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March-April 2009
Central Lodge Begins Its 100th Year
Anniversary Celebration
Curve Ball Smacked Over The Fence!
by RW E. Wayne Parks
For several months we were aware that the
Grand Master would be in attendance at our February stated to help us celebrate Central Lodge’s
100th anniversary. However, we were assured that
he did not wish a lot of “hoop-a-la” and as soon
as he had been “received” that he would be just
another Master Mason. In the final days leading
up to this occasion we were informed by the
Grand Master’s administrative assistant that we
were to perform the total reception procedure including all introductions “by-the-book”. Obviously, this caused a little tension on the part of the
Master since there was barely time for one hurried practice.
I am pleased to report that the approximately
65 members and visitors present were treated to
an outstanding display of Masonic ritual. Your
officers performed in a most admirable fashion.
Business was held to an absolute minimum, but
time was allocated for a very interesting and informative presentation by Wor. Jack Bonniwell
covering the history of Central Lodge #300.
Many of us present were pleased to learn quite a
lot about the past accomplishments of our lodge.
Following brother Bonniwell’s remarks the
Grand Master gave us an inspiring and timely
program urging us to continue our celebration
throughout the year. He also remarked on the
changes in our society and Freemasonry in the
intervening years since our formation. He further
wondered, that were we to create a time capsule
now, how would it appear fifty, or one hundred
years from today.
The Grand Master then closed the lodge in
ancient form and harmony and the meeting was
adjourned to Edward’ Seafood for an excellent
oyster roast accompanied by tasty clam chowder.
Edward’s Seafood is to be commended on the
quality of the oysters as well as the outstanding
manner in which they were presented and served.
To top off the evening, beautiful and delicious
cake was served, compliments of our good brothers from Accomack Lodge #243 – thanks
“Teagers”. All present thoroughly enjoyed this
after meeting treat. Since about ninety Masons
had made reservations, we set up and paid for that
many attendees, but unfortunately, only about
sixty of those who made reservations were in attendance. The absent Masons along with the resulting expense for twenty-five additional meals,
was the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding
evening of Masonry.
A gift from our brothers in Accomack Lodge #243
A Message from the Master
What a wonderful night of Masonry we had at
our last stated communication. There was a large
turn out for the celebration and plenty of oysters
to go around. It was good to see everyone out. I
would like to see us have to set up folding chairs
more often.
Our speaker in March will be Worshipful
Rick Kellam who promises to have a very informative talk.
I also want to remind everyone to bring in a
canned food item for the Food Bank. I feel that
this is an important project, worthy of our un-
dertaking. As times get tighter the more it becomes necessary for us to think of others that
are less fortunate than we are. Remember
….Every human being has a claim upon your
kind offices… If we forget to bring in a canned
item, a donation is acceptable. For every dollar
the Food Bank receives they can buy eight dollars worth of food.
A couple of our upcoming events are;
A family picnic for the members and
families of Central # 300 in May, details
later
A ladies night
Buddy night
As always practice is every Thursday at
7:00 P.M. Come out for a good evening
of Masonry and fellowship.
October 1778, the Grand Lodge of Virginia was
formed and John Blair was elected to be the first
Grand Master of Masons in Virginia.
In 1785 the first lodge chartered on the Eastern Shore by the Grand Lodge of Virginia was
Northampton Lodge # 11. Northampton #11 existed until 1856 when it lost its charter. Members
from that lodge and other Masons in Accomack
County and southern Maryland formed the core
of brethren that re-established Masonry on the
Eastern Shore and from whose lineage Central
Lodge was born.
Masonry formally began again in 1868 with a
dispensation to begin meeting in a carpenter’s
shop in a town established by members of a temperance organization. The town was Temperanceville. A year later in 1869, Temperanceville
Lodge #121 was chartered.
