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A formal dedication ceremony, and
cornerstone leveling, for Armstrong Lodge was held Thursday, July 26,
at the new building on Hwy. 16.
Donald W. Broughton, Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Texas, welcomed all the visitors after a brief, private
portion of the ceremony in which only members participated.
Broughton introduced several Eastern Star
members from around the area, as well as local Lodge officers and
dignitaries, and those from the Grand Lodge of Texas.
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DEDICATION CEREMONY. Donald W. Broughton, left, Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of Texas, conducted a dedication and
cornerstone leveling ceremony for Armstrong Lodge last Thursday.
Among the local members participating were Earl Sadberry, center,
and Mike Carlin, right. |
“This is a great day,” Broughton said,
“it’s the celebration of a new beginning for Masonry in this
community. Masonry has been here a long time, but it’s like a jump
start when you get a new building.”
Broughton went on to say that he wanted
the day to be special for all the members of the community -- not just
the Lodge. He also mentioned that he’d heard from local Lodge members
of the community support they’d received, including chairs which were
donated by one of the banks (F&M).
Broughton also mentioned Lodge members
who, while renovating and preparing the building, “Went beyond the
call of duty, to make this building possible, and making it as
beautiful as it is today.”
Throughout Broughton’s remarks, bits of
Masonic history were revealed including the fact that there are 881
lodges in the state, and that the ritual for these ceremonies had gone
through very little change since the inception of Masonry in Texas in
1837 when it became organized.
Broughton also noted that the Masonic
emblem -- the square and compass -- was the second most recognized
emblem in the world, second only to the cross.
During the cornerstone leveling,
Broughton revealed still more history. “We use the term Worshipful
Master, and Grand Master, and things like that,” he said, “but I want
you to understand that those terms have no religious connotations, or
overtones. We use the term worshipful synonymously with honorable.
We get that because we (Masonry) came
from Europe...to the Americas, and in those days, as now, judges even
are referred to as your worship. We call our judges, and distinguished
men in our country, your honor, so we use it synonymously with
honorable. As far as being Grand Master, or Worshipful Master, I
assure you I’m not the master of anyone. We use that to denote one’s
status in the profession -- much as we would refer to someone
academically who has received...a master’s degree.”
Broughton explained that the aprons worn
by the members were both symbolic and practical.
“Our ancient craftsmen, where Masonry
came from in the Middle Ages, those who erected the beautiful
cathedrals, churches and temples in Europe, were actually stone
masons,” he said. “They wore the aprons to protect their clothes. We
do it today, because it identifies what office we hold, maybe, in the
lodge, and symbolically, it’s the lambskin, or the badge of a Mason.
It’s probably one of the most important pieces of our regalia. It
reminds us that as Masons we should live moral, ethical and spiritual
lives, and that is the premise of all our tenets.”
 The
cornerstone was engraved with the following information: Armstrong
Lodge No. 445, Chartered 1876, date of purchase March 7, 2006, W.M.
Jerry Neeley, S.W. Bill Plaunty, J.W. Kent Matherne, Treasurer Kevin
Caraway, Secretary, Jerry Shugart. Building Committee, Mike Carlin,
David Gilder, Steve Sheetz, Clyde Brinson, Earl Sadberry, Frank
Plaunty.
The currently installed Armstrong Masonic
Lodge members who participated in the various aspects of the ceremony
included Kent Matherne, Earl Sadberry, Mike Carlin, Jerry Shugart and
Jerry Neeley.
Also present were members Frank Plaunty,
Joe Beach and Charles Morgan.
More than 80 people attended the
dedication ceremony, with many staying afterward for a noon meal. |
