823 History

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The following "Short History", was compiled by Brother Roger A. Masters and published on 15 October 1965.

I arrived in Germany o 8 February 1954, and being a Mason, I immediately made inquires as to the location of a Masonic Lodge.

Within a matter of two hours I found that there were approximately sixty Americans and thirty German Masons in and around Pirmasens. I also discovered that the German Lodge (Zur Treue am Berge Horeb lodge No. 701, AF & AM), had no actual meeting place which they could call home and that the Americans had banded together and formed a body called the Cornerstone Club. This Club met frequently in the local Gasthouses and hotels as a social Group and members of the German Lodge sometimes attended its meetings and the Americans returned this courtesy by attending the German brothers meetings and social gatherings.

It seemed a shame that they had no Lodge where degrees could be conferred on those found worthy, especially since many persons were beginning to ask how they could join our craft. I asked several of the American Masons if we could forma a Lodge and the answer was the negative. All told me that the question had been posed before but, in that the brothers were from so many different organizations, they just couldn't get together.

For the time being we had to satisfy ourselves with attending our Corner Stone club meetings.

Then Mount Horeb, Chapter Nr. 399, National Sojourners was charted. Our meetings were well attended and fellowship was good but in the back of everyone's mind was the idea that something was still missing. What was that idea? Simply this – we can belong to many Masonic organizations, which have good reasons for existing such as promoting Americanism, stamping out communism, aiding crippled children's hospitals etc; but, no where can we live masonry or get as much from its teachings as we can in the Blue Lodge, that body to which we must belong and be a member in good standing if we expect to be a part of any other Masonic organizations.

In the late fall season of 1954, brothers Rossborough (Department of the Army Civilian) Secretary for our Chapter informed us that an English speaking lodge (Galilee Nr. 810A AF & AM) had formed and was in operation at Landstuhl, Germany.

The lodge was a deputy Lodge of a German Lodge. The Lodge meeting hall was in an army barrack of and American unit at the Landstuhl Army Medical Center.

I learned over a period of time that German Lodges have a deputy set of officers for every officer they elect. This meant with a special dispensation of the United Grand Lodge of Germany that we could be a deputy (English speaking) Lodge of Zur Treue am Berge Horeb.

When I gathered most of the facts pertinent to the organizations of a Lodge I announced in every bulletin in the area that we would hold a meeting of all Master masons in good standing who were interested in helping to organize a Blue Lodge, in this area. The meeting was scheduled for a Monday night in July of 1955 at the Pirmasens Sub-Area Education Center.

At our first meeting in the Playroom we selected George Cambetes as our first Worshipful Master. Brother George proved to be a pillar of strength at a time when it was most needed. He spent all his free time and much of his leave time in the interest of Masonry.

We went back to Galilee and begged for any help they might be able to give us by way of equipment and their Masonic knowledge. As a result of this visit we received some jewels and furniture that they no longer needed as they now had new equipment. Some things as I look back now give me a chuckle. We had pedestals and pillars made of sections of an old discarded telephone pole. Our gavels were ordinary hammers, our deacons rods were broom sticks and pieces of round wood used to roll rugs on. Our aprons were made from old sheets, and the Holy Bible was loaned from my bookshelf. The platforms at the principal stations were wooden skids, formerly used to store potatoes and other perishables on.

We were finally accorded the privilege of affiliating with what is now our Mother Lodge Zur Treue am Berge Horeb Nr. 701 AF & AM). This was an eventful Sunday morning. We assembled at the Madchen Oberrealschule in Pirmasens and were conducted with much pomp and ceremony arm in arm with our German brethren into a room loaned for affiliation. Here we joined hands and hearts in a single purpose.

You would now think we were on the way but we were not truly so. Two non-members who were occupants of the building made things rough by trying to incite the other occupants against the fraternity.

This action proved to be a blessing in disguise as we went to our German Brethren and founded a more permanent home and closer ties with German Masons.

The brethren spread the word among our German brethren and a search for a home was organized. Worshipful Master Braun found a place for us in the Matheis Hotel but the rent was DM 330.00 a month and we had our choice of either signing a contract for one year or hunting another place. It was a little rough as we had no ready cash so we asked Herr Motheis to put the rent o the cuff until we became solvent.

On 19 November 1955 we were charted a legally constituted Lodge and Worshipful Brother Cambetes was installed as our Worshipful Master.

The winter of 1955-1956 was cold and the attendance was less than it could have been. The contract provided heat for the physical Lodge but it was seldom forthcoming. I remember one candidate very nearly froze and several of us who were involved in conferring the degree wore overcoats and gloves.

This was a difficult time for us but the mere presence of Right Worshipful Brother Rasmussen (Deputy District Grand Master of r English speaking Lodges in Germany) and Fink (Grand Chancellor United Grand Lodges of Germany), who visited us with help and advice plus the tenacity of brethren such as Brother Redfield, Ely, Metzger, Shively and those mentioned earlier enabled us to persevere and arrive at our present harmonious state.

Now that the new Temple has been dedicated we can assume the dignity of Masters or overseers of the work. Both, the Mother Lodge and its offspring have a real home, thus my brethren, it is plain to see; we are raised to a sublime understanding and through the contributions of time, money, effort and perseverance of all concerned we feel that we have erected a secure Masonic edifice.

To succeed in an undertaking such s we have we must remember that we must first invoke the blessing of our Deity and always Look to the East! with respect.

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