The S.O.L. Degree

The S.O.L. Degree was a military side degree originated in the aviation camps of Romorantin, France, by Bro. Charles H. Huntley, General Secretary of the Masonic Clubs in the Saint-Nazaire area. It was an “improvement” on the Shriner S.O.L. Degree. It was “peculiarly military and its nomenclature and movement was all military.”

Between 5,000 and 10,000 Masons were initiated into this degree in 1919. Charles F. Irwin initiated about 400 Masons into this degree at Brest, France, in August, 1919.

Their clubs were known as “Dugouts”, with the national body known as The Grand Dugout. We know of six dugout locations in France to date.

After the war, the S.O.L. Society was formed.

They held a reunion dinner on Wednesday, 23 September, 1931 in Detroit, MI.

They also held a reunion in 1932 in Portland, OR. Charles F. Irwin was Adjunct General of the Society at this time.

Please stay tuned as we update this page as our research progresses.

Grand Dugout

Commander in Chief - Hubert H. Porter, Esq., Clarendon, VA (After the War) Adjutant - Charles H. Huntley, 150 Elmer Avenue, Schenectady, NY (After the War)

A national convention of Dugouts was to be held in the summer of 1921. We currently have no additional information on this event.

S.O.L. Dugout No. 1 Romorantin, France - A.P.O. 713A

C.O. - M.B. Carman Adjutant - Huber H. Porter

Roberts, Geo. Fulton - Amity Lodge No. 5, Janesville, Ohio Moore, John P. - Western Star Lodge No. 21, Youngstown, Ohio Hull, Samuel - Miami Lodge No. 46, Cincinnati, Ohio Mitchell, Carl - Marion Lodge No. 70, Marion, Ohio Hopkins, J. Kent - Fayette Lodge No. 107, Washington C. H., Ohio W. C. Hewitt - Kilwinning Lodge No. 356, Cincinnati, Ohio F. D. Hoffman - McMillan Lodge No. 141, Cincinnati, Ohio Thomas, Lee R. - Rubicon Lodge No. 237, Toledo, Ohio Beckwith, Jean Leroy - Rockton Lodge No. 316, Kent, Ohio

S.O.L. Dugout No. 2 Gievres, France - A.P.O. 713

C.O. - Unknown Adjutant - Unknown

S.O.L. Dugout No. 3 Gievres, France - A.P.O. Unknown

C.O. - Unknown Adjutant - Unknown

Shield, Clarence Moses - Richland Lodge No. 201, Plymouth, Ohio Smith, D. W. - Berea Lodge No. 382, Berea, Ohio Fanning, Fred M. - Brooklyn Lodge No. 454, Cleveland, Ohio Crampton, R. J. - Woodward Lodge No. 508, Cleveland, Ohio Fredricks, Herman - Collingwood Lodge No. 582, Cleveland, Ohio Marcolin, Fred W. - Euclid Lodge No. 599, Cleveland, Ohio Brughwick, Ed - Brenton D. Babcock Lodge No. 600, Cleveland, Ohio Marrick, W. G. - West LaFayette Lodge No. 602, West LaFayette, Ohio Blue, Edwin J. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Hawkins, Edson K. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Jackson, G. H. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Oldach, Ernest - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Schmidt, W. C. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Shotwell, Harry - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Sherrer, George E. - Ellbrook Lodge No. 634, Cleveland, Ohio Bolz, A. C. - Pentalpha Lodge No. 636, East Cleveland, Ohio Fulton, William D. - Forest Hill Lodge No. 644, East Cleveland, Ohio Cheyney, A. A. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Day, Arthur E. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Wood, Roy A. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Noel, R. C. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio

S.O.L. Dugout No. 4 Paris, France - A.P.O. Unknown

C.O. - Unknown Adjutant - Unknown

On Bastille Day, 14 July, 1919, a group of these S.O.L. Masons took a pilgrimage up to 35 Rue de Picpus, Paris, the location of the tomb of the Marquis de LaFayette. They performed part of the ritual and laid wreaths on his tomb. A photo was taken by Frank D. Lewis of Everett, Washington. It is unknown if a copy of this photo still exists.

Lewis, Frank D. -Everett, Washington

S.O.L. Dugout No. 5 Saint-Nazaire, France - A.P.O. (701)

C.O. - Capt. Robert Murphy Adjutant - Charles H. Huntley

S.O.L. Dugout No. 6 Brest, France - A.P.O. 705

C.O. - Chaplain C.F. Irwin (5) Adjutant - Lt. W.W. Preisch

Other Brethren Believed to have had the S.O.L. Degree conferred upon them:

D. E. Benjamin - Chairman of the S.O.L. Degree Veterans.  Detriot, Michigan Wolcknitz, Frank – Nickerson, Kansas Troxel, Paul F. – Old Erie Lodge No. 3, Warren, Ohio Kuhn, John A (1035). – Morning Dawn Lodge No. 7, Gallipolis, Ohio Safford, Harold R. – Morning Dawn Lodge No. 7, Gallipolis, Ohio Bergen Jr., Charles S. – St. John’s Lodge No. 12, Dayton, Ohio Earhart, Glen W. – St. John’s Lodge No. 12, Dayton, Ohio King, Harry R. – Western Star Lodge No. 21, Youngstown, Ohio Moore, John P.? – Western Star Lodge No. 21, Youngstown, Ohio Johnson, Peter (1046) – Pickaway Lodge No. 23, Circleville, Ohio Lynch, Raymond D. (193) – Warren Lodge No. 24, Piqua, Ohio Horn, Burnice L. – Paramuthia Lodge No. 25, Athens, Ohio Brown, Lem C. – Columbus Lodge No. 30, Columbus, Ohio Huseman, Theodore - Columbus Lodge No. 30, Columbus, Ohio Voegel, Leonard (397) – Columbus Lodge No. 30, Columbus, Ohio Bechtel, Harvey G. – Ebenezer Lodge No. 33, Wooster, Ohio McMullen, Paul H. – Highland Lodge No. 38, Hillsboro, Ohio Bassett, Noah H. (546) – Aurora Lodge No. 48, Portsmouth, Ohio Synder, Otis S. – Aurora Lodge No. 48, Portsmouth, Ohio Fridline, Guy C. – Lancaster Lodge No. 57, Lancaster, Ohio O’Dell, Louis V. – Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 64, Norwalk, Ohio Katz, Gabriel JH. – Marion Lodge No. 70, Marion, Ohio McDermott, Edgar H. – Seville Lodge No. 74, Seville, Ohio Wisnewski, Frank E. – La Fayette Lodge No. 81, Cincinnati, Ohio Bloom, John H. – Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Eaton, Preble County, Ohio Adams, William E. – Akron Lodge No. 83, Akron, Ohio Steidle, Walter M. – Akron Lodge No. 83, Akron, Ohio Abel, John B. – Coshocton Lodge No. 96, Coshocton, Ohio Franks, H. S. – Spartan Lodge No. 126, Millersburg, Ohio Dessenberg, L. C. – Ashland Lodge No. 151, Ashland, Ohio Francis, W. H. H. (1056) – Irville Lodge No. 185, Nashpol, Ohio Jenkins, Berkley E. (137) – Lawrence Lodge No. 198, Ironton, Ohio Owrey, William T. – Lawrence Lodge No. 198, Ironton, Ohio Shield, Clarence Moses - Richland Lodge No. 201, Plymouth, Ohio Bohnstengel, Herman – Hanselmann Lodge No. 208, Ohio Hague, John T. (409) – Olive Lodge No. 210, Mt. Epheanir, Ohio Poling, Charles N. – Van Wert Lodge No. 218, Van Wert, Ohio Metcalf, Harry D. – Groveport Lodge No. 240, Groveport, Ohio Curdes, J. Henry – Napoleon Lodge No. 256, Napoleon, Ohio Wilkie Jr., Zeller (452) – Germantown Lodge No. 257, Germantown, Ohio Simpson, Welton F. – Rockton Lodge No. 316, Kent, Ohio Birney, Samuel A. – Unionport Lodge No. 333, Unionport, Ohio Morley, Alfred Charles – Geneva Lodge No. 334, Geneva, Ohio Shick, Henry – Belle Center Lodge No. 347, Belle Center, Ohio Hewitt, W. C. – Kilwinning Lodge No. 356, Cincinnati, Ohio Thomas, Edwin T. – Centreville Lodge No. 371, Thurman, Ohio Graham, Clarence R. – Oberlin Lodge No. 380, Oberlin, Ohio Smith, D. W. – Berea Lodge No. 382, Berea, Ohio Ritsman, E. P. – Sanford L. Collins Lodge No. 396, Toledo, Ohio Fanning, Fred M. - Brooklyn Lodge No. 454, Cleveland, Ohio Crampton, R. J. - Woodward Lodge No. 508, Cleveland, Ohio Fredricks, Herman - Collingwood Lodge No. 582, Cleveland, Ohio Marcolin, Fred W. - Euclid Lodge No. 599, Cleveland, Ohio Brughwick, Ed - Brenton D. Babcock Lodge No. 600, Cleveland, Ohio Marrick, W. G. - West LaFayette Lodge No. 602, West LaFayette, Ohio Blue, Edwin J. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Hawkins, Edson K. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Jackson, G. H. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Oldach, Ernest - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Schmidt, W. C. - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Shotwell, Harry - O. N. Steele Lodge No. 621, Cleveland, Ohio Sherrer, George E. - Ellbrook Lodge No. 634, Cleveland, Ohio Bolz, A. C. - Pentalpha Lodge No. 636, East Cleveland, Ohio Fulton, William D. - Forest Hill Lodge No. 644, East Cleveland, Ohio Cheyney, A. A. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Day, Arthur E. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Wood, Roy A. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Noel, R. C. - Service Lodge No. 658, Cleveland, Ohio Mitchell, Carl - Marion Lodge No. 70, Marion, Ohio Hopkins, J. Kent - Fayette Lodge No. 107, Washington C. H., Ohio Hoffman, F. D. - McMillan Lodge No. 141, Cincinnati, Ohio Thomas, Lee R. - Rubicon Lodge No. 237, Toledo, Ohio Beckwith, Jean Leroy - Rockton Lodge No. 316, Kent, Ohio