The First Century of Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas, 1867-1967 Page: 195

                                
MASONRY IN TEXAS

John Duncan Mason was elected Venerable Master and was later
installed on February 19, 1912. The secretary's salary was increased
by $25 per month.
On March 11, 1912, the last meeting was held in the lodge room at
the Masonic Temple on Mesa and San Antonio Streets. The Secre-
tary's statement of disbursements for March show $55.15 paid to
Masonic Hall Association for rent to 18th March in full. A nostalgic
note appears in an item in Bulletin No. 11, for February, 1912, en-
titled "Moving Day."
The associations connected with our present quarters in the
Old Blue Lodge room are such that it is especially hard to
think of leaving. But the Masonic building has been sold, and
the SR Bodies must seek a new location pending the building
of our own Temple. . . . This (Red-Men's Hall) is to be altered
at once so as to make comfortable club rooms and offices for
the secretary, in addition to having a well equipped auditorium
for meetings and degree work.
On April 8, 1912, the first meeting was held in the new quarters
at 420 San Antonio Street, opposite City Hall Park where "Street
cars pass the door." The secretary was instructed to purchase linoleum
for the pool room floor, and a vote of thanks was extended to F. A.
Hewitt for the gift of a stove. The following item is quoted from
Bulletin No. 12, March, 1912:
Work on the alterations needed in the hall which will be the
home of the El Paso SR Bodies for some time to come was
begun on the first of the month, and will be pushed to com-
pletion as rapidly as possible. The stage will be a large and
well equipped one compared to what has been used hereto-
fore. When the changes are all made, we believe that the
brethren generally will be surprised to find how comfortable a
home the new location will be.
Again, the following quotation from Bulletin No. 13, April, 1912,
gives a further description of this lodge room:
A pleasant surprise is in store for such of the brethren as have
not yet visited the new quarters of the Scottish Rite at No. 420
San Antonio Street.

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