I am not a Charter Member, but I had something to do with the naming of this Lodge. Dad Harry Belk, a very active DeMolay Advisor since the 1930’s, was a Charter Member and on a visit to his office in the Humble Research Center he was telling me about the group about to start this new Lodge. Our DeMolay Chapter had just returned from a trip to New Orleans where I met some members of "DeMolay Lodge" in New Orleans, and I suggested to Dad Belk that the group consider the name, especially since the first Worshipful Master to be was a Senior DeMolay and PMC of Reagan Chapter. Dad Belk did submit the name as a suggestion and it was chosen as the Lodge’s name.

I actually visited the Lodge when it was meeting at S. P. Waltrip Lodge out on what was then called the Old Katy Road. Later the Lodge moved into a very small building in Montrose. When the old Baptist Preacher (his name escapes me right now) was Master. Reagan Chapter was invited to come and confer the DeMolay Degree. We brought a good group of boys and did confer the degree. There was only a handful of Masons present if my memory is correct, and it was difficult to confer the degrees in out normal manner due to the lack of space. However, they were most hospitable and made the boys and advisors feel most welcome.

Later, the Lodge sold or lost that building (I’m not real sure about the details) and there was some consideration of surrendering the Charter. The Lodge did move into the Scottish Rite Temple at Polk and Caroline, but only a handful of men were active. Brother J. W. Chandler asked me if I would visit the Lodge, make them feel welcome to the Scottish Rite, etc. He also suggested that I consider affiliating with the Lodge because he thought they really needed some help. I did visit at a Stated Meeting a few months after they moved to the Scottish Rite, and attendance was poor. They were a great group of guys, but little was really happening. Past Masters were filling many of the appointive offices, including the Junior Deacon. I did apply and was accepted as a member by affiliation. I was later elected the Worshipful Master, out of line. I had absolutely nothing to do with this. Some of the old Past Masters nominated me to be Senior Warden, and I was elected. It caused some problems and hurt feelings, and I understood. However, it was not of my doing, and I went to work. I was able to get some very important affiliations, such as Bill Scheel, Jack Dillard, and others. I’ll not try to name all, because I would certainly overlook some important people. Likewise, we soon began to receive petitions from Senior DeMolays -- especially those active in the Priory. Being the Secretary of the Scottish Rite certainly helped, and other began to affiliate. When I was elected WM, I went to work and invited personally hundreds of people from my church and DeMolay, as well as other Masons, and we had the largest Blue Lodge Installation I have ever witnessed for only one Lodge -- about 500 people. I had worked hard in advance establishing an interesting program at each Stated Meeting, and we averaged 84 or 85 at each Stated Meeting. Of course, more visitors than members. My Steward was Andy Schatte, and he took charge of all meals and never charged the Lodge one cent for the food that year. We have good meals -- most catered. During the year it became necessary to move due to the sale of the Scottish Rite and I made arrangements for us to be accepted as a tenant by Reagan Lodge No. 1037. Out meetings were well-attended, and I think well accepted. Without bragging too much, I really felt that I left the Lodge in much better shape than I found it just three years earlier.

During this time I was very, very busy at the Scottish Rite with large classes and meetings, and many activities. I was also still active and busy with Reagan Chapter of DeMolay, and I had two young boys that required more and more of my time. I determined that instead of meeting each and every week, we would only meet when necessary to do the work on candidates, and would confer numerous degrees in one evening. I remember on e where I opened Lodge at 5:00 PM for at least one Master, to be followed by several other degrees. I was that it would be impossible to get a degree team present that early, due to people being at work, etc., and I remember that when we opened the Lodge about 4:30 PM we had 56 people present. I never again worried about what time to open or close. By being busy on a few nights, with much work to do when we would eat while work is till going on in the Lodge room, men from all over town who wanted to work would always be present to help us. Likewise, by not meeting just for the sake of meeting, out regulars knew that if we had a called meeting it was important. I have always believed that most Lodges work at finding a reason to make someone come to Lodge, when by a little planning a man could have a night at home with the family. The first thing taught in the EA is to divide our time, and it often forgotten by many Lodges which seem to attempt to take up as much of a member or officers time as they possibly can. I mention all of this about fewer meeting because I thought then and still think today that it is important. However, I must admit that not many Lodges or Masters of our Lodge have followed this advice.




 

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