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SAINT GEORGE LODGE

Location: Brockton

Chartered By: Charles A. Welch

Charter Date: 03/13/1878 1878-6

Precedence Date: 02/14/1877

Current Status: Active

PAST MASTERS

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

• Petition for Dispensation: 1877

ANNIVERSARIES

• 1953 (75th Anniversary)
• 1978 (Centenary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

• 1878 (Welch; Constitution of Lodge and installation; Special Communication)
• 1903 (Sanford)
• 1921 (Prince)
• 1927 (Simpson; Veterans' Night)
• 1946 (Wragg; reception for Deputy Grand Master Roger Keith)
• 1948 (Keith; 2 visits, including reception for Grand Master)
• 1953 (Roy; 75th Anniversary; Special Communication)
• 1957 (A. Jenkins; Ladies' Night)
• 1959 (A. Jenkins; Veterans' Medal for Past Grand Master Keith; Special Communication)
• 1960 (Eaton; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
• 1964 (Osgood; Mortgage burning; Special Communication)
• 1978 (Melanson; Centenary; Special Communication)
• 1988 (Ames; Night honoring Past Grand Master Keith; Special Communication)
• 2012 (Stewart; reception for Junior Grand Warden James C. Holmes)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1878 1879 1886 1898 1900 1904 1907 1908 1913 1921 1922 1924 1930 1931 1937 1942 1951 1952 1956 1960 1961 1962 1968 1971 1972 1978 1984 2008 2009 2012

HISTORY

• 1953 (75th Anniversary History, 1953-78; see below)
• 1978 (75th Anniversary History, 1978-54)
• 1988 (History of Grand Master Keith, 1988-42)

75TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MARCH 1953

From Proceedings, Page 1953-68:

by Worshipful Donald L. French.

Seventy-six years ago, when what is now the City of Brockton was just a town, the Brethren of the South End had to travel "way up" to Paul Revere Lodge when they wished to participate in Masonic activities. This was really quite a trip in those days, especially on the cold winter nights. Without doubt, this was one of the reasons for a meeting on January 24, 1877, when twenty of these Brothers convened in Good Templars' Hall, diagonally across the street from our present apartments, to consider the possibility of forming a new Lodge. Several more meetings were held and then "after due deliberation it was voted that a petition be presented to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for dispensation to work as a Lodge." The petition was granted by the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Charles A. Welch, on February 14, 1877; and on that same evening, the petitioners assembled, the dispensation was read, and thus Saint George Lodge, A. F. & A. M., came into being.

The signers of this petition for dispensation were:

The first officers of this new Lodge under dispensation were: W. M. Hervey N. P. Hubbard, S. W. William Richards, J. W. Hiram A. Monk, Treas. W. Snow Green, Sec. Flavel B. Keith, the first three being named by the Most Worshipful Grand Master at the granting of the dispensation.

Saint George Lodge convened in Good Templars' Hall and transacted its business in such satisfactory manner that on March 13, 1878, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge granted it a charter; and then on April 16, 1878, Most Worshipful Charles A. Welch paid us an official visit and presented the charter by authority of which we still exist and operate. The Lodge had twenty-five members at that time, and this group constituted the Charter Members of Saint George Lodge. They were:

We lived in Good Templars' Hall for nearly seven years, then moved up the street to Goodall's Block, where we stayed about two years. About this time, Kingman Block was completed and we moved into these quarters, holding our first meeting here on January 20, 1886.

Since our birth we have had forty-one Masters, but only four Treasurers: William S. Green, Rufus P. Keith, Irving L. Bumpus and Lawrence E. Allen. We have had seven Secretaries: Flavel Keith, George W. Cobb, George A. Clark, Alfred W. Lawson, George W. Harrub, Donald L. French and Wilfred Benson. Brother Alfred W. T. Lawson was an outstanding example of devotion to the Lodge and the Fraternity in serving for forty-four consecutive years as our Secretary. Wor. Bro. Melvin C. Derick was our only Master to be called home by the Grim Reaper during his term of office. At near the completion of his second year as Master, Wor. Bro. Derick died in the fall of 1907 and was buried from the parlor of these quarters.

