Aberdour

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ABERDOUR LODGE

Location: Boston

Chartered By: William T. Coolidge

Charter Date: 12/11/1861 VI-391

Precedence Date: 12/14/1860

Current Status: in Grand Lodge Vault; merged into United Lodge, 03/17/1980; now a part of The Consolidated Lodge.


PAST MASTERS

  • Charles J. Danforth, 1860-1863
  • John Stetson, 1864
  • Henry Frost Spencer, 1865, 1866
  • C. H. Allen?
  • 1867-1870?
  • Wooster B. Mayhew, 1871, 1872
  • Henry F. Ames, 1873, 1874
  • Charles H. Johnson, 1875, 1876
  • James C. Tucker, 1877, 1878
  • Charles Harris, 1879-1881
  • Frederick H. Spring, 1882-1884
  • Samuel Hosea, Jr., 1885, 1886
  • George F. Stebbins, 1887-1889; SN
  • Frederick J. Ham, 1890, 1891
  • Samuel H. Spring, 1892, 1893
  • Chester M. Perry, 1894
  • William P. Willard, 1895, 1896
  • Henry M. Nourse, 1897-1899; Mem
  • Louis H. Parkhurst, 1900
  • John S. Fowler, 1901, 1902
  • Samuel E. Newell, 1903, 1904
  • J. Porter Palmer, 1905, 1906
  • Harry H. Hartung, 1907, 1908
  • Victor E. Trace, 1909
  • Charles J. Elliott, 1910
  • Frank E. Sherry, 1911
  • Benjamin E. Wood, 1912, 1913
  • Henry S. Dunn, 1914
  • James A. Stewart, 1915
  • Robert A. Lewis, 1916
  • William Sears, 1917
  • William H. Hodgkin, 1918
  • Wilman M. Macomber, 1919
  • Horace B. Mann, 1920
  • Frank A. Baker, 1921
  • Ronald B. Clarke, 1922
  • Arthur E. Fisk, 1923; Mem
  • William E. Soule, 1924
  • William Shuttleworth, 1925
  • Linwood H. Young, 1926, 1927
  • Charles A. Temple, 1928
  • Robert J. Bottomly, 1929
  • James H. Wallace, 1930
  • Plinn D. Dempsey, 1931
  • A. Neill Osgood, 1932
  • John E. Tucker, 1933
  • Willis R. Weber, 1934
  • John D. Marks, 1935
  • Thomas A. Rockett, 1936
  • William Wilson, 1937, 1938
  • Herbert M. Smith, 1939
  • T. Legere Fenn, 1940
  • William Robinson, 1941
  • John F. Hubbard, 1942
  • William E. Eaton, 1943, 1944
  • Bernard H. Perlmuter, 1945
  • George Franklin, 1946; N
  • Eli B. Goldberg, 1947
  • Richard Weiler, 1948
  • Irving N. Borenstein, 1949; N
  • William R. Theodore, 1950
  • Harry Heyman, 1951
  • Harry Alpert, 1952
  • Henry A. Selib, 1953
  • Nathan J. Pransky, 1954
  • Ronald Rosenberg, 1955; PDDGM
  • Maxwell Kream, 1956
  • Myrton Swartz, 1967
  • Nathan Morris, 1958, 1959
  • Aaron S. Bell, 1960
  • Frederick Krupp, 1961
  • Irving H. Rattet, 1962
  • Robert Brenner, 1963
  • Joseph Pessen, 1964
  • Hyman E. Hoffenberg, 1965
  • Jason S. Orlov, 1966
  • Mark D. Titlebaum, 1967
  • Edward Feldberg, 1968
  • Stanley Orlov, 1969
  • Joseph Brenner, 1970
  • Robert Michaels, 1971
  • Arthur Katz, 1972
  • Steven Goldberg, 1973
  • Alan Waldfoger, 1974, 1976
  • Michael Lanner, 1975
  • Kenneth A. Stein, 1977, 1978
  • Bernard H. Perlmuter, 1979, 1980

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1860
  • Constitution and Consecration: 1862
  • Petition For Merger: 1980

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1911 (50th Anniversary)
  • 1961 (Centennial)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1870 (Full Code)
1872 1873 1874 1882 1888 1894 1911 1916 1926 1929 1931 1940 1943 1948 1954 1956 1957 1960 1963 1965 1967 1979

HISTORY

  • 1961 (Centennial History, 1961-48)


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

OTHER BROTHERS

EVENTS

ST. ANDREW'S DAY, NOVEMBER 1863

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXIII, No. 3, January, 1864, p. 83:

