the occasional bulletin - texas lodge of research · the john r. fretwell officer jewels jack e....
TRANSCRIPT
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From the Master’s Desk
The York Rite Symposium was a great success. Although we had “bumps in the road,”
Past Master Brad Billing did a magnificent job of assembling a top-notch panel of
articles and judges. Thanks to the Grand Chapter and Grand Council for partnering with
us to present an outstanding program. Several of the authors indicated that they will
expand their work and develop a full TLR paper, which is exactly what we wanted!
Baylor Lodge did a great job with breakfast donuts and hot dogs and hamburgers for
lunch. Thank you to Worshipful Master Josh and your corps of officers. We enjoyed
your hospitality and the building is magnificent. Our attendance of fifty-six was great, with eleven new
members elected. Although he took a new job with DeMolay in Kansas City, Christian Moore attended and
manned the hospitality room. (Thanks Dad.) Heitmiller’s for dinner disappointed a few but overall it went
well. The Grand Lodge History Project is moving forward. We have two segments ready for review. We
keep changing the rules but will settle down soon. Hopefully two or three papers will be reviewed in
December.
TLR will honor our Past Masters at the December 16 meeting in Houston. A very special guest speaker is
planned and we are hopeful that most of our Past Masters will attend so that we can honor them. The TLR
year will end on March 17 in the Dallas area where it began. Mark your calendars and make plans now to
attend all four meetings this year.
The Study Club in Dallas is thriving. Please contact our Junior
Warden Dodson if you’d like to join in the fun. He would really
like to get the Houston Study Club started again. Is there any inter-
est in Austin or San Antonio? Our UK Study Club is still alive
and will meet in November. Stay tuned and contact Dr. Alan Bell if
you are interested.
The changes to the Occasional Bulletin have been well received.
Many of you with “old eyes” appreciate the larger type fonts. The
website continues to improve. Please tell us how we are doing. If
you like it, tell someone. If you dislike the changes, please tell me
and offer an idea for improvement.
See you in Houston.
David B. Dibrell, WM
THE OCCASIONAL BULLETIN TEXAS LODGE OF RESEARCH, A.F. & A.M.
December 2017 Number 3
Next Stated Communication
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Houston, Texas
Host Lodge
Temple Lodge No. 4
Location
4055 West Bellfort Avenue
Houston, Texas 77025
The Lodge will open at 9:00 a.m. for coffee
and donuts with the stated meeting following
at 10:00 a.m.
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Texas Lodge of Research
Officers 2017 — 2018 December in Houston
The December TLR Meeting will be held in Houston on
December 16 at Temple Lodge No. 4. The meeting will be
hosted by Temple Lodge, and Worshipful Master Kent
Cantrell promises great food and fellowship.
Temple Lodge meets at 4055 West Bellfort, in Houston,
with phone number 713-666-4444 if you get lost. A block
of rooms is held at Holiday Inn Express, 9300 S. Main in
Houston. The room rate is $139. Call the hotel at 832-371-
9300 and ask for the TLR rate. A hospitality room will be
open Friday evening in the hotel. The Friday evening no-
host dinner will be decided soon.
The TLR stated meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday,
December 16, at Temple Lodge after the breakfast. We will
have three or four papers and then lunch will be available
for a donation of $12.
Future Meetings of TLR
Dallas Meeting, March 17
Election & Installation of Officers
Hillcrest Lodge No. 1318
Kerrville, June 16
Kerrville Lodge No. 697
Worshipful Master
972 931-7699
Senior Warden
214 755-2583
Junior Warden
281 844-5747
Treasurer
972 380-5610
Secretary
512 567-4756
Chaplain
214-564-5847
Senior Deacon
512 567-6744
Junior Deacon
214 320-2600
Senior Steward
512 887-0775
Junior Steward
817 988-8808
Master of Ceremonies
936 488-9775
Marshal
979 732-2797
Tiler
972 342-1461
Transactions &
Bulletin Editor
214 564-5847
Webmaster
903 238-3222
David B. Dibrell, PGM
Christopher D. Livingston
Brian R. Dodson, PGM
H. David Moore
Truitt L. Bradly, PM
PO Box 1057
Georgetown, TX 78627-1057 [email protected]
Richard E. Schlaudroff
Charles E. Maddox
Vince Zubras
Christian D. Moore
Charles Ramsey
Greg Megill
Stephen Moore
Michael H. Bigbee
Richard E. Schlaudroff
Brett Beggs
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TLR in Waco
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Grand Lodge History Project
Our TLR Past Master and Past Grand Master Leonard P. Harvey suggested that TLR undertake a project to write a
concise history of the Grand Lodge of Texas. Groups of ten or so years will be adopted by TLR members to do the
research and then submit a paper on those years. Past Grand Master Harvey will then assemble the groups of years
into the full concise history. Past Grand Master Harvey will work with researchers to assure a consistent style and
format.
