The Masons in Gleichen

From the official history of the Masons in Alberta there is the following inormation on the Gleichen Masonic Lodge.

Back up on the main C.P.R. line from Medicine Hat to Calgary was the town of Gleichen, bordering one of the large Indian Reservations. It was a booming community in view of the fact that a N.W.M.P. detachment was centred there. Nine Masons representing N.W.M.P., clergy, hotel men, C.P.R. employees and bankers formed the Charter membership that was granted a dispensation on October 19, 1907 and instituted on October 31 by the Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin with Rev. H. W. Gibbon Stocken as the first Worshipful Master. At the Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in May 1908 the Charter was granted and M.W. Bro. G. H. Hogbin, now the Grand Master, presided over the consecration of Gleichen Lodge No. 36. There were twelve Charter members. Gleichen Lodge moved its location often, first it met in the old Telford Building which proved to be too cold, then in the Larkin Block which room became too expensive and then to a specially constructed room over Beach’s Harness Shop. A big fire in Gleichen in 1916 destroyed the hall, all the furnishings and records. Meetings returned again to the Larkin Building but later the Lodge bought its own building for $2,200,00 and used the upstairs as a Lodge room. The first floor was rented to the Federal Government for many years.

The Glenbow has a photo of a Thomas W. Bates Sr. dated 1922 that shows him in his Masonic uniform and was taken in Gleichen.

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