historical picture which emerges from the minutes is proportional to the diligence and dedication of the succession of Secretaries who have maintained the record of the Lodge's proceedings. Although the Worshipful Master had to warn a Gate City Secretary around the turn of the century that he would not be paid if he did not properly prepare his minutes (as noted in the minutes!), the Lodge has been fortunate to have had long line of able Secretaries who have left a fascinating repository of data. There have been two disastrous Temple fires during the life of the Lodge, but only that of 1894 resulted in the loss of minutes, wiping out the irreplaceable accounts of the earliest meetings of the Lodge. Through some other unknown cause there are no minutes for the period from-the fire to November 1899 now in the possession of the Lodge. The earliest minutes extant are in a rough minutes book covering from November 14, 1899, to January 1903; full and complete minutes exist from January 1902 to the present.
Other than the meeting minutes themselves, there are two items in the minute books, which deserve mention. The first is a strip of five small photographs (such as used to be made in booths in variety stores) of a very pretty girl of perhaps twenty, with the caption, "She wrote the Lodge letters in 1918"; sadly, she is not further identified. The second item of special interest is a poem written by Bill Hartsfield upon being elected Secretary in December 1921. The poem,
which is accompanied by a photograph of the new Secretary, evokes the feeling which most new scribes must feel:
Here is the face of one, hopeful, trusting and new,
Who became Secretary in the year nineteen and twenty-two.
He can now sympathize with Secretaries of the past,
And the sane indulgence from successors is fervently asked.
SECRETARIES OF THE LODGE
John N. Fain 1887
G. T. E. Hardeman 1888 - 1890
Alex C. Smith 1891 - 1893
Albert P. Wood 1894 - 1895, 1900 - 1901
M. H. Virgil Jones 1896 - 1899
Heard W. Dent 1902 - 1917
Joseph Gregg, Jr. 1918
J. Albert Woolley 1919
Hugh N. Fuller 1920 - 1921
William B. Hartsfield 1922
Howard Geldert i 1923
William G. Hastings 1924 - 1927
Dowse B. Donaldson 1928 - 1938
C. E. Hall, Jr. 1939 - 1942, 1943 - 1945
James W. Setze, Jr. (Acting) 1942
Charles C. Edenfield 1946 - 1953
Theodore J. Whitehead 1953 - 1979
James N. Rickman 1980 -
Treasurers
By the nature of the responsibilities of the office, the Treasurer is the one officer of the Lodge whose integrity and fidelity must be above reproach at all times. Gate City Lodge has been fortunate in having men of outstanding character and impeccable reputation in the post throughout her history. Two of them, James T. Wright and Charles A. Wofford, have between them held the post for sixty of the ninety-four years of the Lodge's existence.
TREASURERS OF THE LODGE
John R. Wilkinson 1887, 1889 - 1893
D. O. Dougherty 1888
William L. Fain 1894 - 1901
James T. Wright 1902 - 1938
Larkin D. Cathcart 1939 - 1942, 1944
Herbert T. Briscoe 1943
C. C. Edenfield 1945
C. F. Morgareidge 1946
A. N. Anderson 1947
Charles P. Taylor 1948
Thomas S. Perry 1949
T. D. Davidson 1950
Albert W. Gordon 1951
Fletcher G. Rodgers 1952
Glenn H. Burnett 1953
R. E. A. Sparks 1954
W. W. Strobhert 1955 - 1956
D. C. Holland 1957
Charles A. Wofford 1958 - Present
Charter Members
According to the 1887 Returns to the Grand Lodge by Gate City Lodge, U.D. (Under Dispensation), there were eighty-six Charter Members:
1. |
Atkins, E. C. |
32. |
Haden, Charles J. |
2. |
Atwater, H. L. |
33. |
Hardin, J. B. |
3. |
Balch, J. T. |
34. |
Harris, Dan B. |
4. |
Bancroft, Geo. C. |
35. |
Harris, C. A. |
5. |
Barili, Alfredo |
36. |
Helmer, F. DeS. |
6. |
Blodgett, John F. |
37. |
Holliday, R. A. |
7. |
Brandon, Morris |
38. |
Howell, D. H. |
8. |
Brick, Walter |
39. |
Hubbard, W. L. |
9. |
Carpenter, Chas. M. |
40. |
Jackson, H. H. |
10. |
Carter, Joseph C. |
41. |
Johnson, B. C. |
11. |
Crawford, J. M. |
42. |
Kennedy, T. H. |
12. |
Crumley, Howard L. |
43. |
Kenny, F. M. (P.M.) |
13. |
Dallas, G. J. |
44. |
Kiser, Marion C. |
14. |
Delbridge, Thomas J. |
45. |
Lane, J. H. |
15. |
DeLay, W. E. |
46. |
Lansdale, W. A. |
16. |
Dillard, Miles H. |
47. |
Law, A. M. |
17. |
Dimmock, W. R. |
48. |
Lawshe, John Z. (P.M.) |
18. |
Dodson, W. C. |
49. |
Lee, J. W. |
19. |
Dougherty, D. 0. |
50. |
Lester, R. F. (P.M.) |
20. |
Duncan, W. S. |
51. |
Lewis, Henry |
21. |
Dunn, B. M. |
52. |
Lewis, T. S. |
22. |
Fain, John N. |
53. |
Little, W. W. |
23. |
Farnsworth, J. A. |
54. |
Love, Dr. Wm. Abram(P.M.) |
24. |
Franklin, W. T. |
55. |
Malone, Charles F. (P.M.,) |
25. |
Goldsmith, J.M. |
56. |
Manahan, M. W. |
26. |
Goldsmith, Morgan J. |
57. |
Manry, W. F. |
27. |
Goodlett, Spartan |
58. |
Martin, W. A. |
28. |
Gramling, Wm. G. |
59. |
McBurney, E. P. |
29. |
Gray, James A. (P.M.) |
60. |
McDougall, R. H. |
30. |
Hammock, C. C. (P.M.) |
61. |
McKenzie, Geo. M. |
31. |
Hardeman, G. T. E. |
62. |
Merchant, J. R. |
63. |
Mitchell, 1. S. |
75. |
Sharp, W. H. |
64. |
Montgomery, C. D. |
76. |
Shepard, T. J. |
65. |
O'Neal, Wm. J. |
77. |
Simpson, Wm. A. |
66. |
O'Rear, J. D. |
78. |
Snider, L. |
67. |
Parker, M. A. |
79. |
Stewart, A. P. |
68. |
Parks, John S. |
80. |
Stocks, John T. (P.M.) |
69. |
Perkerson, 0. |
81. |
Taylor, G. W. (P.M.) |
70. |
Puckett, H. |
82. |
Westmoreland, W. F. J. |
71. |
Richards, R. H., Jr. |
83. |
Wilkinson, John R. |
72. |
Roach, E. J. |
84. |
Wilkinson, Mell R. |
73. |
Rhodes, J. D. |
85. |
Woolley, L. B. V |
74. |
Scott, H. F. |
86. |
Zachry, W. I. |
Seven of the Charter Members had received their degrees from the Lodge while it was Under Dispensation. They, with the dates of their raisings (all 1887, of course), were:
Dan B. Harris May 12
J. D. O'Rear May 12
Alfredo Barili June 14
Morgan J. Goldsmith June 14
William A. Simpson June 28
Thomas J. Delbridge August 23
Miles H. Dillard August 23
Seven of the Charter Members, Morris Brandon, Manning W. Manahan, W. F. Manry, E. P. McBurney, C. D. Montgomery Sr., William A. Simpson, and Mel] R. Wilkinson, were still in the Lodge fifty years after its founding. Brandon and McBurney died in 1940; Manry and Simpson passed away the next year; Manahan died in 1942, and Montgomery in 1943. Mell R. Wilkinson, the last surviving Charter Member, died on July 27, 1947, sixty years after the founding of the Lodge.
Honorary Members
Nine men have been elected to honorary membership in Gate City Lodge.
Oct. 14, 1913 Henry Banks, PGM
Union Lodge No. 28, LaGrange
Dec. 12, 1916 J. Lynn Bachman, PGM (Tenn.)
Sweetwater Lodge No. 292, Sweetwater, Tenn.
Nov. 27, 1917 Frank 0. Miller, PGM
Ft. Valley Lodge No. 110, Fort Valley
Dec. 10, 1918 Robert J. Travis, GM
Landrum Lodge No. 48, Savannah
Nov. 11, 1919 Charles L. Bass, GM
Clarkesville Lodge No. 325, Clarkesville
Jul. 13, 1920 J. E. Sheppard, GJW
Lodge not known, Americus
Feb. 22, 1921 Thomas W. Hardwick, Governor-elect
Hamilton Lodge No. 58, Sandersville
Feb. 13, 1962 Lee Hoyt Williams
Buckhead Lodge No. 712, Atlanta
Jan. 26, 1971 Coleman W. Lantrip
St. John's Lodge No. 9, Manila, Phil.
