CONDENSED HISTORY
MCALLEN LODGE NO. 1110 A.F. & A.M.
Edited reprint from the 50th Anniversary Program of 1965

    In the early summer of 1915 Brother R. M. Bounds, who had received his M.M. Degree from the Royse City, Texas Lodge No. 663, along with some thirty Masons met in McAllen to organize a lodge.  It was found that they could not work under dispensation because the McAllen Lodge hall would be nearer than five miles to the Mission Masonic Lodge.  Due to this, it became necessary to go directly to the Grand Lodge for a charter.

    The Charter for the McAllen Masonic Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. was granted on December 8, 1915 by M.W. Dan S. McMillin, Grand Master of the M.W. Grand lodge of Texas.

    The McAllen Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. held the first called meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 1916.  The Charter was delivered on this date by the following Grand Lodge Officers:
Isadore Moritz, M.W.G. M.                W.R. Dashiell, W.S.D.
T.A. Berner, R.W.S.W.                C.E. Fitch, W.J.D
Roy H. Klossner, R.W.J.W.                E.A. Potts, R.W. Chaplain
R. A. Marsh, R.W. Treas.                A.B. Halliday, R.W. Marshal
Stephen Jones, R.W. Sec’y                W.R. Montgomery, W. Tiler

    The Lodge was duly constituted and the officers were installed by Brothers Isadore Moritz, D.D.G.M. of the 40th Masonic District who was installing officer, and Brother A. B. Halliday as Installing Marshal.

    The following Brethren were installed as charter officers:  Bro. R. M. Bounds, W.M.; Bro. Everett Anglin, S.W.; Bro. R. M. Minter, J.W.; Bro. F. G. Crow, Treas.; Bro. Stephen Jones, Sec’y; Bro. G. R. Ford, S.D.; Bro. H. P. Griffin, J.D.; and Bro. J. M. Herbert, Tyler.

    The first stated meeting was held at 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 1, 1916.  It was decided at this meeting that the McAllen Lodge would hold its stated meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month and that from October 1st until April 1st, the Lodge would meet at 7:30 P.M. and, at 8:00 P.M. from April 1st until October 1st of each year.

    The Taylor-Hamilton by-laws were adopted and corrected.  The by-laws provided for dues of $5.00 per year.  Petitions for the Mysteries of Free Masonry were received from W.B. Packingham, H.B. Glendenning, C. A. Phillips, Arthur K. Hammond and Carey K. Smith.  Petitions for affiliation were received from Brothers M. F. Babb, D. H. Simmons and Isadore Moritz.

    Brother Robert M. Bounds served as Worshipful Master, for the short term, from the granting of the charter in January 1916 to June 30, 1916. He was then elected for the regular Masonic year 1916-1917. In May of 1917, Brother bounds was called into the U.S. Army for service during World War I.

    The first stated meeting of the McAllen Masonic Lodge was held in the second story of the building on South Main Street that is now occupied by Ken’s Shop for Men.  The Lodge was later moved to the rear of the same building in order to obtain more room.  Later the lodge was moved to the Osborne Building on South Main where it remained until the Masonic Temple was built in 1927.

    The McAllen Lodge hired Mr. Hiram A. Salisbury of Houston as architect for the new temple and awarded the general contract to M. R. Nelson Construction Co. for $31,078.  This contract included only the construction of the Temple.  The furniture was purchased separately.  The cost for constructing the Temple at the present time would cost three times this amount.  The permanent building committee was composed of Brothers Kreidler, Eckhoff and McIntire.  Enough cannot be said in thanks to this and all committees that through hard work, determination and sacrifice overcame all obstacles to guarantee a Temple in which they, along with future generations of Masons, can enjoy a Temple of which they can always be justly proud.

    The temple is a modest two-story brick and reinforced concrete structure located at the corner of North 11th and Beech Streets and it is used exclusively the Lodge and its affiliated organizations:  Chapter No. 14 of the Order of the Eastern Star, Rainbow Assembly No. 134 and No. 2642 Order of DeMolay.

    The McAllen Masonic Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. has actively contributed much to ease the suffering, of those through various misfortunes, of its brethren and their families who would have been unable to receive the needed care. It has been necessary, in several instances, that several of our brethren have needed special hospital care with special nurses and the Lodge has been most fortunate in being able to assist these brethren.  The McAllen Lodge has engaged in extensive charitable work through the years, including admissions of Brethren and Widows to the Masonic Home at Arlington, Texas; Orphans to the Masonic Home and School at Fort Worth and Children to the Scottish Rite Crippled Children’s Hospital at Dallas and to the Shrine Hospitals for Crippled Children.

