Good Morning Gloucester

The lemons are the egret photos I recently took at Parker River Wildlife Refuge that featured an undetermined brown object hanging from the rear portion of the majestic bird.

The lemonade (from my point of view) is the cropped and flipped reflection that looks a little bit like a Monet painting (well, I think you get the idea here). I hope you like lemonade…….

Cape Ann Masons’ Open House

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Once again, the Gloucester Masonic Lodge is hosting an Open House, known also as “Square and Compasses Day,” on Saturday, October 19, from 9 AM until 3 PM.  If you’ve ever wondered who the Freemasons are, whether they are the descendants of the Knights Templars, or what the inside of their building looks like, here’s your chance to find out.  The event is held semiannually to help the public gain a better understanding of what Freemasonry is, and the positive impact that it has on its members, their families, and community.  Members will provide tours of the building, talk about Freemasonry’s history, discuss its rituals, signs, and symbols, and explain what they do.

The Lodge, known to its members as the Tyrian-Ashler-Acacia Lodge reflecting the former names of three Lodges which are now one, is located at 27 Eastern Avenue in Gloucester.  Officers and members of the Lodge will be present to welcome visitors and prospective members alike.  Come and join us and see the many different items from around the world as well as local items not previously seen by the public, pulled from the dusty safe deposit box. Paul Revere and his silver work, items of antiquity from the 1770’s and 1800’s, gavels made from the wood of the USS Constitution, and from King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Gordon Gravelese, Master of The Tyrian-Ashler-Acacia Lodge said, “Gloucester’s Lodge has the distinction of being one of the oldest Masonic lodges in North America and will be displaying many of these items for our open house.  For men looking for ways to give back to their community and world, while enjoying the benefits of a first-rate fraternal organization, Masonry is a great place to look.”

Freemasons trace their roots to the stonemason guilds that built Europe’s cathedrals and castles during the early part of the last millennium.  As construction of these buildings declined, they began accepting members from outside their trade.  These new members, influenced by the “Age of Enlightenment,” transformed the organization from a group for builders to one focused on developing the character of its members.  Freemasonry was formally organized in London, England in 1717. In 1733 it was formally organized in Massachusetts, making it the oldest Masonic group in the Western Hemisphere,

and the third oldest in the world.

Freemasonry, the world’s oldest and largest fraternity, seeks to bring together men of every country, religion, race, background, and opinion in order to develop the bonds of friendship between them.  Through a large variety of North American Masonic philanthropies, approximately $3,000,000 is given to charity every day, 70% of which benefits the general public.  During its symbolic initiation ceremony, members are encouraged to value high principles, ethics, and morals and to live their lives accordingly.  By “making good men better,” Freemasonry positively benefits its members, their families and local communities.  Freemasonry in Massachusetts is comprised of 32,000 members in more than 230 different lodges throughout the Commonwealth.

Please join us on Saturday for more information, refreshments and a tour, or visit http://www.massfreemasonry.org.

We will announce where to vote.

I often visit David Cox and Main Street Arts and Antiques seeking family albums or memorabilia. I specifically look for items that might contain enough clues to allow me to contact current family members to offer their return. It’s very rewarding, and honestly I am hoping one day to be on the receiving end of such an effort.

Anyhow, for a very modest sum, I recently purchased from David’s shop a folder containing handwritten family tree pages and a certificate of membership to the Governor Thomas Dudley Family Association naming George Richards Minot. As I had recently been doing some transcription work for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, I recognized the surnames contained within the folder: Cabot, Dodge, Bradstreet, Dudley etc.

A quick Google search revealed that George Richards Minot was a well regarded medical researcher who shared a Nobel Prize in 1934 for pernicious anemia research. He apparently descended from Massachusetts Bay Colony’s second Governor Thomas Dudley. I just had a feeling there might be interest in this folder of information for the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston so I contacted their Manuscript Collection Department. They did express interest in adding this to their collection on the Governor Thomas Dudley Family Association so I sent it to them. Here’s a PDF of the certificate if you are interested:

MINOT George Richards membership certificate

Just another example of the role we all play in keeping history alive. Thank you David Cox for making that opportunity available!

Check out their stuff online here- www.holdfasthandcrafts.com