St Helens Masonic Lodge #32

History of St Helens Masonic Lodge #32, AF&AM 2000-2012
Ryan Winters, Secretary and Past Master 2011:

Throughout its history, like so many other Lodges, St. Helens Masonic Lodge #32, AF&AM of Oregon has seen both times of prosperity and also times of hardship. Recent years have been no exception. In the year 2000, the Lodge had owned its own building, had a church renting the downstairs generating lots of income for the Lodge, and no small number of degrees were being conferred. In 2005, rising costs for maintaining the building forced the Lodge to move to the Columbia County Shrine Club Building where it now pays rent.

From 2003 to 2008 there was a period of decline in membership but a select group of brethren held the Lodge together and starting in 2010 there has been a revival of enthusiasm for Masonry as a new generation has taken over.

In the year 2000, Worshipful Brother Rennie Johnson of St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 was elected Potentate of Al Kader Shrine and has continued to maintain the Shrine presence in St Helens. Worshipful Brother John Ridenour was elected Master of the Lodge and later appointed Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of AF&AM of Oregon. On February 3, 2000, WB Ridenour invited members of the St Helens High School Drama Dept. to make a presentation and urged the members present to support the public schools in St Helens. Discussion was generated at that meeting and the Lodge decided to work toward the Grand Master’s Achievement Award. All of the requirements were fulfilled by December 27 of that year including completion of the Torchlight Program by the Master and Wardens, visitations to other Lodges, and various community service events such as the “Friend-to-Friend” breakfast.

In 2001, WB Dwayne Adams was elected Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Oregon. WB James J. Taylor was serving as Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Orient of Oregon, Scottish Rite. There were five petitions received during this year, four for degrees and one for affiliation. WB John Ridenour was elected to a second term as Master of the Lodge. On May 3, 2001, there was a public service presentation at the Lodge’s stated communication by David Bogden, then director of the Eisenschmidt Pool. On October 15, there was a dinner to honor firemen and police. In November, Worshipful Brother Dwayne W. Adams was elected Worshipful Master for 2002 and requested an open installation be held immediately before the stated communication in December.


On March 7, 2002, the Lodge voted to donate $50.00 to St Helens High School senior Mike Byrd to participate in a wrestling competition in Australia as a representative of Oregon. Sergeant Terry Moses of the St Helens Police Dept. was invited to speak at the stated communication on April 4 about the “Citizens’ Academy”, which was to inform the public about police matters and concerns. In November, WB J.R. Frank was elected Worshipful Master. On December 27, 2002, there was a joint celebration of the Festival of St John the Evangelist by St Helens Masonic Lodge #32, Tigard-Orenomah Lodge #207, Waluga Lodge #181, and Milwaukie Lodge #109 in which Junior Grand Deacon Tomey Greer and Grand Lecturer John Ridenour spoke on the historical Holy Saints John and the origin of Freemasonry.


Toward the end of 2002, the cost of heating the old Lodge building was becoming expensive so the trustees had an appraisal done the eventual sale of the Lodge Building and planned to move into the building owned by the Columbia County Shrine Club. The move was not completed until 2005. Much of the business for 2003 was occupied with degree work, continuing the Friend-to-Friend program, and serving at the Senior Center. On February 6, 2003, Most Worshipful Brother Lawrence O. Weaver, Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Oregon was received on his official visit and congratulated the Lodge on these efforts. On November 6, the Lodge voted to sponsor the reinstatement of the charter of Columbia Chapter, Order of DeMolay with WB Dwayne Adams volunteering to be Chairman of the Advisory Council. These efforts ultimately proved fruitless. Brother Charles Mollenhour was elected Worshipful Master for 2004. On December 4, 2003, Most Worshipful Brother Vern Beito was received on his official visit.


Plans were finally set in motion for the sale of the Lodge Building and move to the Shrine Club Building. The Lodge received a check for the sale of the building on December 28, 2004 for $249,717.26 from Frank Trotter. WB Rennie Johnson reported that the Shrine Club Building was available for any Masonic function and the Shrine Club would welcome the Lodge to move in. Plans were to finish the move by February 15, 2005. WM Charles Mollenhour appointed Brothers John Ridenour, Dwayne Adams, and Doyle Baer to invest the money from the sale of the Lodge Building and eventually they decided to put the money into a Vanguard trust fund and the interest from that fund is now the main source of income for the Lodge. In November 2004, James Ziegler was elected Worshipful Master for 2005. On February 3, 2005, the proposed amendment to the By-Laws passed and, later in the year, the Lodge voted to approve the signing of lease agreement with the Columbia County Shrine Club agreeing to split 50% of building expenses according to the Lodge’s ability to pay. This agreement was signed the WM Jim Ziegler and the President of the Columbia County Shrine Club and registered at the Columbia County Courthouse. The church that used to rent the Shrine Club building moved out and left the Lodge as the sole renter at the Shrine Club building.


In November, WM Jim Ziegler was elected to a second term. Most Worshipful Grand Master Erin Endicott was received on his official on December 1, 2005. On March 2, 2006, WB Robert Gedlick was invited to give a talk at the stated communication of the Lodge on the history of Royal Arch Masons and he also gave brief mention of the medieval Knights Templar and their possible connection to the origin of Freemasonry and the discovery of our country. On December 16, 2006, the Reverend Rebecca Hamshar officiated over the Lodge’s celebration of the Festival of St John the Evangelist after which Bro. Matt Koch was installed as Worshipful Master for 2007. After the installation of the remaining officers, WB Doyle Baer, who served as Treasurer for many years, was presented with the Hiram Award.


