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July 2012 Volume 01 Number 03

65 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE LIGHT

ACACIA LODGE # 39 F & A.M. OF

MICHIGAN

65TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY Written By: PM Bennie R. Ezell Jr.

On the 2nd Day of December in 1946, a dispensation was issued by

the M.W. Grand Master Elmer L. Wallace for the formation of a New

Lodge in the City of Detroit, MI by the Name of Acacia Lodge. On the

16th day of December; Acacia Lodge was organized and the charter

members were chosen the First list of officers were- Bro. Ulysses S.

Brown WM, Bro. Richard Gadsen SW, and Bro. Halbert V. Tillman JW.

Acacia Lodge charter was granted on April 23, 1947, First

Master Mason Degree was presented on October 27, 1947.

Acacia Lodge started 65 years ago with 9 charter members and grew

quickly to 30 on roll within the first year of work. Rumors state Acacia

received their name as a suggestion from GM Elmer L. Wallace; this

has yet to be found as a fact. Acacia Lodge first met on the Westside

of Detroit, Michigan as a Social Club in the back of Browns Barbershop

at 4424 Milford St. from 1942-1947. The Charter Members were

raised in Mount Pavan Lodge #2 F & A.M. of Michigan. Soon after they

received their charter empowering them to work as Masons. They

Then moved across the street to Saint Cyprian Episcopal Church for

their stated meetings in 1947. In the 1950's they moved to Tabernacle

Missionary Baptist Church on Beechwood & Milford (now on Grand

River & Grand Blvd), then moved back to Saint Cyprian around 1967.

In the late 1970's Acacia Lodge #39 moved to St. Stephens AME

Church where they still reside, at 6000 Stanford St. Detroit, MI where

the Reverend Dr. Michael A. Cousin, is pastor.

Acacia for 65 years has been a staple in the west side community of

Detroit, MI for different outreach programs, charitable contributions,

and donations to various recipients. Acacia Lodge was in its first years

of inception a stern advocate and supporter for the civil

rights movement and made annual contributions to the NAACP to

help in its endeavors to fight for racial equality in the United States.

By being one of the lodges who met outside of the Metro Prince Hall

Temple in Detroit, and having their meetings in the neighborhood and

church community.

Inside this Issue: 65 YEARS OF SERVICE ………. Page 1

Upcoming Events ……....………. Page 1

No. 44 Youth Day...……….……. Page 2

PHAmily / Relay for Life ……..... Page 3

G.W.M. Reception ………...…. Page 4

No. 14 Health & Resource Fair ... Page 5

Alarmed Our Outer Door…….…. Page 6

Book of Constitutions ……………... Page 6

Community Linen Drive ..…...…. Page 7

Car Raffle ……………….….…. Page 7

Juneteenth Day ……………...…. Page 8

New Master Masons ….…...……. Page 9

G.M. Testimonial ………………. Page 10

Upcoming Events The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand

Lodge of Michigan will celebrate Prince

Hall Americanism Day on Sunday, September

16, 2012 at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge – 3500

McDougall. The prade will assemble at 1:30

P.M. at the Coleman A. Young Center, 2751

Robert Bradley Dr. and step-off at 2:15 P.M.

The Nobles of EL KARNEK 86 invite you to

their Potentate Ball honoring

Illustrious Potentate Michael R. Weaver

Friday, September 14, 2012 at the Crowne

Plaza Hotel 5700 28th St SE --Grand Rapids

Tickets are priced at $55 per person,

$100 per couple

For additional information contact:

D. W. McElrath @ 616-272-8970

Dennis R. McElwee @ 616-293-4912

See ACACIA LODGE # 39 P3 See Upcoming Events P9

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It Gave Acacia direct access to help the community and the

community direct access to Acacia Lodge. Which has

sparked a plethora of partners and supporters within the

community over the years?

Masonic ally we are taught that one of our more important

tenants is Charity, for it extends beyond the grave to the

boundless realms of eternity. Acacia is a very Charitable lodge

from participating in Toys for Tots with the Children's Hospital

of Michigan to Coats For Kids to Volunteers of America Adopt

A Family Christmas Program to Breast Cancer Awareness to

Supporting Battered Women Shelters. Acacia Lodge #39 F &

A.M. of Michigan also started a new endeavor and Partnered

with St. Stephens AME Church for the 1st Annual Feed/Clothed

the Homeless Drive in November of 2011 which was a great

success, and so well received by the Homeless recipients. A

church visitation was also done and a donation was made to

the youth group of the church.

Acacia takes great pleasure and delights in their Charitable

Acts, and will always be anchored in the community

for outreach. Future plans for Acacia Lodge are to continue

to aid and assist with Feeding the Homeless, Clothing Drives,

Cancer Awareness Programs, Women's and Children

Outreach Programs, and Partnering with Other Prince

Hall Lodges & Chapters to effectively help support OUR

COMMUNITY. In order to provide help to those in the

community who so greatly need it.

