uring the mid 1870’s the Lodge was having a very hard time collecting dues. Some members owe as much as 10 years back dues.
In 1881, the Secretary was ordered to collect the dues owed to the Lodge. He was to be allowed 5% of the amount collected.
In the fall of 1881 the membership was down to 82 and a committee was appointed to determine what could be done to help build the Lodge. One suggestion was to find a new meeting place, another to serve refreshments after the meetings, and a third was to ease up on the use of the black ball as only fourteen persons had been initiated in the past seven years.
In 1883, the Lodge again moved, this time to a hall over The First National Bank. New furniture for the Lodge was purchased when this move was made.
In 1883 the Lodge changed the time of the meeting from Thursday on or before the full of the Moon to the first and second Tuesday of every month. It was necessary to change the by-laws to that effect and was to begin immediately. The amount of dues payable by the members was set at $3.00 annually and to go into effect January 1, 1884.
On September 4, 1883 an amendment to the by-laws was offered to change the meeting from the first and second Tuesday of each month to the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
In 1883 a committee reported that the Lodge needed a new Altar, Candle Sticks, 3 stands for the Officers, and a number of miscellaneous items, the coast of the same would be approximately $200.00.
On March 9, 1888 Hiram Lodge was incorporated under the Laws of Ohio as a Corporation Not for Profit. In the fall of this year, 114 members in good standing were reported to Grand Lodge. This number increased to 123 in the fall of 1890.
January 27, 1891, the Finance Committee reported that they audited the books of the Secretary and Treasurer and found them in agreement and kept in most satisfactory and business-like manner. The audit showed $185.78 in the Treasury as of January 1, 1891.
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