‘Our craving for remembrance and a tangible blessing for posterity’

    

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

Next Saturday morning, Rhode Island Freemasons will gather at Freemasons Hall in East Providence (222 Taunton Avenue) to commemorate the centenary of the temple’s cornerstone ceremony, which occurred Saturday, October 25, 1924. Today, the building also is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge, but then it was home only to Rising Sun Lodge 30 which, by then, had been at labor half a century, having been established July 4, 1874. From the publicity:

A Century of Masonic Heritage

The magnificent Temple was built in 1924 for Raising [sic] Sun Lodge No. 31 [sic] and was designed by renowned architect William Gilbert Upham of Norwood, Ma. Who was a member of Orient Lodge and specialized in the design of Masonic Temples.

The original Cornerstone was laid on October 25, 1924, by the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Henry C. Dexter and it was rededicated in 1992 when Grand Lodge took ownership of the property.

The ceremony of rededication is an ancient, solemn and significant event in Freemasonry. It marks the renewal of our commitment to our principles of Truth, Relief and Brotherly Love, and the consecration of our meeting place.

Freemasons Halls:

Temples of Virtue

Freemasons Halls have a long history and are rich in symbolism, they are literally Temples erected to Virtue. These buildings serve not only as the physical place where Masons meet but also as enduring material representations of our ideals.

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

Many Freemasons have enjoyed the brotherhood fostered within these walls. Here, they have become great leaders, shared knowledge, worked together for common goals, and nurtured their dreams. These buildings are silent witnesses to history, having seen generations of men strive to become better versions of themselves and contribute positively to the world.  

These are only a few reasons why the rededication ceremony will be a very significant event. It is definitely something to witness. The ceremony is open to Freemasons of all degrees and the general public and will begin at 10 a.m. with a procession from Haven Methodist Church on Taunton Ave. to Grand Lodge.

Looking back the hundred years, the occasion’s oration was delivered by W. Bro. Chester W. Barrows, Grand Orator, who also served as an Associate Justice of the state’s Superior Court. Excerpted:

We are laying a cornerstone of a Masonic Temple. Freemasonry as an institution is already old. It will continue to exist while men are social beings. It has certain attributes that do not change, but its character at any given time will be affected markedly by the men who then compose it. We are the Rhode Island Masons today. We shall leave our more or less lasting marks on the organization. What shall our imprint be?

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

We have placed beneath this stone certain temporal and transient things deemed by us of some importance. There, sealed away from mortal sight and corroding air, they will be preserved long after we have been forgotten. Antiquarians, a half century or more from now, when this temple shall be razed to give way to a more glorious one, will curiously examine these tokens, will try to follow the thoughts that influenced us, and to discover what manner of men and Masons we were. Today’s civilization, with all its wonders, will doubtless seem as curious and quaint to them as our ancestors’ does to us. Our Masonic forbears led a simple life as we see it. Their opportunities were limited, but we know their sterling, though stern, worth. What we are, what our influence is upon the Order, in part, is due to what they were. We glory in their pioneering for institutions adapted to free-born men and dedicated to God and native land.  Ours is not to pioneer, but to preserve those institutions. If our efforts shall appeal to those who follow us, as do our grandfathers’ to us, we may feel that this generation is a not unworthy link in the chain of progress.

Chester Barrows

Why do we have a ceremony at the laying of a cornerstone? Because it is traditional perhaps, but what reason is there for the continuance of tradition? What is there here to talk about? Talk often is only the outward evidence of a vacant mind, the rambling of aimless thought. Such is not for us on this occasion. Nor is the fact that here is our own building a cause for boastfulness. Is not the real reason for this occasion that we are doing something which we hope will be worthy of remembrance; something for which we believe our “Children will rise up and call us blessed.” At man’s best, there is always an aspiration to do or say something worth preserving. The endless struggle to be remembered is traceable through the ages. We hate the thought of being forgotten. A few exceptional individuals successfully perpetrate themselves, but most persons fail to do so.

 

As groups, however, men often can succeed when singly they would fail. Among the lasting and proper accomplishments of a group is the erection of a Masonic Temple. When we lay the cornerstone of such a building, we have taken a step toward satisfying our craving for remembrance, as well as left a tangible blessing for posterity. We are warranted in talking about it.

This is a cornerstone. We shall not presume to tell you of the part that it physically plays in the structure. We only know that it rests upon what has been done. It supports what is to follow. It bears the relation to the building that your life and mine bear to past and future human life. As we prove square and true, so will our descendants.

The following year, W. Barrows would be elevated to Rhode Island’s Supreme Court, where he would serve until his death in 1931 at age 58.

Locate your copy of this Grand Lodge’s 1925 Proceedings to marvel at this wonderful speech in its entirety, as well as to peruse the lengthy list of those “temporal and transient things” deposited inside the “beautiful, neatly engraved copper box, hermetically sealed,” placed inside the cornerstone.

Also, I can’t help but claim to have found on other pages a terrific name for a lodge: What Cheer.

