Mill Valley Chapter No. 219, Order of the Eastern Star
The Beginning Years
The year is 1902. We didn’t exist in Mill Valley, neither did the Mill Valley Lodge. Lytton Square was here, but the fire house and city hall hadn’t been built. But all of that was to change. Tami told everyone about "In the Beginning" -
In the year of our Lord Nineteen hundred four, a sleepy town rested in the shadow of a Majestic Mountain. There were dirt streets and wooden framed buildings. That Majestic Mountain is Mt. Tamalpais and the sleepy little town, with a population of 900, Mill Valley.
What is now the Mill Valley Masonic Events Center, built in 1903, has continually housed Mill Valley Chapter No. 219 Order of the Eastern Star. The Masons were rightfully very proud of this building. It was the first in the area to have electricity. The Masons were instrumental in encouraging a "social group" for their ladies and participated in the forming of Mill Valley Chapter.
On February 15 1904, six Grand Officers of the Grand Chapter of California Order of the Eastern Star convened in the Masonic Temple to institute Mill Valley Chapter. Sixteen eligible candidates were conferred the degrees on sight by the Worthy Grand Patron for the purpose of organizing the Chapter. The Worthy Grand Matron, Cloe Routzahn granted a petition of dispensation, the candidates were initiated and then she appointed the officers who are listed in the program to serve Mill Valley Chapter, under dispensation, for 1904. Members from our "Big Sister Chapter" in San Rafael made the trip down to help with the initiation and installation.
Two months later, Brother Harvey Klyce turned in his resignation as Worthy Patron of the Chapter. He was serving as Worshipful Master of the Mill Valley Lodge and his duties were such that he was unable to fulfill the obligation of Worthy Patron of the Chapter. The Worthy Grand Patron, George F. McNoble, appointed Thomas Greaves to fill the Worthy Patron Office.
May 1904 was a very busy month for our new Chapter. Our District Deputy Grand Matron made the first official visit to our Chapter on May 10th and just two weeks later the Worthy Grand Matron made her Official Visit to Mill Valley. Many Grand officers accompanied the Worthy Grand Matron in order to give encouragement to one of seven chapters instituted in 1904.
November 3, 1904 was the first meeting night not under dispensation. The election of officers took place and those filling the station at the time were re-elected to serve the Chapter for the ensuing year of 1905.
When the Chapter found itself without sufficient officers to hold an initiation, the Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron accompanied our candidate to San Francisco where Mission Chapter graciously initiated our new member. Mill Valley then voted Honorary Membership for the Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron of Mission Chapter as a thank you for their help in the growth of our new Chapter.
And the Chapter did grow. We had 50 members by 1907 and on March 11, 1911, Sister Harriet A. Shoemaker, at the age of seventy, became Mill Valley’s 100th member by initiation.
The world was changing fast during the first few years of Mill Valley Chapter. The World’s Fair was being held in Chicago where commercial ice cream was introduced, an event that made a lasting impression on this young Chapter. And the little western town of Mill Valley was changing too. The old gravity cars came down Mount Tam, passing just behind the Lodge building. Suey Kee delivered groceries to residents in the Town carrying them on baskets slung on a long bar across his shoulders. His name is one of the first to appear in the Chapter’s ledger books as supplying refreshments on our meeting nights. 1904 was a year of hopes and possibilities. Who would have thought how quickly 100 years could pass by and that the seeds of Fraternal Love planted in 1904 would be alive and strong in 2004.
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