A History of High Knob Lodge #697 F&AM


Shepherdtown, Kentucky
Over One Hundred Years of Masonry

High Knob Lodge Homepage

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 Text Version
January 25, 1980
The lodge voted to buy a coffee pot.
August 16, 1980
The lodge met for the purpose of conferring the funeral service of Brother William T. "Buck" Shepherd who was Tyler 23 times between 1946 and 1974.
January 3, 1981
The lodge traveled to Laurel Creek Elementary School were they joined with Robert Clark #646 and Caution #798 for fellowship, a meal and the conferral of the Master Mason Degree on brothers: Aaron Melton, Ronnie Thompson and Mike Combs of Robert Clark and Caution and LeRoy Hopper of High Knob. Work was conferred by the Caution Lodge degree team.
July 24, 1981
Lodge voted to raise the petition fee and dues to $100.00, $25.00 due with petition and $25.00 for each degree.

Lodge traveled to Caution Lodge were the Caution degree team conferred the Master Mason degree on Ronnie Robinson, Cecil Smith, Earl Rice and Darrell Collett.
January 22, 1982
The lodge voted to have a pot luck meal at each monthly communication.
February 26, 1982
Jim Wilson, Junior Warden, conferred the second section of the Fellowcraft degree (Winding Stairs Lecture) on candidate Kenneth Bray. Thirty visitors, including District Deputy Grand Master William Pollard were present. $60.00 was taken for the building fund.
April 23, 1982
The lodge voted to begin collecting pictures of all Past Masters and to buy frames and hang these pictures in the lodge.
Return To the Top of the Page
May 8, 1982
Some of the officers of High Knob traveled to Hyden Lodge #664 to confer the Fellowcraft degree on candidate Rufus Baker. Jim Wilson conferred the second section commonly known as the "Winding Stair" lecture.

Roy Burns, Cecil Smith & Wayne Thompson

July 23, 1982
The lodge voted to buy each new member a Kentucky Monitor.

Roy Burns received his twenty-five year pin.

September 24, 1982
The lodge voted to build a sixteen foot by twenty-four foot kitchen. Clay County Building Supply was to furnish material to get the kitchen under roof at no charge.
December 24, 1982
The lodge voted to meet at 8 AM on Saturday to build the kitchen. The lodge voted to pay dues only for 50 year members.
February 25, 1983
The lodge voted to met on March 9 at 9 A.M. to move the dirt from behind the building. The clean up crew was Darrell Collett and Harold Collett.
August 23, 1983
The deed to the lodge was found and read in open lodge. The lodge voted to buy siding for the building.

The clean up committee was Melvin Collett and Albert Faulkner
January 24, 1984
The lodge voted to only confer one degree during any one meeting. This would allow each degree to be conferred to its fullest in order to make a more favorable impression on the candidate.

Haskell Greer

April 19, 1984
The lodge met at Rominger Funeral Home for the funeral service of Haskell Greer. Haskell was Master in 1972. The service was conferred by visiting Brothers Buster Hornsby, Carl Howard and Bobby Whitis.

April 28, 1984
The lodge met at 5 AM for a breakfast and the conferral of the third section of the Entered Apprentice Degree. A total of thirty-one masons from five lodges enjoyed ham, sausage, tenderloin, eggs, and homemade biscuits and gravy. A slide lecture was presented by Jim Wilson, Master.
May 10, 1984
The lodge voted to take an offering at the next meeting to buy a new gas heater.
July 27, 1984
The lodge voted to advertise the upcoming open house in the Manchester Enterprise and the Jackson County Sun. The lodge had $812.00 in the treasury. A Resolution of Respect was sent to the Earl McGeorge family, both newspapers and the Masonic Home Journal.
Return To the Top of the Page
August 18, 1984
The lodge held an open house from 6 PM till 8 PM. A potluck meal was served and a short discussion of Masonry was enjoyed by family, friends and Masons alike.
September 17, 1984
Jim Wilson, Master, conferred the funeral of Troy Evans at the Lakes Funeral Home in McKee. Assisting in the service were Jake Sandlin, Senior Warden; Darrell Collett, Junior Warden; Jerry McWhorter, Secretary; and Dudley Wilson, Chaplain.
November 23, 1984
The lodge met at Burning Springs Elementary School for the purpose of conferring the Master Mason Degree. Eighty-seven Masons from nineteen lodges were present.
For the first time in the history of the lodge a member of High Knob was presented as District Deputy Grand Master, as Brother Dudley received the public grand honors of three times three.

Several Grand Lodge officers and committee members were present including Grand Master, Harold Downard; Stanley Bains, Committee on Transportation; Richard Key, Committee on Arrangement; Elroy Johnson, Grand Senior Warden; Joe Conway, Deputy Grand Master; and Lawrence Ballard, District Deputy Grand Master of District 34. Jim Westerfied was raised by the officers from Caution #798, Jim Mathis, Wilburn Metcalf and David Harmon were raised by the Grand Lodge officers and Pearl Bray was raised by the officers of High Knob. The District 35 Degree team raised Frank Cunnighan. The candidates received their dues card from Grand Master, Harold Downard; their Kentucky Monitor from Jim Wilson, Master; and their aprons from Dudley Wilson, District Deputy Grand Master.
November 24, 1984
The lodge held a 5 AM country ham breakfast for the purpose of conferring the third section of the Master Mason degree. This slide lecture was presented by Jim Wilson, Master. Twenty-eight brothers from eight lodges were present.
December 28, 1984
The lodge voted to update by-laws. The major change was to set lodge dues at double Grand Lodge dues.