Volunteers have already selected: Target Date
1838-1850 Brian Dodson Mar. 2018
1851-1870 Richard Schlaudroff Sept. 2018
1871-1890 Jim Rumsey Dec. 2017
1891-1900 Glenn Garber Sept. 2018
1901-1910 Christian Moore Sept. 2018
1911-1920 Will Treveno Dec. 2018
1921-1930 Leonard Harvey Dec. 2018
1931-1940 Ron Park Dec. 2017
1941-1949 Mark Dermit Sept. 2017 (Completed)
1950-1960 Chuck Ramsey Dec. 2017
1961-1970 Roger Landry Dec. 2018
1970-1980 Charles McKay Dec. 2017
1981-1990 Chris Livingston Mar. 2018
1991-2001 David Dibrell Sept. 2017 (Completed)
2002-2010 H. David Moore Mar. 2018
2011-2017 Rene Silvas Mar. 2019
Buildings Brad Billings Mar. 2019
The project is now underway. Segments listed in BOLD are to be submitted for review after the meeting shown and
then to the Lodge at the following meeting.
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From The Grand Lodge of Scotland
Dear Brothers:
I have just received my copy of the Occasional Bulletin, and I always appreciate receiving it, as it lets me know what is
happening in a Lodge of which I am proud to be an Endowed Member. I particularly enjoyed the piece by Brother Ross
J. Cox, Snr., who mentioned me and my delivery of the Anson Jones Lecture. The TLR apron that I was presented with
when I was in Texas on that occasion I still have and wear to Scottish Lodges of Research. That causes quite a lot of
comment. I am sure that I am the only Scottish Freemason, in Scotland, to have such an apron. I may be in Texas on
vacation in January and will definitely be in Waco for the KOSA Gathering in June 2018.
Please pass on my regards to everyone at TLR who remembers me.
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
Robert L. D. Cooper, FRSA, BA, FSA (Scot), BF
Officer Profile
Gregory A. Megill
Master of Ceremonies Greg Megill is a
member of the following lodges: Mt.
Moriah No. 37, Coldspring (PM 1993-
1994), Terrell Lodge No. 83 in Alto,
Tomball Lodge No. 1096, and Texas
Lodge of Research. He has served
several times on the Memorials
Committee for the Grand Lodge of Texas and was
DDGM of Masonic District 21A for 2015. He is
currently Masonic Education Counselor for Tomball
Lodge. Greg has served as Grand Chaplain for the Grand
Royal Arch Chapter of Texas on two occasions, and as
Grand Chaplain of the Grand Council of Royal and Select
Masters of Texas on one occasion. He has also served as
Grand Orator for the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of
Texas. Greg has been a Full Member of TLR since
1983.
Professionally, he is a retired United Methodist
minister. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the
University of Texas in 1973 and a Master of Theology
Degree from Southern Methodist University in 1977. He
is married to Kathleen and they have a daughter,
Amy. Greg and Kathleen live in Tomball.
Officer Profile
Richard E. Schlaudroff
Chaplain Schlaudroff is a Past Master
of Dallas Lodge No. 760, serving in
2010-2011 and 2013-2014, and a
member of Northern Star Lodge No.
