125th Year Observance - part 2: The Lodge's first official meeting

Seven days later the By-Laws were adopted.  Also at this meeting two petitions for initiation were received.  One of the petitioners was elected and one rejected at the next meeting, held February 21, 1857.  on February 28, 1857, the Lodge initiated Mr. John Maine, their first candidate.  He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason just fourteen days later.  From February to June of 1857, frequent meetings were held and numerous petitions, both for election and affiliation, were received and acted upon.  All told, during the time the Lodge was working under a Dispensation there were twelve meetings.  Fifteen petitions for degrees were received and two for affiliation.  There were ten first degrees conferred, seven second and five third degrees.

On April 18, 1857, the Secretary was directed to send to the Grand Lodge a written request for a charter, and on May 14, 1857, the charter for Chico Lodge No. 111, F & A. M., was ordered by the Grand Lodge of California.

The first meeting of the Lodge, under charter, was held June 20, 1857, at this meeting "Bro. Jno. Bidwell was Elected and Declared duly Elected Worshipful Master of Chico Lodge No. 111 for the balance of the Masonic year.  Bro. J.B. Smith was Elected S.W.; Bro. A.M. Sadourous was Elected J.W.; Bro. E.B. Kinson was Elected Treasurer; Bro. C. Wheeler was Elected Secretary.  The Lodge then was called to refreshment for a few minutes.  The Lodge again being called on, the Officers Elect were presented for Installation, the Brethren having signified their satisfaction with their choice.  The Lodge was duly Constituted In Form by Worshipful Bro. A.G. Simpson.  The Members of the lodge and all Brethren but those who were Past Masters Retired, and Bro. Jn. Bidwell was Inducted into the Oriental Chair by Past Masters A.G. Simpson and D.A> Brown and Henry Keefer, W.M. of Butte Lodge No. 36" (From the minutes of Just 20, 1857.)

The first Minute Book of the Lodge contains the original By-Laws, immediately following which are to be found eighty-one signatures of the early members of Chico Lodge.  This of course indicates that this Minute, or Record, Book was also used as the first Roll Book for this Lodge.  Dates appearing with the signatures in this book show that it was used for this purpose until sometime in 1961.  Apparently, at that time our present By-Laws and Roll Book was instituted.  Probably an attempt was made to have all of the original signers of the By-Laws place their names in the new book, for thirty-seven names of the early members appear in both books.  This also would account for the blank spaces which occur in the first few pages of our present By-Laws Book.

From a coordinated study and comparison of the first Minute Book and the first Ledger it is shown that the charter members of Chico Lodge No. 111 were Allen Wood, J.B. Smith, John Bidwell, Columbus Wheeler, E.B. Kinson, Alexander Burns, A.M. Sadourus and Wm. V. Polk.