Highlights of Arkona Lodge No. 307 1874 to 2004

 

Arkona Lodge A.F. & A.M. No. 307 was instituted in 1874. On the night of it's first meeting, lodge was opened at 8:05 pm with W. Bro. John Dallas presiding. W. Bro. Dallas read the dispensation from Grand Lodge and was elected W. Master. The Lodge was dedicated by R.W. Bro T. McNate, DDGM on October 14, 1874.

Arkona Lodge has had several homes, the present Lodge building having been purchased on September 4, 1919. Ours was not the first Lodge to have electric power, but it was one of the first customers to be supplied by the Ausable Dam site of the Rock Glen Power Company.

Some interesting excerpts from the Lodge minutes are included below:

	Dec. 27, 1876	No attendance, heavy snow, secretary locked doors and went home.
	Dec. 14, 1899	New duties of the janitor would include the lodge to be dusted and swept the day before each meeting, lamps to be filled and cleaned, spittoons to be kept clean and polished, and the stove to be lit one hour before lodge.
	June 16, 1910	Received a letter from Grand Lodge requesting that the next regular meeting be a Memorial to M.W. Bro. King Edward VII Grand Master 1875 - 1901 and that the altar be draped for three months as an expression of respect.
	Feb. 16, 1910	Hydro bill was $5.00 for the year.

 

The lodge has been honoured to have the following members elected or appointed as Grand Lodge Officers:

R.W. Bro. Bert Keyser, DDGM

R.W. Bro. E.O. Sitter, DDGM

R.W. Bro. Herbert Hall, DDGM

R.W. Bro. C.J. (Jack) Rowland, DDGM

R.W. Bro. James R. Sercombe, DDGM

V.W. Bro. Frank Muma, Grand Steward

V.W. Bro. James B. Wilson, Grand Steward

V.W. Bro. Frederick T. Sercombe, Grand Steward

V.W. Bro. Wayne Hodgins, Grand Steward

 

Although Arkona has never been a large Lodge, it has contributed to the community over it's first 125 years and has made better men of its members. A Brother was recently presented with his 50 year pin by Arkona Lodge and commented that "Masonry had given him his start in life as a young man in the 1940's"