The broad ax., 1921-11-26
CENTRAL LODGE NO. OF SPRING
FIELD, ILLINOIS, IS ONE OF THE
OLDEST LODGES OF FREE AND
ACCEPTED MASONS IN THE
SUCKER STATE.
IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY THAT
BROTHER ]. HAROLD WHITE WILL
BECOME ITS WORSEIPFUL MAS
TER THIS COMING DECEMBER.

of Springfield, Ill. is next to the old
est lodge in the jurisdiction OF the
Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons
of Illinois, was originally warranted
by the Grand Lodge of Ohio some
time after the year of 1851, returning
its warrant to the Ohio jurisdiction in
1867 with North Star Lodge No.
of Chicago. and G. T. Watson Lodge
No 10 of Alton, the three lodges in
that year having formed the Grand
Lodge of Illinois in the city of
Springfield in the hall of Central
Lodge No. 3, the original agreement
being that Springfield should be the
permanent headquarters of the Ma
sonic Grand Lodge of Illinois.
Central Lodge No. ) was always a
good host, and made rapid progress,
building up goodly membership and
performing its Masonic work year
after year during the good old days
of Illinois following the Civil War
and the rest of the nineteenth CEN
fury. Many brethren prominent in
this state during these years were
among the membership of this lodge,
while it has been honored with a
number of Grand Lodge officers with
in its ranks, among whom were the
following: Bro. B. F. Rogers. Grand
Master, 1878; Bro. L. A. Coleman,
Grand Junior Warden, 1867; Bro. J.
S. D. Lee, Grand Junior Warden,
1859; Bro. J. s. D. Lee, Grand Senior
Warden, 1882; Bro. G. c. Hinton,
Senior Grand Warden, 1889; Bro. J.
E. c. Jackson, Senior Grand Warden,
1885; Bro. R. B. Franklin, Senior
Grand Warden, 1890; Bro. S. L. Viii
lis, Junior Warden. 1904; Bro. J. c.
Adams, Grand Secretary, 1916; Bro. J.
c. Adams, R. w. Grand Secretary.
1921; Bro. J. Harold White, R. w.
Grand Secretary, 1921.
About fifteen years ago. the wise
and far-seeing brethren of this lodge
set about to have a real Masonic Tenn
pie for their work, and after selling
some vacant property then owned,
proceeded to build a three-story brick
building at a cost of about ten thou
sand dollars. This temple has served
the lodge and the Colored people of
Springfield as a social, civic and po-
litical gathering place throughout its
period since construction, and still re-
mains as a monument to the progress,
thrift and fraternity Of the members
of this lodge. The building has en-
HANGED greatly in value since its con-
struction, and now is worth at least
twenty thousand dollars.
Like most lodges, Central No. 3 has
had its times of rapid growth and
activity. as we'll as its times of stag
nation. One of its recent periods of
activity began about the year of 1915,
when a number of younger men were
raised and entered upon its member
ship roll, among whom was Brother
J. Harold White, who was raised
March Is, 1915, being at that time
Keeper of Records and Seal of Capt.
tai City Lodge No. II, K. of P, of
Springfield, in which position he
served eighteen consecutive terms, and
Assistant Grand Keeper of Records
and Seal of the K of P. Grand Lodge
OF Illinois, which position he has held
continuously since 1918, being now
also District Deputy Grand Chancellor
of his district Owing to the fact that
Brother White was a graduate of
Springfield High School, had served
several years as Assistant Cashier and
later Cashier of the Enterprise Saw
ings Bank of Springfield. and was
thoroughly experienced in business
and fraternities as well, his rise in
Central Lodge was rapid and attended
with many lasting reforms to the
Lodge.
In 1916 he was appointed Junior
Deacon, serving in that station to the
credit of himself and the brethren.
In 1917 he was appointed Assistant
Secretary, and for the first time came
in contact with the books of record
of the lodge, or rather the lack of
books of proper record. He at once
installed cash book with treasurer's
receipt form on each page, a member
ship ledger for the permanent record
of finances of all members of the
lodge, and added the voucher system
OF paying accounts, thus giving to the
lodge a modern up to date business
system IN the Office of its secretary.
In 1917 he was elected treasurer, start
ing the term by banking the funds
OF the lodge in the lodges name.
which had not been required before,
thus completing the other half of a
modern, safe business system for the
lodge He also secured the passage
and levying a special assessment for