Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Took a quick trip to Fort Wayne and settled for a lot of Masonic work at the Temple.”
Over the past few years, I have repeatedly mentioned the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite. Like many other Scottish Rite stages, their scenery collection was a compilation of backdrops produced by more than one scenic studio over the years. This is not unusual. It was common for Scottish Rite clients to make multiple purchases over a period of years or decades, repairing, replacing and sometimes upgrading their stage work. Masonic scenery collections are like patchwork quilts, all composed of different fabric squares with their own history.
Sosman & Landis records note that they delivered scenery to the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite in 1907 and 1913. The first scenery was delivered prior to the completing the 1909 building. Keep in mind that the Santa Fe Scottish Rite ordered a fill set of scenery for practice prior to the opening of their new building. In Fort Wayne, additional scenery for the 1909 building was delivered by Toomey & Volland, not Sosman & Landis. However, it is very likely that some of the original 1907 Sosman & Landis backdrops were transferred to the new stage in 1909.
Toomey & Volland delivered scenery to the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite in 1909 and 1945. The 1909 stage was unveiled at the consecration and dedication ceremony of the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Nov. 17, 1909. The three-day fall reunion coincided with this event. Furthermore, a 1912 advertisement in the “The New Age Magazine” credited Toomey & Volland with the stage scenery installed at the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite. Moses’ 1913 entry in his diary, “Took a quick trip to Fort Wayne and settled for a lot of Masonic work at the Temple” meant that their membership was rapidly growing.
The Fort Wayne Scottish Rite building was described after it opened in the “Kansas Republic” (December 2). The article noted, “The dedication was held at the regular time of the fall meeting of the consistory for the Valley of Fort Wayne, and 300 took the Scottish Rite degrees. Degrees were given from the fourth to the Thirty-second. Heretofore this valley had no jurisdiction beyond the eighteenth degree, and the degrees from the 19 to 32 were conferred here for the first time. As the consistory has already nearly 1,100 members, the Fort Wayne consistory has become one of the largest in the country” (Kansas City, Dec. 2, 1909). This information suggests that the original Scottish Rite scenery in Fort Wayne by Sosman & Landis (1907) was for the 4th-18th degrees and delivered prior to the construction of the new building. Toomey & Volland produced the 19019 scenery used in the 19th -32nd degree productions, delivering it to the new stage.
The “Kansas Republic” article further described the new Scottish Rite Cathedral in Fort Wayne: “The cathedral is three stories high, with a spacious basement. The ground floor will be the banquet and ballrooms, with galleries. The social rooms are on the second floor, which is also provided with quarters for the ladies. There is also a room for the Mystic Shrine. The third floor is occupied by the consistory auditorium, which is arranged on the stadium plan with tiers of opera chairs rising steeply, so that those in the rear seats can all see the work on the large floor below. There are seats for nearly 600 in this auditorium. The organ loft is in the north and at the south end there is a spacious stage provided with scenery, the work of a St. Louis firm.” The “St. Louis firm” mentioned was Toomey & Volland.
There are many reasons why the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite may have reached out to Sosman & Landis for new scenery in 1913. If Toomey & Volland could not complete the project in the allotted timeframe, they likely recommended Sosman & Landis. Demand for painted scenery was still greater than supply, making for friendly competition.
Big events were continually planned at the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite too, also providing an incentive for new stage settings. In 1913, the “Fort Wayne Sentinel” announced “Masons Gather in Fort Wayne, Spring Scottish Rite Meeting Attracts Large Number of Visitors” (15 April 1913, page 2). Scottish Rite Masons from Northern Indiana and the Fort Wayne area gathered for the opening session of the annual spring convocation in 1913. Several hundred Masons attended the spring convocation that lasted three days. As Scottish Rite membership skyrocketed in the early twentieth century, additional scenes for degree productions were continually added to existing collections. This practice was common as Scottish Rite bodies continued to focus on superior membership experiences during ceremonials.
In 1914, the “Fort Wayne Sentinel” announced that the Scottish Rite had added a degree production. This is likely the degree that used new scenery produced by Sosman & Landis, first mentioned by Moses in his 1913 diary entry. On Nov. 17, 1914, the article headlined “TO GIVE DEGREE FOR FIRST TIME. Scottish Rite Convocation Opens With Class of Good Size” (Fort Wayne Sentinel, page 9). The article continued, “The annual fall reunion of the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite bodies opened at the Scottish Rite cathedral Tuesday afternoon with the conferring of the degrees of Fort Wayne Lodge of Perfection upon a class of half a hundred candidates. Many Scottish Rite Masons of prominence are in the city to attend the reunion. Fort Wayne consistory has added another exemplified degree to its list, and the present class will be the first one in the city to receive the exemplification of the Twenty-second degree. It will be given late Wednesday evening, and the reunion will come to a close on Thursday evening.”
The Sosman & Landis’ design for the 22nd degree was known as “The Carpenter Shop.” I have documented a few of these scenes over the years, with the earliest example being in Cheyenne, Wyoming, from 1911. The 22nd setting did not require a specific composition prior to this time. Many Scottish Rite valleys simply set it in the woods, using props to suggest a carpenter’s shop, and not an interior shop. However, adding new settings, or staging new degrees, facilitated the continued growth of the Rite during this time. Something new, such as the staging of a new degree, prompted old members to return and new members to join. It is a standard marketing technique, repackaging the experience in a way, or creating a superior ceremonial experience. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction became experts at this approach, rewriting and restaging many degrees over the years. The Southern Jurisdiction seldom revised, but for a long time continued to expand on the experience.
I have to wonder if Scottish membership decline was partially due to the fact that the Fraternity stopped trying to improve individual experiences for each member. I don’t mean that there was an overt attempt NOT to care about the degrees or expansion of the membership, but many Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rites stopped a variety of practices during the late 1920s, including the investment in fraternal paraphernalia and new degree settings. Overall, the development of new scenery for degrees comes to a screeching halt by the late 1920s. Some cite the Great Depression or military conflicts as a reason, or various progressive movements and a general backlash against what some consider conservative establishments. Regardless of the circumstances, there is a fundamental change in Scottish Rite leadership beginning at this time, one that still continues until today.
At one point, Masonic membership was primarily composed of young men, men in their prime and full of ambition and ideas. That is not meant to say that there were not older members in leadership roles. The organization may have been guided by older and more experienced members, but was expanded by younger enthusiastic visionaries. I think of what Bestor G. Brown accomplished before passing away in his 50s. His contribution to the growth of the Fraternity was providing a superior experience for its members but constantly improving the individual experience.
The focus seems to shift away from the continued improvement of individual member experience to the emphasis as the organization as a benevolent benefactor, or public persona. The social perception of the fraternity as a whole seems to become a major driving force in decision making after WWII.
One example that continues to divide the Fraternity is large charitable donations that are given away to non-Masonic groups. This is happening at a time when lack of financial assistance causes many Masonic lodges to close, the same lodges that continue to donate much of their funding to those outside of the Fraternity.
While a dwindling membership continues to raise massive funds for Masonic charities, lodges close due to lack of funds. At some point the gravy train will come to an end and charitable donations cease when there are not enough lodges to raise money. The thousands of dollars generated from pancake breakfasts and other activities will end when there is no longer the membership to staff each event. Ultimately, each lodge that closes is one less lodge that will contribute funds to Masonic charities. As what point does a lodge fundraise for themselves or their building repairs, just to keep their doors open and focus on the membership experience? I think of the well-known story of the carpenter who lives in a cardboard house and this seems to be happening in many regions.
To be continued…
