SAM HOUSTON COUNCIL NO. 275

Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America

Instituted - February 8, 1992

Chartered - February 15, 1992

Constituted - March 21, 1992

Erickson Ybarra

Sovereign Master

Michael L. Sampson

Secretary

Mailing Address

10432 Cliffwood

Houston, Texas 77035-3702

E-mail: pm1384@gmail.com

Dues for Sam Houston Council are $20.00 per year

Dues for 2026 are now due!

Officers 2026
Sovereign Master	Erickson Ybarra
Senior Warden	Harold J. “Hal” Smith
Junior Warden	Benny P. Hernandez
Treasurer	Lawrence Eugene Tucker, PSM, PSGM, KSGCRBE
Secretary	Michael L. Sampson, PSM
Senior Deacon	Jason L. Jones
Junior Deacon
Chaplain	John C. Elkinton, PSM, SGM, KSGCRBE
Tiler	John Croft

Past Sovereign Masters
Charter	John Charles Elkinton
1993	Lawrence Eugene Tucker
1994	Kenneth Bernard Fischer, Sr.
1995	Brian Richard Dodson
1996	Kenneth Ellison Borkert, Sr.*
1997	Michael David Nanny
1998	Pierre Goudeau Normand, Jr.
1999	Lawrence Douglas Ostergren
2000	Henry Robert Clore
2001	William Joseph Rye Tucker*
2002	Howard Bart Henderson
2003	Joseph Weldon Clampitte, Jr.
2004	Joe Preston Haynes*
2005	Michael Dee Phillipus
2006	Harry Madeira*
2007	Tom Lucas Shearer
2008	Richard Charles Sharp*
2009	Jack Thomas Peebles
2010	Dwight Webster Phillips, Jr.
2011	Clint Dwayne Stevens
2012	Kenneth Ray Potthoff
2013	Roberto Mercurio Sanchez
2014	Henry Mervin “Hank” Hughes, III
Honorary	Andrew Harrell “Tony” Bass *
2015	Rufus Christopher Black *
2016	Michael Meier
2017	Newburn Weldon “Butch” Hanna, Jr.
2018	Salomon Lahana
2019	Richard W. “Dick” Heale
2020	Edward Cullen Peebles
2021	Michael L. Sampson
2022	John Fletcher Woolsey, Jr.
2023	J. David Ashley
2024	Matthew Alan Burke
2025	Darrin I. Pitts

* Deceased

Knights of the Red Branch of Eri
1992	John Charles Elkinton	Lawrence Eugene Tucker
1993	James Darwin Baccus*	Kenneth Bernard Fischer, Sr.
1994	Kenneth Ellison Borkert, Sr.*	Brian Richard Dodson
1995	Michael David Nanny	Pierre Goudeau Normand, Jr.
1996	William Ellyson Crozier*	Lawrence Douglas Ostergren
1997	Henry Robert Clore	William Joseph Rye Tucker*
1998	Joseph Weldon Clampitte, Jr.	Howard Bart Henderson
1999	Herbert Lester Allen*	Joe Preston Haynes*
2000	John Thomas Cleveland+*	Michael Dee Phillipus
2001	Henry Andrew Knox, Jr.*	Neal Elgin Skinner*
2002	(Removed by request)	Harry Madeira*
2005	Richard Charles Sharp*	Tom Lucas Shearer
2007	Clint Dwayne Stevens
2009	Roberto Mercurio Sanchez
2018	Jack Thomas Peebles
2021	Henry Mervin Hughes, III
2022	Michael Meier
2023	Edward Cullen Peebles