This Lodge celebrated St. Andrew's Day by a public Installation of the Officers for the ensuing year, and a Festival. It being the last day of the month, none of the Masonic Institutions held regular Meetings, consequently all the rooms in the building were thrown open for promenade. As this meeting was intended to be a social gathering of the members, to pro. mote acquaintance, the invitations were confined, as far as possible, to them and their ladies. The Lodge was opened in the large Hall, at half-past 7 o'clock. After the opening the ladies were escorted into the hall, and provided with seats, when R. W. Brother John T. Heard installed the following officers:—

  • C. J. Danforth, W. M.
  • John Stetson, S. W, Bro. B. F. Stevens acting as proxy
  • H. F. Spencer, J. W.
  • A. T. Whitney, Treasurer
  • D. W. Hodgdon, Secretary
  • C. H. Allen, S. D.
  • C. F. Russell, jr., J. D.
  • C. O. Foster, S. S.
  • Frederick Allen, J. S.
  • J. A. Stearns, Chaplain
  • L. L. Tarbell, Tyler.

The ceremonies were interspersed with excellent Music, under the direction of Bro. A. Knissman, a member of the Lodge, whose music at the regular meetings has been highly praised.

At the conclusion of the installation ceremonies, Bro. Heard delivered the following Address, which was listened to with marked attention:—

"Brethren :— It is usual in inaugurating officers of state, of the church and of societies of almost every name, to mark such occasions, with ceremonials designed to impress the mind not only of the actors but of the witnesses. The President of the United States solemnly tikes upon himself under imposing circumstances his oath of office; the king is crowned amidst the dignitaries of his kingdom and the display royalty ever has so abundantly at its command; ministers of religion receive their sacred charge with differences of form vary in between the imposing rites of the Catholic and the plain ordination of the Puritan Church; and, 1 repeat, there is scarcely a society, however humble in iitt extent ami objects, which does not in some sinking manner induct into office those chosen to preside over it. In like manner, Masonry celebrates according to its peculiar ritual, the entiance of its officials upon Iheir duties. The election of our officers being annual in every Lodge, Grand and subordinate, and our laws requiring them to be formally installed as a prerequisite to ihe assumption of duties, the services witnessed here this evening become necessarily of frequent occurrence. Ordinaiily they are performed in the presence of Masons only, but occasionally a public installation is permitted for the gratification of the families and friends of Brethren. And I trust that they who are now present with us, who are not Masons, .have not observed or listened lo any thing that has been done orsat-l which has mel with Iheir disapprobation.

"Our officers when installed cannot resign. When thus formally invested, it is their duty to serve the full term of office. It is not in the power of a Master or Lodge, or both conjoined, to absolve the obligations that installation imposes. By the authority of the Grand Master only, can tendered resignations be accepted, and never would that authority he granted, except under circumstances wherein the welfare of a Lodge or of the general society of Masons urgently required it.

"I desire to lake this opportunity — the first I have had since your organization as a Lodge, — to express to you my thanks for taking the name of Abcrdour for that of this Lodge, you having done so in conformity to a suggestion offered by me whilst I was Grand Master. And it may be interesting to some of you and not inappropriate to this occasion, for me lo state for what reason the suggestion was made.

"As the student of Masonic history well knows, Masonry was first established in an organized form — in the form theii as now universally practiced, namely, by charter or letters from existing Masonic authority — by a dispensation from the Grand Master of England, Anthony Brown Viscount Montacute, to Henry Price, Esq., to form a Provincial Grand Lodge in America. This was in 1733. Henry Price, — whose intelligent and beaming countenance the artist has so successfully delineated in yonder portrait and who was then in the prime of manhood,— became and continued lo be for several years Grand Master under the dispensation. The American body was called " Saint John's Grand Lodge," Ihe first communication of which was held at the "Bunch of Grapes Tavern," in Boston.

"The next European authority given to establish a Lodge in the American colonies, at least in the more Northern of them, came, in 1756, from Sholto Charles Douglas, Lord Aberdour, Grand Master of Scotland. It was for the lortnation of a woiking Lodge — the "Saint Andrew's Lodge" of this city — our respectable and influential sister, who, though now one hundred and seven years old, is still youthful and vigorous.

"In 1769, George, Earl of Dalhousie, then Grand Master of Scotland, granted letters of deputation to Joseph Warren — the hero of Bunker Hill — to form a Grand Lodge "in Boston, New England, and within one hundred miles of the same," which became known as the " Massachusetts-Grand Lodge."

"After the revolutionary war, those Grand Lodges were united, and became the present Grand Lodge of Massachusetts; Saint Andrew's Lodge acknowledging iis allegiance to it, though it has continued to this time to work under its original charter.