33° Masons
Twenty-six members of Gate City Lodge have been invested with the Thirty-third Degree by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
John R. Wilkinson 1901 Theodore B. Fay 1945
Joseph C. Greenfield 1907 Frank A. Cundell 1953
John Gilmore 1915 Thomas S. Perry 1955
J. Leroy Duncan 1917 Theodore J. Whitehead 1961
E. P. King 1917 Alexander Dittler, Jr. 1967
Thomas H. Jeffries 1919 Edward J. Scheiwe 1967
Henry C. Heinz 1919 Theodore Oser 1969
Michael Hoke 1923 George W. Pope 1969
John R. Dickey 1927 Charles A. Wofford 1969
John H. Mullin 1927 John L. Westmoreland, Jr. 1973
J. O. King 1933 Charles H. Lindsey 1977
John L. Westmoreland 1935 C. B. Jones, Jr. 1979
Daniel 1. Maclntyre 1943 Jack A. Morse 1979
At least six other 33° Masons were members of Gate City prior to their investiture.
ThomasC. Burford 1933 Lee Hoyt Williams 1949
Thomas E. Doss 1943 A. John Fulton 1965
Albert Ellis Before 1948 R. Cooper 1979
Annual Membership Returns
The membership statistics given in the narrative portion of this history have been on a "calendar year" (i.e., January through December) basis, indicating the Lodge's fortunes during a Master's term of office. The membership figures, which are usually thought of as "official", however, are those of the annual returns to the Grand Lodge. Accordingly, the table below gives the annual gains (raisings, affiliations, reinstatements) and losses (dimits, suspensions, deaths) as reported to the Grand Lodge each year. Through 1950 the figures are as of August 31 each year (i.e., September through August), but starting in 1951 the figures are as of June 30 each year.
GAINS |
LOSSES |
|
|
|||||
YEAR |
RAISED |
AFFIL. |
REINS. |
DIMIT. |
SUSPE. |
DEATHS |
TOTAL |
NOTE |
1887 |
7 |
79 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
86 |
|
1888 |
15 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
127 |
(1) |
1889 |
10 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
144 |
|
1890 |
12 |
11 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
159 |
|
1891 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
160 |
|
1892 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
8 |
10 |
5 |
152 |
|
1893 |
6 |
9 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
158 |
|
1894 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
157 |
|
1895 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
160 |
(2) |
1896 |
11 |
6 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
169 |
|
1897 |
14 |
6 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
178 |
|
GAINS |
LOSSES |
|
|
|||||
YEAR |
RAISED |
AFFIL. |
REINS. |
DIMIT. |
SUSPE. |
DEATHS |
TOTAL |
NOTE |
1898 |
9 |
20 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
196 |
|
1899 |
8 |
10 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
3 |
207 |
|
1900 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
213 |
(3) |
1901 |
15 |
9 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
222 |
|
1902 |
13 |
6 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
233 |
|
1903 |
24 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
24 |
2 |
236 |
(4) |
1904 |
18 |
10 |
5 |
16 |
0 |
4 |
249 |
|
1905 |
27 |
16 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
279 |
|
1906 |
33 |
21 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
327 |
|
1907 |
30 |
26 |
1 |
18 |
7 |
3 |
357 |
(5) |
1908 |
27 |
19 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
396 |
|
1909 |
53 |
37 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
9 |
465 |
(6) |
1910 |
37 |
26 |
1 |
8 |
8 |
5 |
508 |
|
1911 |
41 |
20 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
5 |
557 |
|
1912 |
44 |
24 |
0 |
3 |
13 |
13 |
596 |
|
1913 |
47 |
15 |
3 |
12 |
0 |
5 |
644 |
|
1914 |
80 |
25 |
0 |
18 |
27 |
3 |
701 |
|
1915 |
37 |
14 |
4 |
21 |
9 |
10 |
716 |
|
1916 |
73 |
18 |
2 |
18 |
7 |
5 |
779 |
|
1917 |
39 |
13 |
1 |
18 |
0 |
5 |
809 |
|
1918 |
53 |
7 |
2 |
18 |
0 |
5 |
858 |
(7) |
1919 |
85 |
13 |
1 |
13 |
32 |
14 |
898 |
|
1920 |
113 |
27 |
6 |
29 |
3 |
10 |
1002 |
|
1921 |
118 |
32 |
7 |
15 |
6 |
7 |
1131 |
|
1922 |
66 |
18 |
0 |
7 |
13 |
9 |
1186 |
|
1923 |
46 |
26 |
5 |
19 |
24 |
7 |
1213 |
|
1924 |
51 |
20 |
2 |
41 |
0 |
7 |
1238 |
|
1925 |
39 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
30 |
14 |
1233 |
|
1926 |
34 |
18 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
11 |
1257 |
|
1927 |
27 |
20 |
1 |
12 |
37 |
8 |
1248 |
|
1928 |
25 |
8 |
5 |
10 |
3 |
11 |
1262 |
|
1929 |
30 |
13 |
2 |
13 |
0 |
13 |
1281 |
|
1930 |
31 |
14 |
2 |
11 |
139 |
11 |
1167 |
|
1931 |
9 |
16 |
3 |
14 |
60 |
18 |
1103 |
|
1932 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
14 |
49 |
15 |
1037 |
|
1933 |
6 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
150 |
9 |
876 |
|
1934 |
8 |
5 |
30 |
22 |
49 |
29 |
819 |
|
1935 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
17 |
88 |
17 |
703 |
(8) |
1936 |
8 |
2 |
16 |
15 |
35 |
20 |
659 |
|
1937 |
7 |
1 |
23 |
12 |
22 |
11 |
645 |
|
GAINS |
LOSSES |
|
|
|||||
YEAR |
RAISED |
AFFIL. |
REINS. |
DIMIT. |
SUSPE. |
DEATHS |
TOTAL |
NOTE |
1938 |
9 |
1 |
28 |
13 |
8 |
14 |
648 |
(9) |
1939 |
6 |
3 |
23 |
12 |
28 |
18 |
617 |
|
1940 |
13 |
7 |
15 |
19 |
25 |
16 |
592 |
|
1941 |
12 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
13 |
582 |
|
1942 |
10 |
5 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
7 |
571 |
|
1943 |
9 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
14 |
569 |
|
1944 |
17 |
5 |
16 |
6 |
13 |
15 |
573 |
|
1945 |
25 |
5 |
13 |
13 |
3 |
17 |
583 |
|
1946 |
43 |
4 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
13 |
616 |
|
1947 |
22 |
4 |
8 |
10 |
4 |
10 |
626 |
|
1948 |
26 |
3 |
8 |
12 |
7 |
15 |
629 |
|
1949 |
28 |
1 |
13 |
3 |
11 |
14 |
643 |
|
1950 |
30 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
14 |
653 |
|
1951 |
19 |
0 |
9 |
9 |
13 |
11 |
648 |
|
1952 |
19 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
656 |
|
1953 |
17 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
17 |
662 |
|
1954 |
17 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
15 |
657 |
|
1955 |
15 |
0 |
8 |
3 |
8 |
19 |
650 |
|
1956 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
8 |
11 |
627 |
|
1957 |
16 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
23 |
610 |
|
1958 |
20 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
10 |
15 |
609 |
|
1959 |
9 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
8 |
12 |
602 |
|
1960 |
15 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
12 |
602 |
|
1961 |
16 |
7 |
4 |
9 |
6 |
12 |
602 |
|
1962 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
22 |
584 |
|
1963 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
16 |
22 |
549 |
|
1964 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
21 |
17 |
522 |
|
1965 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
20 |
15 |
487 |
|
1966 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
13 |
23 |
468 |
|
1967 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
15 |
455 |
|
1968 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
454 |
|
1969 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
16 |
443 |
|
1970 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
432 |
|
1971 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
16 |
414 |
|
1972 |
13 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
418 |
|
GAINS |
LOSSES |
|
|
|||||
YEAR |
RAISED |
AFFIL. |
REINS. |
DIMIT. |
SUSPE. |
DEATHS |
TOTAL |
NOTE |
1973 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
16 |
410 |
|
1974 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
14 |
401 |
|
1975 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
399 |
|
1976 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
12 |
389 |
|
1977 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
15 |
377 |
|
1978 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
377 |
|
1979 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
9 |
372 |
|
TOTAL |
2075 |
907 |
378 |
824 |
1207 |
956 |
|
|
NOTES:
(1) An error of some sort was made in the return for 1888, since gains of 48 and losses of one, added to 86, make a total of 133.
(2) The return of 1895 included the following: "Note: our records were destroyed by fire Dec. 27th, 1894, hence a difficulty in particularizing some 1894 dates. A. P. Wood, Secy."
(3) The 1900 returns from Solomon's Lodge No. 1, Social Lodge No. 1, and Gate City Lodge No. 2 are missing from the Grand Lodge records, having become torn loose from the book into which they had been bound. Since the earliest existing minutes of Gate City go back to only November 1899, we have no record of membership activity in September and October, 1899. The data shown in the table is from the available minutes.
(4) The return for 1902 showed a closing total of 233, but the return for 1903 showed an opening total of 235.
(5) The return for 1906 showed a closing total of 327, but the return for 1907 showed an opening total of 328.
(6) For the first time, Gate City Lodge was the largest Lodge in Georgia.
(7) The return for 1917 showed a closing total of 809, but the return for 1918 showed an opening total of 819.
(8) Solomon's Lodge No. 1, Savannah, with a membership of 777, was the largest Lodge in Georgia, ending Gate City's reign of twenty-six years.
108
(9) A hand-written correction was made to all of the totals of returns from 1934 through 1938, reducing them all by five. The original totals are shown in the table; thus, the opening total for 1939 becomes 643.
