Maine Masonry Today

 The Bangor Masonic Center is finding many avenues for uses and for community service in its new location at the former Bangor Theological Seminary Center.

On February 20th the dining area in the former Wellman Commons was made available to North Star Lodge No. 22, F. & A.M. of Bangor, under the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts.  The occasion marked the lodge's celebration of Black History month with a potluck supper which was attended by some 70 people including ten members of the Grand Lodge of Maine and their wives.

The program was led by R.W. Bro. Ricky Hall, Master of North Star Lodge, who read the proclamation of the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts which declared Prince Hall a "Founding Father" for his actions as a Civil Rights leader in America at the time of the Revolutionary War.

R.W. Bro. Glenn D. Payne, District Deputy Grand Master of the 5th District, Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, who was born and raised in Brewer, commented that "Tonight we are again at a new beginning" of what is hoped to be a warm and fraternal relationship .  R.W. Bro. Raymond P. Coleman, Prince Hall Grand Historian, notes that Bangor is only the second place in the country where the Prince Hall Masons have been invited to join with local masons to share their facilities.

R.W. Bro. Red T. Hall, chairman of the Prince Hall Edward Committee, was the keynote speaker.  He presented a very interesting review of the number of African-Americans who took part in the Revolutionary War, reportedly as high as five thousand.

The Prince Hall Masons were welcomed to the facilities and the 6th Masonic District by R.W. Bros. Guy Chapman, Director, and E. Fritz Day, District Deputy Grand Master, respectively.

Past M.W. Bro. Gerald S. Leighton of the Grand Lodge of Maine delivered an inspiring address in which he observed "black history and fraternal history have made strides that were not possible just a generation ago. Each fraternal barrier we overcome we have to carefully deconstruct.  It was most likely constructed with malice from another time.  Acceptance of one another as Masons may be our greatest contribution to fraternal relationships at this time as we look to the future."

Outreaches such as this one bode well for the future of the Bangor Masonic Center playing an integral part in the vitality of a busy city with a long Masonic tradition of leadership.

Leaders and speakers at the Black History Month program hosted by North Lodge No. 22 of Bangor, under the Prince Hall Free Masons of Massachusetts, at the Bangor Masonic Center included left to right, R.W. Bros. E. Fritz Day, Glenn D. Payne, Ricky Hall, M.W. Bro. Gerald E. Leighton and R.W. Bros. Red T. Hall and Guy Chapman.

Thanks to Bro. Richard Rhoda for the text and picture.