"This brief sketch of the introduction of chartered Masonic powers and privileges into this country, will serve to show the propriety of naming Lodges after the leading actors, on both sidea of the ocean, engaged in this work, as a means of perpetuating and honoring their memories, and commenoratins; important historical transactions. The event, first named, has been in this manner celebrated by the founding of "Montacute Lodge" at Worcester, and "Henry Price Lodge" at Charlestown. The establishment of the second Grand Lodge is signalized by the erection of "Dalhousie Lodge" at Newton and "Joseph Warren Lodge" at Boston; and the instituting of "Aberdour Lodge" distinguishes the act which gave existence to "Saint Andrew's Lodge."

"These graceful testimonials of our respect and veneration for the past, might be succeeded by that of adding to our collection of portraits, those of Montacute, Dalhousie and Aberdour. Undoubtedly portraits of these distinguished men are extant, from which copies might be obtained. They would surely be an acquisition of importance and one which we would highly prize.

"And now, my Brethren, permit me to congratulate "Aberdour Lodge" on the eminent success which has thus far attended its career. Formed under dispensation granted in Dec., 1860, it has been a working Lodge for nearly three years, and two years have elapsed since it was "empowered to act as a regular Lodge, constituted in conformity to the rites of our Order." The number of original members — those whose names are in the charter —was twenty eight. By their names I recognize many who had been fellow members with me of Columbian Lodge; and I believe I am not in error in saying that Aberdour Lodge is regarded as an offset from that old and influential Lodge. Your piesent membership reckons fortyfour, which is an increase sufficiently rapid for solid growth and for the exer cise of that scrutiny and care enjoined by our Constitutions in relation to new members. One member has deceased — has gone "where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest." With Brother Whiting, the departed, I had the happiness of being well acquainted. He was initiated into Masonry in Columbian Lodge, of which he was a useful and cherished member. I do but reiterate the general sentiment expressed at the time of his death in saying that he was an exemplary citizen and Christian gentleman, and we know he was an upright Mason.

"Two of your number have served their country in the field during the term of their enlistment. We honor them for (hat patriotism which led them to peril their lives, and risk everything dear in life for a nation's preservation. The dangers, privations, and sufferings which our brave ynung men encounter and endure as soldiers in the terrific struggle now desolating many fair portions of our land and canying sorrow and mourning to thousands of households, exceed the power of language adequately to portray. We know enough of their sad and trying experiences, however, to feel that all honor belongs to them and that a people's gratitude is their due.

"May the year upon which you are entering, my Brethren, continue your Lodge in the prosperous course it has thus far run. I doubt not it is your earnest purpose to render it pre-eminently great in all that ennobles and elevates character and conduces to the welfare of man. In your laudable undertaking, I wish you God speed.

"Worshipful Master :— For the second time, the superintendence and government of lliis Lodge are confided to you, a fact most significant that you have hitherto well governed. So cordial a re-election may be regarded as good evidence that as Master you have won the esteem and confidence of your Brethren.

"Great powers are conferred on the Master of a Lodge, which devolve upon him corresponding responsibilities. From his decision, however wrong and arbitrary it may be, there can be no appeal to the Lodge. The remedy for abuse of his power lies only with the Grand Master or Grand Lodge. How important it is, then, that the Master should be qualified to rule intelligently and be actuated by kindness and justice, in order to promote the happiness and prosperity of his Lodge—to maintain harmony and fraternal concord among its members!

"It is not my intention to charge you particularly as to your duty; I feel assured that that is unnecessary. Still to one subject I desire to allude, namely, the growing practice in Lodges of discussing questions in a partisan spirit. It tends to create ill-feeling between members and prevent that harmony and co-operation so necessary to the right discharge of Masonic duties. Our greatest care should be exercised to prevent our Lodges from dividing into debating clubs and keep them free from those disputations which rankle and produce discord and enmity.

"I conclude in the language of our ritual: The honor, reputation and usefulness of your Lodge, will materially depend on the skill and assiduity with which you manage its concerns ; whilst the happiness of its members will be generally promoted, in proportion to the zeal and ability with which you propagate the genuine principles of our Institution."

At nine o'clock the Brethren with their ladies and invited guests proceeded to the Banquet Hall, where an excellent repast was furnished by Mr. J. B. Smith, and which occupied the attention of all present, with occasional singing by Br. Knissman and Franck, until about 11 o'clock, when the company retired, highly pleased with their evening's entertainment.


DISTRICTS


LINKS

The Consolidated Lodge web site

Massachusetts Lodges