Past Masters Association
During the Grand Lodge sessions in Macon in October 1914 the Gate City Past Masters held a banquet for the Grand Lodge officers, and the feelings of comradeship and fraternity engendered there led a number of them to suggest the establishment of a permanent organization. Accordingly, on January 12, 1915, eighteen of the Lodge's twenty-two living Past Masters met in the banquet hall of the Winecoff Hotel to organize the Past Masters Association of Gate City Lodge, the first such group in Georgia. The objects of the Association, as stated in the By-laws adopted that evening, were "the cultivation of fraternity and cooperation among the Past Masters, the consideration and direction of any matter affecting Gate City Lodge, the entertainment of distinguished visitors, the general supervision of the officers of the Lodge, and the promotion of the best interests of the craft." All Past Masters of the Lodge were to be members, and two meetings were to be held each year: in Atlanta on the date of the Lodge's first regular meeting each year, and in Macon on the first night of the annual communication of the Grand Lodge.
The eighteen Past Masters present at the organizational meeting were:
John Z. Lawshe |
Talley B. Graves |
Thomas H. Jeffries |
Charles E. Hall |
John R. Dickey |
John H. Mullin |
John R. Wilkinson |
John Gilmore |
Albert P. Wood |
Royal Daniel |
Joseph C. Greenfield |
John A. Brice |
John D. Simmons |
Raymund Daniel |
E. P. Wood |
J. LeRoy Duncan |
James T. Wright |
Joseph Gregg, Jr. |
John Z. Lawshe was elected President at the first meeting with Charles Hall and LeRoy Duncan elected to serve as Vice-President and Secretary, respectively. Within a few years an appropriate initiation ceremony was written by Raymund Daniel, adding to the sense of comradeship, which is the corner- stone of the Association. Through the years the Association has greatly enriched the Lodge through assistance to special Lodge projects, in conferring degrees, and in providing sage advice to the Lodge's officers. Although the annual Macon banquet was dropped sometime in the 1920's or '30's, the group still entertains the Lodge's "distinguished visitors", with the Grand Master usually dining with them at their annual meeting in January.
Of the ninety-two men to serve as Master through 1979, six were not members of the Past Masters Association. Charles Malone, John Parks, and J. Stovall Smith had died prior to its formation; Russ Suber died before becoming a Past Master; and J. D. Lathem and George Awtry failed to complete their term as Master and thus are not Past Masters. Victor Hollingsworth, who also failed to complete his term, was specifically elect- ed to membership in the Association in 1949.
ANNUAL MEETING SITE AND OFFICERS
YEAR |
SITE |
PRESIDENT |
SECRETARY |
1915 |
Winecoff Hotel |
John Z. Lawshe |
J. LeRoy Duncan |
1916 |
Piedmont Hotel |
Thomas H. Jeffries |
Joseph Gregg, Jr. |
1917 |
Piedmont Hotel |
John R. Dickey |
Henry C. Heinz |
1918 |
Piedmont Hotel |
A. P. Wood |
James B. McNelley |
1919 |
Piedmont Hotel |
Joseph C. Greenfield |
John W. Bachman |
1920 |
Majestic Hotel |
John D. Simmons |
J. Albert Woolley |
1921 |
Piedmont Hotel |
E. P. Wood |
William G. Hastings |
1922 |
Piedmont Hotel |
James T. Wright |
Arthur J. Stitt |
1923 |
Piedmont Hotel |
Charles E. Hall |
Morris M. Ewing |
1924 |
Piedmont Hotel |
John H. Mullin |
Virgil E. Adams |
1925 |
Henry Grady Hotel |
Walter D. Waitt |
Theodore B. Fay |
1926 |
Henry Grady Hotel |
John Gilmore |
J.M.B. Bloodworth |
1927 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
John A. Brice |
Paul F. Greenfield |
1928 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
Raymund Daniel |
Daniel 1. Maclntyre |
1929 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
Joseph Gregg, Jr. |
Dowse B. Donaldson |
1930 |
Biltmore Hotel |
Henry C. Heinz |
Leo S. Gilbert |
1931 |
Biltmore Hotel |
James B. McNelley |
H. Stacy Darrington |
1932 |
Biltmore Hotel |
William G. Hastings |
Charles H. Wetmore |
1933 |
Ansley Hotel |
Arthur J. Stitt |
Leon M. Gauvreau |
1934 |
Ansley Hotel |
Morris M. Ewing |
Rudolph L. Schneider |
1935 |
Ansley Hotel |
Virgil E. Adams |
Edgar B. McDougal |
1936 |
Ansley Hotel |
Theodore B. Fay |
George R. Trippe |
1937 |
Ansley Hotel |
J. M. B. Bloodworth |
James W. Setze, Jr. |
1938 |
Ansley Hotel |
Paul F. Greenfield |
Larkin D. Cathcart |
1939 |
Ansley Hotel |
Daniel 1. Maclntyre |
Talley Kirkland |
1940 |
Ansley Hotel |
Dowse B. Donaldson |
Charles E. Hall,.Jr. |
1941 |
Ansley Hotel |
Leo S. Gilbert |
Wallace W. Rhodes |
1942 |
Ansley Hotel |
H. Stacy Darrington |
T. J. Whitehead |
1943 |
Ansley Hotel |
Charles H. Wetmore |
Herbert T. Briscoe |
1944 |
Ansley Hotel |
Leon M. Gauvreau |
C. F. Morgareidge |
1945 |
Ansley Hotel |
Rudolph L. Schneider |
Charles C. Edenfield |
1946 |
Edgar B. McDougal* |
||
1947 |
James W. Setze, Jr.* |
||
1948 |
Ansley Hotel |
Larkin D. Cathcart |
Malcolm H. Shelton |
1949 |
Ansley Hotel |
Talley Kirkland |
Charles P. Taylor |
1950 |
Ansley Hotel |
Charles E. Hall, Jr. |
Thomas S. Perry |
1951 |
Shrine Club |
Wallace W. Rhodes |
V. F. Hollingsworth |
1952 |
Shrine Club |
T. J. Whitehead |
Tommy D. Davidson |
1953 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
Herbert T. Briscoe |
Fletcher G. Rodgers |
1954 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
C. F. Morgareidge |
Glenn H. Burnett |
1955 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
Malcolm H. Shelton |
R. E. A. Sparks |
1956 |
Atlanta Ath. Club |
Charles P. Taylor |
Walter W. Strobhert |
1957 |
Dinkler Plaza |
Thomas S. Perry |
Walter W. Strobhert |
1958 |
Dinkler Plaza |
V. F. Hollingsworth |
David C. Holland |
1959 |
Dinkler Plaza |
Tommy D. Davidson |
Charles A. Wofford |
1960 |
Dinkler Plaza |
Fletcher G. Rodgers* |
Jack J. Burns* |
1961 |
Glenn H. Burnett* |
||
1962 |
Camellia Garden |
Walter W. Strobhert |
|
1963 |
Camellia Garden |
Charles A. Wofford |
James H. Futch |
1964 |
Jack J. Burns |
||
1965 |
Camellia Garden |
Fred L. Williams, Jr. |
|
1966 |
Mammy's Shanty |
James H. Futch |
|
1967 |
Masonic Temple |
George W. Pope |
Thomas H. Gilbert |
1968 |
Camellia Garden |
J. Norwood Jones |
Carl W. Poss |
1969 |
Rose Bowl Rest. |
James M. Drill |
John W. Sanders |
1970 |
YaarAb Temple |
Thomas H. Gilbert* |
Karl G. Barbour* |
1971 |
Yaarab Temple |
Carl W. Poss |
Carlos G. Dick |
1972 |
Masonic Temple |
Karl G. Barbour |
P. Elliott Kyle |
1973 |
Carlos G. Dick |
Thomas R. Hitz |
|
1974 |
Yaarab Temple |
Thomas R. Hitz |
P. Elliott Kyle |
1975 |
Yaarab Temple |
Thomas R. Hitz |
|
1976 |
Yaarab Temple |
George A. Wise |
Kent C. Taylor |
1977 |
Masonic Temple |
C. B. Jones, Jr.* |
Carl A. Herbig* |
1978 |
Masonic Temple |
Kent C. Taylor* |
Eugene H. Musser* |
1979 |
Masonic Temple |
Carl A. Herbig |
V. Lee Waymire |
1980 |
Masonic Temple |
Eugene H. Musser |
Paul A. King |
Craftsmens Club
In the Spring of 1919 Worshipful Master Bill Hastings organized the Third Degree Club to assist the officers of the Lodge in conducting the Master Mason degree. The first officers of the organization were A. Price Woolley, President, and William B. Hartsfield, Secretary. The idea for such an organization could not have come at a better time since the Lodge was beginning its labors of the Masonic "boom" of the late 'teens and early 'twenties and the officers were in need of regular, dependable assistance.
It was not long before the functions of the organization began to expand and in the 1920's and '30's the Third Degree Club entertained wounded soldiers, served at Lodge banquets, purchased new uniforms for the third degree, sponsored Lodge social meetings, and traveled with the officers to put on degrees in other Lodges. In 1929 the Club organized a Lodge chorus with L. P. Johnson directing, and in 1935 a "Harmony Division" of harmonica players was formed. In 1930 the Club found another way to assist the Lodge officers by forming a Funeral Arrangement Committee.
When Bill Hastings was editing The Trestle Board he often referred to the Third Degree Club, the Past Masters Association, and the Charter Members Association as "wheels within a wheel"; the Third Degree Club wheel was whirling smoothly.
The activities were not all "work" - there was a fun side, too.
