The Origin
In response to a petition signed by the following men. to wit. Charles Edward Bowker, Charles William McBride, William Jathrow Byers, Samuel John Byers, William McCrorie, William Henry Sales, Allan Kirkwood Langmuir, Alexander Walker Tegart to the Grand Lodge of Alberta A.F. & A.M. praying to be congregated into a regular Lodge to be known and designated as Kitchener Lodge Rimbey Alberta.
The Grand Master of Masons in the Jurisdiction of Alberta was pleased to grant a dispensation Empowering and Authorizing the Brethren aforesaid to form and open a Lodge after the manner of Ancient Free and Accepted masons and thereon to admit to memberships and make Free Masons according to ancient custom and not otherwise, the Regular meetings of said Lodge to be held on Friday on or before the Full of the Moon and appointing Bro. Samuel J. Byers to be the First Worshipful master: Bro. Allan K. Langmuir to be the First Senior Warden: Bro. William J. Byers to be the First Junior Warden of the new Lodge. The said dispensation to continue in full force until the first day of May A.L. 5917, A.D. 1917.
Pursuant to this Authority the Lodge was duly Instituted at a meeting held in the Masons Hall Rimbey on Friday, Nineteenth Day of January A.L. 5917 A.D. 1917 by R.W.Bro. J.A.Wilson, D.D.G.M. of No. 4 Masonic District with the kind assistance of the following visiting Brethren from Britannia Lodge No. 18 Ponoka. to wit: Thos. W. Franks
John Alexander, W.A. Campbell, Geo Gordon, B.J.Byers and the following officers were duly installed. to wit.
Bro. S.J. Byers W.M. Bro. C.W.McBride Secy.
Bro. A.K. Langmuir S.W Bro. W.H.Sales S.D.
Bro. W.J. Byers J.W Bro. Wm. McCrorie J.D.
Bro. C.E.Bowker Treasurer Bro. A.W. Tegart Tyler
Regular meetings of the Lodge were duly held as set out and duly recorded in the minute book on the Friday “on or before the full of the moon” of the months of February, March and April.
At the time that the Dispensation became null and void org: on the first of May A.L.5917 A.D. 1917 the lodge had duly and properly initiated one candidate, Mr. William Brooks into the First degree of Free Masonary and had considered and referred to their several investigating committees the petitions for the initiation of two other candidates org: Mr. M.C.Platt - farmer and Rev. J.J. Hathaway - Minister of the Gospel.
The Dispensation having been duly renewed for another year work was resumed immediately on the receipt of the renewed Dispensation which came to hand June 28 1917.
Up to June A.D. 1918 A.L. 5918 the Lodge had been working under dispensation, however some welcome news was received that a Charter had been issued and a Number assigned, thus Kitchener Lodge “UD” was now Kitchener Lodge #95.
Kitchener Lodge “UD” started as a Canadian Rite Lodge. At the Regular meeting on Friday August 31 1917 it was Moved Seconded and Adopted, “That the work to be followed by the Lodge from this date on be changed from the Canadian Rite to the York Rite.”