NewMeadows

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NEW MEADOWS LODGE

Location: Beverly

Chartered By: Laurence E. Eaton

Charter Date: 03/11/1959 1959-104

Precedence Date: 06/02/1958

Current Status: in Grand Lodge Vault; merged into Budleigh Lodge, 11/15/2001.


PAST MASTERS

  • Leslie B. Fales, 1959; N; Mem
  • Melvin W. Smallwood, 1960
  • Herbert H. Anderson, 1961
  • Frederick V. Moulton, 1962
  • Clifton P. Elliott, 1963
  • John D. Oldreive, 1964; N
  • Arthur L. Robinson, 1965
  • Channing K. Dupouy, 1966
  • Frank A. Butler, 1967
  • Edward E. Shields, Jr., 1968
  • Karl O. Kristensen, Jr., 1969
  • Gregory C. Prior, Jr., 1970
  • Norman B. Nickerson, 1972
  • Sidney R.T. Lindh, 1973
  • Carleton E. Porter, 1974
  • Richard C. Hardy, 1975
  • Richard A. Redman, 1976
  • Charles A. Drake, III, 1977
  • Fred L. Pickard, 1979
  • Robert L. Wade, 1982
  • Arther T. Simmons, Jr., 1983
  • Peter M. Lovell, 1986
  • William A. Wood, 1987
  • Richard Z. Gore, 1989
  • Alfred E. Grimm, 1984, 1990; N
  • Wayne L. Killian, 1980, 1991-1992
  • Roy H. Ackerman, 1981, 1985, 1993
  • Willard A. Flagg, Jr., 1978, 1994
  • Robert H. Sanders, 1971, 1988, 1995
  • Robert T. Smales, Sr., 1996-1997
  • Mason W. Russell, 1999-2000
  • Stephen E. Tardif, 1998, 2001-2002

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1958
  • Petition for Charter: 1959
  • Consolidation Petition (with Budleigh Lodge): 2001

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1968 (10th Anniversary)
  • 1983 (25th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1961 1968 1980 1981 1982 1983 1985 1990 1996

HISTORY

  • 1983 (25th Anniversary History, 1983-151)

25TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MAY 1983

From Proceedings, Page 1983-151:

1958 - 1983

New Meadows Lodge takes great pride in welcoming you to its 25th Anniversary and Charter Members Night Communication and Celebration. It is an honor and a privilege to gather together tonight with those Charter Members and a very distinguished group of Masons representing the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and our Brethren from the Salem and Lynn Eighth Masonic Districts.

We are also celebrating the 250th Anniversary tonight of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, the oldest Grand Lodge in the Western Hemisphere.

While New Meadows Lodge is one of the youngest lodges in Massachusetts, those Charter Members whom we honor tonight laid a firm foundation upon which we are building a Masonic tradition in the Topsfield and Boxford communities. We hope that those who follow will look back upon the 250 years of Masonry in Massachusetts and the 25 years of New Meadows with pride and gratitude at the heritage that was given to them.

In 1978 a history of New Meadows was written for the 20th Anniversary. It is repeated here so that all will know "Whence Came New Meadows Lodge."

During the early 1950's a group of Masons, composed of Masonic Members in their respective areas, had been meeting under the name of the Ashlar Club of Topsfield and Boxford. The purpose of the Ashlar Club was to foster a fraternal spirit among its members, provide opportunities for fellowship, promote general good and conduct social functions. During one of the meetings, M. W. Whitfield W. Johnson, Past Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts was the speaker. In his remarks, he made the observation that this club had the nucleus of a Blue Lodge. This had been the vision of several members of the Ashlar Club but the drive to accomplish this seemed to be lacking. However, with the encouragement from M. W. Brother Johnson at the May 1957 meeting of the Ashlar Club, President John D. Oldreive appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of forming a Lodge to serve the towns of Topsfield and Boxford.