What Cheer Lodge 21 was set to labor in 1857 in Providence. The phrase “What cheer?” is elemental to Rhode Island lore and concerns the arrival of Roger Sherman himself upon the shore of the Seekonk River where he was greeted thusly by local Native Americans. Read more about that here.

    

‘Lodge to star in PBS history program’

    

East Bay Media Group

Historic Washington Lodge 3 in Rhode Island will star in a forthcoming PBS history program, according to local media.

The Warren Times-Gazette reports today how the lodge, which dates to June 24, 1796, will be featured on Rhode Island PBS’ Treasures Inside the Museum next month. The following is copyright © 2024 East Bay Media Group:

By Ethan Hartley

New England is a historical spelunker’s paradise. It’s a place where a day trip to any random corner of the region can result in stumbling upon some type of rare artifact or another that hearkens back to the earliest days of our colonial past, or perhaps even beyond that.

Warren, certainly, has its fair share of transportive treasures—both in objects carried down through generations held within historic walls, to the actual buildings themselves. And coming soon to a PBS station near you, one particular local location, and one particularly special historic artifact, will have its moment in the spotlight.

Washington Lodge No. 3, located at 39 Baker St. in Warren’s downtown historic district, boasts a title of the second oldest continuously operating Freemasons lodge in the United States, first opening up in June of 1796. The building has undergone renovations and although it is not technically a museum, the board of directors that take care of the building have been consistently seeking to share its vibrant history with anyone interested through a variety of open houses and events throughout the year.

John Miranda, a member of the board and the Junior Deacon at the lodge, said that he reached out to Rhode Island PBS last year to see if they were interested in visiting the lodge while they were taping the fifth season of the New England Emmy-nominated series, Treasures Inside the Museum. The show, produced by a collaboration of Ocean State Video and Weathervane Communications, took him up on the invite and visited Warren on December 28, 2023 to shoot the segment featuring the Washington Lodge.

Miranda said that the building’s history will be explored in the segment, along with some of the interesting Egyptian murals, and historical objects from the Freemasons of generations past.

“We explore traditional museum spaces in season five and the unexpected locations where treasures are kept,” said Betty-Jo Cugini, series co-producer and owner of Weathervane Communications. “We are excited to take viewers behind the scenes as exhibits come to life, from ideas shared around a table to an opening-night exhibit where unique treasures and cultures come together.”

One particular item from the lodge is sure to turn some heads and pique some interest among historical buffs: a water pitcher that was owned by George Washington. Miranda said it was given to the lodge by the family of George Washington’s quartermaster, but you’ll have to tune into the show to get the full story.

The show featuring Warren will air on July 19 at 8:30 p.m., July 20 at 12:30 p.m., and July 21 at 7 p.m. Warren will share a show with The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame in Newport.

“They were very excited to do a story about us,” Miranda said. “It’s exciting just to have the lodge featured on PBS and to let people see what’s in the building, because I’m sure there’s always mystery about what’s going on in a Freemasons lodge. At least we can now give them a little peek behind the curtain.”

Episodes of the show will be available to watch on Rhode Island PBS and on the Rhode Island PBS YouTube channel.

     

‘Rhode Island bets on Stand-Up Guys’

    

A still from the video. Click here to view the 30-second spot.

There may be no more effective way to see how a grand lodge views both Freemasonry at large and its own individuality than through its advertising. Yesterday, the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island revealed a 30-second video on Facebook (also to be seen on WPRI television’s website) to summarize for the public its understanding of what it is to be a Freemason in 2024.

According to the message, it’s about being a “stand-up guy.”

“What does it mean to be a stand-up guy?” the video asks. It’s about being a good neighbor, friend, and citizen who exhibits morality, charity, and loyalty is the reply.

I don’t know if this is the opening salvo of a campaign to come, but it’s a more thoughtful message than the insipid and hubristic “Not Just a Man. A Mason.” campaign that won’t go away. This “Stand-Up Guy” approach conveys a yankee simplicity that I’d guess would resonate in the Ocean State—America’s smallest state, home to only about 490,000 men aged 18 to 54.

Another still from the video.

(The Grand Lodge is home to almost 2,800 Masons, according to data published by the Masonic Service Association of North America.)

“Your brothers are waiting,” says this ad in conclusion. I hope their lodges find who they’re looking for.

     

‘MLMA Rhode Island plans’

     

The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Masonic Library and Museum Association is coming into focus. This will take place at the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island during the last weekend of September.

If you are a member of the MLMA, you’ll receive the registration information soon, if you haven’t already. If you are not a member of the MLMA, there is a registration fee of just $80.

Some of the offsite attractions awaiting us are tours of the Providence Athenaeum, John Hay Library (Brown University), Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Newport Tower, and various dinners. The library tours never disappoint. The hosts usually unearth from their archives most rare and amazing Masonic treasures and other historic artifacts. Cannot wait to see what will be revealed to us this time!

Check it out here, and be sure to scroll down to read the abstracts of the fascinating presentations planned. (I’m dying to hear about H.P. Lovecraft!)
     

‘This fall in Rhode Island’

     

Save the date: The Masonic Library and Museum Association will hold its annual meeting, including election of officers, September 27 through October 1 at the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island.