Acacia Lodge will forever live by

their Lodge Motto: Faith, Hope, &

Charity! Acacia Masonic ally means

'immortality of the soul'. Acacia

Lodge prides itself with being

Immortal Builder's; Building

Brick By Brick! So their efforts

will always live in time immemorial,

For their community and city, and

Present/Future Master Masons.

Acacia's 65th Anniversary Banquet

is tentatively scheduled for October

2012; in October of 1947 they raised

their first class of Master Masons.

So fittingly they will celebrate in

grand fashion during the month of

October. Stay tuned for all banquet

details.

Fraternally Submitted,

PM Bennie R. Ezell Jr.

Acacia Lodge #39 F & A.M. of Michigan

Grand Worthy Matron Reception

The Grand Worthy Matron Sis Bettie Meredith reception

was held on Saturday , June 23,2012.

The event was held at the Masonic Temple 233 Fulton

Ave S. Grand Rapids, MI 49504. It was hosted by Martha

Chapter #1 and Crystal Chapter #34. It was well attended

by sisters and brothers, relatives and freinds from across

the state.

From The Grand Worthy Matron Sis. Bettie Meredith,

I thank everyone for making my day a very special one.

May God continue to bless and keep you.

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Pythagoras #14 First Annual Community Health & Resource Fair Executive Summary On June 16, 2012, Pythagoras Lodge #14 P.H.A. F. & A. M. under the leadership of WM Tawanto Snead and in collaboration with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Michigan held our 1st Annual Community Health & Resource Fair at the Metropolitan Detroit Prince Hall Masonic Temple. This event was held in order to benefit the residents within the area of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge and the citizens of Metro Detroit.

Pythagoras Lodge #14 along with its sister chapter Guiding Star Chapter #11 collaborated with several community health and resource agencies throughout the Detroit area that offered free health screenings, health tips, nutrition guidelines, information on free health care insurance to low income families and Senior Citizens, and resources for employment. It was estimated that there were over 200 adults and children present at this event. Service providers and attendees were served with hot lunches during the forum. Attendees had a chance to discuss public health issues, access health services, job opportunities, resume writing, and asked questions about issues of concern. This event was a big success according to the feedback from the attendees and the service providers. It was festive and highly organized, with a DJ to provide entertainment, and a Brother Shriner dressed as a clown that did face painting for the kids. Conclusion The events were successful at creating a change in attendee health behavior and knowledge. Some attendees planned to make changes in their health routine based on information presented, as well as planning doctor visits to follow-up on any abnormal screenings. There were also reported increases

in knowledge about the health of people in the community, the types of services available in the community and legislation that affects public health in the community. The attendees were more likely to receive a blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose screening at the Health Fair . Although most attendees reported enjoying all of the exhibits, the cholesterol exhibit was listed as the favorite and most informative exhibit. The most effective methods of informing attendees about the event were by internet, radio, and word of mouth. The neigh-boring churches and Operation Get Down also played a major role in disseminating information about the events by flyer distribution. Almost all of the attendees reported that they would attend a Health Fair and Resource Fair again. We look forward to servicing the community in the future and believe that our fairs will be a valuable instrument.

Below is a list of Health and Resource providers that attended:

Neighborhood Legal Services Disability Network Kasoga Law Offices, PLLC Matrix Human Services Michigan Enrolls Health Plan Detroit Medical Center Michigan Department of Community Health - WIC Sanford-Brown College University of Detroit Mercy Dental School DTE Energy Wayne Metro Community Action Agency Goodwill Industries Detroit Wayne County Health Authority Molina Health Care Elder Law of Michigan …….. Detroit Michigan Works Program Wayne County Economic Development ………. Humana Wayne County Four Star Health ………. Wayne County S.T.E.P. Program City of Detroit Health & Wellness – HIV Dept.

Fraternaly Submitted,

Community Service Committee

Tawanto Snead WM

Chairman, Bro Masico Brown

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Many men have alarmed our outer door; have gained admission

and have partaken of the mysteries of our ancient and honorable

institution in an attempt to gain (insert your reason). No matter

what the reason is for the uninitiated to seek the lodge, what he

should be taught to do is learn, subdue, and improve.

To learn is to gain knowledge, comprehension, or command of

thought, experience or study. We grow as a person when we

gain and apply understanding to our lives. This is the first

stage of growth. The learning stage equips us with the tools

necessary to operate in a given field.

