ERNEST W. LYON LODGE #107
September 8th, 1957
DURING 1956 - 1957, PRINCE HALL MASONS THROUGHOUT GERMANY,
ENGLAND, AND FRANCE WOULD TRAVEL EACH MONTH TO 17 FINKENHOF STR,
FRANKFURT, GERMANY TO PARTICIPATE IN RITUALISTIC CEREMONIES CONDUCTED BY
THE PRINCE HALL MILITARY LODGE, BAMBERG, GERMANY JURISDICTION OF OKLAHOMA.
THE BROTHERS IN KAISERSLAUTERN AND THE SURROUNDING VICINITY GOT TOGETHER
AND DECIDED A LODGE SHOULD BE FORMED IN THE KAISERSLAUTERN AREA.
SOME OF THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THIS COURSE OF ACTION WERE
TRAVEL TIME, INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH HAD CAUSED SEVERAL TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS, AND BASIC ECONOMICS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A STUDY CLUB WAS
ESTABLISHED AND PETITIONS FOR A DISPENSATION WERE SENT TO
VARIOUS GRAND LODGES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FOLLOWING GRAND
LODGES OFFERED DISPENSATIONS: NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, AND CALIFORNIA
BUT MARYLAND WENT ONE STEP FUTHER. THE
GRAND MASTER OF MARYLAND, THE MOST WORSHIPFUL WILLARD W. ALLEN ANSWERED
THE PLEA AND HONORED THE REQUEST WITH A CHARTER RATHER THEN DISPENSATION.
A CHARTER WAS ISSUED IN THE NAME OF ERNEST W. LYON LODGE NO. 107 TO BE
LOCATED IN KAISERSLAUTERN GERMANY.
A REQUEST WAS MADE TO THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER AND OFFICERS OF THE
PRINCE HALL MILITARY LODGE IN BAMBERG, GERMANY TO CONSTITUTE AND DEDICATE
THE NEW LODGE. WORSHIPFUL MASTER CLEOPHUS
BROWN ACCEPTED AND MADE ALL THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS FOR A PUBLIC
CEREMONY.
ON A SUNDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 1957, 1600 HOURS AT CLUB TAHO (AMERICAN
YOUTH ACTIVITY CENTER) IN KAISERSLATERN, WORSHIPFUL MASTER BROWN AND HIS
OFFICERS; SENIOR WARDEN HARRY BROOKS; JUNIOR WARDEN PRESTON PETERSON;
SECRETARY WARREN SMALLWOOD; TREASURE LEON WINTERS; SENIOR DEACON LUIS
GREEN; JUNIOR DEACON HARRY ROBERS; MARSHALL LOUIS LANG; CHAPLAIN JOHN
HOPPER; SENIOR STEWARD PAUL ESTES; AND TYLER RICHARD JAMES CONDUCTED A
MOST MEMORABLE CONSTITUTIONAL AND INSTALLATION CEREMONY.
THE KAISERSLAUTERN COMMUNITY WAS INVITED AND THE OFFICERS OF ERNEST
W. LYON LODGE NO. 107 WERE DULY INSTALLED IN A TRULY HONORALBE AND
FASHIONABLE MASONIC TRADITION. BROTHER CHARLES L. SNIPES WAS
INSTALLED AS THE FIRST WORSHIPFUL MASTER OF ERNEST W. LYON LODGE NO. 107.
THE FIRST OFFICERS OF ERNEST W. LYON WERE HERBERT DAWSON SENIOR WARDEN,
WALTER STOKES JUNIOR WARDEN, IRVING HENRY SECRETARY, WILLIAM GRAY JR
TREASURE, RUSSELL DEVAN TYLER, JOE ROBBINS CHAPLIN, JACOB WASHINGTON
SENIOR STEWARD, JOSEPH MAXWELL JUNIOR DEACON, EDWARD JONES SENIOR DEACON,
OSCAR PERRY JUNIOR STEWARD, BROTHER LEVESTER JONES AND BROTHER CHARLES
STEWART MEMBERS OF THE CRAFT.
AFTER TWO TERMS IN OFFICE, PAST MASTER SNIPES STEPPED DOWN AND PAST
MASTER ROBERT FUTTRELL WAS ELECTED WORSHIPFUL MASTER. PAST MASTER
SNIPES WENT ON TO BECOME THE FIRST DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER, MARYLAND
JURISDICTION, KAISERSLAUTERN AREA. THE DISTRICT DEPUTIES GRAND
MASTERS FOLLOWING DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER SNIPES WERE RIGHT
WORSHIPFUL ROSELL DAVIS, RIGHT WORSHIPFUL CECIL A. ELLIS, RIGHT WORSHIPFUL
CHARLES JONES, RIGHT WORSHIPFUL CLARENCE BEAVERS, RIGHT WORSHIPFUL JUNIOR
N. GLENN, AND THE DISTRICT DEPUTY WHO IS PRESENTLY LEADING THE 12TH
MASONIC DISTRICT, OUR
VERY OWN BIRTHDAY GENTLEMAN, RIGHT WORSHIPFUL JOHN R. WOODBRIDGE.
AS WE CELEBRATE ERNEST W. LYON LODGE NO. 107 44TH
ANNIVERSARY, THE MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE
MASONIC FAMILY WHO PAVED THE ROAD ALLOWING OUR LODGE TO EXIST AND EVERYONE
WHO HAS TRAVELED THE ROAD TO KEEP OUR LODGE IN EXISTENCE.
WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GREETING TO DEPUTY
WOODBRIDGE...A 100 PERCENT
MASON BY ANYONE STANDARDS. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT…FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT'S
FIRST CONSTITUTED LODGE, ERNEST
W. LYON NO. 107