Manchester

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MANCHESTER LODGE

Location: Manchester

Chartered By: Arthur D. Prince

Charter Date: 01/17/1921 1921-447

Precedence Date: 12/15/1920

Current Status: Active

PAST MASTERS

  • George F. Cooke, 1921, 1922; Mem
  • Thomas A. Lees, 1923, 1924; N
  • Allen S. Peabody, 1925, 1926
  • Arthur E. Olson, 1927
  • Raymond C. Allen, 1928
  • Frank C. Rand, 1929
  • Harry W. Purington, 1930
  • Edmund J. Semons, 1931
  • George S. Sinnicks, 1932
  • George J. Noirie, 1933
  • Ellsworth L. Brown, 1934
  • Byron P. Roberts, 1935
  • William Cragg, 1936
  • Walter H. Diamond, 1937
  • Roy E. Keller, 1937, 1938
  • Theodore S. Burnham, 1939; N
  • Harry B. Collins, 1940
  • L. Allan Andrews, 1941
  • Harry G. Cleveland, 1942
  • James M. Dunton, 1943, 1944
  • Frederick N. Bragdon, 1945
  • George A. Sinnicks, 1946; N
  • Whitefield F. Kimball, 1947
  • George W. Story, 1948
  • Albert W. James, 1949
  • Arthur L. Kehoe, Jr., 1950
  • G. Stilson Cleveland, 1951
  • Norman G. Crafts, 1952
  • Charles A. Fritz, Jr., 1953; N
  • George H. James, 1954
  • George C. Rice, 1955
  • William H. Baxter, 1956
  • George A. Burchstead, 1957
  • William J. Crane, 1958; N
  • William M. Toivainen, 1959
  • Fred P. Nickless, Jr., 1960
  • John A. Truesdale, 1961; PDDGM
  • Lloyd E. Wilson, 1962
  • Willard H. Dame, 1963
  • Thomas G. Howarth, 1964
  • M. Peter Gibbon, 1965
  • Kenneth Watson, 1966
  • E. Ray Kelley, 1967
  • Charles W. Wallis, 1968
  • Lester G. Strangman, 1969
  • John A. Eaton, 1970
  • Michael G. Nahatis, 1971
  • Russell C. Lucas, Jr., 1972
  • Robert C. Sibley, 1973
  • Archibald Somerville, 1974
  • Norman J. Bennett, 1975
  • Edward R. Parsons, 1976
  • Rodney C. Burgess, 1977
  • Eric H. Ericson, Jr., 1978
  • Everett P. Burnham, 1979
  • Lewis E. Gates, 1980
  • Jerry L. Young, 1981
  • William C. Nichol, 1982
  • Augustus G. Means, 1983
  • Harry T. Parsons, 1984
  • Robert M. Irving, 1985
  • Barrie L. Glover, 1986
  • Joseph W. Corley, Jr., 1987
  • William P. Alboth, 1988
  • Gordon M. Elwell, Jr., 1989
  • Edwin E. Bjork, 1990
  • Peter C. Milner, 1991
  • Michael E. Burnham, 1992
  • John E. Riggs, III, 1993
  • Christopher G. Brown, 1994
  • Peter J. Judd, 1995
  • Todd P. Crane, 1996, 2010, 2011
  • Lewis E. Gates, 1997
  • Robert C. Sibley, 1998
  • Timothy G. Loring, 1999; PDDGM
  • Fred P. Nickless, Jr., 2000
  • John C. Milner, 2001-2003
  • Michael H. Burnham, 2004
  • Brett J. Crane, 2005, 2006
  • Jeffrey S. Bullock, 2007, 2008
  • Christopher J. Thomas, 2009
  • Gary G. Lucas, 2012

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1920
  • Petition for Charter: 1921

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1946 (25th Anniversary)
  • 1971 (50th Anniversary)
  • 1996 (75th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1937 1945 1958 1960 1963 1968 1974 1977 1988 1992 1995 1998 2012

HISTORY

  • 1946 (25th Anniversary History, 1946-30)
  • 1965 (History at hall dedication, 1965-257)
  • 1971 (50th Anniversary History, 1971-217)
  • 1996 (50th Anniversary History, 1996-171)

25TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, JANUARY 1946

From Proceedings, Page 1946-30:'

By Right Worshipful Thomas A. Lees:

Manchester Lodge is tonight celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. In terms of years, twenty-five is not historically a long space of time, yet it has been a quarter century of significant history of our nation and the world. In 1921 we had just emerged from the first World War and entering a period called at that time normalcy. We had ended a great war that we were told and led to believe was the war to end all wars. Lasting peace, security and happiness was to be our destiny. Masonry was at an all time peak in membership, activity and enthusiasm. Such were the days twenty-five years ago when Manchester Lodge was born.

Manchester was a town considered highly organized, having many orders, lodges and clubs, and although many Masons, it did not have a local Masonic Lodge and the time seemed propitious to organize and successfully institute a Lodge. The Town of Manchester was in the jurisdiction of Beverly and Gloucester, but due to transportation convenience, practically all desiring Masonic affiliation received their degrees in Liberty Lodge of Beverly. It is difficult to realize that with our present day ease of transportation that only twenty-five years ago travel was a problem. While we did have the automobile, winter travel was difficult as roads were not being cleared and most cars were put away in winter months. Consequently very few, if any, individuals from Manchester affiliated with the Lodges in Gloucester as no convenient train connections were available in the evening while reasonably good connections were available with Beverly. A survey indicated that there were over fifty local Masons which, if interested, was a sufficient potential for a successful and going local Masonic Lodge.

During the fall of 1920, George F. Cooke, Everett L. Edmands and myself organized ourselves as a committee to prepare a petition which we circulated and obtained the signatures of forty-nine Masons. This was presented to the Grand Master, then Most Worshipful Arthur D. Prince, and a dispensation was requested permitting the institution of a Lodge in Manchester. On December 20, 1920, a meeting of the signers of the petition was held in this hall and it was announced that the Grand Master had approved and that the dispensation would be presented on Monday evening, January 17, 1921, by R. W. Harry E. Jackson, District Deputy Grand Master. R.W. Brother Jackson installed the following officers under dispensation:

  • Wor. George F. Cooke, Master
  • Everett L. Edmands, Senior Warden
  • Bro. Thomas A. Lees, Junior Warden
  • Frederick J. Merrill, Treasurer
  • Frank C. Rand, Secretary
  • Rev. Herbert E. Levoy, Chaplain
  • Ernest H. Wilcox, Marshal
  • Allen S. Peabody, Senior Deacon
  • Fred R. Tibbetts, Junior Deacon
  • Frank A. Willis, Senior Steward
  • Alfred E. Parsons, Junior Steward
  • Harry T. Swett, Inside Sentinel
  • William W. Soulis, Tyler

At this first meeting, twenty-one applications for degrees were read by the Secretary — a most auspicious start and evidence of the need and a desire for a Lodge in Manchester.

The next event in the progress of the Lodge was on December 19. 1921, when the Lodge received its Charter. This was an occasion which is still cherished in the memories of those of us who attended. A reception was tendered to the Grand Master and his Suite at Horticultural Hall at 5:30 o'clock, followed by a dinner at six o'clock, with one hundred seventy-five being seated. Following the dinner, all repaired to Odd Fellows Hall for the constitution ceremonies at 7:45 o'clock, which were most ably and impressively conducted by Most Worshipful Arthur D. Prince, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, assisted by:

Music for the occasion was furnished by the Lotus Male Quartet of Boston.