About the same time and with the recommendation of the Masonic brethren in Temperanceville, Ocean Lodge #116 was established and met
in a building on Front Street in the Town of
Drummondtown now known to us today as Accomac. The creation of Ocean Lodge came about
because of the distance that members had to
travel to get to the Lodge in Temperanceville.
Members from Northampton #11 and Temperanceville #121 helped form the core of brethren
needed to establish the Lodge.
In 1885, Ocean Lodge moved from Drummondtown to Wachapreague. While in Wachapreague, Ocean Lodge held meetings in three
locations; the final location being that Lodge
building that was established in 1928 and hosted
meetings until it merged with Central Lodge in
2005. It is from Ocean Lodge that Central Lodge
claims is origin.
On February 13, 1908 under dispensation
granted by the Most Worshipful Jos W. Enggleton, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, Central
Lodge #300 was formed. Right Worshipful John
W. Kellam, Deputy Grand Master of Masons in
Virginia convened the first meeting in the Onley
Lodge on March 17, 1908. The constituting officers were
RW John W. Kellam, WM,
RW John T. Mears, SW,
Wor James S. Rogers, JW
Bro Gilbert F. Stiles, Tres
Central Lodge - A Brief History
Presentation by Wor. Jack Bonniwell on Central Lodge’s
100th Anniversary. February 3, 2009
February marks the 100th anniversary of the
chartering of Central Lodge #300 Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons. How proud we are to be
Masons and how proud we are to be members of
Central Lodge.Masonry has a long and proud history in our country, in the Commonwealth of Virginia and especially on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Immigrant Masons brought Masonry to
our shores. These men gathered together as Masonic brethren in inns and pubs throughout our
land. They gathered and met without common
lodges but through their desires and efforts many
lodges were formed by charters granted by the
Grand Lodges of England, Scotland, Ireland,
Pennsylvania, and America. Virginia Masonry
grew out of those lodges.
The mid- and late- 1700s were a time of political strife and turmoil. Relations with England
were deteriorating. Political movements were
underway to separate the colonies from English
rule, taxation and control. With the ongoing involvement of Masons in these activities, it would
only be expected that Masonry would also follow
the same course.
In Virginia, representatives of the existing
lodges, all holding charters from different Grand
Lodges, met in 1777 and began plans to form
what became the Grand Lodge of Virginia. In
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Bro Barnes F. Sturgis, SD
Bro. J. W. Cropper, JD
Bro. Levin W. Mason, Tiler
The Master Masons Lodge was opened in due
and ancient form, the dispensation for constituting Central lodge read by RW E. H. Bratten,
DDGM for the 12th Masonic District. RW Bratten then proceeded to install the officers of Central Lodge.
A.J. McMath, WM
J.W. Rogers, SW
W.A. Burton, JW
J.C. Core, Tres
W.C. Parsons, Scty
E.W. Scott, SD
B.T. Parks, JD
John D. Hosier, Chaplain
L.W. Mason, Tiler
On February 2, 1909 a resolution petitioning
the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Virginia for
a charter was adopted and submitted. On Motion
of Bro. C. R. Waters, the Worshipful Master was
appointed a committee of one to attend the Grand
Lodge of Virginia and to intercede in securing a
Charter for Central Lodge. On February 11, 1909
a Charter was issued for permanent establishment
of the lodge under the name of Central Lodge
Number Three Hundred. Elections of officers
followed on March 2, 1909 and the same slate of
officers were elected as in the previous year.
Central Lodge met in downtown Onley until
December 14, 1969, when the Lodge experienced
a fire that destroyed its building. Through the
generosity of Chesapeake Lodge #158 and at the
invitation of RW Spencer M. Rogers, Central
Lodge was offered the use of Chesapeake’s
Lodge Hall until permanent arrangements could
be made. The charter you see on the wall behind
me this evening is the duplicate charter that was
requested, our previous charter having been destroyed in the fire.
