History of Swope Park Chapter #520
A History of Swope Park Chapter was written on the 36th Anniversary. Sister Virginia Gibson added to it in the 1980s. Additions were made in 2004 when we celebrated our 80th Anniversary. It is again revised and added to for our 90th Anniversary in October 2014.
Early in the spring of 1924 a group of some 20 people met in the home of Sister Nannie West and Brother Charles West and organized Swope Park Chapter.
Sister Nannie West, although not a charter member, was the one who had the idea of a chapter being organized to meet in the neighborhood of Swope Park. Twenty names were secured on the petition for dispensation to charter a new chapter. Nine of these were presently members of a chapter; eleven were people who had to be initiated. Swope Park Chapter was granted a dispensation and was instituted April 14, 1924 in the hall at 6700 Cleveland Ave. It is there the chapter began.
The Bible on our altar was presented to us by the Wm. F. Kuhn Royal Arch Chapter. Sister Daisy Spanier, the first Secretary, gave the chapter a woolen flag and it was used for many years. The signet was in a frame and stood on an easel. The Conductress used a pointer during initiation. The original floor cloth was felt and was a gift from Josepha Chapter. The pedestals were of dark wood and were brought from Heroine Temple. The secretary's desk was a table.
The Charter was granted during the Grand Chapter's Golden Anniversary and No. 520 was assigned to us on October 15, 1924. We were a chapter full of enthusiasm.
We continued to meet at 6700 Cleveland until September 1926 when Swope Park Masonic Temple was ready. We moved to the beautiful new temple at 60th and Swope Parkway.
During our lives we have invested some of our earnings in shares of stock in Swope Park Masonic Temple. We also took part in the proposed "Esther Home for Girls." Notes of ways and means include selling a year book, card parties, dinners, bazaars, and dances. Much of this work was done by Circles.
Dark days fell on Swope Park Chapter when the great depression of 1929 hit. Our brothers eventually defaulted on the payments of our beautiful temple and the doors were closed.
Sept. 2, 1944 Swope Park Masonic Lodge moved to 1115 East 47th Street and we moved with them. Here we continued to grow in fellowship and membership. On August 4, 1949, Swope Park Lodge 617, always trying to better themselves, bought a building at 2704 Linwood Blvd. which became their Masonic Home, and of course our home too. We knew many happy days there for our membership had grown to a little over 300.
In 1964, along came a downer. July 5th Brother George Shores, who was at that time president of the building board, called to inform us that they had sold the building. Our chapter would have one week to move out and find a temporary home until our brothers could finish their new building at 8521 Oldham Road.
Northeast Lodge agreed to rent us a temporary home at 141 South Van Brunt, Kansas City. With a dispensation from the Worthy Grand Matron, we moved in. At that time our hope for a permanent home with Swope Park Masonic Lodge was very low. For two years we had looked at a hole in the ground where this building now stands. This part of the building or this temple and its history belongs to Swope Park Masonic Lodge, but because it so deeply touched the life of our chapter and its members, some things belong to our history too.
Things began to happen when there were line officers in the lodge who were also members of Eastern Star. Brother Harold Baker, Brother V. B. Gibson and Brother Bill Martin were three of them. Brother Warder Shotwell was elected President of the Building Board, Brother Bob Hamilton Vice President and Brother Kohler Wolff Secretary with Brother V. B. Gibson rental chairman. It was then that every man in the Lodge gave fully of his time, talents and labor. They had a dream in their minds and they did not stop until this building was completed.
It was at that time that Brother Warder Shotwell revealed to us in a chapter meeting that the building was ready for us to move in. But they did not have the funds to buy the needed things for an O.E.S. chapter. Thus a motion was put on the floor that our chapter loan the lodge our piano and that we would make them a gift of our O.E.S. rug and all the necessary things to set up a chapter. Some of the members were unhappy at this motion, but it did pass. We put together several projects to buy furniture for the lobby.
On January 20, 1966 the present temple at 8521 Oldham Road was dedicated and at last we had a home. Accomplishing these dreams took many hours of dedicated labor by our sisters and brothers.
In 1973 Swope Park Chapter was honored to have Brother Henry Andrews serve as Worthy Grand Patron. The members worked hard to help support him in his endeavors. I have heard stories about the many bottles of vanilla that were sold. Then, too, during these years we had many fish fries because our Brother Harry Williams went to Minnesota to fish each year. The dinners were a lot of work but they also provided fellowship.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s we went through a few low times. We decided to go to only one meeting a month thus conserving funds. We began having Past Matrons step forward to be Worthy Matron again.