The Club held an annual dinner meeting in January for several years, and in the twenties the Lodge provided the Club with a "social evening" each August. In the 1930's and '40's the Club had an annual "outing" - usually a fish fry - at which the members were reported to have had rollicking good times!
At the Club's annual dinner in the Temple dining hall on January 18, 1932, each of the active members wore a 3 inch wide blue sash, with a large white "3" on it, looped over the shoulder. Leo Gilbert had donated the sashes as a means of recognizing the Club's many contributions. Unfortunately, that is all that is known of the sashes, and whether or not they were ever used thereafter is lost to history.
As recounted in Chapter 5, the Fellowcraft Club was formed in October 1944 by Fred Morgareidge to put on the dramatic section of the Fellowcraft degree, written by Raymund Daniel and published by the Grand Lodge in 1935. The new Club worked beside the older Third Degree Club for the remainder of the year, but early in 1945 the two groups merged and became the Craftsmen's Club. The first President of the new organization was William H. Martin, and their initial activity was assisting in the conferring of the Fellowcraft degree on February 27, 1945.
The Craftsmen's Club continued the active social program, including picnics for the Lodge each summer. In September 1952 a chicken barbecue was held with some of the money left by Franz Arthur Barth, long a faithful member and worker and Vice-President of the Club in 1947 and 1948.
Service to the Lodge also continued, with the Craftsmen supplying snacks after Lodge meetings, furnishing new costumes for the Master Mason degree, traveling to other Lodges to do the dramatic section of the Master Mason degree, and, in 1955, organizing the Gate City Lodge Blood Bank. All this despite an "annual custom" of carrying over a twenty-five cent deficit in the treasury!
The Third Degree Club (1919 - 1944) and the Craftsmen's Club(1945 - present) have proved to be among the Lodge's most important assets in the sixty years which have passed since Bill Hastings recognized the need for assistance to the officers and gave the opportunity for service to many who might otherwise have lost interest in their Lodge through lack of involvement.
While the somewhat informal records of the Club make it impossible to assemble a complete list of all those who have served as President of the group, the contributions of those who are known make it desirable to print the list as it is:
1919 |
A. Price Woolley |
1950 |
Charles A. Wofford |
1920 |
- unknown - |
1951 |
Gordon D. Miller |
1921 |
- unknown - |
1952 |
Samuel A. Pegram |
1922 |
John G. Burkhardt, Jr. |
1953 |
Peter R. Verinis |
1923 |
- unknown - |
1954 |
Rex T. Morris |
1924 |
William B. Hartsfield |
1955 |
Carl A. Herbig |
1925 |
Joel 0. Perry, Jr. |
1956 |
James M. Drill |
1926 |
Lawrence Altmayer |
1957 |
Carl A. Herbig |
1927 |
Harry '@". Robert |
1958 |
Arnold Ingemann |
1928 |
Frank S. Keene |
1959 |
George W. Sanders |
1929 |
H. G. "Tiny" Cagle |
1960 |
- unknown - |
1930 |
Talley Kirkland |
1961 |
- unknown - |
1931 |
John W. Young |
1962 |
- unknown - |
1932 |
Leo S. Gilbert |
1963 |
- unknown - |
1933 |
Wallace W. Rhodes |
1964 |
- unknown - |
1934 |
C. F. Morgareidge |
1965 |
George A. Wise* |
1935 |
C. F. Morgareidge |
1966 |
- unknown - |
1936 |
Arthur N. "Nick" Anderson |
1967 |
- unknown - |
1937 |
- unknown - |
1968 |
Kent C. Taylor |
1938 |
J. Henry Holcomb, Jr. |
1969 |
Joseph M. Waller |
1939 |
Talley Kirkland |
1970 |
Lucian L. Sneed |
1940 |
Frank S. Keene |
1971 |
Norman K. Jolley |
1941 |
Frank S. Keene |
1972 |
V. Lee Waymire |
1942 |
Frank S. Keene |
1973 |
Kenneth J. Day |
1943 |
- unknown - |
1974 |
W. Sherman Taylor |
1944 |
- unknown - |
1975 |
William W. Boyer |
1945 |
William H. Martin, Jr. |
1976 |
Dallas B. Cox |
1946 |
Ralph C. Treon |
1977 |
A. Harold Cox* |
1947 |
Elbert H. Roane |
1978 |
Thomas R. Hitz* |
1948 |
Elbert H. Roane |
1979 |
Stephen Callaghan* |
1949 |
Elbert H. Roane |
1950 |
Charles A. Wofford |
*Uncertain
Charter Members Association
Gate City Lodge has published two histories of the Lodge prior to this book. The first, on the occasion of the Lodge's Twenty-fifth anniversary in 1912, was a 4-1/2 inch by 6 inch, twenty-six page pamphlet, with soft covers of dark blue morocco leather. Entitled "History of Gate City Lodge No. 2 F. & A. M.", it was printed by Foote & Davies Company of Atlanta. It contained photographs of all of the Lodge's Masters through 1912, photographs of the officers of 1912, eleven pages of history, biographical data of the twenty-three men who had served as Master, and lists of the active membership, the dead, and those who had dimitted. The historical section, apparently written by Joseph C. Green- field, provides much information on the early years of the Lodge, even though it contains several inaccuracies: incomplete list of petition signers; incorrect date of dispensation; incorrect year of death of Henry W. Grady; and incorrect membership figures. Some of the dates of raising of early Masters have also been found to differ from Grand Lodge records.
The second history of the Lodge, "By-laws and History", was dated August 27, 1929, upon the first general revision made to the By-laws of the Lodge. It is a 3-3/4 inch by 7 inch pamphlet of forty-eight pages, soft-bound in grey paper. It includes the revised By-laws with the Order of Business and Rules of Order, a list of the officers of the Lodge for each year of its existence, lists of the members of the Past Masters and Charter Members Associations, and seventeen pages of history written by William G. Hastings. A little over six pages of Hastings’s history is Lawshe's account of the founding of the Lodge, reproduced in Chapter Two of this book. In general, Hastings’s history is reliable, although he erred in saying that Henry Grady and Dr. J. B. Hawthorne were the first men ever raised by the Lodge, and his membership figures do not agree with either Grand Lodge returns or the Lodge's end-of-year financial reports.
The 1929 booklet was revised and reprinted with the date June 1, 1941. The format was the same as twelve years before: revised By-laws with Order of Business and Rules of Order, annual officer lists (through 1941), lists of the Past Masters and Charter Members Associations, and Hastings’s history with Lawshe's account; the annual membership figures were deleted. The title, size, and binding were the same as in 1929.
The Lodge has apparently issued only one printed roster of its members other than that in the 1912 history. Entitled "Roster of Gate City Lodge No. 2, F. & A. M., Atlanta, Georgia", and dated "As of September, 1921", it is a 3-1/4 inch by 5-3/4 inch grey paperbound booklet of six- teen numbered pages. Following the list of members is the note: "Membership - 1131." It was supplemented a little over a year later with a two-page list of new members through November 1922, with instructions to paste the supplement in the back of the original roster. It noted: "Total Membership 1203".
The Trestleboard
Inspired by a never-failing loyalty for Gate City Lodge, by constant love for her members and the hope that some design that shall be placed here may help "the craft to pursue their labors," THE TRESTLE BOARD” makes its initial appearance. Frail as the little bark may be upon the great sea of Masonic journalism, it is attended by the wish that it shall result in a closer union of the membership of our lodges that it may be the means of bringing to each communication the brethren who have not been able to attend regularly in the past that through its medium may be found expressions of thought that shall bring pleasure and profit to all.
The publication is exclusively in the interest of Gate City Lodge, its officers and members. Its purpose is to foster and support every advancement of our organization. It shall endeavor to publish matters of news of Gate City Lodge in particular and the Craft in general. It will offer from time to time articles by prominent leaders in masonry. A department will be devoted to items of personal interest, where "Tidings from the Craft" will be given. It will take the place of former notices of regular communications. Its editorial department will endeavor to be a miniature forum, where condensed matters of interest will be presented.
The labors of the editorial management are gratuitous, as it is our belief that the highest reward that can come is in the knowledge that some benefit may result from our labors. So in the spirit of warmest brotherly love, THE TRESTLE BOARD comer, to you.
Thus did Raymund Daniel, the first Editor of The Trestle Board, introduce the little publication on May 21, 1915. Its acceptance and success were immediate and it has maintained a prominent place in the life of Gate City Lodge ever since.
It is believed that The Trestle Board was the first such publication in the South. It preceded the Masonic Home Messenger, the Grand Lodge periodical, by about eight years. Apparently the only previous Masonic publication in Georgia had been the short-lived Masonic Herald personally owned and published by Max M. Meyerhardt, Grand Master from 1890 until 1907.
The originators of the idea for a Lodge publication were Henry C. Heinz, James B. McNelley, and Raymund Daniel, and they were able to persuade David P. Darrington, a member of the Lodge who had been printing the Lodge notices since 1910, to do the printing at his shop at 4-1/2 South Broad Street. Daniel and Darrington set a standard of excellence seldom matched in any periodical.
In those days the publication was wide-ranging in its subjects, bringing to its readers the latest Masonic news from around the globe, Lodge and Masonic history, poetry, Lodge activities, and articles of general interest. It was all contained in a (usually) four-page, slick- paper, type-set 9-1/2" x 6-1/4" format, with photographs. The original masthead, reproduced at the head of this Appendix, was drawn by Lewis Gregg of W. D. Luckie Lodge No. 89, then an Atlanta newspaper artist and later a well-known painter. It remained unchanged until 1946.