377. He is active in both the York
and Scottish Rites. He has served as
presiding officer of Chapter, Council,
and Commandery bodies and is active in a number of
York Rite appendant bodies. He has served as Secretary
of the Texas Allied Masonic Degrees Association since
2011. He currently serves as Historian of the Dallas
Scottish Rite, co-chairman of its Education Committee,
and is a frequent lecturer at its Scottish Rite University
Symposium. He is currently a member of the Grand
Lodge Masonic Education and Service Committee. He
has been editor of TLR’s Transactions since 2014 and
the Occasional Bulletin since 2015. In 2016, he became
a Full Member with the presentation of his paper on the
Wheelock Knights Templar.
Now retired, Brother Schlaudroff taught college for more
than thirty-five years. He received his undergraduate
degree in Philosophy and Religion from Austin College
in Sherman, Texas, and holds graduate degrees in
religious studies, history, philosophy, and library science
from Harvard, Columbia, Fordham, and Texas Woman’s
Universities, respectively.
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The John R. Fretwell Officer Jewels
Jack E. Beeler, PM
Texas Lodge of Research
The story of the Fretwell Jewels has been handed down through the Past Masters of the Masonic Lodges of Calhoun
County for over one hundred and fifty years, by divine providence. We will never be able to determine with certainty
how they were able to survive, but I will provide what information that I have been able to collect.
The minutes of 19 May 1860 of Lavaca Lodge No. 36 records the following information.
The Worshipful Master. after a brief expression of appreciation for honor conferred on him by
this Lodge, presented to this lodge a beautiful Master’s jewel wrought in Pure Gold! On motion
of A. W. Canfield, it was resolved that this token of regard from our Worshipful Master be
accepted with the thanks of the Lodge in the hope that all future Masters of this Lodge may wear
this jewel with as much credit to themselves, honor to the fraternity as he who presented it.
The information that I have been able to find about J. R. Fretwell tells us that he served as Worshipful Master of Lavaca
Lodge for the years 1855-1866. J. R. Fretwell also served as District Deputy Grand Master of the 10th District in 1857,
11th District in 1858, and 10th District in 1859. In 1860, he was elected Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Tex-
as, serving as Grand Senior Warden in 1861 and Deputy Grand Master in 1862. During the war, Fretwell and eight other
Masons from Lavaca Lodge served in the Confederate army in a group known by several names: Singer’s Secret Service
Corps, Singer’s Torpedo Corps, and the Singer Submarine Corps. Admiral David Dixon Porter of the Union navy
became aware of this group and placed a shoot-on-sight order on Singer, Fretwell, Frary, Braman, Dunn, and others of the
group. A Texas historial marker on Lavaca Bay states that Brother Fretwell was Singer’s financial partner. In 1867,
Brother Fretwell was again elected Deputy Grand Master, serving as Grand Master of Masons in Texas the next year.
After the war, the United States government would not allow Dr. Fretwell to practice medicine. He was forced to sell his
property to support himself and later moved to Mobile, Alabama.
When I was installed Worshipful Master of Lavaca Lodge No. 36 for the year 1978-1979, a Past Master of Lavaca Lodge,
Brother Pete Mowen, gave me the story of the jewels: “The Jewel of the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, and Junior
Warden were presented to Lavaca Lodge by Past Grand Master J. R. Fretwell. The Master’s jewel was made from a
twenty dollar gold coin, the Senior Warden’s and Junior Warden’s jewels from silver dollars. Guard well these jewels
and pass this history on to the next master.” When I left office I passed the story onto my successor as I had been told to
do.
Times were hard for Lavaca Lodge after the war. Past Grand Master Fretwell moved to Alabama in 1880 and the same
year Lavaca Lodge demised. In 1886, a hurricane destroyed Indianola and the town was abandoned. Indianola Lodge
No. 84 then moved to Lavaca. The last Worshipful Master of Lavaca Lodge, J. M. Bickford, gave its Bible, jewels,
minutes, and furniture to Indianola Lodge No. 84, and they went to work as W.P. Wilby Lodge No. 84. By act of the
Grand Lodge, its name reverted to Lavaca Lodge No. 36 in 1948. With the assistance of divine providence, the Fretwell
Jewels survived hurricanes that struck Port Lavaca in 1919, 1942, 1945, and 1961.