After countless hours of planning, coordination and work it was determined that rebuilding
the original lodge was not practical. A joint
meeting was held between representatives of
Central and Chesapeake Lodges to discuss the
possibility of a joint project that would culminate
in the construction of a new lodge building for
use by both lodges. In November 1970 after
months of research and discussion, Central Lodge
elected to enter into a joint venture with Chesapeake Lodge to build a new Lodge to be used
solely for Masonic purposes by both lodges. An
invitation was sent to Chesapeake Lodge in late
1971 requesting a response to the offer to join
Central Lodge in the building and joint ownership
of a new Lodge building. In the end, Central
Lodge alone took on the project to build a new
lodge.
On January 12, 1972 at 1:45 p.m. Central
Lodge held a ground breaking for the beginning
of construction of its new lodge. The opening
prayer was given by RW Paul H. White and Wor.
Irvin T. Amadeo welcomed the brethren. Most
Worshipful Julian Cooke Roden, Grand Master of
Masons in Virginia in 1969 gave an inspiring
speech. Most Worshipful Charles M. Lankford,
Jr. Grand Master of Masons in Virginia in 1952
broke ground for the new Masonic Temple.
On August 26, 1972 a special communication
was held to lay the cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple.
If you have ever wondered what is placed in a
cornerstone, here a list of what is in ours.
A Copy of Central Lodge by-laws
A Copy of the Eastern Shore News dated Aug
24, 1972.
Pictures of the groundbreaking ceremony and
progress of the building.
A Copy of the plat of land on which the new
temple is located
A list of names of the building committee noting the donation of the cornerstone by CM
Williams, Sr.
A list of Past masters and honorary members
of Central Lodge
A copy of the lodge minutes from Dec 16,
1969 discussing the damage to the old lodge
building.
A Copy of the lodge minutes from March 16,
1971 authorizing the building committee to
proceed with the new building.
A copy of the information return to the Grand
Lodge of VA showing officers of Central
Lodge for 1972
A List of living Past Masters and the date
Central Lodge was chartered
A Copy of the letter from the WM dated
3
March 8, 1971 to members with reports from
the building committee and other information
A Copy of the floor plan of new lodge hall.
A 1909 penny representing the year Central
Lodge was chartered.
A 1969 half dollar representing the year Central Lodge building burned.
A 1972 half dollar representing the year the
new lodge was built.
A 1971 Silver dollar donated by an anonymous donor and a stamped envelope with
stamp cancelled by the Onley, VA Post Office
on August 26, 1972 with Masonic emblem on
the envelope.
Central Lodge, like so many other Masonic
Lodges, cares for its members, their families, its
community, and Masonic brethren where so ever
dispersed. Except for the loss of our lodge in
1969, the lodge has prevailed without serious
problems or events in its life. However, in the
first decade of this century, we have needed to
open our hearts and arms to brethren in two other
lodges. In October 2005, Ocean Lodge #116
merged with Central Lodge and in July 2006,
Parksley Lodge #325 merged with Central Lodge.
We, as did so many others, felt their pain and sadness at the loss of their lodges. But Central welcomed them and the lodge is now greater and
stronger because they are joined with us.
We are proud of this Lodge… we are proud of
its members… we are proud of its leadership…
we are proud of its heritage… and we are proud
to be Masons. May the strength that you all bring
to this lodge now and in the future, help it successfully live another long and prosperous 100
years.
DDGM Official Visit Schedule
RW Marvin Nuttall has one official visit remaining. On March 10th he will make his official
visit to Temperanceville Lodge #121. Come on
out and give him your support.
Central Lodge #300 Calendar
Mar 3
Stated Communication.
7:30 p.m., Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Program by.Wor. Rick Kellam.
Mar 6 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Division Leadership Conference at Nandua Middle School. Registration opens
at 6:00 p.m.
Mar 21 6:00 p.m. Temperanceville #121
Grand Master’s Official Visit/dinner
Tickets will be available through the
Lodge Secretary.
Apr 7 Stated Communication.
7:30 p.m., Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Program TBA.