During Raymund Daniel's Editorship a number of eight-page issues were made for special events, and the issue of December 9, 1918 - Daniel's last issue - went to ten pages, the largest ever.
Several years later, Stacy Darrington, son of Dave Darrington and a “printer's devil" in his dad's shop when the first issue came out, noted that " the paper was Raymund Daniel's gift to Gate City" , and that "when he resigned the editorship... he left The Trestle Board firmly established; he began with an idea and left an institution."
William G. Hastings succeeded Raymund Daniel in 1919 and served as Editor for eleven years, getting out 265 issues, not one of which failed to meet the standard of excellence established by his predecessor. Of Bill Hastings and his labors, Stacy Darrington said, "There were few fields he failed to explore at one time or another with profit to The Trestle Board. Alert to Masonic news and events, he was equally versed in the lore and philosophy of the Craft. His interests ranged afield. In almost any issue in those days one might come upon deliberations of philosophic import, discursions into history, flashes of humor, and notes on economics and current events, reposing... column by column with news of Masonry and of Gate City in particular. Bill knew how to put one word after another."
Under Hastings the publication was known throughout the fraternity as much more than just a Lodge notice, and a number of Masonic libraries kept it on file. When Bill Hastings visited London in 1928 he read the latest issue in the United Grand Lodge of England library; both the Grand Lodge of Iowa and the Scottish Rite requested back issues for their libraries; Masonic periodicals in Illinois and Florida were sub- scribers; and in 1925 the York Rite Trestle Board in Mexico City re-printed an article from Gate City's Trestle Board. A number of Lodges have, over the years, credited The Trestle Board for inspiring their own publications; two of the more distant ones are The Masonic Messenger of La Luz Lodge No. 3, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Lodge Light of Louisiana Lodge No. 102, New Orleans.
Bill Hastings was followed in 1930 by Stacy Darrington, the former printer's devil". His task was Herculean - in October 1932 the mailing was of 1031 copies which went to thirty-two states and eight foreign countries - but the quality never flagged during the six years he was the Editor. The mark of the periodical continued to be excellent writing on a wide range of subjects. More than his predecessors, Darrington supplemented the issues with poetry by Wallace W. "Dusty" Rhodes and other members of the Lodge.
At the annual meeting in December 1928 the two Darringtons presented the Lodge a complete set of The Trestle Board bound in four handsome volumes. That set was probably by then the only complete set in existence and it was obtained only by combing the personal files of the Darringtons, Raymund Daniel, and Bill Hastings. Raymund Daniel accepted the set on behalf of the Lodge and later that evening introduced a resolution designating the Secretary as custodian of the collection and making it mandatory upon him to have future volumes bound in a similar manner. The resolution was passed, but its effects prevailed only up to the Second World War; the Lodge has bound copies from May 1915 through December 1942, but none after that.
When Stacy Darrington stepped down at the end of 1935 the Lodge presented him a silver bowl in appreciation of his efforts. His father had been given a silver loving cup in 1921 in recognition of his contributions, and both Raymund Daniel and Bill Hastings had received similar tokens.
The quality of The Trestle Board declined under its fourth Editor, James W. Setze, but largely because of factors beyond his control. While his writings show little of the depth and wit of his predecessors, the sharp reduction in the Lodge's membership interest and income were the major factors in the periodical becoming less lively and interesting. Perhaps, also, it accurately reflected the tenor of the times. It was still filled with worthwhile articles and was still well printed on high quality paper, however.
Up to World War II The Trestle Board had been issued as scheduled with two exceptions: September 1933 (under Darrington) and August 1938 (under Setze). There was never an explanation for a cessation of publication, but no issues can be located for the period from January 1943 through January 1946, and it is presumed that none were printed. (This is not entirely clear, however, since the issues of 1942 were identified as Volume XXVIII and those of 1946 as Volume XXX.)
The Editor from 1946 through 1948 was T. Stanley Perry, whose name is not to be confused with that of Thomas S. Perry, Master in 1948. While the resurrected publication was certainly superior to none at all, it was but a shadow of its former self. The printing and paper were still good, although not like before, and much of the material was also of high quality; the major defect was in its irregularity, there apparently being only sixteen issues over the three years.
The five years from 1949 through 1953 saw four different men serve as Editor. Under Charles Wofford (1949), Norman W. Pettys (1950-51), Carl Herbig (1952), and William R. McGee (1953), the little paper made a dramatic comeback in terms of both quality and regularity, once again attaining its deserved position of pride in the Lodge.
In 1954 George and Arthur Poulos took on the twin duties of Editor and printer. They returned to the slick paper of the pre-war era and put out a high-quality publication.
Fred Williams was the next Editor, holding the position from 1955 through 1957. He followed the traditions of high quality writing and printing, although economics and the absence of summer activities resulted in only twenty-nine issues being made in the thirty-six month period.
Carl Herbig reassumed the Editor's chair for 1958 and 1959 and made the first major change in the basic format. Beginning with the Christmas 1957 issue, the old 6" x 9" format was replaced by legal size mimeograph- ed sheets, usually two sheets per issue, printed on both sides.
The Trestle Board was not printed during 1960 although the Lodge minutes record two appointments of men to the post of Editor. It re- appeared in December 1960 with Elmer L. Green at the helm. The size was back to 6" x 9", with a pre-printed blue front (showing a drawing of the new Temple) and back; the two inside pages contained the current news.
When Elmer Green was transferred out of town at mid-year, Fred Williams was pressed back into service, beginning with the August 1961 issue. He continued with the pre-printed forms through the remainder of the year, then in 1962 and 1963 reverted to the slick-paper style which he had used from 1955 through 1957.
Only two issues were made in 1964, both put out by W.M. Jimmy Drill. Each was printed on 8-1/2" x 11" paper, which was folded for mailing. No issues were made in 1965. Respectability and regularity returned in 1966 when Carl W. Poss appointed himself to be Editor, then stayed at the job for twelve years, the longest tenure in the history of the publication. Long past were the days of thought-provoking editorials, news of the world-wide fraternity, and wistful poetry - which were now recognized as the luxuries of a wealthy and growing Lodge in a low-postage, inexpensive-printing era - but Carl Poss recognized the need for a dependable Lodge organ which could get out the news of the Lodge in a practical way. And that's what he produced: an offset printed, four-page, 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" publication of announcements of degrees, special meetings, deaths, and the day-to-day doings of Gate City Lodge, issued monthly except for the summer months.
Carl Poss' Co-Editor in 1977, James N. Rickman, took over sole responsibility in 1978 and continued in the practical tradition of his predecessor. Among the few changes he introduced was the editorial policy of featuring GOOD NEWS in every issue. The cost of The Trestle Board has often been of concern over the years, but fortunately its publication has never been entirely stopped for financial reasons. Response to a 1966 questionnaire showed that over 88% of the respondents felt that it was worth the cost, many of them commenting to the effect that it was their only communication with their Lodge because of illness, age, or distance. The Trestle Board, despite its lapses and shortcomings, comprises the most valuable record of the story of Gate City Lodge, richer by far in spirit and human interest than the excellently-kept but necessarily business-like minutes of the Lodge. It is an asset, growing in value with every issue, which must be jealously guarded.
EDITORS
1915 -18 Raymund Daniel 88 issues
1919 -29 William G. Hastings 265 issues
1930 -35 H. Stacy Darrington 85 issues
1936 -42 James W. Setze, Jr. 49 issues
1943 -45 - no issues -
1946 -48 T. Stanley Perry 16 issues
1949 Charles A. Wofford 11 issues
1950 -51 Norman W. Pettys 22 issues
1952 Carl A. Herbig 12 issues
1953 William R. McGee 11 issues
1954 George and Arthur Poulos 11 issues
1955 -57 Fred L. Williams, Jr. 29 issues
1958 -59 Carl A. Herbig 27 issues
1960 - no issues -
1961 Elmer L. Green 8 issues
1961 -63 Fred L. Williams, Jr. 28 issues
1964 James M. Drill 2 issues
1965 - no issues -
1966 -76 Carl W. Poss 116 issues
1977 Carl W. Poss and James N. Rickman 11 issues
1978 -79 James N. Rickman 19 issues
Jack W. Ward
Histories and Rosters Meeting Places
Gate City Lodge has published two histories of the Lodge prior to this book. The first, on the occasion of the Lodge's Twenty-fifth anniversary in 1912, was a 4-1/2 inch by 6 inch, twenty-six page pamphlet, with soft covers of dark blue morocco leather. Entitled "History of Gate City Lodge No. 2 F. & A. M.", it was printed by Foote & Davies Company of Atlanta. It contained photographs of all of the Lodge's Masters through 1912, photographs of the officers of 1912, eleven pages of history, biographical data of the twenty-three men who had served as Master, and lists of the active membership, the dead, and those who had dimitted. The historical section, apparently written by Joseph C. Green- field, provides much information on the early years of the Lodge, even though it contains several inaccuracies: incomplete list of petition signers; incorrect date of dispensation; incorrect year of death of Henry W. Grady; and incorrect membership figures. Some of the dates of raising of early Masters have also been found to differ from Grand Lodge records.
