Interesting Beginnings!

Since my journey began I have run across some interesting stories of how different Lodges aquired their names. Most have been named after geographical areas, cities, persons of note etc. One story related to me is of South Africa Lodge #6742, in London England,founded by returning veterans of military service in S.A., see here http://southafricalodge.co.uk/history.html.

Another tale that will put a smile on your face goes, 'the lodge was started by a group of men who had built a tavern in the Gold Rush town of Rich Bar. Their wives had been less than enthused, and quickly burned the place to the ground. The Masons chose "Sincerity" as their name to let their women and state dignitaries know that they were sincere in their desire to better themselves in the virtues still taught in lodges today: temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.' see here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/californias-sincerity-lodge-no-132.html

And my personal favorite, in the wake of Aldrin's Masonic space mission, the Grand Lodge of Texas formed Tranquility Lodge No. 2000, named after Tranquility Base, the location of Apollo 11's landing. According to the lodge website,
On July 20, 1969, two American Astronauts landed on the moon of the planet Earth, in an area known as Mare Tranquilitatis , or "Sea of Tranquility". One of those brave men was Brother Edwin Eugene (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, AF&AM, Seabrook, Texas. Brother Aldrin carried with him SPECIAL DEPUTATION of then Grand Master J. Guy Smith, constituting and appointing Brother Aldrin as Special Deputy of the Grand Master, granting unto him full power in the premises to represent the Grand Master as such and authorize him to claim Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction for The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, on The Moon, and directed that he make due return of his acts. Brother Aldrin certified that the SPECIAL DEPUTATION was carried by him to the Moon on July 20, 1969. see full story posted here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/apollo-11-freemasons-and-moon.html#links

I would like to ask anyone who reads this blog and has an interesting, funny, obscurely named Lodge, I would like to know about it. In fact feel free to post any weird or half way interesting tales, ghost stories(I'm sure there is at least one haunted Lodge out there), rumors etc about your Lodge, I love'em all! Feel free to post in the comments section or e-mail it to me and I will include them in a future posting.