# South Padre Island/Port Isabel (Texas)



## wwinger (Apr 2, 2011)

Point Isabel 33, located in Port Isabel, TX, across the bridge from South Padre Island, in spite of its home in the loft of an old wooden warehouse, claims as members, some of the best known Masons in Texas. Probably best known  to 'Masons of Texas' is Bill Lins, :huh: a charter member of the lodge whose 'A' certificate hangs proudly on our walls. 

We also have some lesser known members, :001_smile: such as five Past Grand Masters of Texas, the current Grand Master, the Grand Senior Warden, the Grand Junior Warden and the Grand Treasurer, all of whom, excepting the Grand Senior Warden, are also charter members. In addition the lodge has been visited by several Past Grand Masters from other jurisdictions. One of those, a Past Grand Master of Missouri, visits several times each year and visited first when he was Grand Master of that jurisdiction.

The lodge has an incredible history, dating back to 1846 when members of General Zachery Taylor's army, stationed in the area, first petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas and were assigned the number 33. However, because the army moved before the paper-work could be completed and delivered, the lodge never met until December of 2007 when its charter was issued by the Grand Lodge of Texas and the lodge set to work by then Grand Master Griffin.

PGM Mike Gower was the founder and first Worshipful Master of the lodge. He set standards of excellence that we still try to maintain today. Although he moved from our area to San Antonio a year ago, he is still a leading participant in our activities.

The Square and Compasses Coffee Club, started by R.W. Gower a year before the lodge was chartered, continues to meet, socially and educationally, every Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM. We meet at the lodge, but un-tiled. Discussion topics are not always Masonic but always educational. The discussions are not always remembered but the coffee and B.T.'s  cinnamon rolls :44: are now well known in numerous North American jurisdictions.

During most of the year, the Square and Compasses Coffee Club has more visitors from other jurisdictions than from Texas. The number attending has been as low as three, (a meeting held as hurricane Dolly passed through the area), but has also exceeded seventy. Ten to twenty in summer months is normal, thirty to fifty in winter. 

Our stated meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month. We also have lodge social gatherings about once a quarter and confer degrees. Point Isabel 33 has the distinguishment of being the ONLY lodge in Texas  to have successfully conferred all three GRADED degrees in one 24 hour period. We try to maintain similar standards of excellence for all of our degrees.

When you visit the area I hope you will visit our lodge. It may not look like much but I can assure you that the Masonry is alive and well. Replying to this post will generate an email to me. Tell me when you are coming and I will let you know what activities we have in store at that time.


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## Bill Lins (Apr 4, 2011)

wwinger said:


> Probably best known  to 'Masons of Texas' is Bill Lins, :huh:


 
Oh, man- busted _again_!  :wink:


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## Andrew Hoel (Jul 28, 2015)

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> Oh, man- busted _again_!  :wink:


I recently moved to South Padre Island. I am interested in joining the lodge.


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## McCombover (May 21, 2016)

A Tennessee Brother here in South Padre this Sun- Weds. Wanted to check and see if there is anything happening this week at lodge? 
Old Hickory #598 TN


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## Bloke (May 22, 2016)

wwinger said:


> ...The Square and Compasses Coffee Club, started by R.W. Gower a year before the lodge was chartered, continues to meet, socially and educationally, every Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM....Ten to twenty in summer months is normal, thirty to fifty in winter.



Sounds good - what's the demographic - I would imagine 9 am Wed would not suit a lot of guys who work...


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## wwinger (May 22, 2016)

McCombover said:


> A Tennessee Brother here in South Padre this Sun- Weds. Wanted to check and see if there is anything happening this week at lodge? Old Hickory #598 TN



Through at least the 22nd of June, 2016, the Wednesday morning Square and Compasses Coffee Club still persists - 9:00 AM, every Wednesday, at the Treasures Museum in Port Isabel, Texas. [Directions: At the foot of the Causeway Bridge in Port Isabel is a traffic light. That corner is Garcia Street. Two blocks West on Queen Isabella Parkway (Highway 100) is another traffic light. That corner is Manautau Street. The Treasures Museum is on the opposite side of Queen Isabella (Hwy 100) from the Lighthouse, one block West of Lighthouse and 50 yards East of Manautau. (Disregard the 'Closed' sign on the door. The door is unlocked at about 8:30 for the Square and Compasses meeting which starts promptly at 9:00 AM).]

This week's meeting will include a 'Powerpoint' type presentation on Masonic Trivia. This is our weakest time of the year. Nevertheless, we have been running 8 to 10 each week. The fellowship is warm. Visitors, (even non-Masons), are always welcome. Coffee and cinnamon rolls are always in abundance. There is no charge, (although donations are always welcome). Dress is casual. (This is a resort area after all.) There may even be a brother or two in shorts and sandals. You wouldn't even call it 'business casual'. Knockabout is more like it. Meetings are not tiled. Even a dues card is not necessary.

Point Isabel 33 itself has experienced challenging times in the last several years. The Square and Compasses Coffee Club, and a few mostly social events, are all that remain of 33 in Port Isabel at this time. The lodge itself now meets at 12th and Jefferson, (the Rio Grande Lodge building), in Brownsville. Out Stated Meetings are the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM.

Addressing the immediately preceding demographics matter: Our area is mostly a resort area with little non-resort employment. Working evenings and weekends is the norm. Wednesday for many is an off-day. Regular participants range in age from the early twenties to the late eighties. Although most weeks we are entirely male, we do have the occasional female - a wife, girlfriend or other. And of course, because we are Masons and especially so because of our proximity to an international boundary, we are racially, politically and religiously diverse.

Although I personally have lived in Texas for over forty years and in the South Padre/Port Isabel area for over ten years, I was 'raised' in Tennessee, (West Nashville Lodge #612).

My phone is shut off on Wednesday mornings but you can call me any other time. (956) 832-3359. If I don't answer, please leave me a message. I will get back to you.


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