When I was once again elected to serve as Worshipful Master of Lavaca Lodge, I discovered that the story of the Fretwell
jewels had been forgotten. The lodge had purchased a new set of jewels and put the old jewels in a case. I informed the
members of the history of the jewels, and in 2017, made a motion that they be donated to the Grand Lodge of Texas
Library and Musem. The lodge approved the donation and asked that I write an historical narrative of the jewels. This is
the story of how these jewels, donated by J. R. Fretwell to Lavaca Lodge, passed to Indianola Lodge, then to W. P. Wilby
Lodge, back to Lavaca Lodge, came to reside at the Grand Lodge of Texas.
Redacted from the original
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Officer Profile
Vince Zubras
Junior Deacon Zubras was raised a Mas-
ter Mason in February 1974 at Edwin J.
Kiest Lodge No. 1310 in east Dallas and
immediately started an extensive avoca-
tion in Masonry. He entered the York
Rite later in 1974 at R.C. Buckner (now
Seagoville) Chapter and Council and
Alexander C. Garrett Commandery No.
103, Knights Templar. Vince traveled extensively around
the entire State of Texas for over three years with the
Garrett “Traveling Templars” Degree team established at
the time, presenting the full form of the Orders of the
Commandery at weekend York Rite Festivals. Entering
the Dallas Scottish Rite in 1985, he is active with various
reunion degree teams.
Vince is the immediate Past Master of his home Lodge,
Edwin J. Kiest. He is active with both TLR and
Tranquility Lodges and has been an Associate Member of
Quatuor Coronati Research Lodge No. 2076 in London
since 1976. An avid musician of the Scottish Great
Highland bagpipes, he was the DFW Station bagpiper for
British Caledonian Airways for 8 years in the 1980s,
Dallas St. Patrick’s Day Parade activities for 30 years,
and Piper to two past Provincial Grand Masters of the
Royal Order of Scotland since taking membership in
1986.
Vince’s particular historical interest is research into the
beginnings of Masonry in both Texas and Louisiana
during the Republic of Texas period, 1836-45.
Past Master Profile
Dr. Jim Rumsey
Past Master Rumsey had the opportunity
to serve as the Worshipful Master of TLR
in 2014. Since then he has been an active
member of the Editorial Committee,
reviewing, editing, and approving
research papers for presentation in and
publication by TLR; a position in which
he takes considerable pride and one that he finds to be quite
enjoyable and rewarding. In 2016, he was awarded the
D. D. Tidwell Award of Merit by the Lodge.
He is a Past Master of Pine Tree Lodge No. 1396 in
Longview and the current Secretary of Robert E. Lee Lodge
No. 431 in Henderson. He was the charter president of the
District 10 MWSA in 2009 and served as District Deputy
Grand Master of Masonic District No. 10A in 2012 for Past
Grand Master Jim Brumit. Dr. Rumsey is a member of the
Grand Lodge Committee on Membership and chaired that
committee in 2014. He is active in both the Scottish and
York Rites of Freemasonry, as well as several appendant
bodies. Currently, he is serving as Reunion Director for the
Waco Scottish Rite.
Professionally, Jim is a regulatory manager with Pioneer
Natural Resources and currently resides in Las Colinas. He
is a graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler where he
earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Dr. Rumsey has presented four research papers to the
Lodge. His research has included histories of demised
frontier lodges, a Masonic biography, and a philosophical
paper addressing the Masonic Burial Service.
Texas Lodge of Research
PO Box 1057
Georgetown TX 78627-1057
Texas Lodge of Research
PO Box 1057
Georgetown TX 78627-1057
From the Secretary
I have had numerous requests for Texas Lodge of Research name badges. Texas Lodge of Research members can now
order directly from Eternity Creations at [email protected]. The cost for a name badge is $26.50 each.
I you have had a change of address and have not let me know, please email me at secretary.texaslodgeofresearch
@gmail.com or to the lodge mailing address at P.O. Box 1057, Georgetown TX, 78627-1057, as soon as possible, so I
will have a correct mailing address for you.
Truitt L Bradly, PM, Secretary
Fiat Lux