Grand Lodge History (1920 – 1940)

1920 – 1940

At the May 4^th Convention, Henry Geimer, a member of Section 8, was elected as the Seventh Grand President. Speeches and music were presented at the Jubilee Celebration and a souvenir book was published, listing the history of the sections, and of the Grand Lodge.

At the 19th Convention, held at Random Lake, Wisconsin, on May 2, 1915, under the auspices of Section 12, English was adopted as the official language for future meetings. Two hundred dollars was voted for war relief in the Grand Duchy. At the 20th Annual Convention, held in Aurora, Illinois, on May 71, 1916, particular attention was given to the hardships endured in Luxembourg because of the war, and all of the delegates were asked to contribute toward Luxembourg Relief efforts.

At the 21st Annual Convention, held on May 16, 1917, in Granville, Iowa under the auspices of Section 11, it was decided that the L.B.A. would meet in convention every other year, rather than yearly, as before. Also, because of the advent of World War 1, the delegates felt compelled to adopt a resolution reflecting the group’s allegiance to America and sent it to President Wilson.

On November 17, 1918, the L.B.A., in conjunction with many other unaffiliated Luxembourg organizations in the United States, met in Chicago at a convention entitled “Convention of the Luxembourg Societies and People of the U.S.A.’. The purpose of the convention was to express the group’s support for the continued independence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and that the Luxembourg government be permitted to send a representative to the peace conference. A copy of the resolution was sent to His Excellency, the Prime Minister of the Luxembourg Government.

The resolution asked that the German troops be evacuated from Luxembourg. At the following Grand Lodge convention held May 8, 1921, Grand President Henry Geimer reported that the independence of Luxembourg had been preserved at the Peace Conference in Paris.

During the 24th Annual meeting, it was reported that the membership reached 1,647 and that the combined funds of the Grand Lodge and the sections were $102,827.83. At the 25th convention held in Chicago, the death benefit was raised from $100.00 to $125.00. Section 3 was host to the Grand Lodge.

On May 1927, Section 7 of Aurora hosted the 26th Bi-Annual meeting. At this time the death benefit was raised to $150.00. Membership reached 1,709 and Henry Dieschbourg was elected Grand President. Total funds amounted to $126.249.95. On May 5, 1929, the membership numbered 1,835, and the balance sheet showed assets amounting to $137,105.64.

The 28th Bi-Annual Convention in Chicago reported the effects of the stock-market crash. At this meeting, May 5, 1931, John Weiland was elected Grand President upon the death of his predecessor, Henry Dieschbourg. The 29th Bi-Annual Convention was held in Chicago at St. Henry’s Club House. At this meeting, Grand President Weiland reported a very distressing situation. $67,000.00 of the Grand Lodge funds were invested in Gold Bonds and these had little value as no interest had been paid. As a result, the financial condition of the Grand Lodge was critical. Membership had fallen to 1,469, and the assets of the lodge amounted to $14,009.35. Quarterly dues were increased from $0.04 cents to $0.57 cents at the convention.

As Grand President Weiland had held office since November 1930, during some of the most distressing moments of the Great Depression, he declined re-election as Grand President. In response to these twin crises, the delegates turned to Fred A. Gilson of Section 3 and elected him as the 10th Grand President. To increase membership, and thus the financial assets of the Grand Lodge, Grand President Gilson initiated the Luxembourg Youth Organization, the purpose of which was to reach out to the younger generation and interest them in the affairs of the sponsored bowling and baseball teams. The minutes of Section 15 reveal a great deal of activity of its members in the L.Y.O.

The 31^st Bi-Annual Convention was held on May 2, 1937, in St. Peter’s Hall in Niles Center, hosted by Section 15. At this meeting the appointment of Section 3 member John Marsch as Consul General of Luxembourg was noted. Cognizance was also taken of the decorations bestowed upon Dr. John Klein, Grand President Gilson, and Grand Secretary Nilles, all of whom were appointed Knights of the Oak Leaf Crown, with Gold Cross Insignia. Previously, newly appointed Consul General Marsch had been appointed Commander of the Oak Leaf Crown.

1st Row: John P. Hermes, Richard Hollis, John Jung, President, Richard Leider, Martin Winandy

2nd Row: Jake Kalmes, Michael Flam, Chas Fautsch, Leo Eschette, Anthony Puetz

1938 was to be an auspicious one for the L.B.A. A new insurance law took effect which required the Grand Lodge, rather than the Sections, to pay sick benefits. Also, the Golden Jubilee of the Brotherhood was to be celebrated.

It should be noted that the L.B.A. marked its 50th year from the date of receiving its corporate charter from the State of Illinois. The centennial celebrations are dated from the formation of Section 1, in October 1887.

Each section appointed a representative to the Grand Lodge Jubilee Committee, which was chaired by Grand President Gilson. Consul General Marsch was the honorary chairman.

At 12:00 noon on November 17, 1938, a solemn, “In Memorium” High Mass was celebrated at St. Benedict’s Church and was concelebrated by Rev. John L. Wester, Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Rev. Michael Ries, C.M., Pastor of St. Vincent Parish, and Rev. D.A. Diedrich, Pastor of St. Georges Parish. Father Matthias Fisher, Pastor of St. Maurice Parish gave the sermon. Duties as Master of Ceremonies were performed by Rev. J. Thilges, S.V.D. a professor at St. Mary’s Seminary, Mundelein, IL. That evening, a formal dinner was held at the Swiss Club House, 635 Webster Avenue in Chicago.

Letters of congratulations were received from many luminaries, including:

1. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

2. H.R.H. Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

3. H.R.H. Felix, Prince Consort, Prince of Luxembourg

4. His Excellency, Pierre Dupong, Minister of the State, & President of the Luxembourg Government

5. Hon. Henry Horner, Governor of the State of Illinois

6. Hon. Edward J. Kelly, Mayor of the City of Chicago

The festivities carried on into the evening hours with speeches and introductions, followed by the singing of Luxembourg songs by the many groups assembled for the occasion. The grand finale included an official message from the Luxembourg Government by Hon. William H. Hamilton, Charge D’affairs and Consul General of Luxembourg, in New York. After the official Salute of the Flags, the singing groups, members of the orchestra and the entire audience sang “God Bless America” This ceremony concluded the first fifty years of the LB.A. A new era of challenges appeared on the horizon.

The second fifty years began with the advent of World War II in 1939. The L.B.A. contributed to the war effort in many ways, the first and foremost being the induction of its members into the armed forces of the United States. Every section was represented in every theatre, and many of these men returned with citations for valor. A review of Section 3’s Schobermesse program books, shows the names of Rolling, Niles, Weimeskirch, Winandy, Koob, Hermes, Hobscheid, Jungers, Schwind, Trausch, Seul, Mathieu, and Clesen as members of the United States armed forces during World War II. The thirteen members recited above were members of Sections 3,4,8,9,15 and 21. Some fought in Europe, others in the Pacific. Their efforts on behalf of the United States and its allies reflected well on the L.B.A.