Wessagusset

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WESSAGUSSET LODGE

Location: Weymouth

Chartered By: Arthur D. Prince

Charter Date: 09/14/1921 1921-268

Precedence Date: 1920?

Current Status: merged with Orphan's Hope Lodge to form Weymouth United Masonic Lodge, 06/18/1994.


PAST MASTERS

  • Elmer Millet, 1920
  • Fredric G. Bauer, 1921
  • Josiah B. Reed, 1922
  • Nathaniel A. Shaw, 1923
  • William J. Holbrook, 1924; N
  • Charles S. Bicknell, 1925
  • William E. MacCauley, 1926
  • Frederick W. Dyer, 1927
  • Horace P. Smith, 1928
  • Arthur R. Taylor, 1929
  • Herman W. Weiting, 1930
  • Harold E. Dunn, 1931
  • Leonard Grehard, 1932
  • Matthew C. Sproul, 1933
  • Thomas M. Chisholm, 1934
  • John J. Harris, 1935
  • George E. Pruden, 1936
  • Lester F. Hiltz, 1937
  • James F. Ferguson, 1938
  • John G. Torrey, 1939
  • Edwin J. Anderson, 1940
  • Edward W. Howard, 1941
  • C. Douglas Holmes, 1942
  • Joseph J. Holland, 1943
  • Gordon D. Paris, 1944
  • Edwin Q. Banks, 1945; N
  • Warren S. Simpson, 1946
  • Karl F. Treen, 1947
  • S. Malcolm Davidson, 1948
  • Harold L. Payne, 1949
  • Clifford R. Phoenix, 1950; N
  • William P. Fillebrown, 1951
  • Lawrence J. Berry, 1952
  • Ronald T. Barcelo, 1953
  • Lyman W. Chick, 1954
  • Samuel G. Barclay, 1955
  • Herman A. Spooner, 1956
  • Chester B. Kevitt, 1957
  • Harlan W. Currier, 1958
  • Wilfred A. Sevigny, Jr., 1959
  • Charles E. Adams, Jr., 1960
  • Richard C. Nelson, 1961
  • George W. Thomas, 1962
  • Edmond F. Doyle, 1963
  • Donald H. Gilmore, 1964
  • William F. Bulva, 1965
  • Owen R. Lochman, 1966
  • Renaldo W. Mauritson, Jr., 1967
  • Ronald A. McKee, 1968
  • Robert L. O'Bryan, 1969
  • Donald E. Farish, 1970
  • William J. Seymore, 1971
  • Roger R. DeMeule, 1972
  • Abner C. Hill, Jr., 1973
  • Clayton A. Bemis, 1974
  • Harvey P. Faris, 1875
  • George A. Marcham, 1976
  • Roy A. Griggs, 1977
  • Lloyd A. Williams, 1978; N
  • Alger B. Curtiss, 1979, 1984
  • Wayne L. Robbins, 1980, 1982; DDGM
  • Elmer S. Bowman, 1981
  • Dana E. MacLean, 1983
  • Scott E. Chapman, 1985, 1986
  • John E. Ross, 1987
  • William C. Frank, Sr., 1988
  • Scott B. Simmons, 1989
  • Ronald P. Hawkins, 1990
  • Peter J. Agnew, 1991
  • John W. Sutterley, 1992; PDDGM
  • Edward A. Alexander, 1993

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1945 (25th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

  • 1921 (Prince; Constitution of Lodge and installation; Special Communication)
  • 1945 (Wragg; 25th Anniversary; Special Communication)
  • 1972 (Vose; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
  • 1994 (Lovering; Consolidation; Special Communication)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1924 1926 1933 1938 1945 1946 1947 1948 1950 1952 1954 1955 1958 1967 1972 1973 1982 1985 1989

HISTORY

  • 1945 (25th Anniversary History, 1945-403; see below)

25TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, NOVEMBER 1945

From Proceedings, Page 1945-403:

By Worshipful Arthur Rodney Taylor.

Twenty and five years and some months ago voice was given to thoughts long in the minds of several South Weymouth Masons — prompted by the realization that the Village of South Weymouth possessed a social and civic life distinct, in a geographic sense, and thoughts that Masonic life could be integrated in this Village by bringing all of its Masons into the fellowship of a community Lodge.

The first exchange of thoughts which crystallized into action to this end was amongst the five Masons who became the first Worshipful Masters of Wessagusset Lodge, namely: Wor. Elmir Millett, Past Master of Adelphi Lodge of South Boston (later removed to Roxbury); Wor. Frederic Gilbert Bauer, Past Master of Eliot Lodge of Roxbury (later removed to Jamaica Plain); and Brothers Josiah Burton Reed, Nathaniel Appleton Shaw and William Jason Holbrook of Orphan's Hope Lodge of East Weymouth.