From The Secretary’s Desk
What a way to begin our celebration of the
100th anniversary of Central Lodge. If you
missed the February meeting you missed out one
of the best crowds I have seen in a Masonic
Lodge on the Eastern Shore in several years. We
had fun, food and fellowship. We were pleased
to see so many visitors along with brethren from
our Lodge who have been absent for several
months. Most Worshipful Harold Jackson Littleton, past Grand Master of Masons in Delaware
was also in attendance. Your secretary had the
distinct pleasure of escorting MW Littleton to the
altar when he took his obligation as Grand Master. Through the years I have come to recognize
the fantastic contribution MW Littleton has made
to Masonry. We have indeed been fortunate to
have him not only as a member of our Lodge but
also as a friend. A special presentation was made
by Worshipful Jack Bonniwell on the history of
Central Lodge followed by an inspiring talk by
the Grand Master. We have started the ball rolling; now it is up to you to assure the ball continues to roll.
We continue to have members who have not
yet paid their 2007 and 2008 dues. Before long,
Test Your Knowledge!
How well do you know your Masonry? Here is a
set of three short questions… see how you do!
1. No brother will serve as Master of a lodge
unless he has obtained a ____________________
and ______________.
2. As Worshipful Master you should consider
yourself the ____________________or
_________________ of the meeting.
3. Only _______________can decide if getting in
line is right for you or not.
See the answers on the page six.
4
the Lodge will be required to issue citations to
those who have not paid their 2007 dues. If you
are delinquent I urge you to bring your dues up to
date as quickly as possible. As I stated in my last
message, if there is a problem beyond your control please contact the Worshipful Master.
As the year continues, your Lodge will soon
begin its second year of Little League sponsorship. If you have just a little extra time come out
and enjoy these young men as they remind us of
the fun and learning of Little League and of why
we became a Mason.
Anytime you have any questions please contact me at 757-789-7690 or by email at
[email protected].
raised to Master Mason. If you are listed below,
we hope that you will put forth a special effort to
be with your brothers in the Lodge to be honored
on your birthday.
March 2009
Earle K. Bridges
Jerry R. Brooks
Bobby C. Gladden
Roger D. Greer
Vernon E. Hopkins, Jr.
Frank P. Hurst
Mark W. Keyes
Eugene A. Mason
Michael A. McKinney
N. Byrd Newton
Carlisle L. Nottingham
David W. Powell, Jr.
Andrew L. Russell, Jr.
Gerald Scherma
Brooks L. Shaw
Laurence J. Trala
George H. Ward, Jr.
John T. Williams
Ralph F. Young
Reminder: District 12 & 13 Leadership
Conference - March 6th - 6:30 p.m.
Mark you calendars for Friday night, March 6th
at 6:30 p.m. for the Division Leadership Conference. The Grand Master and Grand Lodge officers will be at Nandua Middle School to provide
information, education and assistance to Officers
and members of the Eastern Shore Lodges. The
program topics for this year include two on DDay and motivating the craft. The Grand Master
has requested that each Lodge make it their goal
to have all the line officers and 10-percent of the
membership attend. Make plans to come out to
support your Lodge and enjoy this evening’s
very interesting program.
April 2009
William B. Adams
Fred A. Annis
Roy L. Bailey, Jr.
Bruce N. Bonniwell
Eric A. Bruno
E. Garrison Drummond
Robert F. Dunlop
Elwood L. Evans
Charlie T. Farlow, Jr.
Robert L. Glover, Jr.
William O. Hickman
Delams W. Jester, Jr.
Roland T. Kellam
William R. Lewis, Jr.
Harold J. Littleton
Dale F. Marsh
Norman F. Mason, Jr.
Van T. Mason
Walter E. Melson, Jr.
David E. Neal
Grand Master’s Official Visit
Most Worshipful Jeffrey Eugene Hodges, Grand
Master of Masons in Virginia will make his official visit to Districts 12 & 13 on March 21st. A
dinner will be held in Temperanceville Lodge
#121 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased from the Lodge Secretary.
