Grand Lodge of Idaho

Grand Lodge of Idaho A.F. & A.M.
Seal of the Grand Lodge of Idaho A.F. & A.M.
Latin Motto	(none)
Constituted	1867
Jurisdiction	Idaho
Location	Boise, Idaho USA
Website	idahoaf.am

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The Grand Lodge of Idaho (full formal name Grand Lodge of Idaho, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons) is one of several bodies that govern Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Idaho as recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England.^[1] It was established in 1867 by five Masonic Lodges operating in Idaho Territory.

Membership in Freemasonry nationwide peaked during the period from 1900-1950. In Idaho "membership in Masons statewide has declined from 11,000 in 1982 to 4,388 members" in 2010, and "the number of lodges has declined to 56."^[2]

The Grand Lodge of Idaho is headquartered in Boise.

History

Hailey Masonic Lodge

The first organized Masonic activity in present-day Idaho dates to 1862, when a group of Freemasons organized an informal Masonic club in Florence in what was then Washington Territory. That same year, a dispensation was granted by the Grand Lodge of Washington to form a new Masonic Lodge in Lewiston. This Lodge was chartered in 1864 but disbanded a year later after a decline in gold mining activities in the area.

In July 1863 the Grand Lodge of Oregon granted a dispensation to a Masonic group in Bannock City (now Idaho City). This Lodge was chartered as Idaho Lodge No. 35 in 1864. The Grand Lodge of Washington, which considered all of Idaho Territory to be within its jurisdiction, charged the Grand Lodge of Oregon with illegally chartering the lodge. This controversy continued for some time and spread throughout the Masonic community in the United States. Even so, over the next couple years Masonic Lodges in northern Idaho Territory were granted charters in Washington while southern Idaho Territory Lodges continued to receive charters from Oregon.

By 1867 the need for a local Grand Lodge was recognized by the active Masonic Lodges in southern Idaho Territory. These Masonic Lodges, Idaho Lodge of Idaho City, Boise Lodge of Boise, Placer Lodge of Placerville, Pioneer Lodge of Pioneerville, and Owyhee Lodge of Silver City, met in December 1867 to form the Grand Lodge of Idaho. This meeting is considered to be the founding of the Grand Lodge of Idaho. The new Grand Lodge issued charters to these five Lodges in June 1868 which superseded their original charters from Oregon.

Idaho Lodge, which spearheaded the drive to create a Grand Lodge in Idaho Territory, was given the distinction of being recognized as its first chartered Lodge. Today Idaho Lodge No. 1 is headquartered in Boise.

A Masonic Lodge in Grangeville was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Idaho in December 1873, becoming the first northern Idaho Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Idaho's jurisdiction.

Freemasonry spread quickly in Idaho. By the time Idaho attained statehood in July 1890 there were 21 active regular Masonic Lodges in the new state. In 1910 there were nearly 60.^[3] Since its founding the Grand Lodge of Idaho has chartered 97 regular Masonic Lodges, of which 64 are active as of 2006. The Idaho Lodge of Research, a special Masonic Lodge dedicated to Masonic scholarship, was chartered in 1965.^[4]

Membership

As in most Masonic jurisdictions, membership in a Masonic Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Idaho is open to any male over 18 years of age who believes in a Supreme Being. In addition, Idaho Lodges require a candidate to be an Idaho resident for at least six months and apply for membership in his local Lodge. However, once he becomes a member of his local Lodge he may become a "plural affiliate" (i.e. a member of another Lodge simultaneously) elsewhere.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Idaho

In the early 1990s the Grand Lodge of Idaho formally recognized Prince Hall Freemasonry. However, as of 2006 there is no separate Prince Hall Masonic jurisdiction in Idaho. Prince Hall Freemasonry in the state is currently administered by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Oregon.

