The Masonic Club of American Base Section No. 1

Saint-Nazaire, France

Formed 9 July, 1918 at the Y.M.C.A. club room at American Base Section No. 1 in Saint-Nazaire, France (photo here: https://www.saint-nazaire-musees.com/liste-ressources/histoire-en-photographie/saint-nazaire-a-lheure-americaine/ ), this club would have over 2,000 members when it closed its doors in July, 1919. This club also had a big role in the eventual founding of The Masonic Service Association of the United States.

A Short History of The Masonic Club American Base Section No. 1

January, 1918:  

Bro. Captain Robert C. Murphy becomes attached to Base Hospital No. 101 in Saint-Nazaire, France.

March, 1918:

The first meeting of the new club is held at the Y.M.C.A. hut.  They elected officers and appointed committees.  There were several hundred Masons present.

The club becomes stagnant and dissolves due to lack of time for participation and running of the club.

May - 1 June 1918:

Bro. Capt. Charles I. Cook sent to Saint-Nazaire, Base Section No. 1 and becomes acquainted with Bro. Sergeant Edmond Dupras of the Secret Service in Saint-Nazaire.

8 July, 1918 (9 July, 1918):

The first club meeting is held at the Y.M.C.A. club room.  There were 140 attendees and they elected their officers.

Founding Officers of the Masonic Club Base Section No. 1:

·      President – W.F. Jerome, Secretary of the Y.M.C.A in the 17th Engineers Camp and current president of the club operating there.

·      Vice President – Charles J. Cook

·      Treasurer – Morgan Taylor

·      Secretary – Edmond Dupras

9 July, 1918:

Bros. Cook and Dupras look for a meeting place for the club.  They rent a room on the second floor over the American Café “down on the plaza”.

16 July, 1918:

First meeting of the Masonic Club is held in a room over the American Café.

Summer 1918:

The club held two “smokers”, social events, and charged five francs admission.

Members of the club entertained “Captain, officers and members of a truck company from California”.  There were 167 members at the meeting, all were Master Masons.  I believe that this “truck company” was the Masonic Ambulance Corps, as they were “lost” in Saint-Nazaire at this time and it is known that all of them were made honorary members of the Masonic Club at Base Section No. 1.

1 September, 1918:

Bro. Cook forwards letters written by Bro. Dupras and the Club Committee to The National Masonic Research Society requesting reading materials for the club.  Bro. Cook also includes a letter written by the Club Committee requesting…

“A central body be organized in the United States, whose duty is would be to raise funds, appoint a staff of secretaries above military age, and systematize Masonic activities among the troops abroad, especially in France and Italy”.

September, 2018:

These letters are distributed to many Grand Lodges in the United States and Masons all over the country unite in response to the letters sent by Bro. Cook.

A special meeting of the Grand Masters in the United States is called by Geo. L. Schoonover, Grand Master of Iowa.

23-26 September, 1918:

The Supreme Council of the 33rd and Last Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America holds a Special Session in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Council votes in favor of establishing a committee led by George F. Moore, to visit France or other allied countries to determine whether or not it was advisable “to undertake any specific work of social amelioration of the enlisted men serving abroad with the American Expeditionary Force.”  Bro. Moore selected for the committee Illustrious Bro. Sam P. Cochran, Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Texas, and Dr Hugh T. Stevenson, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church of Washington and Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the District of Columbia, to accompany him to France.

September-November 1918:

At the last meeting of the Club Bro. Cook attended there were “Six French Masons in attendance who asked us to set a time at which the French Masons of St. Nazaire might entertain the Masonic Club”.  They appointed committees but Bro. Cook departed before arrangements could be perfected.

When Bro. Cook left Saint-Nazaire, the Club membership was over 375.

6 October, 1918:

Illustrious Bro. Moore and Committee set sail for Europe.

26-28 November, 1918:

Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in the United States is held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

27 November, 1918, 1100:

Bro. Capt. Cook tells the story of the founding of the Masonic Club in Saint-Nazaire to the Grand Masters in attendance of the Conference.

Resolutions are unanimously adopted authorizing the creation of the “Masonic Service Association of the United States”.

Also adopted was “The Outline of Tentative Plan of Organization of the Masonic Service Association of the United States” and commissions that paid off debts of the various masonic clubs, including the Club at Saint-Nazaire, and established Secretaries over these clubs at the ports of embarkation.  Bro. Charles H. Huntley was appointed Secretary for the Masonic clubs in the Saint-Nazaire area.

December, 1918:

Bro. Capt. Murphy wrote to Illustrious Bro. George F. Moore, Grand Commander, Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite:

“Now we are trying to prepare for a New Year's party. We hope to hire a small French theatre that is run by a French Mason, and have a doughnut party, distributing doughnuts and coffee between the acts. We have written to Brother George F. Moore, a National Mason who, we are informed, is now in Paris, to come and talk to us. Our whole idea is to do something for the Master Masons in the American Expeditionary forces and exemplify the fraternalism which we teach.”

20 December, 1918:

Captain Robert C. Murphy, M.C., Secretary of the Masonic Club, Base Section No. 1, answering a letter dated October 4, 1918 from Newton R. Parvin, Grand Secretary A.F. and A.M., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, requesting a “civilian Masonic secretary to look after us”.

New Year’s Banquet

10 February, 1919:

Banquet with Trait d’Union Lodge.

(See the “US/French Banquet 10 February, 1919” tab for more information on this banquet.)

4 March, 1919:

Lt. Harry Spring and a group of Masons from the 57th Engineers attend the Masonic Club.

14 March, 1919 (Possibly 24 March):

Masonic Club holds a theater party. Captain Orville Dennis sends home a souvenir; a match box (cover) made from a French 75 shell, bearing the Masonic emblem.

Brother Isaac Skillin of Freeport, Maine, also attended.

Matchbook cover belonging to Isaac Skillin: “Souvenir of Masonic Theater Party, Masonic Club St. Nazaire, Base #1 A.E.F.”

Souvenir ring from the Masonic Club in Saint-Nazaire. Thank you to our anonymous donor for these photos. “Souvenir of Masonic Theater Party, Masonic Club of St. Nazaire, Base # 1 A.E.F.”

20 March, 1919:

Montoir Masonic Club Organized.  150 Charter members.

1 April, 1919:

Masonic Ambulance Corps returns to Saint-Nazaire preparing to return to the United States.

7 April, 1919:

Masonic Ambulance Corps departs Saint-Nazaire aboard the USS Virginian, a converted “cattle boat”.

6 May, 1919:

Bro. Merwin W. Lay visits attends a meeting of the club.

30 May, 1919 (Friday):

Club members visited cemeteries in the area to place flowers on the graves of their Masonic brothers.

July 1919:

Club closes as American Forces are pulled out of France.

Club Officers at close of club (?):

·      Dr. Jouett, YMCA, President

·      Capt. R.C Murphy, Secretary

Photos of American Base Section No. 1 and Saint-Nazaire during The Great War. Saint-Nazaire Patrimoine. https://www.saint-nazaire-musees.com/ressources/