Saint George Lodge has always endeavored to work diligently, live creditably and act honorably by all men, and we are justifiably proud of the honors which have been bestowed upon us through some of our members. To date, five of our members have been appointed District Deputy Grand Master: R. W. Charles B. Lawrence, R. W. Myron L. Keith, R. W. David Perkins, M. W. Roger Keith and R. W. Ralph W. Copeland. R .W. Myron L. Keith and M. W. Roger Keith each received the further honor of being appointed Deputy Grand Master. Of course the acme of honors came to us when in December 1947 R. W. Roger Keith was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a position which he so ably filled during 1948, 1949 and 1950. In 1946 another honor came to Saint George Lodge through the election of R.W. Ralph W. Copeland to be Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Massachusetts. Thus, at one time, Past Masters of Saint George Lodge were the head of these two Grand bodies in Massachusetts, a truly unusual honor. Although these were the outstanding honors, many of our members have made their Masonic contributions and brought honor to their Lodge by serving as officers and being exalted to leadership of the various collateral bodies.

We are also proud of the attainments of our members in civic affairs. Politics must not come into Masonry, but we have always believed that it was good for men of Masonic calibre to get into politics. Five of our Brothers have served as Mayor of the City of Brockton, beginning with one of our Charter Members, Bro. Ziba C. Keith, who was the first Mayor of the City, and followed through the years by Wor. Charles Williamson, Bro. John S. Burbank, M. W. Roger Keith and Bro. Fred D. Rowe. These and other members have taken their places in city, state, and national affairs, ranging from city council to U. S. Government diplomatic service. Many of our members are in the educational field, some serving as teachers, some as principals and some as superintendents of various public schools. Saint George members have taken their places and served with distinction with the armed services in every national emergency that has arisen during the lifetime of the Lodge. We feel that we have been most fortunate that out of this number only one made the supreme sacrifice and lost his life in action. This was Bro. George Herbert Kingman, in World War I. May he ever be happy in the Celestial Lodge above.

We have a number of fifty-year Masons, but our outstanding youngster is Bro. Lyman Augustus Eldredge, who was made a Mason in this Lodge on the thirteenth of March, 1889. That was before many of us ever saw the light of day. Brother Lyman, we salute you!

Saint George Lodge has always enjoyed the most cordial and happy relations with our Most Worshipful Grand Lodge and has been favored by many visits by the Most Worshipful Grand Master. As related earlier, Most Worshipful Charles A. Welch was with us at the time of our being constituted. Most Worshipful Rev. Dudley Hays Ferrell, a former Brocktonian, was with us on March 13, 1928, when we celebrated our fiftieth anniversary. Most Worshipful Samuel H. Wragg was very generous of his time and paid us several visits during his term of office. One of these visits in 1946 was for the purpose of presenting the Henry Price Medal to his Deputy Grand Master, R. W. Roger Keith. The next Grand Master to be installed was Most Worshipful Roger Keith, and under his direction, we were privileged to have the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge visit us for the purpose of raising to the sublime degree of Master Mason Most Worshipful Bro. Keith's son, Mark. This must have been an especially happy occasion for Most Worshipful Bro. Keith, because Mark was his fourth son to be raised in this lodge-room. I am sure that if he had more sons we would have more Brothers here.

And tonight we are again honored by having with us another former Brocktonian, whom we all love and respect, the present Grand Master, the Most Worshipful Rev. Thomas Sherrard Roy, who is here to help us celebrate our seventy-fifth anniversary.

We are proud of our record, but we are also humble. The achievements of the past will mean nothing if we do not in the future continue to practice even more and better Masonry.

"To you from failing hands we throw the torch,
Be yours to hold it high."

— McCrae

OTHER

• 1892 (Participation in Brockton corner stone laying, 1892-43)

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

• Ralph W. Copeland, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1953, 1954; N
• Robert D. Hermanson, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1983, 1984
• James C. Holmes, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 2001, 2002; Junior Grand Warden 2012
• Myron L. Keith, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1915, 1916; Deputy Grand Master 1918
• Roger Keith, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1939, 1940; Deputy Grand Master 1946; Grand Master 1948-1950; N
• Charles B. Lawrence, DDGM, District 24 (Brockton), 1898, 1899; SN
• David Perkins, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1929, 1930; SN
• Demetrios J. Sarantopoulos, DDGM, District 29 (Brockton), 1991, 1992

DISTRICTS

1877: District 16 (Plymouth)

1878: District 19 (Taunton)

1883: District 24 (Brockton)

1911: District 29 (Brockton)

1927: District 29 (Brockton)

2003: District 17

LINKS

Lodge web site

Massachusetts Lodges