The movie 'A Star is Born' was made several times, each for the same reason - so some film studio could make money. Masonic Lodges are born for other reasons.
Take the case of the Prince of Wales Lodge No. 100. It was born in a time when many other Lodges formed in British Columbia, and for the same reason - because of the surge of interest in Freemasonry after World War One and a large number of families emigrating to the province. Some were Masons but never joined Lodges here for whatever reason.
The general consensus is that the Prince of Wales Lodge was formed because there was no Lodge in Vancouver - or on the mainland of British Columbia, for that matter - using the Emulation ritual of England. The local Lodges were, with one exception, of two flavours - they either used the version of the ceremonies that came from Ontario or from the United States and eastern Canada.
The two Past Masters who spearheaded the founding of the Lodge were Dave Munro and Jim Greer. Neither were English. Munro was born in Maxville, Ontario in 1874 and later ended up in Montreal with the Sun Life Assurance Company. There, he joined St. George's No. 440, under the Grand Lodge of England. Greer was born in London, Ontario in 1865 and after a sojourn in the U.S., arrived in Victoria as an agent for the White Pass and Yukon Company. He joined Victoria Columbia No. 1, which had originally been under the Grand Lodge of England. Both were in Vancouver by 1911, but never joined a local Lodge. For whatever reason, it appears they decided instead, after the war ended, to form a Lodge using the ritual they were used to.
Oddly enough, the first person to sign the application for the new Lodge wasn't familiar with the English ceremonies at all - he was Arthur Prentice Crisp, a P.M. of Moosomin No. 7 in Saskatchewan. Munro was the second signator. The third was John George Scott, who had been Master of Fenwick No. 1389 in Sunderland. He was Secretary of St. James No. 80 in Vancouver and was likely responsible for bringing several others into the mix. While Greer's signature is fourth on the list, the fifth belongs to Denis Campbell, who had belonged to St. James Lodge. The sixth is that of Fredric Pumphrey, a tea merchant who had been a member of Fenwick No. 1389 and J.W. of its daughter Lodge, Vedra No. 3137, both of which use the Emulation ritual. Another former member of St. James No. 80, the Rev. Harold George King, was also induced to sign the application. A coin toss between Munro and Greer decided the Mastership! Greer won (or lost, depending on your viewpoint). King was designated S.W.; Campbell, J.W.; Munro, Treasurer; Scott, Secretary; and Pumphrey, Director of Ceremonies.
The Emulationists must have been a little disappointed in that the ritual used was (supposedly) that of Greer's Mother Lodge, though until recently, elements of the Ontario ritual of other local Lodges were obvious. As it was, many of the 57 signators would have had little knowledge of the English ritual or practices of English Lodges as they were not English; most were from Canada.
The first meeting Under Dispensation was 6 July 1922 and the Lodge was constituted as No. 100 on 19 July 1923.
OK, so the story's not as dramatic as 'A Star is Born.' It doesn't even have Judy Garland. It has a happier ending, though.