In 1983 we welcomed Rural Chapter through consolidation, they became a part of Swope Park Chapter. We were saddened for them that they had to give up their charter but glad they chose to unite with us.
In 1986 we rejoiced when the Masonic Home Western Unit became a reality. Each chapter had been asked to contribute $15 per member towards this home. We worked on this project for several years and in 1987 we accomplished the goal. Sister Reta Pemberton, Worthy Matron, accepted a certificate at Grand Chapter in 1987 that acknowledged this accomplishment.
The days of decreasing membership have caused many chapters to give up their charters and consolidate to make, hopefully, stronger chapters. In 1998 Park Chapter consolidated with Country Club Chapter and later that year Orient Chapter consolidated with Swope Park Chapter. This brought the number of Eastern Star chapters meeting at Swope Park Temple from the original five to two chapters.
Swope Park Chapter has always given generously to the Worthy Grand Matrons’ projects and has supported other charity endeavors by the Grand Chapter. In 1999 we were fortunate to receive part of the estate of our member, Doris Mertz Binger. When this money was received the membership decided that it should be invested and one-half of all interest go to charity and one-half to assist with our expenses. This was a real financial windfall to Swope Park Chapter.
In 2003 Country Club Chapter consolidated with Swope Park Chapter. Thus Swope Park Chapter is now comprised of five chapters. Through the years these chapters have had four Worthy Grand Matrons, four Worthy Grand Patrons and numerous appointments of Grand Officers, District Deputy Grand Matrons and Grand Representatives, as well as Grand Chapter Committee members.
The membership was excited to have the Masonic Home, an Assisted Living Facility, on this side of the state. Many members were involved in volunteer work at the Masonic Home. They worked with the ceramics program, they went out to entertain the residents and participated in various ways. We adopted a resident to be sure she had a Christmas and Birthday gift and someone to come and see her.
In 2004 we held our 80th Anniversary celebration at the Masonic Home. It was a social event that encouraged members who could not travel at night to come and visit with us. We received a dispensation to hold our April 13, 2010 stated meeting at the Masonic Home. This gave Eastern Star residents an opportunity to attend a meeting. Sister Amy Tripi, Worthy Grand Matron, and Brother Leonard Stephenson, Worthy Grand Patron, attended this meeting
Through the years the Eastern Star Chapters had purchased many lovely serving pieces and silver tea sets. As time changed we no longer used many of these. Feb. 2011 we voted to give one silver tea service to the Masonic Home. Little did we know that in 2012 the Grand Lodge would decide to sell the Masonic Home. This provided a challenge to us on how we would continue to relate to the resident Eastern Star members when now not everyone at the home was a Mason or Eastern Star member.
Thru the years the Swope Park Lodge has made some changes in the building and we have tried to provide assistance in these projects such as replacing the flooring in the dining room, assisting in maintaining the parking lot and the purchase of a new sound system. In 2011 we voted to accept a new signet from Acacia Chapter #42 in Polo. This made a nice addition to our room.
The Rainbow Center for Communicative Disorders, located in Blue Springs, MO has been a special project of several of our members who work tirelessly on their Ways and Means Projects. Swope Park Chapter makes a substantial donation to them each year. We make memorial donations to various charities when one of our members die. We also assist our Job’s Daughter’s Bethel #1 and Wm F. Kuhn Chapter Order of DeMolay with financial gifts. Several of our members have accepted leadership roles in both these organizations.
Membership in the Order of the Eastern Star has been in decline everywhere. In the 1970s there were 27 chapters in our 22nd District. In 2011 the Grand Chapter voted to redistrict the state. Swope Park Chapter is now one of only eight chapters in the 11th District which was formed when the 59th District was combined with the former 22nd District.
In recent years our relationship with Swope Park Lodge #617 has improved. We join together on some projects and try to support each other. Several of their members have joined our chapter and are providing leadership. Each year we lose more members by death than we initiate. Our membership is now 137 Sisters and Brothers with 41 of them having been a member 50 years or longer.
We are proud of the support our membership has given to the Grand Chapter as well as the recognition given to our members. We are also proud that our membership has always considered the ritualistic work important and that we should memorize our work.
We can be proud of our heritage and the sense of giving to others for this is what our Order is about. Without charity to others and loving kindness we would have no reason for buildings. As we celebrate 90 years we need to spread the word that The Order of the Eastern Star is a worthwhile organization that supports charity and loving kindness.