The committee appointed was: Wor. Leslie B. Fales, Chairman; Wor. Melvin W. Smallwood; Wor. Herbert H. Andersen; Bro. Clifton P. Elliott; Bro. Chalton P. Hall; Bro. Frederick V. Moulton; and Bro. John P. Oldreive.

The first committee meeting was held on June 23, 1957. It was decided to contact all known Masons in the two towns, as the first data that had to become known was how many prospective members there would be. A questionnaire was prepared and it is interesting to note that out of 145 brother contacted, 131 were in favor of starting a Lodge here. 101 would become Charter Members, 88 would serve on temporary committees, and 26 were interested in line office.

Many other meetings followed during the summer of 1957. Committees were formed for the correlation of all information that had to be presented to Grand Lodge. Lodges in abutting town were contacted and informed of our proposed plans.

Meetings were held with the presiding and Past Masters of Amity and Mosaic Lodges in Danvers, as well as with the District Deputy Grand Masters of the Salem and Lynn Eighth Masonic Districts. It should be noted here that in all these meetings a great deal of encouragement and aid was received.

After all the necessary information and statistics had been gathered, an application was presented to the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to hold Masonic-meetings under the name of New Meadows Lodge, A. F. & A. M. with Wor. Leslie B. Fales, Master; Wor. Melvin W. Smallwood, Senior Warden; and Wor. Herbert H. Andersen, Junior Warden.

New Meadows Lodge, A. F. & A. M. was instituted on June 23, 1958 in the Woodbury Auditorium, Proctor School, Topsfield, Massachusetts with R. W. Dean Cogswell in the East, R. W. Charles Feldman in the West, and R. W. F. Elliott Waldron in the South.

The Officers of the first line of New Meadows Lodge, Under Dispensation, were: Wor. Leslie B. Fales, Master; Wor. Melvin W. Smallwood, Senior Warden; Wor. Herbert H. Andersen, Junior Warden; R. W. Harry E. Trask, Treasurer; Bro. T. Harold Banks, Secretary; Bro. Franklin C. Roberts, Sr., Chaplain; Rev. Bro. Herman T. Silvius III, Associate Chaplain; Wor. Everett Blanchard, Marshal; Bro. Frederick V. Moulton, Senior Deacon; Bro. Clifton P. Elliott, Junior Deacon; Bro. John D. Oldreive, Senior Steward; Bro. O. Franklin Boerner, Junior Steward; Bro. Everett R. Eaton, Inside Sentinel; Bro. Arthur G. Rich, Organist; and Bro. Luther S. Robinson, Tyler.

One year later, on the evening of May 25, 1959 in the Masonic Temple at Danvers, Massachusetts, the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts with M. W. Andrew G. Jenkins, Grand Master, in the East, constituted New Meadows Lodge, which had been operating under dispensation, in a most impressive ceremony (Mass. 1959 104-107).

During the active and formative 25 years which have followed, the membership has increased from 109 Charter Members to over 200 new and affiliated members.

Many honors have been presented to New Meadows Lodge all due to the excellent devoted work of the members.

We are especially proud to have received 18 Blood Donor Awards. Quite a feat when you consider a minimum of 100 pints of blood have to be given.

Two of our Past Masters, R. W. Leslie B. Fales and R. W. John D. Oldreive have served the Salem Eighth Masonic District as District Deputy Grand Masters.

Most of the appointments in the Lodge were donated by the Brethren and on our 10th Anniversary our Hammond Organ, which has provided musical pleasure for all, was donated by the Ashlar Club.

New Meadows is unique in that we all meet on the Level and continue the tradition of Burning Tapers.

Few lodges today can have a Charter Member Night. We are indeed fortunate to have over half of our Charter Members still active in the Lodge. Also, only two of the 24 Past Masters of New Meadows have departed, namely Wor. Melvin W. Smallwood and Wor. Sidney R. Lindh. Therefore, let us all tonight rededicate ourselves to continue the Masonic heritage that is ours as we are stewards of that heritage and we will be judged by what we turn over to those who follow us and the foundations we lay for the builder to build upon.


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1958: District 8 (Salem)


LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges