Masonic Lodge holds Installation of Officers to a packed house

With over 100 people attending, Paul Smith of Florissant, MO was installed as Master (President) of Gateway Masonic Lodge No 40, A.F. & A.M. of Creve Coeur, MO.

Mr. Smith was installed by Rick Huddleston, a Past Master of the Lodge. This 3rd annual installation of officers was held on Sunday, July 22nd at Rose Hill Masonic Temple (11122 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur, MO 63141). Gateway Lodge No 40 was formed when Mizpah Mt. Moriah Lodge No 40 and Polar Star Rose Hill Lodge No 79 joined together in 2016. Gateway Lodge’s roots stretch back to 1840 and members include many local civic leaders and celebrities, including Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). Current members are from all over the metro area with members from Spanish Lake, Florissant, Creve Coeur, and Chesterfield to St. Charles, St. Peters, O'Fallon and Wentzville.

In his position as Master, Smith is the presiding officer and head of the Lodge. The title of “Master,” instead of “President” reflects the Masonic tradition of using ceremonies and titles from the stonemasons of the Middle Ages.

Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely recognized fraternal organization in the world. Today, there are more than 2 million Freemasons in North America alone. The Grand Lodge of Missouri was established in 1821, but Freemasons are proud to have been in Missouri since 1807 with the establishment of the first Lodge in the territory in Ste. Genevieve.

Charity is an important tenet of the Masonic fraternity. The Freemasons of Gateway Lodge are involved in a variety of charitable and community programs including sponsoring a backpack food program in the Parkway School District, the St. Louis Shriners Hospital, the Walker Scottish Rite Care Clinic for children with speech and language disorders, sponsoring the Job’s Daughters (young women 10-20 years old) and DeMolay (young men 12-21) youth groups, and the Missouri Masonic Child Identification & Protection Program (MoCHIP). The Lodge is hosting an open house and MoCHIP event on Saturday, August 25, 2018 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Other officers installed during the ceremony were:
Scott Simpson, Sr Warden
Joshua Herbig, Jr Warden
David Miller, Treasurer
Michael Boyd, Secretary
Greg Patterson, Sr Deacon
Chad Brauss, Jr Deacon
Brad Brown, Sr Steward
Aneesh Mahale, Jr Steward
Daniel Silverman, Marshal
Craig Sergel, Chaplain
Harry Moppins, Musician
Jack Olson, Tiler

General information is available on the Lodge website http://www.gateway40.org. For more information, contact Lodge Secretary, Michael Boyd, at secretary@gateway40.org or call 831-818-1333.