Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-10
Observe Tooth Date
Continued from PAGE One)

Continued from Page one)
Harold e. Cook, district deputy
grand master; Past Grand Masters
Thomas H. BODICE and Albert M.
| Spear both of Augusta and Judge
Fred Emery Beane of Ha1iowell, past
master of Kennebec Lodge No. 5 Of
! Hallowell; Judge Herbert E. Foster
] of Temple Lodge of Winthrop; Rev.
Costello Weston, past master Of La
| fayette Lodge; B. Ralph Cram, past
| master Of Vernon Valley Lodge Of
| Mount Vernon, and Charles W. Cros-
by, past master of Asylum Lodge of
Wayne were the speakers.
Address BY Rev. Smith
Quoting the words of Henry
| George when, a candidate for Mayor
! of New York city, IT am the friend
| OF man, as man, whether he be rich
| Of poor. without regard to class,
| caste, color, creed or condition" Past
Grand Master Ashley A. Smith, of
| Bangor declared at the afternoon SER
,, vice that those words expressed the
| spirit of the Declaration of Indepen-
! dence and the Constitution of the
! United States and that it is this mes
sage which is woven into the warp
and wool of the country's flrg.
he stated that at an occasion of
this kind it would be well not only to
consider the past but to look ahead
| to the future. He said, I'VE are told
| again and again that these days are
| the critical and trying and testing
| times which should challenge our
deepest loyalties and stir our noblest
! heroisms. We are living our lives in
the midst of great events. momen-
/ nj i
| which will determine what life Is to
! be Tor countless generations and,
1t may be for unnumbered centuries.
The speaker then pointed to the
fact that no man may become a Ma
son without affirming his belief in
God, although there may be many
different ideas about Diety, and ex-
pressed his belief that all Masons
meet upon this common ground of
belief and faith, the institution of
Masonry is in itself great positive
! force Tor religious tolerance and unity
as well as the unifying principal of
| Protestantism. The character and
| scope of Masonic. influence is for
Righteousness and peace and moral
! 1ty, for integrity and character and
1t occupies an important place in the
! advancement and enlightenment Of
| the world.
! He spoke of the great men of the
early days of our country who were
members of the craft and of the I'M
| doubted influence Masonry must have
! had upon them when they were fight
ing to found q government that
would stand for all time.
Turning to the conditions of the
present time the speaker said:
Being a free people we have the
| cure In our own hands and there are
evidences that We are still using this
| remedy. Revolution and anarchy, a
| Grass socialism or class Soyietism
| are not the cure. These would prob
ably bring about more evils than they
| would remedy. The common sense of
American citiZenship-the stability
and integrity of our average Ameri-
can Will have its rectifying influence
Our very form of government is
| alien to the growth of anarchy or
any form of lawlessness. Let us be-
lieve in the enduring recititude of
at the heart of things; if there were
not this eternal righteousness at the
center of society it would not abide
| a day."
In conclusion he pointed out that
the principals which are taught in
the Masonic lodges are such that
members of the fraternity should ap-
ply them to daily life, and declared
that If they were not of the kind
that would thus expand outside the
walls OF the lodgeroom, they were not
worthy to be called Masonic.
| History of Lodge
The interesting history of Lafay-
/ cite Lodge which was presented by
Past Master Charles w. Crosby of
Asylum Lodge was the product of
much study on his part and was
most ably delivered. Briefly, it was
| as follows:
In November. 1926, eight men,
bers of Temple Lodge of Winthrop,
then eight years old, petitioned that
they might be constituted as a Lodge
OF Masons, to be known as Lafayette
Lodge. The charter was granted
January IL, 1926, and the first meet
ing of the new lodge was held Feb
ruary 10. 1926, at the home of James
Filliburn, Jr., which is still standing.
Leroy Bacon of Kent's Hill, a past
master of Temple Lodge, was elected
as master of Lafayette. The first
application was received at a meet,
ing held one week later and the first
Entered Apprentice degree was con-
ferred March %. At the first work
in the Master Mason degree on April
4, two candidates were received into
the lodge. On May 3, 1872, sIafay-
cite Lodge assisted the Grand Lodge
in the laying of the cornerstone of
the Union meeting house, the brick
church which is still standing.
On February 90, 1882, five men,
| hers met and elected officers and adj
| journed for two weeks. So far as
the records show this was the last
meeting held for a period of nearly
is years, which covers the period of
American history when Anti Mason
ry fiourished under the leadership of
a group of political and religious
| demigogues. Lafayette Lodge re-
| tanned it's charter and no member
withdrew during this time although
they were forced to suspend until
lS49. when sudden and permanent
| resurrection took place and a dis
pensation to resume work was grant
ed by Grand Master John c. Hum
| phreys. During the next 10 years
the lodge carried on in a fairly pros
porous way. In 1858 the lodge en-
dorsed the petition of Temple Lodge
to resume work and that of the
brethren at Mount Vernon to estab-
fish lodge in that village.
| During the period of the Civil war
many members of the lodge were
in the service and many received
their degrees out of time under dis
pensation. At about that time agita-
ton was set up for different quar-
tiers for the order and these were
secured and were in uSes nv the lodge