The History of Theodore Roosevelt Lodge #322

Theodore Roosevelt The Man

The following article is a reproduction of an article from The Short Talk Bulletin November, 2000, Vol. 78, No. 11

THE SHORT TALK BULLETIN

Published monthly by the Masonic Service Association of North America, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Springs, Maryland 20910-4785. Tel: (301) 588-4010, under the auspices of its member Grand Jurisdiction.

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THE MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
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THEODORE ROOSEVELT

by: Robert Morris

Bro. Robert Morris is Secretary of Manchester Lodge, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Manchester, MA., and a member of the TROWEL Staff, a publication of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

This STB was taken from an article published in TROWEL, Volume 17, Number 3, Fall, 1999 and is reprinted with permission.

_Editor

In 1927, the renowned sculptor, John Guttzon Borglum, began his magnum opus, the greatest sculptural project of all time, on the granite face of Mount Rushmore, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, whereon he carved the mammoth faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. To be sure, the first three had already achieved their place in history. Roosevelt however, had he lived, would have been only 69 years old at the time, and by his accomplishments had already achieved equal status with his three immortal predecessors.

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858, of well-to-do parents. He was a scrawny kid with bad health. His asthma gave him and his parents great concern. Many nights he was forced to sleep sitting up and resorted to all sorts of remedies of the day, including smoking cigars, to help force his lungs to work to their capacity. he was mostly taught by personal tutors until it was time for him to enter Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1880.

While in Cambridge, he had almost become a naturalized Bostonian. He got to know intimately the important families there and even his future wife, Alice Lee of Chestnut Hill. They were later married in Brookline.

The couple returned to New York on October 2 1881, where he ran for and was elected to the the New York State Legislature, being the youngest man ever to serve there. While there he was also elected Minority Leader of the House, again the youngest ever. He made it a point to crack the hold of the entrenched politicians and was a prive mover in improving the working conditions in the rampant New York City sweatshops.

Good fortune however, did not long smile on Roosevelt. While in his second term, he lost both his mother and his wife on the same day, when his infant daughter Alice was only 2 days old, After that double tragedy, we was in no condition to see reelection and returned to his ranch in the Dakota territory to rest and recuperate.

The rest and recuperation was, however, only illusory. Ranching was hard outdoor work and he became involved with other ranchers, becoming Chairman of the local ranchers association and traveling around to other similar types of communities. On one occasion, he talents he had acquired during his youth and college stood him in good stead. One such talent was boxing. In one case he entered a western saloon, he was immediately set upon by a local bully, who after calling "four eyes" and threatening him with physical violence, was promptly flattened by Roosevelt. On another occasion, after he had been appointed Deputy Sheriff, he and two other set out in pursuit of three local outlaws. They were captured and instead of being strung up as was the local custom, Roosevelt and his companions brought them back to justice, but only after a harrowing 3 week trip through the frozen country side and living off the land.

During his entire stay in the Dakotas, he simply did not know how to relax; When he wasn't ranching or chasing outlaws, he was writing endless letters, books and articles for publication and when not that, was reading, reading and reading. If not a dime novel then it was War and Peace and in French, Anna karenina.

The restless Roosevelt, however, could not long stay isolated. He finally returned East, remarried and campaigned vigorously for the election of Benjamin Harrison. When he took office on March 4, 1889, Roosevelt was rewarded with a position on the Civil Service Commission in Washington, DC, where he proceeded to dominate and distinguish himself by reforming that Department. He was continued in that office even after the opposition party under President Cleveland took office. He had previously known Cleveland as Governor of New York when he was a member of the Legislature and had his first experience in cajoling the opposition leader into agreeing with his proposals for reform. After six years in Washington, Roosevelt returned to New York City where he served for two years as President of the Police Board. He again used his considerable abilities and talents to eliminate the rampant graft then in effect, raising morale and modernizing the department.