The able and dignified manner in which Grand Master Prince and his officers performed the serious and impressive ceremony of constitution left a lasting imprint on the minds of those in attendance, and to this day the events of that evening are often recalled. On this twenty-fifty anniversary, there are but thirteen of the forty-nine Charter Members still enrolled as members of the Lodge, as follows: Leonardo W. Carter, William Cragg, Allan P. Dennis, Charles E. Dodge, Edward F. Height, John Jaffray, Thomas A. Lees, Alfred E. Parsons, Allen S. Peabody, Frank C. Rand, Harry T. Swett, Percival C. Veinot and Frank A. Willis. Twenty-four, or one-half of the Charter group, have been cut down by the Scythe of Time and raised to the Celestial Lodge above. They were all good and true Masons: Raymond C. Allen, Charles J. Allen, Benjamin S. Bullock, George F. Cooke, Chester H. Dennis, Joseph W. Dufton, Everett L. Edmands, Thomas Harvey, James Hoare, William W. Josephs, Gustave A. Knoerr, J. Alexander Lodge, Frederick J. Merrill, Clarence W. Morgan, Arthur E. Olson, Julius F. Rabardy, Charles A. Read, William W. Soulis, Chester L. Standley, Edwin T. Stanley, Senter Stanley, Addison G. Stanwood, Ernest H. Wilcox and George E. Willmonton.

During its twenty-five years, Manchester Lodge has had many interesting activities. During the 1920's, or until the depression years of the early 1930's, the Annual Ladies' Nights were considered one of the social events of the community. The annual family picnics at Tucks Point were occasions long to be remembered. For a number of years the Lodge enjoyed a reputation envied throughout the District for the social periods following all of its meetings. Visiting Brethren came from all over the District to our meetings.

An interesting and amusing incident occurred in April, 1924, when the Lodge officers were summoned to attend their first exemplification to be held at Liberty Lodge in Beverly on a Saturday at three o'clock in the afternoon. This was our first experience and we intensely prepared for our part in the work and duly arrived at Liberty Lodge in our full dress suits and regalia. We found that these functions were informal, and though implored to remain, we all sped back to Manchester, changed to civvies and returned to Beverly in time for our appearance in the work.

The membership of the Lodge in its earlier years was almost wholly local. Since the early thirties, we have been favored by the addition of many candidates from our neighboring town of Essex. Essex, which is bounded by Manchester, Ipswich and Gloucester, is in the concurrent jurisdiction of these three communities and to our satisfaction and profit, the trend in Essex has been for affiliation with Manchester Lodge, and we have profited by the addition of this fraternal fellowship with a fine group of loyal men from that town who have made a splendid contribution to this Lodge, both in membership, officers and Masters. Five of the Lodge's twenty Past Masters have been men from Essex.

Manchester Lodge has conferred the degrees on one hundred and fifty candidates, which has been a healthy record for a Lodge in a small community. During the depression years, however, this Lodge, in common with the experience of all Lodges, suffered a scarcity of candidates, but happily, a noticeable change is now evident by the increasing applications for Masonic degrees and the desire for fraternal fellowship. The Lodge has maintained an average membership of about one hundred twenty-five, the present membership being one hundred twenty-seven.

The success of a Lodge, as with any organization, depends in a large measure on the type of its leadership. Manchester Lodge has been fortunate in the selection of its leaders over the years. The Lodge has been presided over during its twenty-five years by twenty Masters, all of whom have made many contributions to its success. The first Master, George F. Cooke, was an ardent Mason. He came to Manchester from Salem — a member and Past Master of Essex Lodge of Salem. Through his activities in organizing this Lodge, he became its first Master and served during the years of 1921-22. He served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Ninth District in 1924—25, and continued his active interest in Masonry until his death February 4, 1929.

The second member of the organizing group, Worshipful Everett L. Edmands, served as the first Senior Warden. Wor. Brother Edmands, a long time resident of Manchester, having been in the ice business in the firm of Edmands & Crocker, was a true Mason and friend to all. He was a Past Master ot John Hancock Lodge of Methuen, Massachusetts. He did not care to assume the responsibilities of Master and declined election as the second Master, much to the regret of all. He served as District Deputy Grand Marshal to R.W. Brother Cooke in 1924-25, and upon his death, February 12, 1932, the Lodge lost not only a loyal supporter, but the town lost a substantial citizen.

