The History of Heights Lodge #633
< < - | The Second Masonic Year 1918 | - > >
At the Annual Election held on November 16, 1917, the following officers were elected:
Bro . Chas. A. Tilden Worshipful Master.
Bro. Ernest A. Feazel Senior Warden.
Bro. S. Holmes Mansfiel Junior Warden.
Bro. C. Frank Snider Treasurer.
Pro. Anton B. Breitweg Secretary.
Bro. C. Ralph Keim Senior Deacon.
Bro. Will Hohnhorst Junior Deacon.
Bro. Alanson O.S. Allan Senior Steward.
Bro. Frank Post Junior Steward.
Pro. Ezra T. Bryan Alternate Steward.
Bro. Julius P. Preyer Alternate Steward.
Bro. Benj. F. Hanna Tyler.
Brothers D. S. Benson, F. W. Striebinger and Wm. N. Bogue were appointed
as Trustees to serve for one, two and three years respectively.
[Programme of Work, December 1917]
Soon after assuming the leadership of Heights Lodge W. Bro. Tilden instituted
a series of monthly meetings of the officers of the Lodge. 
These
meetings were generally held at the Shrine Club building, 3515 Euclid
Ave. They were always well attended and proved a splendid means of keeping
the officers of the Lodge in close touch with each other.
Another innovation for Heights Lodge which was introduced by W.Bro Tilden was the annual "Roll Call Night". At this meeting each member was asked to be present if possible, but if for any reason this was not possible, he was expected to notify the secretary by letter and this communication was to be read when his name was called. At the first "Roll Call" meeting 92 answered "Present" and eight who were unable to be present wrote to the Secretary. A beautiful and impressive service was introduced at this meeting in memory of the brethren who during the year had passed on into the Grand Lodge Above.
On April 6, 1917 our Government entered the Great World War, taking its place with the Allied European Governments in their terrific struggle against the armies of the Central Powers. Realizing from the first that once we had entered the conflict there could be no stopping and no turning back until the great questions at issue should have been settled finally and completely, our Government laid its plans for a campaign of at least five years duration. It was determined to equip, train and send to France as soon as possible an army of several millions of men.
It was natural and to be expected that a large number of the brethren
from the various Masonic Lodges should respond to the call for service
which went out, and the record established by the members of the Heights
Lodge who entered the various branches of the service, both at home and
abroad, is one which reflects great credit on the Lodge. Altogether there
were twenty-two who answered the
country's call. Their names, and the branch of service entered by each
are as follows:
Orr, Stanley L. Field Artillery 1st Lieutenant
Gray, Joseph Reserve Field Artillery 1st Lieutenant
Helmer, Wilbur J. Quarter Master Corps Captain
Perrin, Herbert T. U. S. Infantry 1st Lieutenant
Pattison, Wallace J. Engineers 1st Lieutenant
Jeavons, William N. Quarter Master Corps, 1st Lieutenant
Smith, Leslie O. Areo Sergeant 1st Class
Schultz, Carlton F. Ordnance Captain
Powell, Walter D. Navy Athletic Director
Crosier, Percy M. Service of Supply Corporal
Pfahl, Edwin H. Infantry Sergeant
Mebane, Charles P. Ordnance Captain
Barnard., Arthur C. Ordnance Corporal
Dickens-Lewis, William F. Y.M.C.A.
Brott, Emery L. Navy Seaman
Smith, Walter H. Areo Cadet
Wyman, Leon E. Y.M.C.A
Cook, Homer E. Infantry Sergeant
Christian, Charles H. Engineers 1st Lieutenant
Johnson, Earl Infantry Private
Blong, Chester D. Infantry Private
Of these Bro. Lewis and Bro. L. E. Wyman were unable to enter the regular army service because of their ages. Being, determined. however, to serve in some capacity they entered the YMCA Service as "Overseas" secretaries and established enviable records for themselves at the front.
[Article from Cleveland Plain Dealer: Barred by Army, Proves Mettle in Uniform of 'Y']
As showing, the splendid spirit and great interest in the work which has always been shown by the officers and members of Heights Lodge,, it should here be set down that with only a verbal announcement of the meeting held on the evening of Dec. 8, 1917, and in spite of the fact that this was the roughest and. most stormy night of the year, there were present twenty-eight members of the Lodge and two visitors. At this meeting Lieutenant Wallace J. Pattison was raised. A few days later Bro. Pattison sailed on the ill-fated Tuscania which was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Ireland. He was the last American officer to leave the ship and escaped only partially clothed. and with complete loss of his personal effects. including his Masonic medal given him on the occasion of his raising.