Dudley Wilson, Jim Wilson & Harold Downard

April 20, 1985
For the first time in the history of High Knob Lodge #697 the lodge hosted a District Meeting. This meeting was held at Burning Springs Elementary School and was under the direction of District Deputy Grand Master, Dudley Wilson. At this time a "traveling gavel" was instituted. High Knob was the first recipient of the gavel. This gavel would go to the lodge having the most visitors present and would be presented again at the next meeting of the lodge receiving the gavel.

Jim Wilson, Junior Past Master, was chosen as the District thirty-five "Mason of the Year".

Return To the Top of the Page
June 28, 1985
The lodge voted to tear down the lodge hall and build a new building. The lodge had $2063.32 in the treasury.
June 29, 1985
An outdoor Master Mason degree conferral was held at Possum Trot. Hershell Hacker and Freddie McWhorter were raised to the Master Mason degree.

July 26, 1985
The lodge voted to build a new building which would be twenty-four by forty-eight feet and would be in the same location as the present building.
August 23, 1985
The lodge met at Caution Lodge #798 while the new building was being built.

September 27, 1985
The first meeting was held in the new lodge hall. David Martin was raised to the degree of a Master Mason under the direction of Jim Wilson, Past Master.
November 25, 1985
The lodge voted to borrow $8000.00 to pay for the new building.
December 3, 1985
The lodge held their third annual "Early Bird" breakfast. The cooks met at 4 A.M. and the lodge was opened at 5 A.M. for a slide lecture on the Master Mason degree by Jim Wilson, District Deputy Grand Master.
January 24, 1986
The lodge voted to have Pleas Bowling brick the building.
February 28, 1986
The lodge discussed the Auction and Soup Bean Supper scheduled for April 5. The lodge had $1543.11 in the treasury.

The lodge voted to purchase insurance at the cost of $291.00.
May 24, 1986
The lodge voted to pay the interest on the note.
May 31, 1986
The lodge met at the farm of LeRoy Hopper on the Gum Branch/ Fallen Timbers Road for the purpose of conferring the Master Mason Degree. A degree team from Bell Lodge #691 conferred the "Legend of the Temple" on candidate Ed Rawlings.

Jim Wilson, Kenny Gross & Joe Conway

June 21, 1986
Once again the lodge met at Burning Springs Elementary School to host the District 35 annual meeting. The meeting was under the direction of Jim Wilson, District Deputy Grand Master, and Joe Conway, Grand Master of the state of Kentucky.

Kenny Gross of Robert Clark #646 was elected as the District thirty-five "Mason of the Year".

Return To the Top of the Page
July 26, 1986
The lodge voted to have the outside of the building finished before the dedication in August. Jim Mathis and LeRoy Hopper were to get the cement from Clay Building Supply.
August 10, 1986
High Knob Lodge had a special meeting to dedicate the new lodge hall. The dedication service was under the direction of Grand Master, Joe Conway and several other Grand Lodge officers: Arnold Wyatt, Grand Tyler; Noble McDougal, Grand Senior Deacon; Elroy Johnson, Deputy Grand Master; James Patrick, Past Grand Master; Bosh Petry, Grand Junior Warden; James Gentry, Grand Junior Deacon; George Bibb, Assistant Grand Tyler; Johnny Sutherland, Grand Marshal; Tom Lairamore, Grand Treasurer; and Jim Wilson, District Deputy Grand Master.
September 9, 1986
The lodge voted to have a squirrel and dumpling supper at Burning Springs Elementary on November 8. The cost was $3.00 per person, $5.00 per couple and $7.00 per family.
January 23, 1987
Robert Clark #646 had three officers and two other members present to claim the "Traveling Gavel".
March 27, 1987
George Gambrell, District Deputy Grand Master, made his official visit.

The lodge voted to take up a collection at each meeting for the building fund.

Dudley Wilson

June 16, 1987
Several Grand Lodge officers joined with several members and visitors at Rominger Funeral Home in Manchester as High Knob Lodge paid a last tribute to Brother Dudley Wilson. The officers of Caution Lodge conducted the funeral service. Dudley served as Master five times, Secretary nineteen times and as Treasurer sixteen times. He was District Deputy Grand Master in 1984-1985.

September 25, 1987
The lodge voted to put a concert floor in the kitchen.

The lodge conferred the Master Mason degree on candidate George Lewis with District Deputy Grand Master, George Gambrell in the East.
November 27, 1987
Lodge voted to move regular meeting from fourth Friday night to fourth Thursday night.

Charlie McWhorter

January 22, 1988
Charlie McWhorter was named "Mason of the Year" at High Knob for 1987. He received a plaque for his service beyond the call of duty.

Ted Bowling, District Deputy Grand Master of Hyden #664 made his official visit.

The lodge voted to have a Chili Supper on February 27 from 3 P.M. till 7 P.M. at Burning Springs Elementary School.

Return To the Top of the Page
April 28, 1988
Roy Burns and Levi Burns receive their 40 year pins.
May 26, 1988
The lodge voted to meet June 3 at the lodge to pour the kitchen floor.
July 2, 1988
Lodge was opened at 4:20 AM for the purpose of conferring the Fellowcraft Degree on Nolan "Bill" White and to have a country ham breakfast.

James E. Strong

August 25, 1988
The lodge voted to have a pig roast at Burning Springs Elementary on October 15 from 3 P.M. till 7 P.M. at the cost of $4.00 per adult and $2.00 per child.

(Henry Hignite passed away August 18. He served as Master in 1971 and 1966.

(James Strong passed away September 10. James was Master in 1980 and 1981.)

January 26, 1989
Virgil Herald, District Deputy Grand Master, from New Hope #564 made his official visit.

The lodge had $247.37 in the treasury.
September 28, 1989
The lodge voted that rather than having a fund raiser that five members donate $100.00 each at our October meeting.

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 Text Version
Return To the Top of the Page
High Knob Lodge Homepage