The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-23

This is the sixteenth of a series of his
tories of Marion county Masonic Blue
lodges which is being published each
Monday in The Times. history of
Prospect lodge will be published next
week
A CITATION for formation Of
- Masonic blue lodge in the
northeast section Of Indianapolis
had been going forward for some
time when, in 1922, forty-three
Master Masons signed and for
warded to the grand lodge Of Indi-
ana a petition asking dispensation
to form what was to become Brook
side lodge, No. 100, Free and Ac-
copied Masons.
Long since it had been demon
strated that the few lodges which
had their quarters in the Masonic
temple, North and Illinois streets,
were inadequate to handle the
rapid growth of Freemasonry in In
dianapolis, and the founding of
Oriental lodge in 1875 brought IL
to being only the first of many blue
lodges with temples in neighbor-
hood residential sections of the
city.
Time has given ample proof Of the
soundness of this policy for not
only did the neighborhood lodges
live and prosper. but also, without
exception, the lodges located in the
Masonic temple grew steadily larger,
stronger and more prosperous.
Just such a neighborhood lodge
did the signers of the petition pro-
pose to found when in May, 1922,
dispensation was granted to organ
ize Brookside. First officers we're
Eugene Chapel, worShipful master;
Clyde Rickes, senior warden; Fred
r. German, junior warden; Harry
Rosswinkel, treasurer; Willard
Lyons, secretary; Ira McCloskey,
senior deacon; Palmer Laycock,
junior deacon; Aaron Zody, senior
steward. Clayton Cullen, Junior
steward; William A Holtz, Max F.
Hosea and William Arnett, trustees.
THE lodge held its first meetings
Il in the temple of Oriental lodge
which kindly rendered all its facili-
ties to Brookside until such time as
the new group could find suitable
quarters of its own 1t was not long.
The Brookside membership demon
strated its faith in the future and
unusual enterprise and enthusiasm
by purchasing tract of ground at
the southwest corner of East Tenth
and Gray streets almost Immediate
ly upon receipt of their diSpenSatlon
to organize.
Ground was broken for erection Of
the temple with appropriate cere-
monies on Oct. 25, 1922, and on Dec
l6 OF the same year the corner
stone was laid with Charlie P. Bene-
dict. grand master of the grand
lodge of Indiana, officiating. Brook
side held its first meeting in its new
home on May %. 1923, when it Of
received its charter from the
grand lodge.
At the dedication ceremonies of
the new temple it was pointed out
that Brookside had achieved a dis
tinction unparalleled in Indiana Ma
sonic history. The new lodge was
the first in the state ever to have
erected and occupied its own temple
while operating under diSpensation.
An innovation among Masonic
in the Indianapolis juriS-
diction, Brookside temple is set we'll
back from the adjoining streets on
track of land 40 feet by 40 feet
and is surrounded by a grove of
trees which adds to its homelike and
reStful appearance.
THAT the confidence of the
i grand lodge and the faith of
the founders in the new organiZa-
ton was not misplaced is demon
strated by the fact that today,
little more than a decade since its
inception, BrookSide has SIC active
members on its roster.
The lodge took the last four lean
years in its stride an1 violence
of its extreme hea ndition
today it points to the i. 1t since
Jan. l OF this year it has received
eleven petitions for degrees and one
for affiliatoin.
Brookside past masters and their
terms in office are: Eugene Chap
pei. 1922 and 1923; Clyde c. Rickes,
1924: Fred R. German, 1925; Ira
J. McCloskey. 1926; Charles T.
Trueman, 1927; Ralph j. Katzen-
berger, 1928; John B. Summers, 1929;
Basil w. Knapp. 1890; Webster M.
Shroyer. 1881; Bert Folkerth, 1882,
and Roy Eberly, 1888.
Present officers of the lodge are
Harry Epply. worshipful master;
Edgar L. Ulrey, senior warden;
Chester w. Hutson, junior warden;
Walter S. Burgess. treasurer; Fred
R. German, secretary; Edward H.
Hughes. senior deacon; William
Leonard. junior deacon; Manuel H.
senior steward; Charles j.
Lehr, Junior steward; Charles w.
Davis. tyler; H. B. Tilman, William
A. Holtz and C. w. Payne. trustees,
and the Rev. r. T. Gwyn, chaplain.