Lubbock Masonic Lodge 1392 has a rich history. The information below is a summary of that history.
Feel free to send us an email at LubbockMasonicLodge@gmail.com
Current officers for 2023-2024:
- Worshipful Master Tanner Cooper
- Senior Warden James Clark
- Junior Warden Manny Black
- Secretary Jerry Hendrick
- Treasurer Bill Cooper
- Tiler Chad Conn
- Senior Deacon John Davis
- Junior Deacon Toby Calhoun
In the middle of 1959 Brother F. C. Odorizzi, Brother M. L. Elridge, Brother R. L. Green, and others contacted many Masons suggesting the need to organize a new Masonic Lodge. A series of many organizational meetings were held in late 1959 and early 1960. Several of the meetings were held at the Wicker Co., 25th and Avenue H, upstairs conference meeting room. This was a frozen food and fish company, the place of employment of Brother Odorizzi. In early 1960 a petition for dispensation to form a new Lodge was signed by 65 Master Masons. This was presented to Texas Grand Lodge authorities.
A certificate of Lodge Recommending was issued by Mackenzie Lodge #1327, June 18th, 1960, approved and so stated in their minutes. Following this a petition was made to Texas Grand Lodge to form Lubbock Lodge. A formal dispensation to form a new Lodge was issued and signed by the Texas Grand Lodge on July 6th, 1960. Said Lodge was to be known as “Lubbock Lodge”.
The dispensation form shows that Lubbock Lodge chartered with 65 Master Masons. The Lodge was set to work July 9, 1960, as D.D. Lubbock Lodge #1392 AF & AM. This was done by R. W. John G. Kemmerer, Grand Master of Texas. The first stated meeting of Lubbock Lodge was held Saturday, July 23, 1960. There were 10 petitions received at this meeting for Degrees. The minutes show the first donation to the building fund was made for $ 6.75. Others donated toward the cost of material for chairs and remodeling in the building. Later that year, the Charter was issued and dated December 8, 1960.
The first elected officers of Lubbock Lodge #1392 AF & AM for the Masonic year 1960 – 1961 were as follows:
F. C. Odorizzi, Worshipful Master
M. L. Elridge, Senior Warden
Ralph A. Green, Junior Warden
Lester Ericson, Treasurer
Thomas J. Hoover Secretary
Lubbock Lodge’s first location was in a rented building from Crown Stores, located at 2207 College Avenue. Prior to use of this building many of our Brothers met each night and week-ends preparing the building for use as a Lodge hall. Minutes for November 26, 1960 reveal the first candidate of Lubbock Lodge receiving the Masters Degree was Brother Newton Langford.
The Lodge dues were only $10.00 per year and with about 100 members, plus our degree fees they soon realized their revenues could not support the present location. The thought was proposed to try and construct our own building. How this was to be accomplished seemed to have many road blocks.
The meeting of February 3, 1961, was called for the purpose of discussions on ways and means of constructing a Lodge building. The building was to be 40′ x 60′ in size and primarily a shell. Many Brothers worked nights, week-ends preparing the Lodge building for use. The floor tiles were laid, stations, platforms, seats and many items to numerous to mention were completed by the many Brothers. About all the contract included was the building shell, with very little interior items. Exact construction completion date of the building is not known, but the contractor signed the final paid invoice September 1, 1962. August 10, 1962, the lodge minute reflect that permission of Grand Lodge was given to move the Lodge from 2207 College Avenue to 4539 Brownfield Drive. On August 23, 1962, the first meeting held in the new location at 4539 Brownfield Drive.