Ever restless, he now accepted President McKinley's appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy on April 19, 1897. He found fertile territory for instituting his own reformist ideas and especially those involving his insistence on a two-ocean Navy. In those days of imperialism, he was certain that the time had come for the United States to cease being a second-rate power and take its rightful place alongside the British Empire and Germany. Simultaneously he insisted that the Monroe Doctrine be revitalized and that all European powers should be eliminated from the New World. The chief remaining European power was, of course, Spain. In the agitation of the local peoples in Cuba, Columbia and Panama, he found fertile soil in which to eliminate Spain as a Colonial New World power. The unfortunate blowing up of the U.S. Battleship Maine on February 15, 1898, was a propitious moment to confront the issue head on. In addition to the popular outrage over the event, he took the opportunity to order Admiral Dewey to take his fleet to Manila Bay in the Spanish held Philippines. This simultaneously paved the way for the ultimate annexation of Hawaii. Roosevelt, however, was still deskbound and felt thwarted that he could not be in the midst of it all and personally direct the action. He accordingly resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and as soon as war had been declared, volunteered to lead a volunteer Cavalry Regiment, later to become popularly known as the "Rough Riders," which successfully stormed San Juan Heights in Cuba and was largely instrumental in bringing the war to a successful conclusion. His popularity was immense and he returned to the United States a hero.

Capitalizing on these accomplishments he now successfully sought the Governorship of New York and began his two year term of office on January 1, 1899. Because of a slim majority and resistance from machine Republicans, he had to fight every inch of the way for the reforms in state government which he was eventually able to accomplish.

The party regulars, however, had decided that the obstreperous Roosevelt could better serve the party elsewhere. On June 21, 1900 they were successful in having him nominated to serve as his Brother Mason, President McKinley's running mate. On November 6, 1900, they were elected by a landslide. From November 6, 1900, to December 31, 1900, Roosevelt was, therefore, simultaneously Governor of New York and Vice President-elect of the United States.

It was at this time that the tenets of Masonry took hold of Roosevelt and on November 21, he applied for membership in Matinecock Lodge No. 806, near his Long Island estate in Oyster Bay, NY. He was elected to receive the degrees on December 12, 1900, and after his term as Governor expired on December 31,took his First Degree on January 2, 1901.

He received his Second Degree on March 27, 1901, after the inauguration; and his Third Degree on April 24. Because of his special status, the Lodge room was filled to capacity with over 500 members present. Most of the Degree Team consisted of past and present Grand Lodge Officers.

Insofar as time permitted. President Roosevelt did not let his office preclude him from participation in several noteworthy Masonic occasions. He participated in various Masonic Cornerstone laying ceremonies, among which were those of the Army War College in Washington, DC on February 21, 1903; the new Masonic Temple in Tacoma, Washington obligations, a fine type of American citizen, because Masonry teaches him his obligations to his fellows in practical fashion..." and "Masonry—must foster in him a genuine feeling for the rights of others and for the feelings of others."

While he was President and under his administration and leadership he entertained the first Black leader, Booker T. Washington, in the White House; appointed the first Jew, Oscar Strauss to a Cabinet position; ordered anti-trust proceedings against the Northern Securities Company and subsequently at least forty other anti-trust proceedings. He successfully intervened to settle a five month-long coal strike; began work on the Panama Canal, and personally inspected the site and posed sitting at the controls of a giant steam shovel, the first President ever to leave the country while in office. He presided over the enactment of the Pure Food and Drug Act. His experience as a conservationist and naturalist resulted in the transfer of some 125 million acres to the forest reserves. He used his good offices to mediate an end to the Russo-Japanese War by inviting the delegates to a peace conference at the Portsmouth Naval Base, NH, where the participants were housed in the famous Wentworth-by-the-Sea Hotel. For this effort he became the first American ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He later traveled to Oslo, Norway to receive this award in 1910.

On hearing that the big game hunter Roosevelt had spared the life of a bear cub while hunting in Mississippi, a political cartoonist of the day depicted the scene in a cartoon, which provided the impetus for the worldwide, ubiquitous and enormously popular Teddy Bear.

The reason Theodore Roosevelt sits atop Mount Rushmore, is not only for his tremendous accomplishments, but also because he is one of the most fascinating Presidents the United States ever produced. He was his own best advocate of the old adage he adopted and made famous as his own—"Speak softly and carry a big stick." He did indeed practice what he preached and has truly left his mark on his times, on Masonry and on the centuries.