Several of the candidates for the degrees in our Lodge were obliged to leave for the training camps before being raised. Others who desired to receive the degrees had to leave before they could receive even the Entered Apprentice degree. While some of these brethren were in training at the army encampment at Chillicothe, arrangements were made whereby the degrees could be conferred by Scioto Lodge No. 6, F.&A.M. of that place. Scioto Lodge was soon overwhelmed with work, as similar requests for the conferring of the degrees were coming in from all sides.
In order to confer the degrees upon those of our boys who were at Chillicothe and also to assist Scioto Lodge with its unusually heavy tasks, it was decided by several of the officers and members of Heights Lodge to make a pilgrimage to Chillicothe. Accordingly, on Friday May 17, 1918, the following officers and members of Heights Lodge left for Chillicothe, arriving at 10 A.M. Saturday:
C. A. Tilden, W. M.
E. A. Feazel, S. W., H. Mansfield, J. W., C. R. Keim, S. D., W. Hohnhorst,
J. D., A. B. Breitweg, Sec., W. M. Bogue, P.M., A. O. S. Allan, J. P.
Preyer, Fred. C. Becker, George Berg, Herman Heimerdinger, Chas. S. Bonnell,
Edward Lindmueller, F. A Streibinger, H. M. Pempen, Emil Bregenzer, B.
F. Hanna, Tyler.
The morning was spent in "seeing the sights" about Camp Sherman. The afternoon and evening were spent in conferring Masonic degrees and conducting examinations. Several of the brethren returned to Cleveland on Saturday evening. The others stayed over Sunday, most of them as guests of Lieutenant Gray who was their host at a most enjoyable dinner and afterward took them on a sight-seeing trip about the Camp. Altogether, those who made this trip to Chillicothe voted the occasion most profitable and enjoyable from every standpoint.
Early in the year 1918 Most Worshipful Brother Edwin S. Griffiths, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, became interested in the campaign for the sale of United States Government Thrift and War Savings Stamps in Cuyahoga County, and to stimulate a friendly rivalry and competition among the Masonic Lodges of the County he offered a prize of $100.00 to the Lodge which, during the year, should sell the greatest amount of stamps in proportion to its membership and also minor prizes for the losers.
On April 5th at a "Members Night" meeting the Lodge was addressed by Bro. J. Robert Crouse, director of the Thrift Stamp Campaign for Cuyahoga County and a member of the Heights Lodges and it was decided to enter this contest for the prize which Most Worshipful Brother Griffiths had offered. With characteristic "Heights" energy and enthusiasm nearly every member of the lodge enlisted in the campaign and when the smoke of the conflict had rolled away and the final returns were in at the end of the year it was found that Heights Lodge, true to form, had distanced all its competitors; having sold $67,225 worth of stamps, or an average of $258.00 each member. Not only did Heights win the prize upon the per capita basis but, although with one exception the youngest and smallest of the lodges, it was second in the total amount of stamps sold, having sold more than lodges with four and five times its membership. In August 1919, the prize was awarded to Heights Lodge, and, at the suggestion of Worshipful Master Feazel, to demonstrate that "Heights" had been actuated by patriotic rather than mercenary motives. the prize money was turned over to the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield.
On July 20th the first picnic of Heights Lodge members and their families was held at Willoughbeach Park. Conveyance from the Temple was by automobiles and a large number of the "Heights" members and their families and friends enjoyed an afternoon and evening of the cheer and good fellowship which has always characterized the social affairs of Heights Lodge.
During the fall of 1918 the epidemic of Spanish Influenza which had been sweeping the country reached its peak in Cleveland and its environs, and early in October the health officers of Cleveland Heights Village prohibited all meetings or gatherings, with the result that, except for one brief business meeting and one meeting for a funeral, Heights Lodge held no meetings during the last three months of this year.
This was a period of the greatest anxiety, gloom and depression. one after another, five of our young. active and vigorous members answered in quick succession to the call of the Grim reaper, and we were called in the brief period of a few weeks to bid farewell to Brothers Harry D. Jones, Lewis A. Preyer, Julius Preyer, Howard D. Pritchard and John W. Tear, while a number of other brethren were hovering between life and death, and everyone was asking "Who will be next?"
Thus the year which started so auspiciously ended in sadness and gloom, and the sympathy of each and every member went out to the Worshipful Master, who had worked so long and faithfully in the interest of Masonry and whose thought- and constructive suggestion had added so much to the character of the work performed by Heights Lodge.
Compiled by W.B. Waggoner, Ira R.. Disbro, Ernest A. Feazel
Edited By Earnest A. Feazel, Charles A. Tilden
Contact us at historian@ohiomasoniclodge633.org
- or -
Shawn Miller, PM - Lodge Historian
Heights Lion Heart Masonic Lodge
Lyndhurst
Masonic Center
5516 Mayfield Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124 [map]
