The Past
Businesses
Churches
Communities
Community Services
Entertainment
Ethnic Groups
Geography
Heritage Homes
Industries
Organizations
~ Boy Scouts
~ Cadets
~ Lions Club
~ Masonic Lodge
~ ~ Masonic
Lodge Buildings
~ Queens
Pageants
People
Schools
Transportation
In 1905, the City of Enderby was
incorporated, and at that time there were a number of men who were Masons and belonged to
the Spallumcheen Lodge #13 at Lansdowne. Many of the meetings held there would last until
midnight, and so the Enderby members would get home quite late on tired horses with
sleighs or buggies.
It was because of this that the Enderby members decided to send an
application to the governing body, The Grand Lodge of British Columbia, asking for
permission to establish a lodge in Enderby.
The Enderby Lodge was constituted on July 5, 1905. The first Worshipful Master was M.
McQuarrie. The Masters from 1906 to 1919 were:
Frederick Barnes
(1906,1910)
F. Pyman (1907)
N. Kenny (1908)
J. Pringle (1909)
W. Robinson (1911)
A. Sutcliffe (1912)
H. Blanchard (1913)
G. Rosoman (1914)
C. Wheeler (1915,1916)
J. Metcalfe (1917)
S.H. Speers (1919)
These men, together with Dr. Keith, Arthur Reeves, Mr. Venables, Mr. Brash and Mr. Kneale,
were the founders of the Enderby Masonic Lodge. They were all, at one time, prominent
figures in Enderby: mayors, electricians, store owners, mill owners or loggers. All the
members believed in a "Supreme Being." To be a Mason you have to believe in God.
The lodge is interdenominational.
The Masonic Lodge is a little different from other Lodges. It is the oldest lodge in the
world. It was formed as what we would call a union today, by the builders of King
Solomon's Temple. That is why it may be seen as a secret society today, because in King
Solomon's day men were crucified for any different religion or belief.
The Masonic symbol is made of the union of stone masons - the carpenter's square, the
compass and the plumb rule. These things are used as a standard of living ( i.e. the
carpenter square represents a square life; the plumb rule might be meant as using God as
the center of life).
According to Stan Wejr, " The Masonic Lodge is not a secret organization, but one
with a few secrets."
Tracy Merfert, Heidi Chayba, Chris Fincaryk
ALF School 1989