On October 28, 1961, Brother C. C. Buzbee, the Junior Deacon, announced to the Worshipful Master that he had papers prepared to prefer charges against one of the Brothers of Lubbock Lodge #1392. The Master at once called in the Tiler and asked him to act as Marshal and instructed the Junior Warden to proceed. The Junior Warden proceeded in a very dignified manner and asked the Worshipful Master to have the accused to rise. Brother F. C. Odorizzi was asked to stand while the charges against him were read. He was accused of within the last year of helping to start a new Masonic Lodge, and a number of other charges all pertaining to the life of Lubbock Lodge #1392 were read. After all the charges made the Junior Warden asked that the defendant be hung in open Lodge. The Worshipful Master ordered the Marshal to immediately hang the picture of the defendant high on the wall. This was to mark the spot for the First Worshipful Master of Lubbock Lodge, and of course the first Past Worshipful Master. The Worshipful Master then asked the defendant if he had anything to say. Brother Odorizzi accepted the charges with a humble heart, and said what little he had done was, only a small part he would be willing to do for Lubbock Lodge and Masonry in general, and that he hoped that Lubbock Lodge would forever adhere to the principals it was founded on. Brother Odorizzi was the driving force behind the starting of Lubbock Lodge and continued until his death February 21, 1983. The photographs of all of the Past Masters of Lubbock Lodge now follow Brother Odorizzi.
January 26, 1975 the building fund savings account was closed and deposited these funds in the General funds of the Lodge. With funds from the savings account and donations our loan in the amount of $3,413.25 was paid off. There was a special open meeting March 15, 1975 at the South Plains Electric Cooperative building in their conference room. The purpose of the meeting was to have a facsimile of the mortgage and burn the same. The ashes were to be scattered on Lodge grounds. We had a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag, some special music, and a brief history of the Lodge was given by Brother F. C. Odorizzi, first Master of Lubbock Lodge. The charter members of the Lodge, all past Masters, and present officers of Lubbock Lodge, other Bodies of Scottish Rite, York Rite, O.E.S., and Rainbow Girls in attendance were all recognized. Brother Richard Bruns was the Master of Lubbock Lodge at this time, and he presided at the meeting. Brother Bruns held the pan containing the facsimile of the note; Brothers Odorizzi and Riggen set the note on fire. Of course, the pan got hot and Brother Bruns dropped the pan. They managed to contain the fire and saved the ashes to be spread over the Lodge property at a later date. A good meal and fellowship was enjoyed by all. There is not a count of those attending, but they had a room full.
The Masters station of Lubbock Lodge was donated by Brother Troy Bartlett. It came from the First Methodist Church, Carlisle, Pa., it was their church pulpit. The Altar, treasurer and secretary desks, all the stations, except the Masters, were hand made of solid walnut by Brother Coy E. Cooper. The Lodge awarded Brother Cooper an Endowed membership to show our appreciation for this gift. He furnished all of the wood and labor for free. The working tools on the stations were hand made of walnut by Brother Merrill R. Riggen.
In December of 2010, Lubbock Lodge celebrated its fifty year anniversary.
Today Lubbock Lodge has only 3 living charter members that are still members of the Lodge:
Eugene F. CaldwellDeloy Pickett
Winfred E. Medlock We have 2 charter members, to our knowledge, still alive that are known to us, but not currently members of Lubbock Lodge:
James W. Wentworth
William Paul Faulkner, Jr.