The second history of the Lodge, "By-laws and History", was dated August 27, 1929, upon the first general revision made to the By-laws of the Lodge. It is a 3-3/4 inch by 7 inch pamphlet of forty-eight pages, soft-bound in grey paper. It includes the revised By-laws with the Order of Business and Rules of Order, a list of the officers of the Lodge for each year of its existence, lists of the members of the Past Masters and Charter Members Associations, and seventeen pages of history written by William G. Hastings. A little over six pages of Hastings’s history is Lawshe's account of the founding of the Lodge, reproduced in Chapter Two of this book. In general, Hastings’s history is reliable, although he erred in saying that Henry Grady and Dr. J. B. Hawthorne were the first men ever raised by the Lodge, and his membership figures do not agree with either Grand Lodge returns or the Lodge's end-of-year financial reports.
The 1929 booklet was revised and reprinted with the date June 1, 1941. The format was the same as twelve years before: revised By-laws with Order of Business and Rules of Order, annual officer lists (through 1941), lists of the Past Masters and Charter Members Associations, and Hastings’s history with Lawshe's account; the annual membership figures were deleted. The title, size, and binding were the same as in 1929.
The Lodge has apparently issued only one printed roster of its members other than that in the 1912 history. Entitled "Roster of Gate City Lodge No. 2, F. & A. M., Atlanta, Georgia", and dated "As of September, 1921", it is a 3-1/4 inch by 5-3/4 inch grey paperbound booklet of six- teen numbered pages. Following the list of members is the note: "Membership - 1131." It was supplemented a little over a year later with a two-page list of new members through November 1922, with instructions to paste the supplement in the back of the original roster. It noted: "Total Membership 1203".
The Number and The Name
The story of how our Lodge came to be numbered "Two" is related in Chapter Two. Until 1945 the Grand Secretary was free to award the lowest vacant number to a new Lodge, but since then such Lodges have received the next higher number on the roll. According to the September 1976 issue of the Masonic Messenger, there are about 150 Lodges in Georgia older than Gate City - but only the two Number Ones (Solomon's in Savannah, and Social in Augusta) have numbers, which indicate their greater antiquity.
The first "Number Two" in Georgia was Unity Lodge in Savannah, war- ranted by the Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) in 1774, although it was "Number Two" only in the sense that it was the second Lodge constituted in the colony and in the Provincial Grand Lodge. It did not survive the Revolution.
Upon the formation of the Grand Lodge of Georgia in 1786, Hiram Lodge of Savannah (chartered in 1784 as Lodge No. 42 under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania) became the first Lodge to carry the number Two under the new Grand Lodge. Hiram Lodge ceased to exist sometime prior to 1830, and about that time Stith Lodge of Sparta took the number Two. Stith Lodge surrendered its charter in 1841, and the number lay unclaimed until John Lawshe discovered its availability in 1887.
Of the forty-nine independent Grand Lodges in the United States, nine of them do not now have a Lodge numbered "Two": Alabama, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts (does not number their Lodges at all), Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee. No exhaustive research was undertaken to determine the dates of founding of the forty remaining "Number Twos", but that of twenty-nine of them was determined, and of the group our Lodge is the youngest; it seems likely that Gate City is the youngest "Number Two" in the republic.
No surviving record of the Lodge indicates why the name "Gate City" was selected for the Lodge, although Atlanta was long known as the Gate City of the South because of its key role in the transportation networks of the region.
Our Lodge was the first in Georgia to bear the name, but not the first in the nation. There are in existence today five other "Gate City" Lodges, three of which were constituted before our Lodge. Correspondence with them produced the following brief resumes of their histories:
Gate City Lodge No. 14, A.F.&A.M., GARY,SOUTH DAKOTA
(the Gate City to South Dakota) . . . founded 1880 . . .
presently about 22 members.
Gate City Lodge No. 11, A.F.&A.M., RATON,NEW MEXICO
(the Gate City to New Mexico, through Raton Pass) . . .
founded 1883 . . . present membership about 167.
Gate City Lodge No. 622, A.F.&A.M., KANSAS CITY,
MISSOURI (the Gate City to the West) . . .
founded 1883 . . . present membership about 608 . . .
meets ; second and fourth Thursdays.
Gate City Lodge No. 32, A.F.&A.M., PINE BLUFFS,
WYOMING (the Gate City to Wyoming) . . .
founded 1911 . . . present membership about 100.
Gate City Lodge No. 694, A.F.&A.M., GREENSBORO,
NORTH CAROLINA (also the Gate City to the South) . . .
founded 1951 . . . present membership about 310 . . .
meets second and fourth Tuesdays.
Meeting Places
The "Temple Lodges" of Atlanta have met in the following locations:
1847 - 1860 Corner of Alabama Street and Lloyd Street
(now Central Avenue)
1860 - 1866 North side of Decatur Street between Ivy and N. Pryor Streets (burned 5-1-66)
1866 - 1871 Various places: Corner, Decatur and Pryor Streets SW corner, Peachtree and Marietta Streets 59 Whitehall Street
1871 - 1892 Old Grant Building, corner of Broad and Marietta Streets
1892 - 1894 Old Capitol Building (Venable Building), SW corner of Marietta and N. Forsyth Streets (burned 12-27-94)
1895 Unknown temporary quarters
1895 - 1901 Chamber of Commerce Building, corner of Pryor and Hunter Streets
1902 - 1909 Clarke Building, corner of Mitchell and Forsyth Streets
1909 - 1950 Corner, Peachtree and W. Cain Streets (burned 9-7-50)
1950 - 1960 Various places; Gate City met at the Temple of Oglethorpe Lodge, 631 Seminole Avenue, N. E.
1960 - Present NW corner, Peachtree and Deering Roads
Gate City Lodge was constituted in 1887 in the Old Grant Building
Bibliography
Of the dozens of books and other sources consulted and drawn upon for information, the following short list represents those, which were especially helpful.
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: Transactions of The Supreme Council, Charleston, S. C., 1901 - 1975.
Atlanta Fire Department: Prompt to Action/Atlanta Fire Department 1860 - 1960, Atlanta, 1960.
Clarke, Williams: Freemasonry in Georgia, Masonic Home Print Shop, Macon, Ga., undated.
Daniel, Raymund: "A History of Freemasonry in Georgia", in The Fultonian, edited by T. C. McDonald, Atlanta, undated.
Denslow, Ray V.: Freemasonry in the Western Hemisphere. Missouri Lodge of Research, Fulton, Mo., 1953.
Denslow, William R.: 10,000 Famous Freemasons, Missouri Lodge of Research, Fulton, Mo., 1957 - 1961.
England, United Grand Lodge of: Grand Lodge, 1717 - 1967. Oxford, 1967.
Gate City Lodge No. 2, F.&A.M.: History, Atlanta, undated (1912).
Gate City Lodge No. 2, F.&A.M.: By-Laws and History, Atlanta,1929.
Gate City Lodge No. 2, F.&A.M.: The Trestle Board, Atlanta, 1915 - 1979.
Georgia, Grand Lodge of: Masonic Messenger, Macon, Ga., 1960 - 1979, plus selected earlier issues.
Kitchens, G. W.: "Freemasonry in Atlanta in the Nineteenth Century", in Transactions of Lodge of Research No. 104, Atlanta, August, 1969.
Koeln, George R.: The Rite and Georgia, undated (circa 1969).
McDonald, T. C.:Freemasonry and Its Progress in Atlanta and Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta, 1934
Pantagraph Printing and Stationary Co.: 1974 List of Lodges, Masonic, Bloomington, Ill., 1974\
Slate, Richard R.:A History of The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, Past to Present, Atlanta, 1972. Made available to the authors through the courtesy of Patricia Noot LaHatt.
By-Laws
CHAPTER I
Title and Communications
Section 1. This Lodge shall be known by the name of Gate City Lodge No. 2.
Section 2. This Lodge shall be governed in strict conformity to the Constitution, Laws and Edicts of the Grand Lodge of Georgia; the Ancient Landmarks, Customs and Usages of Free Masonry; and the By-Laws, Rules and Regulations of this Lodge.
Section 3. The regular communications of this Lodge shall be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of January through May, inclusive, and September through November, inclusive, and on the second Tuesdays of June, August, December and the fourth Tuesday in July. The hour of meeting shall be seven-thirty o'clock in the evening. The Worshipful Master may call special communications, by giving due notice thereof, for such purpose as may be strictly specified in the said notice, and not incompatible with the usages and laws of Masonry.
Section 4. All business of this Lodge must be transacted at the regular communications of the Lodge.
Section 5. No regular communication can be called off beyond the day and night in which it is opened.
Section 6. Degrees may be conferred at a special communication called for the purpose; provided that the candidates were elected at a regular communication.
Section 7. All communications of this Lodge shall be held in the Atlanta Masonic Temple in the City of Atlanta, except in case of emergency, when the Worshipful Master may direct otherwise, provided the place of meeting he in the City of Atlanta.
Section 8. No communication of this Lodge can be held unless the charter is present.
Section 9. This Lodge shall be represented at each communication of the Grand Lodge of Georgia.
CHAPTER II
The Members and Their Duties
Section 1. The members of this Lodge are all who have received, or may hereafter receive, the degrees in this Lodge, or who have been or may hereafter be elected to membership in it.
Section 2. No person shall be considered a member of this Lodge until he has subscribed his name to the By-Laws of the Lodge.
Section 3. Membership in this Lodge shall automatically be terminated following suspension or expulsion or the granting of a dimit; provided that any person so affected may apply for re- instatement.
