Lodge “Elpis” no. 45 in Anat. Drama
Date of establishment 14 March 1909
It was put in a state of inactivity in 1912
– It was activated on 8 May 1923
It was put in a state of inactivity in 1940
– It was activated on 23 December 1950
The Lodge meets every Thursday
Founding members
| Valanis M. | Vantsis D. | Galdemis A. | Dimerzoglou V. |
| Short D. | Stamoulis D. |
Commission of the 1st activation 1912
| Vantsis D. | Vouyatzis A. | Karaplis Th. | Koudesis P. |
| Prokopiou K. |
Commission 2nd Activation Committee 1950
| Athanasiades I. | Athinakis E. | Vambas B. | Gregoriadis K. |
| Dodos B. | Exarchou I. | Koulis M. | Soutos M. |
| Tezapsidis P. | Topalis D. |
Brief background
Shortly after the predominance of the Young Turks, in the liberal climate of the time, Gal. Understanding the need for the existence of Greek Masonic lodges in the centre of Eastern Macedonia and the benefit that would result from their operation for the Dramian community, the Greeks of Eastern Greece decided to establish a lodge in Drama.
This difficult task was entrusted to the lodge “Philip” no. 38 East. Thessaloniki (approved in 1907). The leaders of this lodge, br. br. Dimitrios Margaritis and Philotas Papageorgiou sent the member of the lodge, brother Christos Karagiozis, to Drama, together with brother Stamoulis Kotsios of the lodge “Aristotle” No. 36 East Thessaloniki. Serres (approved in 1904), in order for these members to carry out the work that was assigned to them.
Despite the difficulty of the task, these men were able to locate six Draminis, whose names are mentioned above, and convince them to become the first members of the new Lodge ! The initiation of all of them took place with great care and secrecy in a secluded room of the Makedonia Hotel which was given to them by its manager.
Its founders chose the name “Elpis” for the new lodge, characteristic of their hope for liberation and their desire for freedom in general. The Gal. The Greater East of Greece, in its table of March 14, 1909, recognized the new lodge with serial number 45. Michael Valanis was elected as rector of the new lodge.
The new Lodge had to face serious difficulties in its operation. Apart from the fact that there was no suitable building to carry out the work, the shift in the policy of the Young Turks against anything Greek and generally against anything non-Turkish, and the hostility of the Bulgarians created a particularly hostile and dangerous climate in the area. Because of this situation, the work was carried out for a long time, with all secrecy, alternately in the houses of the brothers. This situation continued until 1912 when the Bulgarians occupied the town.
Since after the occupation all the Teutons were expelled from Drama, the lodge ceased its operation.By the liberation of 1913 the lodge had not yet been opened. The First World War and the events that followed, as well as the new occupation of Drama by the Bulgarians in 1917, prolonged the state of inactivity in which the lodge had fallen until 8 May 1923, when a group of tectons, whose names are mentioned above, succeeded in activating the lodge.
The Lodge was staffed by all classes of society. According to existing testimonies, the work of the Lodge seems to have been excellent from a tectonic point of view and that it was conducted in the form of a dialogue and without manuscripts, so that all the brethren were encouraged to participate in this dialogue. Along with the intellectual work, the Lodge also actively manifested its interest in the society of Drama by establishing and assuming the expenses of operating a Night School.
The problem of illiteracy at that time was particularly serious given that the State was unable to meet the educational needs of the ordinary people of Drama.The school, which operated for over four years, was attended by many young people who worked during the day and others whose financial capabilities did not allow them to attend private schools. The management of the School was undertaken by the teacher Georgios Toubanos, who was also a teacher. This offer of the tectonics was highly appreciated by the society of Drama. The Night School operated until 1932 when the public night schools were founded.
In 1930 the Lodge founded the “Savings Cooperative of Free Masons of Drama – Elpis” with the aim of solving the problem of the Lodge’s housing. Just one year later, in April 1930, the Cooperative was able to buy, exclusively with the expenses of the members of the Lodge, a plot of land at number 13, Ptolemaion Street. In 1933, the brethren. Georgios Kalogirou, a contractor – engineer, undertook to build the Masonic Hall of Drama to plans of the also mason Ioannis Makris , while the cost of erecting the building was covered entirely by contributions of the members of the Lodge.
The work of the Lodge continued until 1 November 1940, when, due to the events of the Second World War, the work of all the tect.
During the war the building of the Lodge housed families of firefighters, while from 1948 it was also used by the E.E.S. In December 1950 the members of the Association, who are mentioned as the leaders of the 2nd activation of the Lodge, took the necessary steps so that the Lodge could start working again and elected the first post-war Council. The Lodge was reinstated and the members of the Lodge were able to take over the Lodge in December of that year. After discreet efforts by the gens, the lodge building was turned over to the Masons in early January 1954.
The building was renovated with the financial support of the Grand Lodge of Greece and the brothers had the pleasure of celebrating on March 14, 2009 in a solemn session the completion of 100 years of operation of the “Elpis” Lodge no. Drama.
The brethren of the “Elpis” Lodge strive to honor the founders of their Lodge by their example and their dedication to the Masonic ideals and to be the worthy successors of their work.