The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-04
RICHMOND MASONS TO OPEN CLUB ROOMS
ON 2ND FLOOR OF TEMPLE next MONDAY

A new epoch in the history OF
Masonry in Richmond will be marke ed
Monday, when the new club for Mas:
ter Masons will be opened on the
second floor of the Masonic temple.
1t is expected to be one of the finest
Masonic club rooms in Indiana, and
| will fill long felt need OF the fra
ternity, it is said.
Masonry is nearly 100 years old in
Richmond, Webb lodge No. "a, Free
and Accepted Masons being instituted
| in October, 1923. The order has
grown steadily until today there are
I more than 1900 Master Masons or
blue lodge members, with nearly half
| that many affiliated with King Solo
mons Chapter, Royal Arch Masons
and with Wayne Council, Royal and
Select Masters, and Richmond Com
mandery No. s has recently increased
its membership by nearly 100, and add,
ed to these are more than ESQ sojourn,
| ing members to whom all the priv
| leges of the club will be accorded.
Birth of Idea.
Several previous efforts have been
| made to establish a Masonic club in
! Richmond, but the movement never
gained sufficient momentum to carr
it over the rough and hilly way, and
all were passed up for a more oppo.
tune time, which came about a year
ago, after both Webb and Richmond
lodges had established new records for
| taking in new members.
The movement was brought into
| being early last winter when a mass
meeting of Master Masons was held
CO.. Iz,-
nary organization was effected with
| Clarence w. Foreman as chairman and
Karl M. Swan as secretary. Things
| began to move faster from that time
and soon a proposition was put to the
membership of both Webb and Rich
mond lodges to get behind the club
and support it.
| This was done by each lodge rails
ing it's dues and agreeing to finance
the club to the extent of 81 per capita
per year. This amount is to be used
for maintenance only. A committee
consisting of Clarence w. Foreman
Clarence E. Parks, Joseph Ratliff, Kar
M. Swan and Karl C. Wolfe OF
Webb lodge, and D. D. Minnick, Luther
Bruce, William A Bond, Ed Crawford
and Lou c. Newcomer of Richmond
lodge was appointed to devise way
and means to equip the club.
Committee Organizes.
This committee was organized anC
elected Karl G.. Wolfe as chairman
Ed Crawford as secretary, and Lot
Niewoehner as treasurer. Each of the
two blue lodges then agreed to donate
$1,000 toward the furnishing of the
club and gave the committee power
to act.
Negotiations were opened with some
Of the biggest furniture manufactur
ers in the country for the furniture bu
all propositions were rejected on &C
count of the high cost of proposed
furnishings. Will Rooney, of the Rooney
Furniture company, and a member OF
Richmond lodge, came to the assist
ance of the committee. He enabled
the committee to furnish the club in
a strictly first class manner at a cost
of less than half the original PROPOSE
tons. Early in June a contract was
closed for nearly $4,000 worth of up
holstered furniture of sufficient quaint
ity to furnish the club rooms complete
Later contracts were made for rugs
The rooms will be complete and ready
for the opening ceremonies which will
occur Monday afternoon and even
ing