Section 4. The duties of the members of this Lodge are divided into three classes: toward an individual brother, toward this Lodge, and toward the body of Masonry.
· Toward an individual Brother - To aid him in the hour of difficulty, console him in the hour of grief, relieve him when in distress, counsel him when astray, pray for him and avoid every word and act that might injure him in person, character, purse or feelings.
· Toward This Lodge - To obey these By-Laws and all others of its Rules and Regulations, as well in spirit as in the letter; to uphold its lawful interests and extend the honor of its name throughout the Masonic world.
· Toward the Body of Masonry - To support the Constitution, Laws and Edicts of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, and to see that none of the ancient landmarks of Masonry are removed or overthrown.
Section 5. The various "charges' delivered monitorially to candidates in the Degrees are hereby acknowledged to contain a correct summary of Masonic duties.
CHAPTER III
The Officers - Their Election, Installation and Duties.
Section 1. The officers of this Lodge shall be as follows, viz:
The Worshipful Master,
Senior Warden,
Junior Warden,
Treasurer, Secretary,
Chaplain,
Senior Deacon,
Junior Deacon,
Senior Steward,
Junior Steward,
Tyler.
Section 2. The Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior
Warden, Treasurer, Secretary and Tyler shall be elected by ballot at the regular communication in December each year, unless other- wise changed by dispensation from the Grand Master. The brother having the majority of votes of the members present, for any office, shall be declared duly elected to that office.
Section 3. Each officer duly elected shall be installed in office and shall hold his office until his successor shall be duly elected and installed.
Section 4. All preferment among Masons is grounded on real worth and personal merit only; therefore, no officer shall be chosen by seniority, but for his merits.
Section 5. No officer duly elected and installed can resign his office during the term thereof.
Section 6. Every member of this Lodge in good standing at the time of election shall be eligible to vote.
Section 7. The installation of the officers of this Lodge shall take place at the regular communication at which they are elected, before any other business takes place or as early as practical after the election. Any officer re-elected to the office in which he has just served one or more years need not be installed.
The rules governing the installation shall be those laid down in the Ahiman Rezon, prepared under the direction of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, or any other chart or monitor recognized by the Grand Lodge.
Section 8. In addition to those duties, which appertain to every individual Mason, the duties of the several officers of the Lodge shall be as follows:
The Worshipful Master - To open and preside over the Lodge or to make necessary provisions for the performance of this duty when absent; to see that the By-Laws, Rules and Regulations of this Lodge, and the Constitution, Laws and Edicts of the Grand Lodge of Georgia are duly understood, respected and obeyed by the members; to give Masonic instruction to the Lodge; to take command of the other officers of the Lodge and claim of them advice and assistance on any business relative to the Craft; to see that the proper officers of the Lodge collect and truly keep the monies of the Lodge; to see that the furniture and other valuables are not wasted, damaged or lost, and in case the charter of this lodge should be forfeited or surrendered, to preserve these things subject to the order of the Grand Lodge of Georgia; to approve all orders on the treasurer, with the consent of the Lodge,- to act upon the standing Committee of Charity; to appoint all committees; to see that all un-Masonic conduct, brought to his knowledge, be faithfully dealt with in accordance with the By-Laws of this Lodge, and the general rules of Masonry; to guarantee to anyone charged with un-Masonic conduct a fair trial, and to preserve the right of appeal from a decision of this Lodge to the Grand Lodge of Georgia; to fill all vacant offices by pro tem appointments; to convene the Lodge in special session; to install his successor in office, or cause the same to be done; to see visitors from other Lodges, have courteous attention and a welcome in this Lodge; to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie; to appoint the standing Committee of Finance; to read and expound to the Lodge the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, or cause the same to be done; to decide all Lodge questions of order, subject to an appeal from such decision to the Grand Lodge of Georgia or the Grand Master.
The Senior Warden - To succeed to and exercise all the powers of the Worshipful Master in the event of his absence, death or disability; to assist the Worshipful Master in opening, governing and closing the Lodge; to act upon the standing Committee of Charity.
The Junior Warden - To succeed to and exercise all the powers of the Worshipful Master in the absence, death or disability of his two superior officers; to superintend the craft during the hours of refreshment; to act upon the standing Committee of Charity.
In the absence of the three principal officers, or at the request of the ranking officer present, any Past Master of the Lodge in good standing may open the Lodge and preside as Master over its session.
The Treasurer - To receive all monies from the Secretary; to keep a just and true account of the same; and to pay them out on the order of the Lodge, with the consent of the Worshipful Master; to render his account for settlement, supported by proper vouchers, at the regular annual communication and at the regular communication of the Lodge in June in each year, and this report shall be made through the Finance Committee of the Lodge. For the due performance of his duties and the surrender of all monies and property entrusted to his care, he shall give a good and sufficient surety bond in an amount to be determined by the Finance Committee, but not less than one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars. This surety bond is to be approved by the Worshipful Master, and paid by the Lodge.
The Secretary - To keep a correct account of the proceedings of the Lodge, proper to be written; to collect all monies and pay them over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefore: to attend upon all trials and meetings for the purpose of taking evidence; to furnish copies of all evidence taken on trials, where an appeal to the Grand Lodge of Georgia is demanded; to furnish Diplomas, Dimits, Certificates, etc., duly signed and sealed on the order of the Lodge; to notify the Grand Secretary promptly of all suspensions from the Lodge; to keep a visitors book; to prepare a balance sheet of all the accounts of members of the Lodge and a roll of all who are entitled to vote; to prepare an official statement of his own account with the Lodge, the same to be presented to the Lodge through the Finance Committee at the regular annual communication, and at the regular communication of the Lodge in June in each year; to pre- serve the seal of the Lodge with care and deliver it to the Worshipful Master at the close of his term of service; to promptly deliver to his successor in office all the books, papers, vouchers, etc., in his possession which have any reference to the business of the Lodge.
All petitions and documents of every character having any bearing on the business of the Lodge, handed to the Secretary, shall be filed for preservation and kept in some secure place, and only delivered up on the order of the Lodge. Immediately after the annual election, the Secretary shall report to the Grand Secretary, under the Seal of the Lodge, the results of the said election, with the names of the officers elected in their own proper signatures. For the faithful performance of his duties, the Secretary shall receive as compensation the sum of One Dollar from the annual dues collected from each member and ten percentum of all other monies received during the course of the year, with the exception of donations received, fees returned and monies received in settlement of accounts with other Masonic bodies. To secure the faithful performance of these duties, the Secretary shall give a good and sufficient surety bond in an amount to be determined by the Finance Committee, but not less than one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars. This surety bond is to be approved by the Worshipful Master, and paid by the Lodge. It is expressly forbidden that the Secretary should at any time divulge the names or addresses of the members of the Lodge to any person for the purpose of advertising or soliciting, or for any other purpose not directly connected with the advancement of the work of the Craft; and should he knowingly divulge such names or addresses for such purpose or purposes, he shall be deemed guilty of un-Masonic conduct. Provided, that nothing herein contained shall prevent any member of the Lodge from obtaining such names or addresses for a purely Masonic purpose.
The Chaplain - Shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master on the occasion of his installation. His duties are: To perform those solemn services, which we should constantly render to our Infinite Creator.
The Senior Deacon - Shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master on the occasion of his installation. His duties are: To welcome and provide for the examination of visiting brethren; to carry all messages from the Worshipful Master to the Senior Warden, and elsewhere as he may be directed; to attend at the Holy Altar; to attend alarms at the inner door; and to receive and conduct candidates.
The Junior Deacon - Shall be appointed by the Senior Warden on the occasion of his installation. His duties are: To see that the Lodge is duly tiled; to attend alarms at the outer door; and to carry all messages from the Senior Warden to the Worshipful Master, and elsewhere as he may be directed.
The Stewards - Shall be appointed by the Junior Warden on the occasion of his installation. Their duties are: To cope the Holy Altar; to superintend the preparation of candidates; to introduce them into the Lodge; and to assist the Junior Warden in the duties of his office.
The Tyler - To keep off all cowans and eavesdroppers, and to see that none enter unless duly qualified and having the permission of the Worshipful Master; to have in charge the furniture, jewels and other property of the Lodge; to serve notices, summons and citations issued under the authority of the Worshipful Master. As a compensation for his services he shall receive the sum of five ($5.00) dollars for each communication at which he performs the duties of his office.
Section 9. Each officer of this Lodge shall be held personally responsible to the Worshipful Master for the conduct of his office, and through him to the Grand Lodge of Georgia. His office shall be filled correctly, with dignity and honor; and its various duties shall be performed without haughtiness or tyranny, but according to the law, impelled by a diligent desire to exemplify to the world the virtues and sublime morality of Masonry.
Section 10. Due respect and obedience shall be paid by the members of the Lodge to the various officers, according to their respective rank and station in the Lodge.
Chapter IV
Petitions for Degrees, Membership, Advancement, Dimit, Etc.
Section 1. An application for initiation in this Lodge shall be by written petition on the standard form for such purpose prescribed by the Grand Lodge of Georgia and shall be signed by the applicants own hand, in his full given name. This petition shall bear the recommendations of at least two Master Masons, one of whom shall be a member of this Lodge, and shall be delivered to the Secretary, accompanied by the sum of fifty ($50.00) dollars. This said petition must then be read in open lodge at two regular communications, at each of which readings the character of the applicant shall be open to inquiry and discussion, under due Masonic restrictions, by any member of this Lodge. Following the second reading of the petition in open Lodge, the ballot upon the petition shall be in order. Before the ballot takes place, the report of a special committee on character shall be heard. This special committee on character shall consist of at least three members of this Lodge.