To subdue is to make something less intense; to tone

down. There are many things in our individual lives that causes

us to have a conflict from within which causes stress to manifest

itself in a variety different ways. This fight is waged between the

inner child (the id) and the mature conscience (nous). Id is a

Freudian Term used to describe the unconscious part of

the psyche that serves as the source of instinctual impulses,

while nous is used to on philosophy to speak of the rational part

of the individual human. These inner factions are in continual

frictions with each other as we grow into the age of maturity.

The seduction zone brings us into adulthood with a

predominantly rational or irrational mind depending of how

aware we are of the government of our impulses. This is the

second stage of growth. A middle passage if you will. In this

stage knowledge gained through study and experience has to be

applied if we are to subdue our primitive selves and become a

productive member in the world around us.

To improve is to raise to a more excellent quality or

condition. The improvement of ourselves is the byproduct of

understanding knowledge, applying that knowledge, and

subduing the basic behaviors practiced before the birth of the

wisdom gained from understanding. This simple code is a very

di fficul t one to master because i t means tha t we are

saving ourselves from our self. This leads to growing pains

and is the third stage of growth. It is in this stage that we

begin to subjugate ourselves and become a better person in the

very literal sense of the word. Life’s journey takes us through

many different stages and it is the information that we receive

that allow us to move from stage to stage in an effort of

becoming a more mature (insert

your name).

To learn. To subdue. To improve. To

learn to subdue our passions and

improve ourselves should be our

constant practice, not just in

masonry, but in our individual lives

as well.

---Dwight G. Tarrance, Jr.

Jimmie Lunceford #45

Many Men Have Alarmed Our Outer Door

BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS BROUGHT TO LIGHT By. James L. Young, II - Grand Historian The African Lodge #459 Charter , which was granted and signed by the Grand Lodge of England on September 29, 1784, and received by Prince Hall on May 6, 1787, "with all the rights and privileges" of any Masonic lodge in the world is often times coined a Holy Grail of Prince Hall Freemasonry. This, now, over 200 year antiquated document gave Prince Hall and the other originating members of African lodge #459 the authority to practice Freemasonry as a just and legal Lodge of Masons. In knowing this, many often times fill their chest with the utmost pride in being the legatees of such an accomplishment, considering the period. With the focus , over many years, decades, and centuries on the African Lodge #459 charter being the designated document that gives us as Prince Hall Masons the regularity under the universality of Freemasonry, had anyone reflected on what other items or materials that the Grand Lodge of England may have been accompanied with the charter , in an effort to assist in the organization of African lodge #459? In 2009, while on a visit to Massachusetts for the development of the ,

now, Prince Hall Monument Project,

I spent roughly 2 hours in the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts library in where I was escorted by, Chairman of Masonic Education - MWPHGL of MA, P.M. Red Mitchell . There, I was shown a rather antiquated book which had been stored away in a secured vault. Once the book was placed before me, I was asked to open the cover and there I discovered an inscription written by Prince Hall , himself , that read " This is the Property of African Lodge #459..." and appended to this inscription was none other than Prince Hall's signature and year. It is the third version of the Antient (Ancient) Constitutions written by John Entick in 1756. In fact, when we examine the language contained within the African #459 Charter, the document clearly speaks to instructions as to the proper care and usage of the Book of Constitutions, as we see in the excerpt from the charter below: "KNOW YE, that we, at the humble petition of our right trusty and well-beloved Brethren, PRINCE HALL, BOSTON SMITH, THOMAS SANDERSON, and several other brethren residing in Boston, New England, in North America do hereby constitute the said Brethren into a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, under the title or denomination of the AFRICAN LODGE, - to be opened in Boston aforesaid, and do further at their said petition, hereby appoint the said PRINCE HALL to be

See BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS P9

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Community Linen Drive

Redeemerette Chapter No. 54 conducted a much needed linen

drive from February through April 2012. Redeemerette believe

Charity begins at home and spreads aboard throughout our

communities and the world. Under the leadership of Sister Jacqueline Butts, Chairperson

and Brother Willie P. Butts Co-Chairperson 109 sheet sets were

collected. The sets were delivered in May 2012.

Redeemerette Chapter thanks the State Grand Loyal Lady Ruler

– Order of the Golden Circle, Kathy Hooks-Carrington,

Deemette Youth Fraternity, Guiding Star Chapter No. 11,

Capstone Chapter No. 29, Tyre Chapter No. 39, Leah

Chapter No. 43, Guiding Light Chapter No. 50, Corinthian

Lodge No. 38, Redeemer Lodge No. 53, Travelers Lodge

No. 46, co-workers of Sister Sonja Cornelious, Lloyd H.

Diehl Boys & Girls Club Keystone and Touch Clubs and

Bathsheba Chapter No. 149 of the International Free &

Accepted Modern Mason and Order of the Eastern Star

Incorporated and others for helping to make the linen

drive a success and a true community effort.

Organizations benefiting from the Linen Drive are:

Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern MI ;

Covenant House ; Cass Community Social Services and

C.O.T.S.

