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Friendship Lodge Number
185
 Although there were many Lodges in the Denver area in
1958, the fact that there was no Lodge in the area south of 8th Avenue
and west of Broadway prompted 26 Masons to meet at the home of Bro.
Charles Tecklenburg on November 28, 1958, for the purpose of forming a
Masonic club.With rapidly mounting interest, the second meeting was held on January 7, 1959, at the Social Hall of the Brentwood Methodist Church with 75 Masons present and R.W. Bro. Albert E. Jameson, Grand Lecturer, presiding temporarily for the election of officers. Officers elected were: Pres. Bert O. Musser P.M., Western Star #174, Smith Center, Kansas; Senior V.P. James R. Watson P.M., College View #320, Lincoln, Nebraska; Junior V.P. Charles Tecklenburg, Berkeley #134, Denver; Secretary-Treasurer G. F. Bateman, Lawrence N. Greenleaf #169, Denver. On a subsequent meeting, the name "Friendship" was chosen for the proposed Lodge. M.W. Bro. C. Wheeler Barnes complimented the group on the selection, as Lord Nelson, famed British admiral, had been Master of Friendship Lodge No. 100 of England and later had called his flagship "Friendship". Brother Tecklenburg presented the club with a Masonic Bible on April 15, 1959, to start the acquisition of Lodge equipment. Due to personal and business reasons, he tendered his resignation as an officer which was accepted with regret. Robert Reynolds P.M. of Boaz Lodge #669, Toledo, Ohio, succeeded him as Junior V.P. Many Brothers and Lodges contributed lodge furniture and paraphernalia. Englewood #166 donated fine officers' chairs; Miracle #182 of Thornton donated the altar, candle holders and projector they had received from Arvada Lodge #141 to help Miracle Lodge #182 get started. There were 44 signers to the prayer for dispensation which was granted and delivered by M.W. Bro. Clifford Gobble on September 14, 1959. There were 7 brothers raised while under Dispensation from September 16, 1959, to December 30, 1959. The Charter was granted on January 26, 1960, and Friendship Lodge #185 was duly constituted on February 2, 1960, with the following officers:
M.W. Bert Musser P.M., S.W. James Watson P.M., J.W. Robert Reynolds P.M. The Lodge meetings were held in the Garden Home Grange Hall, 1120 South Irving, until March, 1967, when a Temple Association was formed and a building at 4625 Morrison Road was acquired. During the summer of 1967, the members, under the direction of Bro. Tom Smith, spent many hours remodeling the building and on September 6, 1967, M.W. Bro. Charles T. Gore and other Grand Lodge officers dedicated the new Friendship Masonic Temple. In 1973, the members of Schiller Lodge #41 joined with the members of Friendship Temple Association. A dining hall and kitchen was added, with the finishing work being done by the Lodge members.On October 16, 1974, a joint meeting of Friendship Lodge and Schiller Lodge was held for the purpose of receiving the Grand Master and having our first dinner in the new dining hall. Friendship Lodge #185 enjoyed a prosperous and steady growth. As of May 30, 1976, Friendship Lodge had a membership of 167. Historical information provided by: |
