OAKLAND’S FIRST RAILROAD DEPOT
7th and Broadway, looking west. Local trains connecting with a ferry to San Francisco used this station. Note the carriages in the rear of the station waiting for commuters
The consistory met in the Masonic temple on the corner of Post and Montgomery Streets in San Francisco. David McClure, 32°, of Oakland, was the Grand Master of the Consistory. He received the petition from Sherman and referred it to the Committee on Chartered Bodies. On the recommendation of the Committee, the charters were granted, and orders issued that the Bodies be duly constituted. It was also ordered that all the lodge paraphernalia and regalia of Naval Lodge of Perfection, Vallejo, which had surrendered its charter, be donated to the newly created Oakland Lodge of Perfection.
This electrifying news quickly reached the brethren in Oakland. The next meeting was held Friday, October 19, 1883. Preparations were made to receive the grand master, David McClure, the following week when he would constitute the bodies and install the officers. A call for funds was made to purchase the necessary equipment, and $585.00 was obtained for that purpose. The Bodies in Virginia City, Nevada (which had surrendered their charters) offered to sell their paraphernalia to the Oakland Bodies for $100.00, and the offer was accepted. The Oakland Lodge of Perfection assumed all financial responsibilities of the three Oakland Scottish Rite Bodies.
The members were now eagerly awaiting Grand Master David McClure, and on Wednesday, October 24, 1883, all was ready. A delegation assembled at the Central Pacific Railroad Station at Seventh and Broadway to await the arrival of the members of the Grand Consistory and the Grand Master. They were then escorted up Broadway in horse-drawn carriages to the Masonic temple, where they were enthusiastically received. Edwin Sherman made the welcoming address and gave assurance to the Grand Officers “that we mean to prove ourselves worthy of this privilege and honor; that we appreciate the duties and responsibilities which will be imposed upon us, and that we are not unaware that lofty titles in Masonry, when assumed and worn, are most solemn pledges.” Grand Master McClure was then escorted to the East, and the grand consistory officers assumed their stations and were installed, and the bodies were duly constituted. After the ceremonies, the brethren adjourned to the banquet room for refreshments. Remarks were made by Edwin A. Sherman, 32°, and Amasa W. Bishop, 18°. Thomas J. O’Keefe, 14°, rendered several vocal selections.
Now that the Scottish Rite bodies were established and the officers installed, all that was lacking was a code of bylaws. A committee consisting of Edwin A. Sherman, Thomas J. O’Keefe, and Nathan W. Spaulding was appointed to draft the bylaws. In the meantime, the Bodies operated under the Rules of Order of the Supreme Council. Eleven petitions for the degrees were received at the Stated Meeting on November 11, 1883. On December 6, 1883, the fourth degree was conferred on the following brethren: George D. Metcalf, Charles D. Pierce, Robert W. Miller., George Patterson, James Miller, Lewis H. Brown, and George Goodman. The fourteenth degree was conferred on these brethren on March 15, 1884. By the end of the year, the membership reached fifty-four in the Lodge, forty-seven in the Chapter, and forty-six in the Council. During the next five years, the membership remained about the same. Although many original members passed on, the new members kept the roster at approximately the same level.
In 1890 the Valley took on a new lease of life, and more than twenty new members were initiated. Each year showed an increase; by 1896, the membership reached one hundred thirty-nine. Thirty new members were added to the rolls in 1896, which could be considered a slow growth. However, this was the beginning of tremendous interest in the work of the Rite. The accommodations at the new Masonic temple were found to be inadequate. Fresh robes, drapes, hangings, and scenery had been purchased, which required more storage space than was available in the temple. At this point, it was decided to look for more spacious accommodations and preferably a place for their exclusive use.