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