FLASH OF LIGHT Second Edition Updated

Free And Accepted Mason Second Edition

Most Worshipful Grand Master May-June-July
Melvin A. Alston Sr. No. 9

204th Annual Mid-Year Session of the MWPHGL of Pennsylvania, Friday,
April 13th, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel - Wyomissing, PA

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Free And Accepted Mason

Continued

204th Annual Mid-Year Session of the MWPHGL of Pennsylvania, Friday,
April 13th, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel - Wyomissing, PA

Copyright (c) FLASH OF MASONIC LIGHT NEWSLETTER 2019-2022

Free And Accepted Mason

Continued Pt 3

204th Annual Mid-Year Session of the MWPHGL of Pennsylvania, Friday,
April 13th, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel - Wyomissing, PA

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Free And Accepted Mason

EVENT PHOTOS

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Free And Accepted Mason

EVENT PHOTOS

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Free And Accepted Mason

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Faith, Hope,& Charity
Today the brothers of Chosen Friends Lodge #43 took part in their Adopt A
Highway program. Thank you to WM Tommy Long for his leadership in this
event. Special recognition to PM Dwayne Waithe for spearheading this project



News Flash
Today the 5th District of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylva-
nia held a Remembr ance & Career Day at our adopted school, J ohn Paul Scott Ele-
mentary. So named for Past Most Worshipful Grand Master and member of Chosen Friends
Lodge No.43, John Paul Scott.

See More of Story at Fabulous Fifth District Website

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Prince Hall is recognized as the Father of Black Masonry the United States. He made it possible for us to al-
so be recognized and enjoy all privileges of Free and Accepted Masonry.
Many rumors of the birth of Prince Hall have arisen. Few records and papers have been found of him either
in Barbados where it was rumored that he was born, but no record of birth, by church or state, has been
found there, and none in Boston. All 11 countries of the day were searched and churches with baptismal
records were examined without a find of the name of Prince Hall.
One widely circulated rumor states that “Prince Hall was free born in British West Indies. His father, Thom-
as Prince Hall, was an Englishman and his mother a free colored woman of French extraction. In 1765 he
worked his passage on a ship to Boston, where he worked as a leather worker, a trade learned from his fa-
ther. Eight years later he had acquired real estate and was qualified to vote. Religiously inclined, he later
became a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church with a charge in Cambridge.” This account,
paraphrased from the generally discredited Grimshaw book of 1903, is suspect in many areas.
Black Freemasonry began when Prince Hall and fourteen other free black men were initiated into Lodge No.
441, Irish Constitution, attached to the 38th Regiment of Foot, British Army Garrisoned at Castle William
(now Fort Independence) Boston Harbor on March 6, 1775. The Master of the Lodge was Sergeant John
Batt. Along with Prince Hall, the other newly made masons were Cyrus Jonbus, Bensten Slinger, Prince
Rees, John Canton, Peter Freeman, Benjamin Tiler, Duff Ruform, Thomas Santerson, Prince Rayden, Cato
Speain, Boston Smith, Peter Best, Forten Howard and Richard Titley.
When the British Army left Boston in 1776, this Lodge, No 441, granted Prince Hall and his brethren author-
ity to meet as African Lodge #1 (Under Dispensation), to go in procession on St. John’s Day, and as a Lodge
to bury their dead; but they could not confer degrees nor perform any other Masonic “work”. For nine
years these brethren, together with others who had received their degrees elsewhere, assembled and en-
joyed their limited privileges as Masons. Thirty-three masons were listed on the rolls of African Lodge #1 on
January 14th, 1779. Finally on March 2, 1784, Prince Hall petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, through a
Worshipful Master of a subordinate Lodge in London (William Moody of Brotherly Love Lodge No. 55) for a
warrant or charter.
The Warrant to African Lodge No. 459 of Boston is the most significant and highly prized document known
to the Prince Hall Mason Fraternity. Through it our legitimacy is traced, and on it more than any other fac-
tor, our case rests. It was granted on September 29, 1784, delivered in Boston on April 29, 1787 by Captain
James Scott, brother-in-law of John Hancock and master of the Neptune, under its authority African Lodge
No. 459 was organized one week later, May 6, 1787.
Prince Hall was appointed a Provincial Grand Master in 1791 by H.R.H., the Prince of Wales. The question of
extending Masonry arose when Absalom Jones of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania appeared in Boston. He was
an ordained Episcopal priest and a mason who was interested in establishing a Masonic lodge in Philadelph-
ia. Under the authority of the charter of African Lodge #459, Prince Hall established African Lodge #459 of
Philadelphia on March 22, 1797 and Hiram Lodge #3 in Providence, Rhode Island on June 25, 1797. African
Lodge of Boston became the “Mother Lodge” of the Prince Hall Family. It was typical for new lodges to be
established in this manner in those days. The African Grand Lodge was not organized until 1808 when rep-
resentatives of African Lodge #459 of Boston, African Lodge #459 of Philadelphia and Hiram Lodge #3 of
Providence met in New York City.
Upon Prince Hall’s death on December 4, 1807, Nero Prince became Master. When Nero Prince sailed to
Russia in 1808, George Middleton succeeded him. After Middleton, Petrert Lew, Samuel H. Moody and
then, John T. Hilton became Grand Master. In 1827, Hilton recommended a Declaration of Independence
from the English Grand Lodge
In 1869 a fire destroyed Massachusetts’ Grand Lodge headquarters and a number of its priceless records.
The charter in its metal tube was in the Grand Lodge chest. The tube saved the charter from the flames, but
the intense heat charred the paper. It was at this time that Grand Master S.T. Kendall crawled into the
burning building and in peril of his life, saved the charter from complete destruction. Thus a Grand Master’s
devotion and heroism further consecrated this parchment to us, and added a further detail to its already