Updated March 2014
Lois Patten, Secretary
Early in the spring of 1924 a group of some 20 people met in the home of Sister Nannie West and Brother Charles West and organized Swope Park Chapter.
Sister Nannie West, although not a charter member, was the one who had the idea of a chapter being organized to meet in the neighborhood of Swope Park. Twenty names were secured on the petition for dispensation to charter a new chapter. Nine of these were presently members of a chapter; eleven were people who had to be initiated. Swope Park Chapter was granted a dispensation and was instituted April 14, 1924 in the hall at 6700 Cleveland Ave. It is there the chapter began.
The Bible on our altar was presented to us by the Wm. F. Kuhn Royal Arch Chapter. Sister Daisy Spanier, the first Secretary, gave the chapter a woolen flag and it was used for many years. The signet was in a frame and stood on an easel. The Conductress used a pointer during initiation. The original floor cloth was felt and was a gift from Josepha Chapter. The pedestals were of dark wood and were brought from Heroine Temple. The secretary's desk was a table.
The Charter was granted during the Grand Chapter's Golden Anniversary and No. 520 was assigned to us on October 15, 1924. We were a chapter full of enthusiasm.
We continued to meet at 6700 Cleveland until September 1926 when Swope Park Masonic Temple was ready. We moved to the beautiful new temple at 60th and Swope Parkway.
During our lives we have invested some of our earnings in shares of stock in Swope Park Masonic Temple. We also took part in the proposed "Esther Home for Girls." Notes of ways and means include selling a year book, card parties, dinners, bazaars, and dances. Much of this work was done by Circles.
Dark days fell on Swope Park Chapter when the great depression of 1929 hit. Our brothers eventually defaulted on the payments of our beautiful temple and the doors were closed.
Sept. 2, 1944 Swope Park Masonic Lodge moved to 1115 East 47th Street and we moved with them. Here we continued to grow in fellowship and membership. On August 4, 1949, Swope Park Lodge 617, always trying to better themselves, bought a building at 2704 Linwood Blvd. which became their Masonic Home, and of course our home too. We knew many happy days there for our membership had grown to a little over 300.
In 1964, along came a downer. July 5th Brother George Shores, who was at that time president of the building board, called to inform us that they had sold the building. Our chapter would have one week to move out and find a temporary home until our brothers could finish their new building at 8521 Oldham Road.
Northeast Lodge agreed to rent us a temporary home at 141 South Van Brunt, Kansas City. With a dispensation from the Worthy Grand Matron, we moved in. At that time our hope for a permanent home with Swope Park Masonic Lodge was very low. For two years we had looked at a hole in the ground where this building now stands. This part of the building or this temple and its history belongs to Swope Park Masonic Lodge, but because it so deeply touched the life of our chapter and its members, some things belong to our history too.
Things began to happen when there were line officers in the lodge who were also members of Eastern Star. Brother Harold Baker, Brother V. B. Gibson and Brother Bill Martin were three of them. Brother Warder Shotwell was elected President of the Building Board, Brother Bob Hamilton Vice President and Brother Kohler Wolff Secretary with Brother V. B. Gibson rental chairman. It was then that every man in the Lodge gave fully of his time, talents and labor. They had a dream in their minds and they did not stop until this building was completed.
It was at that time that Brother Warder Shotwell revealed to us in a chapter meeting that the building was ready for us to move in. But they did not have the funds to buy the needed things for an O.E.S. chapter. Thus a motion was put on the floor that our chapter loan the lodge our piano and that we would make them a gift of our O.E.S. rug and all the necessary things to set up a chapter. Some of the members were unhappy at this motion, but it did pass. We put together several projects to buy furniture for the lobby.
On January 20, 1966 the present temple at 8521 Oldham Road was dedicated and at last we had a home. Accomplishing these dreams took many hours of dedicated labor by our sisters and brothers.
In 1973 Swope Park Chapter was honored to have Brother Henry Andrews serve as Worthy Grand Patron. The members worked hard to help support him in his endeavors. I have heard stories about the many bottles of vanilla that were sold. Then, too, during these years we had many fish fries because our Brother Harry Williams went to Minnesota to fish each year. The dinners were a lot of work but they also provided fellowship.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s we went through a few low times. We decided to go to only one meeting a month thus conserving funds. We began having Past Matrons step forward to be Worthy Matron again.
