Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-29

ing at the top of Brunswick hall, known
as the Church of the Redeemer; today
there stands in its place one Of the
most beautiful Shrine club temples in
America. Here Is the story:
While the idea of forming a Gardi-
ner Shrine Club may have existed in
more or less nebulous form in the
minds of many mobiles at different
times, the first real beginning of the
present club may be traced to a parlor
car of the Maine Central Railroad on a
hot day in August, A. D. 1923. Two
mobiles were returning home after So
journ in neighboring city and there
and then the seed was sown which has
resulted in the beautiful plant Of to-
day; the seed was in the form of an
idea or rather vision emanating from
the mind Of Noble William r. Frost,
and it fell on fertile ground when it
aroused the attention and interest of
Noble Ralph r. Littlefield. To the sug
gestion of Noble Frost that Shrine
club be organized and an effort made
to buy the Church of the Redeemer for
home, Noble Littlefield replied in
substance: "See what you can do
about it. Bill, and I will back you to
the extent of $4,000" In other words,
Bit was commissioned to buy an I'M
finished church, on which nearly $685.
600 had been expended. for the modest
sum of $4,000.
During the quiescent stage Of this
slumbering but ever growing idea, a
membership subscription was started
in the office of Noble f. l.. Goodspeed
and circulated by Noble Frost. in which
about 80 mobiles expressed their will
lngness to become members of the new
club. The first meeting of organiza-
ton took place in Masonic hall on
August 2Sth, 1923, at which IL mobiles
were present. The present officers, ex-
cept the trustees. who were elected
later, We're elected at that meeting.
It was there that arrangements were
made for an outing or field day, which
finally resulted in the grand and his
toric shore dinner at the Gurnet House
on September 10th. 1t was on the sec
ond meeting. on Sept. 4th, that the
baby received it's name. 1t was between
Sept. 4th and Sept. 10th. on beautiful
night, when even the cold moon appear
ed to look down in mild approval, that
the deed was consummated which will
go down in the annals of Gardiner and
the Shrine club as probably the most
momentous and portentious for good IN
the history of our entire city. At 11.SC
o'clock at night, in the study of Rev
Langdon J. Quimby at Augusta. oul
own Noble Frost, with the limited cap
ital with, which he had been invested
but with unlimited nerve and enthus-
iasm, bought the Church" and gave
his check to bind the bargain.
A few days later the mobiles and their
ladies enjoyed their long anticipated
outing at the Gurnet House, and after
.partaking Of a delightful shore dinner,
President Littlefield outlined what had
been done already and what it was
proposed to do with the church which
we had bought for the good of Gardi-
rer. And 1t was then that the memoir
able telegram from Noble Fred n. Bos-
ton was read, sent from a foreign
country, in which he authorized Noble
Littlefeld to tell the boys" to put
him down for $1,000. President Little
field then announced that he would
match this pledge with another thou
sand. and the ball was started. En-
thusiasm ran high and in few min
utes over $4,000 was pledged from the
90 mobiles present. On the following
day President Littlefeld gave his per-
scnal check for $4,000. and September
II, 1923. the deed was delivered.
Three days later. on September 10,
the club met at Masonic hall by or
der of the president and to the great
surprise of all the meeting was i'm
mediately adjourned to the Church"
The auditorium was dimly lighted
by electric globes which had been
strung around the hall, settees were
imported to hold the voters, and al
though the walls were bare, the
floors cold and the shell of the build
ing, and the problems which were
facing them, the twenty-four charter
members Of Gardiner Shrine club
stepped up to the table, and with all
the formality that must have at
tended the signing of the Declara-
ton of independence, each solemnly
subscribed his name to the Articles
of Association. The corporation was
there formed and the first board of
trustees elected.
From that time on the vision be-
gan to take on more and more the
aspect of reality. While some mobiles
were soliciting funds from other no.
bies and even from some not belong
ing to the Masonic fraternity, who
responded most generously, others
were engaged in directing the work.
Notwithstanding the we'll meant but
often discouraging criticism of some,
and the faint heartedness and pessi-
mism of others, the trustees kept
smilingly on with their job. When
the funds secured by public subscrip-
ton gave out, Mobiles Boston and
Littlefield stepped forward and sign
ed notes amounting to twenty thous-
and dollars in order that the work
might be completed without inter-
fuption. 1t is to reimburse these
Two mobiles who have carried the
great financial burden in the heat of
the day that this great fair and
others will be held.
And now the building is completed.
the material work Is done, But the
real work and the real opportunity
Tor service has just started. Work
IN the Masonic bodies from the En-
tered Apprentice to the Thirty Sec
ond has received an impetus 1t has
never known before; those who
stopped years ago in climbing the
ladder OF Masonry have 1umped
ahead with all the vigor of renewed
youth; and Shriners and citizens of
all races and creeds hold their heads
q little higher when they think of all
lnat has been accomplished,
such Is the plain, unvarnished and.
truthful tale Of accomplishment, of
vision fulfilled. The vision was an
pointed to come to Noble Frost. and
worthy OF the best traditions of the
ancient prophet Of Mecca; the rare
and unsurpassed public spiritedness
and self sacrifice of Mobiles Little
held and Boston furnished the pillars
u strength and beauty to the sfruc,