During the time of our Lodge existence the following served as Masters for the years indicated:
*F. C. Odorizzi 1960-1961
*M. L. Elridge 1961-1962
*Ralph A. Green 1962-1963
*Champ C. Buzbee 1963-1964
*Bonner Cummings 1964-1995
W. Buell Foley 1965-1966
*Samuel E. Corum 1966-1967
*Troy P. Bartlett 1967-1968
John L. Cross 1968-1969
* Thomas Burk 1969-1970
Coy E. Cooper 1970-1971
Jimmy Porter 1971-1972
Jimmy Porter 1972-1973
*Finus Branham 1973-1974
*Richard Bruns 1974-1975
Joe V. Sanders 1975-1976
*Forman O. Marvin 1976-1977
*Coy McDougald 1977-1978
John R. Ragland 1978-1979
Johnny R. Williams 1979-1980
*W. C. Hamrick 1980-1981
Ted O. Williams 1981-1982
Christopher J. Lupton 1982-1983
*Billie Z. Robnett 1983-1984
Richard H. Lamm 1984-1985
*Phillip Nickel 1985-1986
*Melvin A. Korchenko 1986-1987
William C. Boone 1987-1988
*Thomas A. Noble 1988-1989
Erwin C. Stickley 1989-1990
*John A. Klattenhoff 1990-1991
*Michael Lee Bruns 1991-1992
Perry H. Bell 1992-1993
*George C. Buchanan 1993-1994
Richard Povlich 1994-1995
*Robert E. Clark 1995-1996
Jerry Townsend 1996-1997
*Phil Linneer 1997-1998
William R. Roberts 1998-1999
Henry E. Housour 1999-2000
Toby E. Calhoun 2000-2001
*Bobby F. Cook 2001-2002
George Flickeinger 2002-2003
*Norris Rumsey 2003-2004
*Leonard Buller 2004-2005
*Bill Grist 2005-2006
Jerry Hendrick 2006-2007
Raviprakash Dani 2007-2008
Heath Morgan 2008-2009
*George Buchannan 2009-2010
Dewain Collins 2010-2011
Luis Ramos 2011-2012
Elmer “Coke” Etgen 2012-2013
James Urban 2013-2014
Glenn Fant 2014-2015
Kevin Rush 2015-2016
John Rosser 2016-2017
Jerry Hendrick 2017-2018
Justin Robbins 2018-2019
Heath Morgan 2019-2020
Henry Housour 2020-2021
Tanner Cooper 2021-2022
Bill Cooper 2022-2023
Chad Conn 2023-2024
* Denotes deceased
Many Lodges have Fathers and Sons that serve as Masters. We have one Father and Son that have served as Masters:
Richard Bruns 1974-1975
Michael Lee Bruns 1991-1992
Currently the following members of Lubbock Lodge have “A” Teaching Certificates for teaching the esoteric work of Texas Freemasonry:
Heath Morgan
Finus Branham*
Henry E. Housour
Joe Sanders
The Golden Trowel is a Lodge´s formal recognition of a Brother for his devoted service to Masonic principles in general or to his Lodge. It is intended to recognize the Brother who, year after year, quietly, but actively demonstrates his devotion to the teachings of Masonry without thought of recognition or special honors.
Every Lodge has such members. They spread the living cement that builds our Fraternity into a true brotherhood. You will find them at labor in the kitchens, on the work committees, in public office, on community projects, in service clubs, heavily involved in their church activities and in schools – anywhere that a true and steady hand of assistance is needed.
It is those Master Craftsmen that the Golden Trowel Award is designated as the highest Award a Lodge can bestow an individual member. Only one Golden Trowel Award can be bestowed each year if there is a deserving Mason.
The Golden Trowel is the highest award a Texas Lodge can bestow upon one of its members. The following Brothers of Lubbock Lodge have been honored and have received the highest honor in Masonry:
John R. Ragland May 11, 1996
Coy McDougald August 9, 1997
Melvin A. Korchenko December 12, 1997
Merrill R. Riggen June 12, 1998
Perry H. Bell May 14, 1999
Robert E. Clark November 19, 1999
Norris W. Rumsey May 12, 2001
Henry E. Housour November 9, 2001
Toby Calhoun June 23, 2004 & Feb. 10, 2024
Joe Sanders July 16, 2008
Finus Branham December, 2010
Jerry Hendrick June 19, 2013
Dewain Collins September 11, 2015
Elmer H. “Coke” Etgen June 2, 2017
Luis Ramos June 12, 2018
Heath Morgan March 9, 2022
Special recognition should be given to many Brothers; for special projects and maintenance of our building over the years. Sign painting, painting of building, air conditioners, roof repairs, new heating system installation, new wiring and water heater, kitchen repairs, ante room, storage room, parking lot, garage sales to raise money for building fund, and many, many other projects. It would be impossible to name the many Brothers that have taken part over the years in these projects without leaving someone out. You that have performed these many tasks are aware of the loyal Brothers that have given of their time and money, and for this we at Lubbock Lodge say “Thank You” here on our website.