Current Lodges under the Grand Lodge or Idaho

Lodge	Chartered	Location
Idaho No. 1	June 23, 1868	Boise (originally Idaho City)
Boise No. 2	June 23, 1868	Boise
Placer No. 3	June 23, 1868	Horseshoe Bend (originally Placerville)
Mount Idaho No. 9	December 1873	Grangeville
Nez Perce No. 10	December 1874	Lewiston
Lemhi No. 11	December 1874	Salmon
Silver City No. 13	December 1874	Homedale (originally Silver City)
Hailey No. 16	September 1885	Hailey
Paradise No. 17	September 1885	Moscow
Portneuf No. 18	September 1886	Pocatello
Eagle Rock No. 19	September 1886	Idaho Falls
Coeur d'Alene No. 20	September 1886	Murray
Richfield No. 21	September 1887	Richfield
Weiser No. 23	September 1888	Weiser
Kootenai No. 24	September 1891	Coeur d'Alene
Shoshone No. 25	September 1891	Wallace
Washoe No. 28	September 1892	Payette
Ashlar No. 29^[n1]	September 1892	Nampa
Elmore No. 30	September 1892	Mountain Home
Salubria No. 31	September 1893	Cambridge
Unity No. 32	September 1893	Genesee
Grove City No. 33	September 1896	Blackfoot
Cataldo No. 34	September 1896	Kellogg
Butte No. 37	September 1902	Emmett
Mount Moriah No. 39	September 1902	Caldwell
Rathdrum No. 41	September 1904	Rathdrum
Lakeside No. 42	September 1904	Sandpoint
Bonners Ferry No. 43	September 1904	Bonners Ferry
Twin Falls No. 45	September 1906	Twin Falls
Meridian No. 47	September 1906	Meridian
Arco No. 48	September 1906	Arco
Malad No. 51	September 1908	Malad City
St. Johns No. 52	September 1909	[[Shelley, Idaho\|Shelley]Merged in to Eagle Rock 19]
Buhl No. 53	September 1910	Buhl
Wendell No. 54	September 1910	Wendell
Kamiah No. 56	September 1910	Kamiah
Spirit Lake No. 57	September 1910	Spirit Lake
American Falls No. 58	September 1910	American Falls
Lincoln No. 59	September 1910	Gooding
Oriental No. 60	September 1910	Boise
Jerome No. 61	September 1910	Jerome
Prairie No. 62^[n3]	September 1911	Craigmont (originally Gifford)
St. Maries No. 63	September 1911	St. Maries
Mount McCaleb No. 64	September 1911	Mackay
Potlatch No. 66	September 1911	Potlatch
Burley No. 68	September 1912	Burley
Paul No. 77	September 1920	Paul
Hagerman No. 78	September 1921	Hagerman
Fidelity No. 80	September 1921	Glenns Ferry
Keystone No. 81	September 1921	Pocatello
Ionic No. 82	September 1922	Cascade
Caribou No. 84	September 1922	Soda Springs
Kooskia No. 87	September 1924	Kooskia
Challis No. 92	September 1949	Challis
Capital City No. 93	September 1950	Boise
Mount Kinport No. 95	September 1952	Pocatello
Kaniksu No. 97^[n4]	September 1995	Priest River
Lodge of Research No. 1965^[n5]	September 1965	Boise

^[n1] Known as Nampa No. 29 until 1988.

^[n3] Known as Acacia No. 62 until 1943.

^[n4] Previously existed as Kaniksu No. 85, 1922-1987.

^[n5] Lodge of Research No. 1965 is a special Lodge dedicated to Masonic scholarship.

References

↑ The others being the Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Oregon and Nevada - Bessel.org page on Prince Hall Grand Lodges
↑ Karen Bossick (November 6, 2010). "To do good: Masonic lodge sees upswing in membership". Magic Valley Times-News. Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ http://www.eaglerock19.org/images/GLID-1900.jpg
↑ http://www.eaglerock19.org/history.html

External links

UGLE recognised Grand Lodges in the United States

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Federal district	Washington, D.C.

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