Tickets must be purchased in advance - no tickets will be sold at the door.
Masonic Birthdays
It is a tradition in Central Lodge to recognize
and celebrate the Masonic Birthday of each and
every Lodge Brother in the month that they were
5
Michael D. Payne
Robert B. Powell
James A. Rew, Jr.
Walter T. Wessells
THE COLD WITHIN
By James Patrick Kinney
Six humans trapped by fate
In dark and bitter cold
Each possessed a stick of wood
D-Day National Memorial Dedication
This program was originally scheduled for May at Or so the story’s told.
the D-Day National Memorial but had to be cancelled. The dedication has been rescheduled for Their dying fire in need of logs,
October 10th at the Masonic Home. The event But the first one held hers back,
will coincide with Family Day activities at the For, of the faces around the fire
She noticed that one was black.
Grand Lodge.
The next one looked cross the way
Saw not one from his church,
And could not bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
In Our Thoughts And Prayers
Our prayers go out to the families of Bro. Archie
A. Dail and Henry T. Joynes, Jr., who recently
passed to that celestial Lodge above. May the
good Lord ease the loss that we all feel.
The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch,
Sick, Sympathy & Support
Why should his log be put to use
Do you know of a brother or family member that
To warm the idle rich?
needs a card, a call, or our support? If so, please
call Rt. Wor. Paul Neal at 789-7690.
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of wealth he in store,
Need a Ride?
And how to keep it all
Want to come to a meeting but can’t get there be- From the lazy, shiftless poor.
cause you need a ride or can’t drive. Call Wor.
Donnie Davis at 442-5480 and he will arrange for The black man’s face bespoke revenge
someone to pick you up. Please don’t think this As the fire passed from his sight,
is an imposition on anyone, we want to help you For he saw in his stick of wood
get to the Lodge… and get home again!
A chance to spite the white.
Lodge Ritual Practice
And the last man of this forlorn group
Did nothing except for gain,
Giving just to those who gave to him
Was how he played the game.
Officers and members of the Lodge meet and
practice on Thursday evenings starting at 7:00 pm.
Our practices are always great evenings of fellowship, fun and sharing of information. Come out
and join us. We always have a great time.
Their sticks held tight in death’s stilled hands
Was proof enough of sin
They did not die from the cold withoutThey died from the cold within.
Test Your Knowledge Answers:
1. Warden's certificate and Degree of Past Master.
2. Director or stage manager.
3. You
6
The Master then began to bring
The meeting to an end.
They All Came Just For Me
By: Bro. Richard L. Jenkins
For the brothers of Cass Lodge 412, Griswold Iowa.
Something big is going on here.
Or so I thought that night,
As the Masons came to gather round
the Great and lesser lights.
One from here and one from there
From places far and wide,
They came to do, I knew not what,
As they gathered there inside.
But from each man I was greeted
With a smile and voice of cheer.
One said, "so you're the candidate.
The reason that we're here."
I scarcely knew just what he meant,
For this was my "first degree."
There must be much for them to do
Before they got to me.
Surely these guys would not travel
for the sake of just one man.
Yes, there must be much for them to do,
Before my part began.
The "Brother Tiler" was my company
As I waited at the door
To step into this brand new realm
I had not known before.
They shared with me the three Great Lights
and some tools of the trade,
That I might learn a thing or two
of how a man be better made.
When at last I had been seated
In this brotherhood of men
And with all things then completed,
They stayed a little more,
To eat and drink and share a laugh
Before heading toward the door.
But as we left I understood
And then began to see.
That they all came for one reason.
They all came just for me.
Dear brothers I pray every lodge
Will make new ones like me,
Feel as welcome as these brothers did,
When they held my First Degree.
Thank you, Brothers!
Need Information? Give us a call!
Lodge Contacts
Master:
Secretary:
Donnie Davis
Paul Neal
442-5480
789-7690