Interbay-Tampa Moose Lodge 912 Received its charter on March 3, 1974, with a charter class of 80 members. The Lodge did not have a building, so the first year, meetings were held at the Black Angus restaurant, John Colclaser's paint store, American Legion 139, and the Civic Center on Oklahoma Avenue. After the meetings, the members visited the lounge which was in the trunk of a car in the parking lot. With these conditions, the membership dropped to about 50 during the second year. In 1976, the Lodge purchased the lot where our building now is located. Then there was an old wooden house sitting right on the front of the lot that the owner had used as a junk store. The Lodge members went to work ! The kitchen became the lounge and housed 5 bar stools, 1 table for two and a juke box. A bedroom housed a pool table, where short sticks had to be used to prevent hitting the walls. Another room was the meeting room. Later the little lounge became our kitchen with an oven, small sink and cooker. A wall was torn out between the two front rooms and thus was born our huge lounge and meeting room. The bar could then seat twelve and had several tables. Denise was one of our first bartenders. The wall that was removed had a joist that sagged a lot, and members wondered how long it would take for the termites to spread to it.

     In 1978, the Lodge purchased the lot which is now our parking lot. An old small wooden house with copper screens in it, sat on the front of the lot. About eight to ten members with sledge hammers tore down the house and carted it to the dump.

     By February of 1979, the Lodge membership was up to about 180 members, and a Women's Chapter #1254 had been established in 1977.
As stated in the February 1979 bulletin: "The Lodge got where it was by a herculean effort of BOTH the men and women of the Lodge.

     It is impossible to list all the members who helped get the Lodge to where it was by February of 1979, but here is a list gathered from the bulletins of some the key (Movers & Shakers) personal in the Lodge at that time.

     The men L.O.O.M. : Mel Garand, James Clark, Bud White, Bernard Cummings, Albert Casey, John Conclaser, Bob Newcity, Robert Stellges, Royce Humphries, H.E.Chapman, Gene West, Les Beckwith, John Hunt,
Walt Shaffer, Ron Chapman, Jerry Beam, Wilson Richmond, Dennis Oliver,
Jake Smith, Andy Russo, Bob Haas, Todd Forsgren, and Charlie Johnson.

     The women W.O.T.M. : Eleanor Cummings, Jean White, Helen White,
Elinor Beam, Joan West, Dottie Shaffer, Marge Humphries, Linda Oliver, Helen Clark, Lena Russo, Maude Beckwith, Kay Casey, Angie Garand,
Doris Stellges, and Margaret Smith.

     In 1979, we made plans for a new building and designated Phase 1 and Phase 2 as our goal. Phase 1 was the main meeting room as now exists and we completed it in 1981. Phase 2 consisted of the lounge, restrooms, kitchen, office space and storage area. We completed Phase 2 in 1984 with 95 percent of the work being done by volunteers from the membership. In 1990 we added a covered patio onto the south side and screened it in. In 1991 we built storage space onto part of this patio and in 1992 we converted part of our storage space into an office for the Women of the Moose in the main building.

     When we look back at the building program here we have to commend the efforts of a lot of Moose members, but one man deserves to be known as the "backbone" behind these efforts because of his dedication to getting it done.
I speak of Walt Shaffer, the Administrator, who served 3 terms as Governor (1980 - 1983) during the two phases of construction and really pushed to make it happen.
Walt served our Lodge for 6 years as Administrator, a job he did in an excellent manner. While Administrator, he was greatly praised by the Mooseheart auditor who checked our records by reporting to us that we were very lucky to be blessed with one of the finest administrators he had had the pleasure of auditing.
Walt passed away on September 5th, 1995.
Walt Shaffer was "MR. MOOSE OF INTERBAY LODGE # 912".

     The Fellowship degree raised money to buy materials and directed the stone front on this building a few years ago. They also raised money to purchase the lighted Moose sign on the front and the flag pole near the sign.

     Our membership was up to 500 plus by 1983 and has remained in this area ever since. We have 81 Moose Legionaires in Orange Blossom Legion #125.
We have 17 members who have earned the third degree, The Fellowship Degree of Honor. We have 3 Pilgrims in this Lodge. Our first Pilgrim, Mel Garand, died in 1991. We have 20 members who have reached the 25 Club and 5 members who are in the 50 Division of the 25 Club, and one member who has reached the 75 Division of the 25 Club.

     Our Lodge is in good financial status and have many Merit Awards for our efforts. We are proud of the accomplishments made in our 29 years of operation and and look forward to successive years of interest and enthusiasm to make our Lodge one of the best in the Order.

"I HAVE FUN AT THE MOOSE !"

Fraternally,
John Hunt
Historian
jhunt@moose912.org

     Our Historian, John Hunt, wrote and furnished this brief history of our Lodge. He has done a most commendable job throughout the years as Historian. We all owe him our gratitude and appreciation for a job well done !!!