Section 2. An application for membership in this Lodge by a Mason regularly dimitted from some other legally organized Lodge, recognized by the Grand Lodge of Georgia, shall be by written petition on the standard form for such purpose prescribed by the Grand Lodge of Georgia, and shall be signed by the applicant's own hand, in his full given name. This petition shall bear the recommendations of at least two members of this Lodge, and shall be delivered to the Secretary. The reading of such petition for membership and subsequent action thereon shall be in exact conformity with the provisions of Section 1.
Section 3. A petition for a dimit from this lodge by a member thereof, shall be in writing, signed by the applicant's own hand, in his full given name; and shall specify that the applicant, a Master Mason, respectfully requests that he be permitted to withdraw from his membership in this Lodge, and that he be given a certificate to this effect. This petition must be accompanied by a certificate from the Secretary that the applicant is clear of the books of this Lodge before such petition will be entertained. No petition for dimit will be entertained when the petitioner is under charges involving un-Masonic conduct of any character.
Section 4. Applications for relief from persons in distress should be made through some member of the standing Committee on Charity; but such application may be made by any member of this Lodge, either verbally or in writing, and shall then be immediately referred to the Worshipful Master.
Section 5. An application for an appeal to the Grand Lodge of Georgia by a member of this Lodge who may be under sentence for un-Masonic conduct must be in writing, over the signature of the applicant, and must be directed to the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren; such application for appeal should then be deposited with the Secretary for proper direction.
Section 6. Applications and petitions of every kind, except for relief, must be presented at a regular communication of the Lodge; such applications may be acted upon at the same meeting at which they are received; except petitions for the degrees, or for membership.
Section 7. The vote upon petitions for the Degrees, for membership or for dimit must be by secret ballot, and one negative vote shall be sufficient to reject such petitions.
Section 8. Every member of this Lodge who may be present when a motion is put on a question stated, shall be bound to vote un- less excused by action of the Lodge.
Section 9. In balloting on a Petition for the Degrees or for membership, if none but white ballots appear, the petitioner shall be immediately declared duly elected; if two or more black ballots appear, the Petition shall be immediately declared rejected; if only one black ballot appears, the Worshipful Master may order the ballot again spread, and in the event one black ballot again appears, the petition shall be declared duly rejected.
Section 10. No one shall be permitted to inspect the ballot except the Worshipful Master, the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden; and no brother shall be permitted to make known to any Person whomsoever, Mason or otherwise, the manner in which he voted. NO restriction of any sort concerning the manner of voting upon any question may be placed upon a brother, nor shall any one be question& by any Member of the Lodge as to how he exercised that right.
Section 11. A ballot when once declared shall be final; nor shall any reconsideration thereon be permitted on any pretense whatsoever.
Section 12. In case Of the rejection of an applicant for the Degrees, such applicant shall be precluded from presenting a second Petition for the Degrees until the expiration of twelve calendar months from the date of such rejection.
Section 13. When an applicant is rejected by this Lodge, no member Or visiting brother shall discover, by any means whatever, who opposed his admission, under the penalty, if a member, of being suspended, or if a visitor of never thereafter being permitted to visit this Lodge or become a member thereof; and if any member Of this Lodge shall inform a Petitioner or any other person, except a Master Mason in good standing, of anything which my have occurred in relation to any Petition (except the Petitioner him- self that he was admitted or rejected) or shall inform his, who was present at the time of such action, or shall divulge any business whatever that may have been transacted by or in the Lodge, he shall be deemed guilty of un-Masonic conduct.
CHAPTER V
Financial Fees, Charity, Management of Funds.
Section 1. The fees of this Lodge shall be for Degrees, Membership, Annual Dues, and for extraordinary purposes.
Section 2. The fees for the Degrees, including Dues for current year, in this Lodge shall be seventy ($70.00) dollars, apportioned as follows: Fifty ($50.00) dollars shall accompany the petition; fifteen ($15.00) dollars shall be paid before the Degree of Fellowcraft is conferred; and fifteen ($15.00) dollars shall be paid before the Degree of Master Mason is conferred. In addition to the usual fee for initiation, the sum of ten ($10.00) dollars shall be collected from each candidate at the time of his initiation, which shall be paid to the Grand Lodge and be used strictly as a benevolent fund.
Section 3. The Dues in this Lodge shall be twenty ($20.00) dollars per annum, which said annual dues are payable strictly in advance, Emeritus and Life members only excepted.
Section 4. All members of Gate City Lodge who are over seventy years of age, and have been contributing members for a period of twenty years, shall automatically become Emeritus members.
Section 5. In event a dimit issued, no refund shall be made to the applicant to cover any un-expired portion of the year, which may remain from the date of the granting of the said dimit.
Section 6. All monies received by the Treasurer on behalf of the Lodge shall be kept by him as a separate account from his private funds, and said monies shall at all times be at the command of the Lodge, subject to call or withdrawal on proper warrants.
Section 7. The Lodge, at its discretion, may loan out its funds at lawful interest under the supervision of the Treasurer and the Finance Committee, provided that sufficient security there- for be taken.
Section 8. The prompt payment of the annual dues to the Lodge by its members is indispensably necessary. The non-payment of the said annual dues is hereby declared a Masonic offense, and shall be dealt with accordingly, unless the offending brother is pecuniarily unable to pay the same.
Section 9. All members of this Lodge who may be two more years in arrears in the Payment of their or annual dues to the Lodge may be automatically suspended, as Prescribed by the Grand Lodge of Georgia; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to present to the Lodge, at the June communication, a list Of members thus subject to suspension, he having Previously notified the delinquent member in writing to his last known address. A member so suspended may be reinstated upon proper application and the payment of two (2) years dues.
CHAPTER VI
Committees
Section 1. There shall be two standing committees of this Lodge, viz: A Committee of Charity and a Committee of Finance.
Section 2. The Committee Of Charity shall consist of the Worshipful Master, the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden. Their duties shall be to dispense the benevolence of the Lodge.
The Committee of Charity shall be charged with the responsibility for and the dispensing of the fund entrusted by the Lodge to their keeping, which fund shall be set at five hundred ($500.00) dollars. This said sum is to be maintained by appropriation, in January each year, whatever amount is necessary to bring this fund to the level of five hundred ($500.00) dollars. This said fund shall be subject to the audit of the Finance Committee at the conclusion of the tenure of office of the said Committee of Charity.
It is the fixed intention and express design of these By- Laws, and this particular section, to specify, insofar as may be commensurate with the interests of the Lodge and each individual member thereof, the limitations of this fund-. This said fund shall at all times be kept separate and distinct from the other monies of the Lodge and from the private funds of the Committee or any member thereof. The said Committee of Charity shall have the power to, at any time, draw a voucher against this fund in an amount not to exceed thirty-five ($35.00) dollars, on oral application made by, or in behalf of, a member of this Lodge or the family of a member of this Lodge.
Section 3. The Committee of Finance, which shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master, shall consist of three members of this Lodge. Their duties shall be to take a general supervision of the financial department of the Lodge, such supervision to include an examination of the books and vouchers of the Treasurer and the Secretary, and to make a detailed report in writing at the regular annual communication and at the regular communication of the Lodge in June, concerning the financial condition of the Lodge; to audit all special funds of the Lodge which now exist or which hereafter are established; and, to determine the amounts of bonds to be made by the Treasurer and Secretary, subject to the approval of the Worshipful Master.
Section 4. Special committees may be appointed upon any business. They shall report at the meeting at which they are appointed, if practical, or, if not, then at the next regular communication. All reports of committees shall be in writing. All special committees shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master and shall consist of Master Masons only.
Section 5. Members who are appointed to serve on committees shall be bound in Masonic honor to give patient and diligent attention to the business of their appointments, and report their conclusions to the Lodge at the earliest date without fear or favor.
CHAPTER VII
Discipline
Section 1. The Constitution, Laws, and Edicts of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, as recorded in the Masonic Manual and Code, shall be followed in all instances where it becomes necessary to try a member of Gate City Lodge for some offense against Masonry, and all penalties accruing therefore shall be in conformity with those laid down in the Masonic Manual and Code.
CHAPTER VIII
Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to these By-Laws may be made by action of the Grand Lodge of Georgia or of this Lodge.
Section 2. Any amendments made by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Georgia in her own constitutional rules, or in these By-Laws and any laws or edicts promulgated by the Grand Lodge, which affect any subject embodied in these By-Laws, shall be considered as amendments to these By-Laws from the date thereof, without any formal action on the part of this Lodge.
Section 3. Any portion of these By-Laws may be annulled and others substituted in their stead, at the will of the Lodge. Provided, that the general principles of Free Masonry, and the constitution, laws and edicts of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Georgia, are carefully maintained; but all amendments shall be proposed in writing, and shall be read before the Lodge at a regular communication and laid over until the next regular communication, before the vote can be taken, and a majority of two-thirds shall be essential to the adoption of such proposition.
Section 4. No By-Law, or any portion thereof, can be suspended or temporarily dispensed with for any purpose whatever.
Presented and First Reading: July 23, 1974
Passed: August 13, 1974