The Story of the Founding of
John W. Durst Lodge
With special thanks to W.B. George Kappel
Late in the autumn of 1943 the
need for at least two additional Symbolic Lodges in Dayton became
apparent. A study of the membership statistics was carefully made by the
three Dayton Grand Lodge officers Right Worshipful Brother L.T. McKinney, Grand
Marshal; Most Worshipful Brother Charles B. Hoffman, Past Grand Master; and Most
Worshipful Brother Elmer R. Arn, Past Grand Master, who concluded that in order
to reach a definite decision on the matter, a meeting of a number of active
Dayton Masons should be called to expand the discussion to a ;larger and more
representative group.
On December 8, 1943 such a meeting was held in the
Masonic Temple, and in addition to the three Grand Lodge Officers there were in
attendance eight other prominent Masons, one from each of the eight lodges then
in existence. After a lengthy discussion it was agreed that the formation
of two new lodges was in order. While this discussion was not unanimous
there was no serious opposition stated and the majority agreed that the
formation of the new lodges should proceed at once. To carry
out the details of the formation of these lodges a committee was appointed
consisting of Worshipful Brother William D. Blaik, chairman; Right
Worshipful Brother Charles B. Hoffman and Most Worshipful Brother Elmer R. Arn.
The committee's first action was to give consideration
to the naming of one of the two new lodges. It was thought by many of the
brethren that one of the lodges should be named for that outstanding Dayton
Mason Worshipful Brother John W. Durst, as a tribute to his many years of
service to the fraternity. While it was somewhat unusual to name a lodge
for a person still living, it was felt by all concerned that an exception should
be made in his instance. Worshipful Brother Durst was consulted and
expressed no objections to having a lodge named after him. It was
therefore decided to name one of the new lodges John W. Durst Lodge.
With this matter disposed of , the selection of the
Worshipful Masters became the next step and the Committee selected Worshipful
Brother Clarence J. Stewart, Past Master of Stillwater Lodge #616 for John W.
Durst Lodge. Soon after came the selection of the Wardens and Worshipful
Brother Clifford J. Wahl, Past Master of Melrose Lodge #576 and Brother Thomas
Mitchell of Mystic Lodge #405 were selected as the respective Senior and Junior
Wardens of John W. Durst Lodge. The wisdom of choosing a Past Master as the
Senior Warden was proved early in the proceedings.
After the necessary petitions and other incidental
forms were procured from the Secretary of the Grand Lodge and properly signed a
meeting was set up with the Grand Master. On April 18, 1944 at a meeting
of Hiram Lodge #18 Most Worshipful Brother Alpheus A. Stephens signed the
Dispensation. The first meeting, the meeting for the institution of John W.
Durst Lodge U.D. was called by Worshipful Brother Stewart on Saturday, May 6,
1944. The meeting was opened at 7:30 p.m. in the Commandery Asylum with
prayer by Rev. Paul Herrick, Pastor of the First U.B. Church of Dayton, a
charter member of John W. Durst Lodge. Worshipful Brother Stewart then
read the Dispensation and requested Worshipful Brother Cliff Wahl, Senior
Warden and Brother Tom Mitchell, Junior Warden, to take their stations. He then
named the following officers and requested them to take their respective places:
Arthur Compton, Treasurer
Wesley O. Clark, Secretary
Robert Baker, Senior Deacon
Claude Almand, Junior Deacon
J. Floyd Downing, Tyler
Floyd Irons, Senior Steward
Walter Bunn, Junior Steward
John Branch, Chaplain
Andrew Iddings, Trustee
George Baker, Trustee
Dan Schryver, Trustee
Worshipful Brother Stewart then called
Worshipful Brother John W. Durst to the East and extended him the gavel that he
might conduct the first order of business in the Lodge named in his honor.
Worshipful Brother Durst proceeded by ordering the colors posted. This
being completed he returned the gavel to the Worshipful Master.
Working through the summer of 1944, 33 new members were
raised and finding all the records in due order the new Lodge was duly
constituted on the evening of October 30, 1944 under the direction of the
newly-elected Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother David B. Sharp in an
impressive ceremony. That first meeting was held in the Commandery Asylum
because of the large attendance; many sat in the balcony. At one point,
during the meeting, Worshipful Brother Durst had a wheelbarrow load of silver
dollars wheeled in from around one side of the stage. The money was in
white canvas bags, with two Dayton police officers in uniform as escorts and
guards. Brother Durst said that it was customary to bring and present
gifts to all new born babies, and so here was his gift to the new Lodge, his
namesake; six thousand silver dollars to start the Lodge off with some money in
the Treasury.
John W. Durst
In 1847, after a voyage of 92 days a
sailboat crossing the Atlantic Ocean arrived in New Orleans from Lucerne, Switzerland.
A 17 year old by the name of Jost Durst stepped off that boat into a new
world. Working his way north up the Mississippi River he arrived in
Cincinnati, Ohio where he married and established his first home. In 1854
he moved his family north to Germantown, Ohio where on November 18 of that year
John Durst was born. On August 29, 1950 he was gently touched by the
mystic messenger and silently escorted beyond the shadows into the realm of
light at the age of 95 years.
During his lifetime, actually in 1887, the Durst
Milling Company was incorporated by his father and the three sons, John,
Charles, and Edward. The company, after a life of 68 years, established an
enviable name for itself with its nationally known products and sold out in 1929
to the Pennsylvania Railroad. John Durst, with more than half a century
spent in his chosen vocation, retired from business. He had a most
interesting and full life, having spent his boyhood, raised his family and lived
in the same neighborhood. He passed through four wars (Civil War,
Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II), three floods (1866, 1893,
1913), three fires and as a boy with his father shook hands with Abraham Lincoln
on the latter's visit to Dayton.
It falls on few men as they journey through life, to
enjoy the love, esteem and respect of everyone who knows them, to the extent
that John W. Durst enjoyed. It is not alone the recollection of his
qualities as a Mason that will always be cherished, but also the knowledge that
he was a tower of strength for many years in the affairs of business and a most
distinguished citizen of Dayton.
Worshipful Brother Durst often visited the Lodge in its
early days and there is one recollection when he was sitting along the side of
the Lodge and the business of the Lodge was proceeding. He was heard to
say in a contented manner, "My, what a busy bunch of bees." The Lodge
held birthday dinners in his honor which he would attend. At these dinners
he was always presented with a huge basket of white or yellow Chrysanthemums.
His 72-year record as a Mason, from the
time he first sought light until he slipped through that impenetrable mist, was
an exemplary expression of the cardinal virtues of Freemasonry and all that it
stands for. Over this long span of years he became very definitely an
"institution"
in Masonic circles.
We in John W. Durst Lodge will be forever grateful for
the inspiration of his friendship; for his having been a part of our lives; his
timely advice and deep understanding of many difficult problems, his kindly
council and good works will ever remain a lasting monument to his fidelity and
his unselfish devotion to the finer things of life.
We, the members of a Masonic Lodge which was
named in his honor, appreciate the task that is ours and we accept the
challenge; that of keeping the banner high and the escutcheon untarnished, to
the end that we may be worthy of carrying the name of John W. Durst
Here was a friend
Whose heart was good,
He walked with men
And understood.