    The Lodge carries on similar activities consisting of attending sick brethren and their families, assisting the aged and conducting Masonic burial services for deceased Masons.

    The Charter Members came from various Masonic Grand Jurisdictions and knowledge of the Texas Esoteric Work was extremely limited during the early years of the lodge.  Brother Isadore Moritz of the Mercedes Lodge provided first instruction.  Brother Hugh R. Lockhart spent many years conducting classes and teaching many members of the McAllen Lodge to become proficient in the esoteric work.  The many men that were taught by these men have carried on this work and will always give thanks to these men that gave so freely with their time.
   
    Many members of the Lodge have held proficiency certificates in the esoteric work and W. J. Burris was a recipient of a Life Certificate.  Members that have held proficiency certificates include:  W. J. Burris, Andrew Kontos, Doke Wilson, Herman Vinyard, Toby Greer, W. M. Gower, and Hermes Villareal.

    The McAllen Masonic Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. and its members have been very active in Grand Lodge affairs and have received signal Masonic honors through the years.  These members have received Grand Lodge honors:  W. J. Burris, G. K. Shuepbach, I. Moritz, H. R. Lockhart, E. A. Polzin, G. W. Smith, C. D. Mosteller, M. Kreidler, H. Vinyard, W. M. Garrett, R. C. Hunt, M. Trummel, O. A. Taylor, H. Davila, W. M. Gower, D. Smith, E. Thalmann, J. G. Hill, B. Balli, V. Berrones, P. Hallock, D. Elliott, H. Villareal, G. Medina, and Fred Cano.

    The highest honor that a Lodge can receive is when one of its members is elected M.W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas.  The Mcallen Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. has enjoyed this prestigious honor an astounding three times.  The following members of McAllen Lodge have been elected M.W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas- William J. Burris, Herman Vinyard, and William Michael Gower.

    W. J. Burris was awarded this honor in the December communications of the Grand Lodge of 1950 in being elected the M.W. Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas.  He served until December of 1951.  It was during the December Communication that the Grand Lodge working in conjunction with the Committee on Public education and the Texas Education Agency inaugurated Texas Public Schools Week.  Texas Public Schools Week has grown in importance and participation by parents each year since its inception.  Following R.W. W. J. Burris’ term as Grand Master, he was again appointed to several committees and served on the Masonic Home and School Board of Directors.

    Herman Vinyard was installed as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas on December 2, 1976.  During his term, he employed the phrase “The Place of Beginning Again” to promote and reaffirm the ideals and principles that our fraternity teaches us.

    Michael Gower was made Grand Master of Mason in Texas in 1999.  He has served on several Grand Lodge Committees, served on the Board of Directors for the Masonic Home and School, and as a Trustee for the Scottish Rite Hospital.  R. W. Gower is noted for his instrumental role in helping re-charter Point Isabel Lodge No. 33.  His accomplishments throughout his long and lustrous Masonic career are numerous.  R. W. Gower continues to passionately serve our fraternity with great zeal and devotion.

    Dedication of buildings has been another area where McAllen Lodge has been active and such occasions have brought honor to the fraternity.  Structures that have had their corner stones laid and leveled include many of the public school buildings and Protestant churches of McAllen.

    Individual members of the Lodge have been very active in the religious, civic, school, business and political affairs of the community, the country and the state.  Many of the Masons of this Lodge have been on the administrative boards of the churches of this community.  A large number of successful businessmen, health care professionals, lawyers, law enforcement officers, educators, scientists, artists, public officials, and civic leaders of this area have been members of McAllen Lodge and have distinguished themselves in building a fine city and a sound economic Life for the community.
   
    The McAllen Lodge has constantly shown an increase in membership.  From the original twenty charter members, the lodge has steadily increased  its membership until in 1965 there were 382 members as reflected by the Grand Lodge Report.  Currently, McAllen Lodge has over 240 members and continues to flourish. 

    Whether viewed from a standpoint of numbers or accomplishments, the record of the McAllen Lodge No. 1110 A.F. & A.M. is impressive.


 

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