Most Worshipful Brother Norman Rodney Vote

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1933.

Grand Masters of Utah seem to have manifested a strong predilection for the Hawkeye State when selecting a birthplace! Just how many of the sons of Iowa have sought this land of the "honey-bee" ("Deseret") and had many Masonic honors conferred on them only a search of records can disclose, but the number is a considerable one. To this line of distinguished Craftsmen another has been added in the person of our present Grand Master, Most Worshipful Norman Rodney Vote.

Brother Vote was born at Fairfield, Iowa, January 16th, 1887, and eight years later, with his parents, took up his residence at Denver, Colorado. There he attended the public schools and at the age of nineteen he graduated from the West Side High School. He has more than intimated that in those days infants were not allowed at large in high schools.

Following his school days our Grand Master was employed by various railroad companies, in traffic work until the outbreak of the World War. In the meantime he removed to Salt Lake City, in 1906, and in 1917 he enlisted in the National Guard, attended a camp for non-commissioned officers in July of the year named and was mustered into the United States Army in August. After a period in the training camp for Field Artillery Officers at Camp Kearney, California, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Field Artillery, at Camp Jackson, June 1st, 1918, South Carolina, and First Lieutenant at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, on the 28th of October following. He was discharged from the service March 22nd, 1919.

Following is Grand Master Vote's Masonic Record:

He was initiated in Wasatch Lodge No.1, Salt Lake City, October 17th, 1913, passed November 7th of the same year, and Raised January 2nd, 1914.

In the Lodge he was elected Junior Warden, December 8th, 1918, and served in that station until May of the following year when his military duties interrupted further Masonic activity!

Upon his return to Salt Lake in 1919 he dimitted from Wasatch Lodge No.1 in December to assist in the formation of Progress Lodge, U. D., of which he was appointed Senior Warden, and in due time he became the first Master of this Lodge under Charter. At the conclusion of his service as Worshipful Master he was elected Trustee of his Lodge and is still serving in that capacity.

In Grand Lodge Brother Vote served two years as Grand Pursuivant (1926-1927) and two years as Grand Marshal (1928-1929) and at the 59th Annual Communication of Grand Lodge he was elected Junior Grand Warden and was regularly advanced to his present position as Grand Master.

In the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry he received the degrees at the Fall Reunion, 1920, and was elected Venerable Master of Jordan Lodge of Perfection at the February meeting of that Body in 1928, and at the present time is Preceptor in Utah Consistory.

At the Spring Ceremonial of EI Kalah Temple of the Mystic Shrine on March 22, 1921, he was created a Noble of that organization.

In Denver, on June 12th, 1907, our Grand Master married Miss Margaret Roberts.

During the past ten years Brother Vote has been connected with the United Stores Company, a subsidiary of the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company, as Purchasing Agent for a portion of the time and at present as Manager of that Company. This he reports as his occupation, but in the same connection he states that his diversion is golf! In view of our wide acquaintanceship with business men who are acknowledged devotees of this game, we are unwilling to affirm that the words "occupation" and "diversion' are in their proper places.

However this may be, Grand Master Vote is a good "mixer,' an experienced business man, a wise counselor in things Masonic and every way likeable-a pretty good equipment for a Grand Master of Utah.

Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1933.

PGM, Norman Rodney Vote died on August 29, 1960 in Los Angeles, California. Utah Grand Lodge Proceedings, 1961, page 66.