In 1983 we welcomed Rural Chapter through consolidation, they became a part of Swope Park Chapter. We were saddened for them that they had to give up their charter but glad they chose to unite with us.
In 1986 we rejoiced when the Masonic Home Western Unit became a reality. Each chapter had been asked to contribute $15 per member towards this home. We worked on this project for several years and in 1987 we accomplished the goal. Sister Reta Pemberton, Worthy Matron, accepted a certificate at Grand Chapter in 1987 that acknowledged this accomplishment.
The days of decreasing membership have caused many chapters to give up their charters and consolidate to make, hopefully, stronger chapters. In 1998 Park Chapter consolidated with Country Club Chapter and later that year Orient Chapter consolidated with Swope Park Chapter. This brought the number of Eastern Star chapters meeting at Swope Park Temple from the original five to two chapters.
Swope Park Chapter has always given generously to the Worthy Grand Matrons’ projects and has supported other charity endeavors by the Grand Chapter. In 1999 we were fortunate to receive part of the estate of our member, Doris Mertz Binger. When this money was received the membership decided that it should be invested and one-half of all interest go to charity and one-half to assist with our expenses. This was a real financial windfall to Swope Park Chapter.
In 2003 Country Club Chapter consolidated with Swope Park Chapter. Thus Swope Park Chapter is now comprised of five chapters. Through the years these chapters have had four Worthy Grand Matrons, four Worthy Grand Patrons and numerous appointments of Grand Officers, District Deputy Grand Matrons and Grand Representatives, as well as Grand Chapter Committee members.
The membership was excited to have the Masonic Home, an Assisted Living Facility, on this side of the state. Many members were involved in volunteer work at the Masonic Home. They worked with the ceramics program, they went out to entertain the residents and participated in various ways. We adopted a resident to be sure she had a Christmas and Birthday gift and someone to come and see her.
In 2004 we held our 80th Anniversary celebration at the Masonic Home. It was a social event that encouraged members who could not travel at night to come and visit with us. We received a dispensation to hold our April 13, 2010 stated meeting at the Masonic Home. This gave Eastern Star residents an opportunity to attend a meeting. Sister Amy Tripi, Worthy Grand Matron, and Brother Leonard Stephenson, Worthy Grand Patron, attended this meeting
Through the years the Eastern Star Chapters had purchased many lovely serving pieces and silver tea sets. As time changed we no longer used many of these. Feb. 2011 we voted to give one silver tea service to the Masonic Home. Little did we know that in 2012 the Grand Lodge would decide to sell the Masonic Home. This provided a challenge to us on how we would continue to relate to the resident Eastern Star members when now not everyone at the home was a Mason or Eastern Star member.
Thru the years the Swope Park Lodge has made some changes in the building and we have tried to provide assistance in these projects such as replacing the flooring in the dining room, assisting in maintaining the parking lot and the purchase of a new sound system. In 2011 we voted to accept a new signet from Acacia Chapter #42 in Polo. This made a nice addition to our room.
The Rainbow Center for Communicative Disorders, located in Blue Springs, MO has been a special project of several of our members who work tirelessly on their Ways and Means Projects. Swope Park Chapter makes a substantial donation to them each year. We make memorial donations to various charities when one of our members die. We also assist our Job’s Daughter’s Bethel #1 and Wm F. Kuhn Chapter Order of DeMolay with financial gifts. Several of our members have accepted leadership roles in both these organizations.
Membership in the Order of the Eastern Star has been in decline everywhere. In the 1970s there were 27 chapters in our 22nd District. In 2011 the Grand Chapter voted to redistrict the state. Swope Park Chapter is now one of only eight chapters in the 11th District which was formed when the 59th District was combined with the former 22nd District.
In recent years our relationship with Swope Park Lodge #617 has improved. We join together on some projects and try to support each other. Several of their members have joined our chapter and are providing leadership. Each year we lose more members by death than we initiate. Our membership is now 137 Sisters and Brothers with 41 of them having been a member 50 years or longer.
We are proud of the support our membership has given to the Grand Chapter as well as the recognition given to our members. We are also proud that our membership has always considered the ritualistic work important and that we should memorize our work.
We can be proud of our heritage and the sense of giving to others for this is what our Order is about. Without charity to others and loving kindness we would have no reason for buildings. As we celebrate 90 years we need to spread the word that The Order of the Eastern Star is a worthwhile organization that supports charity and loving kindness.
Updated March 2014
Lois Patten, Secretary

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