History
Originally constituted as Memorial Lodge No. 20 Free and Accepted Masons by The Grand Lodge of Florida on November 15, 2013, redistricting in 2017 caused a name change to Memorial Lodge No. 918 F. & A. M., serving all of Pinellas County, Florida.
As all Florida memorial Lodges start with the number “9” and are followed by the District number, it has become common to refer to memorial Lodges by their District number, hence, Memorial Lodge No. 918 is commonly referred to as, “Memorial Lodge No. 18”
The original 13 members came from the several Masonic Lodges in north Pinellas and southwest Pasco Counties.
The officers of the newly constituted Memorial Lodge were as follows:
| Worshipful Master | W∴ Patrick C. Palmer | Worshipful Palmer is a Past Master of Oleeta Lodge No. 145 and Memorial Lodge No. 35, both of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Senior Warden | R∴ W∴ John E. Drewett | Right Worshipful Drewett is a Past Master of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 and a Past District Deputy of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Junior Warden | R∴ H∴ Richard T. Sikes | Right Honorable Sikes is a Past Master of Pearl of the West Lodge No. 146, the current Marshal, and the District Instructor of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Treasurer | R∴ W∴ Richard Whalen | Right Worshipful Whalen is a Past Master of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 and a Past District Deputy of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Secretary | R∴ W∴ Gerald M. Lee | Right Worshipful Lee is a Past Master of Tarpon Lodge No. 112, the current Secretary, and a Past District Deputy of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Chaplain | R∴ W∴ Carl E. Gilmore | Right Worshipful Gilmore is a Past Master of Tarpon Lodge No. 112, the current Treasurer, and a Past District Deputy of the 19th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Senior Deacon | R∴ W∴ Brian D. Campbell | Right Worshipful Campbell is a Past Master of Sutherland Lodge No. 174, and a Past District Deputy of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Junior Deacon | W∴ Lawrence E. Wright | Worshipful Wright is W∴ Master of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Senior Steward | R∴ W∴ R. James Rocha | Right Worshipful Rocha is a Past Master of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252, and a Past District Deputy of the 20th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Junior Steward | Bro. William F. Kelm | Brother Kelm is Senior Warden of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Tyler | Bro. Timothy S. Pierce | Brother Pierce is a member of Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
| Marshal | W∴ Bill W. Yarbrough | Worshipful Yarborough is a Past Master of Tarpon Lodge No. 112 of the Grand Lodge of Florida. |
These officers served until the officers for 2014 were elected and installed.
In addition to the inaugural officers, the following brothers formed the initial membership of the Lodge.
From Tarpon Lodge No. 112 F. & A. M. – W∴ Kenneth A . Carolan, W∴ G. Ryan Lee, Brother Martin Curtis Smith, Brother Richard D. Stevenson III, W∴ Douglas Stobbs, and Brother Cory Allen Underwood.
From Clearwater Lodge No. 127 F. & A. M. – R∴ W∴ Glen Bennett Bishop, and W∴ David W. Griffin.
From Pearl of the West Lodge No. 146 F. & A. M. – W∴ Scott Mitchell.
From Sutherland Lodge No. 174 F. & A. M. – W∴ Joseph Roscoe Ballow, R∴ W∴ J. Michael Beijar, W∴ Frank Xavier Gaughen, Brother Larry Paul Pomeroy, and W∴ Jason Richard Schultz.
From Dunedin Lodge No. 192 F. & A. M. – W∴ Kenneth C. Giesow, and Brother David Lindsey Boddy (Dual Member).
From Tampa Bay Lodge No. 252 F. & A. M.- W∴ Glenn Gower Banks, W∴ Ronald K Bart, Brother Albert I Chabet, W∴ Jon B. Coats (stand-in for Brother Timothy S. Pierce, Tyler, when the Lodge was constituted) , Brother Thomas L. Farkas, R∴ W∴ Richard G. Hoover, W∴ Kelfryn William James, Brother Robert Leroy Lutterman, Brother Jim Messier, and Right Honorable Michael T. Rhoades.
From East Gate Lodge No. 355F. & A. M. – W∴ Bruce R. Messinger.
Memorial Lodge No. 20 F. & A. M. U.D. was opened in the Master Mason Degree at 7:00 PM and set “At Ease” for the purpose of inviting guests into the Lodge room.
Immediately thereafter the Grand Lodge of Florida Officers, in procession, entered the Lodge room. The Grand Lodge Officers consisted of M∴ W∴ Danny R. Griffith Grand Master; R∴ W∴ James W. Ford, Deputy Grand Master; R∴ W∴ Steven P. Boring, Senior Grand Warden; R∴ W∴ Stanley L. Hudson, Junior Grand Warden; M∴W∴ Elmer G. Coffman, Grand Treasurer; M∴ W∴ Dale I. Goehrig, Acting Grand Secretary; R∴ W∴ Brian R. Poole, Grand Chaplain; R∴ W∴ Alan S. Rosenthal, Grand Orator; R∴ W∴ Rudy Boatwright, Grand Marshal; R∴ W∴ Bill Walker, Senior Grand Deacon; R∴ W∴ Mike McColl, Junior Grand Deacon; R∴ W∴ William B. Garrett, Jr., Acting Grand Standard Bearer; R∴ W∴ Glen Bishop, Acting Senior Grand Steward; R∴ W∴ Fred H Stoltzfus, Junior Grand Steward; R∴ W∴ S. Donald Zolonz, Grand Pursuivant; R∴ W∴ John Westerman, Acting Grand Tyler; W∴ Robert D. Davidson, Acting Grand Musician.
M∴W∴ Danny R. Griffith, Grand Master, declared an emergent session of the Grand Lodge open for the purpose of constituting Memorial Lodge No. 20 F. & A. M. The ceremony proceeded in due and ancient form after which, M∴W∴ Danny R. Griffith, Grand Master thanked R∴ W∴ Brian D. Campbell and W∴ Patrick C. Palmer for initiating the formation of Memorial Lodge No. 20 F. & A. M.
After introductions and thanks all around and the purpose of the emergent session of Grand Lodge being accomplished, W∴ Patrick C. Palmer was presented with a Warrant for Memorial Lodge No. 20 F. & A. M. and the Grand Master declared it closed.
The Lodge was then purged and set back to Attention. The Grand Master closed Memorial Lodge No. 20 F. & A. M. in Ample Form.