This group by invitation assembled others with them to the total number of ten, who met at the home of Brother Reed on October 10, 1920, and enthusiastically formed themselves into a committee which took immediate action. Two days later, Brother Holbrook ably presented the proposal to form a lodge in South Weymouth to Orphan's Hope Lodge, where it was received with sympathetic understanding and assurances of co-operation. Eight days later, twenty-five South Weymouth members of Orphan's Hope Lodge convened, organized for action and appointed a committee. The committee met two days later. Worshipful Brother Bauer was authorized to draw up the petition to the Grand Lodge for "Dispensation" and Brother Charles Locke the request to Orphan's Hope Lodge for "Recommendation." It was at this meeting that the name of "Wessagusset" found favor and was agreed upon as being appropriate, it being the Indian name for our Great Pond.

On November 7th the committee again met and reported that fifty Brothers had already paid charter membership fees.

On November 11th, prior to a meeting of Orphan's Hope Lodge, it was reported the petition for "Dispensation" had seventy signatures. At the meeting of Orphan's Hope Lodge, it was graciously voted, with scarcely a dissenting voice, to approve the petition for dispensation, thereby qualifying as our Mother Lodge.

The petition to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge was promptly granted and Wessagusset Lodge held its first meeting under dispensation on November 23, 1920, at which time we formally received the dispensation of the Most Worshipful Grand Master from the hands of Right Worshipful Henry J. Higgins, District Deputy Grand Master, who, throughout our period of formation, was zealous and co-operative. The first three officers named in the dispensation were installed, namely: Elmir Millett, Worshipful Master, Frederic G. Bauer, Senior Warden, and Josiah B. Reed, Junior Warden. The Master appointed the remaining officers. The Secretary read the list of gifts from the organizing Brethren and neighbor Lodges, which gave Wessagusset Lodge necessary equipment for its work.

At this meeting twenty-one petitions for the degrees were received. Thirteen Past Masters were present.

At the second regular meeting in December, sixteen applications were accepted and nine more were received. There were forty-four members present.

The first class of five candidates for the degrees was received at a special meeting on Friday, January 7, 1921. The first candidate, according to the record, was George Otis Crawford. Forty-two members were present.

The first five candidates to be raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason was at a special meeting on April 5, 1921. The first was Brother Alvin Courtney Thayer, who was raised by Worshipful Elmir Millett.

A special meeting was held for the Constitution of Wessagusset Lodge on Friday evening, October 14, 1921. Seventeen members of the Grand Lodge participated under Most Worshipful Arthur D. Prince, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. Eighty-four members were present and thirty-eight guests. Elmir Millett became the first Worshipful Master of Wessagusset Lodge after being regularly constituted.

There were many special meetings for conferring degrees during the first year of work under dispensation. Our first officers were fine ritualists and Lodge work was done impressively. The quality has never been excelled and the influence of their example endures to this day. The thirteenth regular meeting was held Tuesday evening, December 13, 1921, at which time Worshipful Brother Frederic Gilbert Bauer was elected Worshipful Master for the year 1922.

During the first year of Wessagusset Lodge, there were twelve regular and fifteen special meetings. Thirty-seven were initiated, thirty-five passed and thirty-four raised.

The limits of this sketch permit only the mention of a few outstanding events in the subsequent years.

In April of the year 1926 we lost by accidental death the Senior Warden of our Lodge, Brother Walter Vinal Reed, son of our third Worshipful Master. He was an ardent, conscientious and efficient worker for our Lodge from its inception, a veteran of the first World War, a Civil Engineer by education, and he was of sound judgment and great promise.

In July, 1926, our town celebrated the 150th anniversary of American Independence. A joint meeting was held with Orphan's Hope Lodge in East Weymouth. Our guests were the Mayor of Weymouth, England, Brother Percy J. A'Court, a member of All Souls Lodge No. 170 of Weymouth, and his Town Clerk, Brother Percy Smallman, a member of Harte Lodge No. 4217, West Hartlepool. Three candidates were made Master Masons. Brother Wilbur Milton Silvester was raised, long form, by our Worshipful Master, Charles S. Bicknell, and the officers of Wessagusset Lodge delivered the lectures of the degree. Gifts and felicitations were exchanged with our Brethren from England. There were over two hundred Brethren present, fifty-four being members of Wessagusset Lodge.