* Deceased + Membership Withdrawn

Current Membership Roster
J. David Ashley	Parent
Matthew A. Burke	Plural
T. Chance Chapman	Parent
Tommy F. Chapman	Parent
J. Weldon Clampitte	Emeritus
H.R. “Hank” Clore	Emeritus
John C. Croft, Jr.	Parent
Brian R. Dodson	Parent
John C. Elkinton	Parent
Kenneth B. Fischer, Sr.	Parent
N.W. “Butch” Hanna, Jr.	Emeritus
Richard W. “Dick” Heale	Emeritus
H. Bart Henderson	Parent
Benny Hernandez	Parent
H.M. “Hank” Hughes	Parent
Salomon Lahana	Plural
Michael A. Meier	Parent
Michael D. Nanny	Emeritus
P.G. “Pete” Normand, Jr.	Parent
Lawrence D. Ostergren	Emeritus
Edward C. Peebles	Parent
Jack T. Peebles	Parent
Dwight W. Phillips	Emeritus
Michael D. Phillipus	Parent
Darrin I. Pitts	Plural
Kenneth R. Potthoff	Parent
Michael L. Sampson	Parent
Roberto M. Sanchez	Parent
Tom L. Shearer	Parent
Roy J. Shepherd	Parent
Harold J. “Hal” Smith	Parent
Clint D. Stevens	Parent
Lawrence E. Tucker	Parent
John F. Woolsey, Jr.	Plural
Erickson Ybarra	Parent

Charter Members 1992
James Darwin Baccus *	Houston
Kenneth Ellison Borkert, Sr.*	Seabrook
Wiley Eugene Brookshire	Lufkin
John Thomas Cleveland *	Houston
Henry Robert Clore	Pearland
Frank William Dedek, Jr. *	Rosenberg
Brian Richard Dodson	Sugar Land
John Charles Elkinton	Pearland
Kenneth Bernard Fischer, Sr.	Friendswood
John Millard Fultz *	Navasota
Billy Pat Gossett *	Houston
William Paul Harriss *	Houston
Herbert Latimer Johnson *	League City
Henry Andrew Knox, Jr. *	Houston
George Frederick Leese *	La Porte
Philip Alexander Meerscheidt *	Houston
Michael David Nanny	Houston
Pierre Goudeau Normand, Jr.	College Station
Lawrence Douglas Ostergren	Houston
Neal Elgin Skinner *	Rosenberg
Earl Frank Smith *	Channelview
Dwight Alvah Thrash *	Lufkin
James Linden Threadgill *	Highlands
Lawrence Eugene Tucker	Houston
William Joseph Rye Tucker *	Crosby
Jerome Paul Vogel *	Vidor

* Deceased

By-Laws of Sam Houston Council No. 275

Honored Members of Sam Houston Council No. 275

Kenneth B. Fischer
Sovereign Grand Master ~ 2008-2009

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

Lawrence E. Tucker
Sovereign Grand Master ~ 2016-2017

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

John C. Elkinton
Sovereign Grand Master ~ 2024-2025

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

Roberto M. Sanchez
Past Grand Superintendent

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

Michael D. Phillipus
Grand Superintendent

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

Meeting Dates 2026

Regular Meeting

Fratelli’s Ristorante

1330 Wirt Road Suite D

Houston, Texas

April 29, 2026

6 pm

Regular Meeting

July 29, 2026

Regular Meeting

September 30, 2026

Annual Meeting

November 11, 2026

Election of Officers for 2027

Houston Scottish Rite

2401 West Bellfort Avenue

Houston, Texas

Tiled Meeting - Members of AMD only

Members are reminded to bring your regalia to all meetings.

Per Supreme Council law all members of the AMD must attend at least one meeting each year.

Officers are required to attend all meetings of the AMD unless excused by the Sovereign Master.

Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

135th Annual Convocation

Saturday, February 6, 2027

2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

The DoubleTree by Hilton

Washington DC – Crystal City

300 Army Navy Drive

Arlington, VA 22202

Tiled Meeting for AMD Members Only

Our Council is named for Brother

SAM HOUSTON

"The Raven"
(1793 - 1863)

A hero in Texas' struggle for independence.

He defeated General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto and

freed Texas from the rule of Mexico.

Houston served as the first president of the new republic of Texas

from 1836 to 1838 and was elected to a second term in 1841.

On December 20, 1837, he presided over the meeting which

formed The Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas.

When Texas was annexed to the U.S. in 1845

he went to the U.S. Senate where he remained until 1859.

He left the Senate to become Governor of Texas.

He opposed Texas joining the Confederacy

and was deposed as Governor in 1861.

He then retired to private life where he spent the rest of his life.

In his younger days, he lived with the Cherokee Indians

who gave him the honored name of "The Raven".

Sam Houston died at his daughter’s home, the Steamboat House,

in Huntsville, Texas on July 26, 1863.

He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville.

Webmaster – John C. Elkinton

Revised 03/02/2026