In 2007, the Lodge began participating in the Masonic Child ID Program. A Child ID service was held at the Columbia County Fair on July 18 through July 22, 2007. A little over 300 kids received their pictures and thumb scans much to the relief of the parents. Another Child ID service was held at the St Helens Children’s Fair at the St Helens High School on October 27. Over 200 fingerprints were scanned and pictures taken thanks mostly to the efforts of Brothers Michael Hamshar, Ralph Winters, and Ryan Winters. There was also a breakfast held on November 10 to honor veterans of the US Armed Forces and the memory of WB Dwayne Adams who passed to the Celestial Lodge on May 3, 2007. At the stated communication in November, Bro. Michael Hamshar was elected Worshipful Master for 2008.


The Child ID service was held at St Helens Wal Mart during “Safety Days” sometime in July, 2008, manned by Brothers Michael Hamshar, Ralph Winters, and Ryan Winters. The Lodge held its second annual Chili Cookoff on May 24, 2008, earning a $600.00 donation to Relay for Life. The Chili Cookoff was started in 2007 by then Senior Warden Michael Hamshar and has been hosted by St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 every May since then. The Lodge also did another Child ID service at the St Helens Children’s Fair in October, 2008. At the November stated communication, WB Melvin K. “Mike” Frice was elected Worshipful Master for 2009.


In 2009, WM Mike Frice asked the officers to wear tuxedos and this has become the common practice in succeeding years. The year started slowly and the main events happened after summer. There were four breakfasts, held on July 12, September 20, October 18, and November 15, to help raise funds for the building and offset the rent costs for the Lodge. In November, WB Ralph G. Winters was elected Worshipful Master for 2010 and his son, Ryan T. Winters, was elected Senior Warden for the same year.


Most Worshipful Brother Ed Bousquet was elected Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Oregon in June 2010. Since St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 was his mother Lodge, the Lodge held a reception for him in Table Lodge format on October 9, 2010. About 70 people were present. The Lodge did lots of degree work, educational training, and made lots of visits to other Lodges. WB Michael Hamshar teamed up with Brothers Marty Koch and Charles Mollenhour to seek a charter for St Helens Chapter, Order of DeMolay, sponsored by St Helens Masonic Lodge #32. The Lodge visited this DeMolay Chapter at their meeting on January 15, 2010. The Lodge had a spaghetti dinner honoring servicemen on May 6. The Lodge did not go dark this year. Instead, the Lodge held a “Bring-Your-Own-Meat” BBQ Night before the July and August stated communications. These meetings were FUN. The Lodge held a raffle fundraiser in December. 1200 tickets were sold $5.00 each for a 1st place prize of $1,495.00 or a 48” Visio HD TV, 3 2nd place prizes of $100.00 each, and 12 3rd place prizes of $50.00 each. Half of the profit was donated to MESH and the other half was kept for the operating expenses of the Lodge.


In November, 2010, Bro. Ryan T. Winters was elected Worshipful Master for 2011. Like 2010, 2011 was a very busy year. There was a Social Activities Committee chaired by Bro. Martin “Drake” Dryden which scheduled a number of activities for fun including a Winter Hawks game in Portland, a movie night with DeMolay, and a dine-out at a Mexican restaurant in Scappoose. On January 5, 2011, Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter was tragically killed in the line of duty. On February 20, 2011, members of St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 went to the Oregon Trail Lanes Bowling Alley in St Helens and arranged that the alley would donate $7.00 for each person attending to the Ralph Painter Memorial Fund. The Bring-Your-Own-Meat BBQ Nights were again held in July and August with very good attendance. WB Ralph Winters sold black vests with square and compasses and the name of the Lodge on the back and the Brother’s name on the front for $45.00 to each active member to promote pride in the fraternity and further promote the Lodge at public events. An odd event happened on November 3, 2011. WB James Lamb, Executive Officer of Oregon DeMolay, presented WB Michael Hamshar with the Masonic Youth Award for supporting DeMolay and Rainbow and then fired him and other members of the Advisory Council of St Helens Chapter, Order of DeMolay. Bro. Richard Fenimore was elected Worshipful Master for 2012. There was another raffle this year in the same format except that there was only one 1st place prize of $1,000.00.


The year 2012 saw a record-setting 13 petitions received by the Lodge in a single year. All of those except one were initiated as Entered Apprentice Masons and two of them were raised as Master Masons. The annual Bring-Your-Own-Meat BBQ Nights continued to be a success. On June 23, 2012, the Lodge entered a float in the Kiwanis Community Parade in St Helens and were joined by members of the Columbia County Shrine Club, the Columbia York Rite Bodies, and Mizpah Chapter #30, Order of the Eastern Star. The Kiwanis presented St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 the Sweepstakes Trophy for Best Float. Bikes for Books was implemented by WB Michael Hamshar at McBride Elementary School and the success of the program sparked an interest at Lewis and Clark Elementary School. WM Richard Fenimore invited Most Worshipful Grand Master Hunt Compton and his officers to perform a Masonic Plaque-laying Ceremony for the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Lodge held on September 29, 2012. At the stated communication in November, Bro. Robert Miller was elected Worshipful Master for 2013.


Like all long-lived organizations, the Lodge has seen its good times and bad times. We have adapted to changes over time and perhaps made a few mistakes along the way, such is life. Our Lodge is but one in the system of universal brotherhood known throughout the world as Freemasonry. Each individual member is like the rough ashlar, crude and imperfect but having the potential for better things. The history of St Helens Masonic Lodge #32 is a long and proud one, but we strive for the future and continue improving ourselves and our communities and truly living by our solemn obligations.