Copyright (c) FLASH OF MASONIC LIGHT NEWSLETTER 2019-2022 interesting history. The

.
Today, the Prince Hall fraternity has over 4,500 lodges worldwide, forming 45 independent jurisdictions with
a membership of over 300,000 masons.1815-1975

According to the existing records, the first warranted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons among men of col-
or in Pennsylvania, was erected by the Right Worshipful Grand Master Prince Hall, assisted by the Grand War-
dens Cyrus Forbes and George Middleton of the African Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on September 22,
1797, in Philadelphia. This Lodge was known as the African Lodge No. 459 of Philadelphia.
This action came as the result of a communication, dated March 2, 1797, from Peter Mantore of Philadelphia
to Prince Hall of Boston, Massachusetts, requesting a dispensation to open and hold a lodge among Freema-
sons of color residing in the City of Philadelphia.
The Reverend Absalom Jones of the African Episcopal Church of Philadelphia was elected Worshipful Master
and Richard Allen, founder and first Bishop of the Africa Methodist Episcopal Church, who would serve as
Treasurer. The pioneering spirit, which led to the establishment of these great institutions of responsibility
and service to the black community of yester year, was fostered in the organization of the Free African Socie-
ty, a beneficial and moral reform society among free blacks, on April 12, 1787, in Philadelphia. The first insur-
ance beneficial society among free blacks also came because of the activities of the Free African Society, as
well as the movement for the establishment of schools for the education of free black children. The success
of the latter movement is owed largely to the generous aid and support given by the Society of Friends
(Quaker) community in the City of Philadelphia.
The laudable activities of the brethren of African Lodge of Philadelphia spurred a keen interest in the affairs
of Freemasonry to the extent that the Massachusetts Grand Body, i.e., Union Lodge (1810), Laurel Lodge No.
5 (1811), and Phoenix Lodge No. 6 (1814) erected more lodges in Philadelphia. Acting in accordance with Ma-
sonic custom and tradition, the Past Masters of these four lodges met in solemn session on December 27,
1815, in the City of Philadelphia with unanimous consent of the brethren and erected the “First African Inde-
pendent Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, for and in the Jurisdiction of North America,” with the
following Grand Lodge Officers elected:
· Rev. Absalom Jones, Right Worshipful Grand Master
· Peter Richmond, Deputy Grand Master
· Alexander Logan, Senior Grand Warden
· Matthew Black, Junior Grand Warden
· Anthony Cain, Grand Treasurer
· William Coleman, Grand Secretary
This enlightenment began to spread westward with the appointment of Richard Howell Gleaves as District
Deputy Grand Master by the Grand Lodge and assigning him the territory west of the Allegheny Mountains. It
was largely through his efforts and those of the Rev. Thomas W. Stringer that Freemasonry among men of
color was spread West and South of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1846, Gleaves became the first
Worshipful Master of Saint Cyprian Lodge in Pittsburgh and in 1847, he established Corinthian Lodge in Cin-
cinnati, Ohio.
Schisms and fractures in the structure of the masonic institution existent among our number have played a
deep and challenging role. Union Lodge, after bitter dissension, began to set in, declared itself independent
and in July 1837, formed Hiram Grand Lodge. However, these two diverging groups re-united in 1847 as —
the Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons of Pennsylvania under the newly organized National Compact of
Grand Lodges. Pennsylvania freemasons played a leading role in the establishment of the National Grand
Lodge. James Byrd of First African Independent Grand Lodge was its first Deputy Grand Master and Enos A.
Hall, Redmond Faucett and Richard H. Gleaves were its National Grand Masters, hailing from Pennsylvania.
However, dissension again set in among the Craft with the establishment of the Colored Grand Lodge of
Pennsylvania, with Emory Cronkin as Grand Master.
These Grand Bodies maintained a co-existence until 1882 when they were brought together by Grand Master