Theodore Roosevelt The Lodge

The first meeting of Roosevelt Lodge #322. Under Dispensation, was held on Oct. 30. 1919. It was organized by members of Washington Lodge #21 who wanted the opportunity to be officers, but were unable to because of the size of that Lodge. Officers were elected and the meeting nights set for the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. Lee F. Blood was elected the first Worshipful Master. A motion was made on Nov. 13, 1919 that the 27th day of October (Theodore Roosevelt's birthday) be observed each year in a fitting manner and to be commemorated as the founding date of the Lodge. Grand Lodge met on June 9 . 1920 and voted to constitute the Lodge. On July 16, 1920 a special communication was held to constitute the Lodge, present the Charter, and install officers. Grand Master Shaeffer presided and gave a "splendid address". The Lodge name was later changed to Theodore Roosevelt #322 to clarify which president Roosevelt
the lodge was named after.

Initially the fees were set as follows: petition fee - $10, EA degree - $15, FC degree - $25, and MM degree - $25. The Tiler was paid $5 and the Secretary served gratis until Nov. 1920, then he was paid $150/year. In 1928 an Official Poster was paid $1.50 per degree, not to exceed $100/year. As late as 1956 the fees were the same, but the dues were now $7.50. Our present fees are $100.00 for the petition and three degrees. Dues are $30.00 per year.

meetings for the first few years consisted mainly of conferring several degrees and balloting on candidates. Attendance was good then. On Sat. June 3, 1922, 350 members and visitors attended a Fellow craft Degree. By 1956. the date of the last printing of the Bylaws the meeting night had been changed to the first and third Tuesday of each month.

The early Lodge brothers were dedicated to meeting on Thanksgiving night and Christmas. However, on Thanksgiving (Nov. 25. 1920) the minutes state "on account of small attendance matters of importance were put off until next stated communication". The Bylaws were read and accepted on Dec. 9. 1920 and 200 copies were printed. The dues were raised to $5/year at this time. Lee Blood served as Master until Dec. 29. 1921 when W. M. Knudson was installed.

The Lodge had many petitioners and the members were very careful in their selection of new Brothers. Many petitioners were rejected then. On June 9, 1921 a Masonic trial was held and "Brother Robert L. Whittenburg was found guilty of charges as specified and sentenced to expulsion".

These early Brothers cared for each other. On Dec. 22, 1921 the members voted to donate $10 to fund Christmas dinners for disabled soldiers, and also set up an "employment committee" to assist Masons out of employment. Another example of generosity is a vote of the members to help the widow of a Brother who was in "destitute circumstances" by paying 50% of her house rent. or $6.50 per month, later increased to $10 per month.

The Lodge met in a building co-owned with Washington Lodge on Cherry Street in Green Bay until it burned in the mid-1970's. For a few years the Lodge met in a building owned by Des Peres Lodge, until that building was sold. They later met in the Oddfellow building. On Sept. 8, 1979 the Northeast Wisconsin Masonic Center was dedicated as the home of Theodore Roosevelt. Washington, and Des Peres Lodges as well as all other Masonic bodies in the area. This building is still used today and is an impressive witness to the Masonic Fraternity.

To date Theodore Roosevelt Lodge has had 77 Masters with six of them serving more than one year - Lee Blood 1919,1920,1921). Leo Eichelberger (1928,1929). Cecil Forehand (1962, 1975), William Duhm (1976,1977). Milt Berger (1973,1981) and Dennis Siewert (1978, 1983). One Master. Kurt Wallinger. presided while his father. George, was Grand Master of Masons in Wisconsin. And Dale Vollrath (Master in 1986) is the father of Tom Vollrath (Master in 1993). Several members of the Lodge served as Grand Lodge Officers. Morman Smith, a member of our Lodge, was Grand Master in the 1940's and Ralph Knowiton, Secretary of the Lodge for many years, served as Grand Lecturer.

Lodge membership is currently about 167, down from 300 in 1987, and a high of 601 in the 1961. This is partly due to a decline in Fraternities in general and follows the decline in the number of Masons in Wisconsin. We hope that we can reverse this trend and begin to attract new members as Masonry in Wisconsin.