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Historical Comment - copied from The History of The
Grand Lodge of Alberta
KITCHENER
LODGE NO. 95
In 1916 Lord Kitchener, the hero of Kartum in the Boer War at the
beginning of the century, lost his life when the British Cruiser he was
on struck a mine and sank. It was fitting that the town of
Rimbey
should enshrine his name when it decided to establish Kitchener Lodge
No. 95. The dispensation was granted on December 19, 1916 soon after
Lord Kitchener’s death. The Lodge institution followed on January 19,
1917 and the constitution on July 1, 1918. At the original meeting eight
Charter members were present.
The Lodge ran into difficulties, as did the majority of Lodges in
Alberta, when the influenza epidemic caused the
authorities to ban all public meetings from November 2, 1918 to January
3, 1919. When the ban was
lifted, six Brethren traveled across country to Ponoka where, on January
10, 1919, Britannia Lodge No. 18 held joint installation ceremonies. The
six members traveled from Rimbey to Ponoka by two teams and cutters.
After the meeting, they left Ponoka shortly after midnight. Their
journey home deserves mention as it was made in the depth of winter and
on a cold and disagreeable night. The men in the second cutter, not
having made the journey before, had to enquire at each house they came
to as to the route ahead. A safe return to Rimbey was made, but the
return trip took until 9:30 the next morning.
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