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For all of the efforts expended by the saints and sages, we are proud to report, the direct parentage of six Grand
Lodges (Maryland–1846, District of Columbia–1848, New Jersey–1848, Ohio–1849, Delaware–1849, and Virginia
–1866) and Lodges in California, Georgia and Louisiana, which came constituent lodges that formed the Grand
Lodges of their respective Jurisdictions.
The triennial session of the Grand Lodge (1900-1901-1902) saw the Grand Lodge take on an international char-
acter, with the erection of Ethiopia Lodge, #75 (renamed Southern Cross Lodge #75) and Coppin Lodge, #76
(renamed Saint Patrick Lodge) in South Africa. In 1977, these lodges expressed a desire to affiliate their alle-
giance to the Grand Lodge of South Africa and sever their affiliation with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania. The Grand Lodge granted their prayer and by November 1977, the two Lodges joined the
Grand Lodge of South Africa.
The constellation of appendant, concordant, affiliated and adopted Masonic organizations, both male and fe-
male, which grew around mainstream Freemasonry, also has grown and been uniquely preserved by our Grand
Lodge. In addition, our extended family has supported Masonic youth organizations (i.e. Knights of Pythagoras,
Ruth M. Tucker Girls Youth Dept.), as well as, Masonic Research Chapters (i.e. The Phylaxis Society and Phyllis
Chapter), which are devoted to the history of Prince Hall Freemasonry in general and the Masonic African Amer-
ican experience in particular.
Ultimately, Prince Hall Freemasonry in Pennsylvania has a rich and fascinating history that now has journeyed
into the second decade of the 21st century. Although our membership has seen a slow decline over the years,
the principles of dispensing charity, caring for the downtrodden, educating our youth, and the discipline of com-
munity service, remain the focal points of our Grand Lodge. With fervency and zeal, the 102 Grand Masters that
have lead this august Grand Body have reinforced the quest to make good men better.
To this end, the journey continues for our Grand Lodge. However, we can joyfully pause for just a moment at
this 200 year milestone, which has provided a rich legacy of dedication and service that we are justly proud of …
and reflect how our Great Creator has brought us this far by faith.

GRAND EAST 1975

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NEWSLETTER 2019-2022





100th Conference of Grand Masters, Prince Hall Affiliated & 71st Conference of Grand Matrons &
Patrons - Joint Conference Banquet- Saturday May 18, 2019 7:00 P.M. at the Meliā Resort, Cable
Beach, Nassau, Bahamas.

100th Conference of Grand Masters, Prince Hall Affiliated & 71st Conference of Grand Matrons &
Patrons - Joint Conference Banquet- Saturday May 18, 2019 7:00 P.M. at the Meliā Resort, Cable
Beach, Nassau, Bahamas.

100th Conference of Grand Masters, Prince Hall Affiliated & 71st Conference of Grand Matrons &
Patrons - Joint Conference Banquet- Saturday May 18, 2019 7:00 P.M. at the Meliā Resort, Cable
Beach, Nassau, Bahamas.