The end of our first decade was celebrated on Armistice Day, 1930. The supper gathering taxed the capacity of our dining hall. Seventy-seven members were present, of which sixteen were Charter Members. There were seventy-two visitors. The Master Mason Degree was conferred upon two candidates. There was a fine musical program and many distinguished Masons briefly addressed the Lodge with remarks appropriate to this auspicious occasion.

In the years immediately following our first decade, the Lodge felt the effects of national business depressions.

In January of 1932 we shared with Orphan's Hope Lodge the honor of the appointment of our Past Master, Worshipful William Jason Holbrook, to the office of District Deputy Grand Master.

The fifteenth anniversary of the Lodge was appropriately celebrated with special entertainment.

Our third Worshipful Master, Josiah Burton Reed, died November 22, 1938. He had been honored with many offices and positions of trust in which he served his community and our Fraternity with distinction.

In December of the same year, 1938, we were again saddened by the death of Worshipful Nathaniel Appleton Shaw, our fourth Worshipful Master. Early in his Masonic life he had accepted the duty of instructing candidates and thus served many years. He was a most excellent ritualist. His life was one of faithful devotion to his family, his employers and the Craft.

In 1939 we shared the satisfaction of Orphan's Hope Lodge in the appointment of their Past Master, our Charter Member, John Leonard Bicknell, as District Deputy Grand Master and we grieved at his sudden death on June 16,1940. He was always ready to help Wessagusset Lodge, assisted many times in our degree work and served as Trustee. He was ever a worker for the Fraternity.

We celebrated the close of our second decade at our annual communication in December, 1940. Worshipful Brother Harold E. Dunn prepared and read a historical sketch.

Wessagusset Lodge has had the advantages of long tenures in office of Secretaries and Treasurers. One who had held first the office of Secretary and then that of Treasurer for many years went to his reward. Brother Guy Whitney Cushing Hartt died January 7, 1944. He had ever been true to the trusts placed in him.

Our first Worshipful Master, Elmir Millett, went to his eternal abode March 26,1944. He was a sterling character, an exemplar for us all. His Master's apron adorns our Lodge and his jewel will continue to shine on the breasts of our Presiding Masters.

Mention should be made of many factors which have made our existence happy for twenty-five years. To begin with, the attitude toward us of our Mother Lodge, Orphan's Hope; the willingness of a large share of our Charter Members and others to join us and support us by reason of a dual membership; the participation in our activities by a considerable group of Past Masters of other Lodges who have become residents of South Weymouth. Some have affiliated with us. Some have become officers—they have strengthened us.

We have had the support of a very large share of the clergy who have had pastorates in the community. The larger portion have been Masons. We have been helped by their prayers and their examples of Masonic living.

We have been helped by Wildey Lodge of Odd Fellows, who have shared their apartments with us, being generous with all their facilities. We have had suitable quarters without burdensome expense and care.

Our membership as a whole has had the inspiration of very able founders and Worshipful Masters.

There has been a fair degree of prosperity among our members, comfortable living, without show or opulence. There has been little occasion for financial assistance to Brethren. When need has arisen, we have not been found wanting. None of our membership has sought the care of our Masonic Home or Hospital.

We take justifiable pride in the hospitality always shown by Wessagusset Lodge. We rejoice in the strong friendships formed by our Brethren because of the truly fraternal spirit manifest in our own Lodge as well as throughout the Twenty-sixth Masonic District.

As a Lodge, we are grateful that several of our members have answered the call to duties of a public character, arduous and without price, and which they have carried out conscientiously and competently. We will not eulogize the living by name. It is not necessary. Their deeds speak for them.

What has the Second World War done to our Lodge? Our Chaplain, Rev. Herbert Rhodes Smith, volunteered his services to the Navy; our Senior Deacon, Harold Leonard Payne, and our Inside Sentinel, William Penn Fillebrown, joined the Army. Eighteen others have served in the Armed Forces. In addition to this, we have acquired twenty-seven new members attached to the Weymouth Naval Air Base. It has been pleasurable to Wessagusset Lodge to function in making Masons of many of this group. We have tried to do this well and to make true and upright Masons, who will ever walk and act as such.

The end of our first quarter century finds us with a membership of two hundred and fifty. Thirty-five of our sixty-eight Charter Members are living; twenty-one of these now active.

Twenty-five Worshipful Masters have served our Lodge with fidelity. A spirit of co-operation has always existed among our officers and committees, each trying to do his part well.

We face the future with confidence and the belief that Brotherly Love will prevail.

We humbly ask that the Blessings of Almighty God continue to rest upon us.


GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1920: District 26 (Quincy)

1927: District 26 (Quincy)


LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges