The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-19


histories Of Marion county Masonic Blue
lodges which has been appearing each
Monday on The Times lodge page Next
week a history of Indianapolis lodge will
be published.
4 PETITION signed by fifteen
"a Master Masons was presented
on Nov. II, 1903, to the grand lodge
Of Indiana requesting dispensation
for the formation of Monument
lodge No. est, Free and Accepted
Masons.
These fifteen signers. most of
whom at the time were members
Of Centre lodge No. %, thus were
the real founders of what is today
possibly the city's most cosmopolitan
Blue lodge. Their stated purpose in
organizing such a group was to
bring into being lodge with which
men of all walks Of life, without
regard to nationality, creed or po-
sition might affiliate so long as they
were proven good men and true"
These founders were Herman
Friedman, Henry J. Harris, Rabbi
Meyer Messing, w. H. Phillips, Sol
Trotcky, Thomas Dennis, Harry E.
Jaffe, Louis Baum, w. H. Nimal,
Samuel Libowitz, Isaac Beitman, Jo-
seph Solomon and Frank F. Baker.
William E. English, then most
worShipful grand master of the state
Of Indiana, granted on Jan. 6, 1904,
to the petitioners a dispensation for
the federation Of a new Blue lodge
in the jurisdiction Of indianapolis.
A charter was issued to Monu-
ment lodge On May 25. 1904, with
the following as charter members:
Isaac Frank, Joseph Solomon,
William F. Moore, Meyer Messing,
Louis Baum, Samuel Libowitz, Sol
Trotcky, Herman Friedman, Henry
J. Harris, Isaac Beitman, Wilbur H.
Phillips, Harry E. Jaffee, Thomas
Bernis, Frank F. Baker, w. H.
Nimal, Simon F. Helstein, David I.
Nackman, Leon w. Wolfe, William
F. McCheSney. Calvin <. Ewing,
Jacob Dellett, James H. Nimal, R. L.
Sullivan, Julius Kaminsky, Fred M.
Meiere, Isadore Feibleman, Max r.
Lyman, Afford S. Jaeger, Benno
Gundelfinger, Henry Deutsch, Louis
S. Bowman, Charles w. Cook, Ben
o. Mitchell, I. L. Keller, Jacob
Wohlf1eld, Bernard Erdman. Paul
F. Schmidt, Simon B. Fox, Willard
Meyer and Julius Rohbard.
At its first stated meeting held
under dispensation on Feb. II, 1904,
Monument had already elected its
first officers who were functioning
in their respective stations when the
charter was issued. They were
Issac Frank, worshipful master;
Joseph Solomon, senior warden;
Charles A. Bates, junior warden;
Meyer Messing. treasurer; Louis
Baum, secretary; Harry Joffee,
senior deacon; Paul F.. Schmidt,
Junior deacon; Arthur Wolfe, senior
steward; Samuel Libowitz, junior
steward, and Wilbur Phillips, tyler.
nURING the many years of its
- existence Monument always
has manifested a uniform and great
interest in the welfare OF the H.
diana Masonic Home at Franklin.
and has made many valuable and
outstanding contributions of a !
permanent character to the institu-
ton.
DR.. Calvin K. Ewing, one of the
older members of the lodge, named, |
on his death, the Masonic home as
his reSiduary legatee, and from this
bequest the home received city and
farm property valued at approx
mately 100000.
For many years Louis E. Gold |
berg, who although he has long
been engaged in the clothing business
in the east. has retained his mem
berShip in Monument and has for
warded annually to the home a
shipment of clothing for its guests.
Last year the lodge discovered
that the home was no longer hold
ing its regular weekly moving pic
ture shows for the children and old
inmates of the home because the
Franklin auditorium was not sup
piled with modern sound equipment
and silent films were no longer
available. To remedy this deficiency
Monument sponsored a minstrel
show with a cast recruited from
members and friends, and with Eph
Levin, past master, acting as direc-
tor.
The presentation. which was Of
fered on the stage of the Murat
theater on two successive nights
raised sufficient funds to enable the
ldoge to purchase and install. with
out cost to the home, a com plete
set of the most modern sound
equipment.
IN conformity with the ideals of
L its founders, Monument lodge
has grown ard developed into a
large cosmopolitan organization
with membership representing all
walks of life scattered to all points
Of the compass.
a number of the members are in
the naval service of the United
States, and in more than one in
stance lodge mail sent to them has
travelled around the world. The
lodge boasts that it keeps in touch
with any and all of its members. no
matter in what part Of the world
they may be located.
A striking example of this is
brought to mind in the case of John
KeeverS. Monument member and
ensign in the United States navy,
who for years was stationed in for
eign waters on the U. S. S. Cicotte,
but who never lost contact with the
lodge.
Monument past masters. in or
der of their succession to Office, are
Isaac Frank, David Nackman, Paul
F. Schmidt, Isaac Marks. William