The writer, who was the third member of the organizing committee, came to Manchester in 1916 and was a member of Orphan's Hope Lodge of Weymouth. It was a happy privilege to be closely associated with Worshipful Brother Cooke and Worshipful Brother Edmands and to have an active part in the preparation of the petition to the Grand Master for dispensation to organize and promote this Lodge. It was my honor to be the first Junior Warden and the second Master, which office I held in 1923-24. When retiring as Master in 1924, I was elected Secretary and have served in that office continuously since that time. It was my privilege and honor to have served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Ninth District in 1936-37.

The third Master, Allen S. Peabody, served in 1925-26. Worshipful Brother Peabody was a Charter Member, the first Senior Deacon of the Lodge, and an able officer, who excelled in the quality and delivery of the ritualistic work. Arthur E. Olson served as Master in 1927. Worshipful Brother Olson was a Charter Member and first Junior Deacon. He declined election for a second year, and since that time, one year terms as Master have prevailed. Worshipful Brother Olson became Treasurer of the Lodge in 1928 and served until his death, August 1, 1942. Raymond C. Allen served in 1928. He was a Charter Member and actively interested in the welfare of the Lodge. He served as District Deputy Grand Marshal to R. W. Brother Lees in 1936-37 and continued his loyal support of the Lodge until his death, June 20, 1941. Worshipful Brother Allen was an outstanding citizen of the town throughout his life. He served as Town Moderator for thirty-four years; Chairman of the School Committee for eighteen years; and his passing was a distinct loss to the community.

Frank C. Rand served as Master in 1929. Worshipful Brother Rand also was a Charter Member and the first Secretary of the Lodge, in which office he served for three years. He then accepted the office of Senior Deacon and continued through the line. Since retiring as Master, he has served continuously on the Board of Trustees.

Harry W. Purington served in 1930, and was the first Master to have received his degrees in Manchester Lodge.

Since 1930, the Lodge Masters have been Edmund J. Semons, 1931, George S. Sinnicks, 1932, George J. Norie, 1933, Ellsworth L. Brown, 1934, who became the first Master from among our Essex Brethren, Byron L. Roberts, 1935, William Cragg, a Charter Member, 1936, Roy E. Keller, 1937-38, Theodore S. Burnham, 1939, Harry B. Collins, 1940, L. Allan Andrews, 1941, Harry G. Cleveland, 1942, James W. Durnion, 1943-44, Frederick N. Bragdon, 1945, and our present presiding Master is Worshipful George A. Sinnicks, who is also a Past Master of Liberty Lodge. Each and all of these Past Masters have made their contribution to the Lodge. Worshipful Brothers George F. Cooke, Arthur E. Olson, Raymond C. Allen and George S. Sinnicks have passed to their reward and it can be truly said that each of them lived highly respected and died sincerely regretted.

Manchester Lodge can look back upon its first quarter century with satisfaction. It has maintained and upheld all Masonic tradition and punctually complied with all the rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. It has safeguarded its finances, yet provided liberally for all its obligations and necessities. As a matter of present record, its financial condition as of the annual meeting October 15, 1945, was as follows:

ASSETS

  • Jewels and Regalia, $1,200.00
  • Special Fund, 2,433.87
  • E. L. Edmands Fund, 1,260.89
  • Permanent Fund, 618.98
  • U. S. Bonds, 1,000.00
  • Charity Fund, 873.58
  • Relief Fund, 688.75
  • General Fund, 1,191.40
  • Total, $9,267.47

While Manchester Lodge came into being following the close of a great world war ending in 1918, in a new and supposed era of security for all mankind, the events of the past twenty-five years have proven that the millennium was not at hand. A 
period of apparent normalcy and prosperity followed during the twenties, which was on a precarious and false foundation, ending in a total economic collapse in 1929 throughout the world. The greatest economic depression in both the world and in this country followed, culminating in 1939 in a far greater world war then twenty-five years ago. We have just emerged as a victorious people from this second world catastrophe, within one generation, and we again look forward with the renewed hope of better world understanding. Manchester Lodge is firmly established as an institution in the town of Manchester and its purpose has been justified in cementing the bonds of friendship and brotherhood among its members and we hope in its influence in the community. It should continue as an institution in Manchester until time shall be no more.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1920: District 9 (Gloucester)

1927: District 9 (Gloucester)

2003: District 10

LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges

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