Redeemerette

members pictured

are Brother Willie

Butts, Sister

Jacqueline Butts,

and Sister

Markeitha Bibb.

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Juneteenth Day Celebration

On June 16th, 2012, the brothers of Wisdom Lodge

#57 collaborated with the brothers of Prince Hall Lodge #24

and hosted our annual Juneteenth Day Celebration.

The event was held at Salter Park in Harper Woods, Michigan.

This event is aimed at educating kids on the history

and importance of Juneteenth Day as well as enjoying family,

friends, and good food.

Safety being a pillar in both lodges, we effectively operated

the CHIPS program. Several children participated and enjoyed

the process of the CHIPS program. There was lots of fun and

games for all ages.

Prince Hall #24 provided two excellent guest speakers who

grasped a wide range of safety issues that youths could relate

to.

Past Master John Bostic followed with a superb explanation

and detailed history of Juneteenth Day. Overall, Juneteenth

Day was very successful and we're all looking forward to next

year!

Wisdom Lodge No. 57 Worshipful Master: David Ballard

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Master, Boston Smith - Senior Warden, and Thomas Sanderson, Junior Warden, for opening the said Lodge; and for such further time -- as shall be thought proper by the Brethren thereof, it be-ing our will that the appointment of the above officers shall in no wise affect any future election of officers of the Lodge,

as shall be consistent with the general laws of the society, - contained in the Book of Constitution; and we hereby will and require you, the said PRINCE HALL, to take special care that all and every the said Brethren are or have been regularly made Masons, and that they do observe, perform and keep all the rules and orders contained in the Book of Constitutions..." On April 28, 2012, Most Worshipful Grand Master Hon. Frederick B. Summers, declared , henceforth, that on any given occasion , where the African Lodge #459 charter is on public display that the African Lodge #459 Book of Constitutions will accompany the charter. Brothers and Sisters, if you ever have an opportunity to visit the 'Mother Jurisdiction' (MA) and hopeful that your visitation will be at a time where the charter and book of constitutions will be on display, don't hesitate to take advantage in the viewing of these ancient documents - for its remnants of our history.

BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS from P6

Upcoming Events from P1

Capstone Lodge #30 -- Horseman Club of Detroit Presents: Bus Trip to Kewadin Hotel &

Casino in Sault St. Marie

September 28th-30th, 2012. Cost $200

w/$50.00 Cash Back-Free Breakfast

Saturday & Sunday

Free Party Saturday Night 7pm-9pm.

Departure on Friday September 28th

from 3101 McDougall St. 06:30a.m.

Returning Sunday September 30th at

09:00p.m.

For Reservations contact

William Covington at (313)740-0402

The Elegant Ladies of Charity Assembly #38 – Order of the Golden Circle presents “Tea at Two” ---Sunday, October 7, 2012 --- Prince Hall Grand Lodge – 3500 McDougall Time: 2pm ---Donation: $20.00 ----- There will be a contest for: ~ Most Elegantly Decorated Table~ ~ ~~Most Elegant Hat~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~Most Distinguished Tie~ ~~ For tickets please see any member of Charity Assembly #38 or contact LL Shanna Garrison at (313) 492-2727.

SAVE THE DATE!!! Our 25th Annual Grand Lodge Prayer Breakfast will be held Saturday, November 17, 2012 at Metro Prince Hall Temple, 3500 McDougall. Rev. Drr. Laura Foster, Associate Pastor, Greater Quinn AME Church will be the guest speaker. Breakfast will be served promptly at 9:00 A.M. Tickets are $20.00 each. For tickets and more information please contact: Bro. Brent Walker at (313) 350-5317, Sis. Shanna Garrison at (313)492-2727 or the Grand Lodge at (313)579-3333 Roderick D. Anderson, Chairman

The Most Ancient Prince Hall

Grand Court, Heroines of Jericho

will convene the 48th Annual

Grand Convocation in Flint,

Michigan on October 13, 2012 at the

Sarvis Conference Center, 1231

Kearsley Street at 9:00a.m.

A souvenir journal is planned for

the occasion. Deadline for ads is

September 15, 2012. For more

information contact Will iam O.

Jackson, Jr., 20514 Blackstone Ct.,

Detroit, Michigan 48219 -1202,

telephone 313-538-0326. Hattie M. Thompson, Most Ancient Grand Matron

Michael H. Jordan, Most Worthy Grand Joshua

T h e 1 0 8 t h R e u n i o n o f t h e

Michigan Council of Deliberation

will convene Sunday, October 28th,

2012, at the Four Points by Sheraton

Kalamazoo Hotel, 3600 East Cork St,

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001.

The fee of $70.00 will include the registration

fee and the Order of the Golden Circle

Scholarship Banquet on Saturday evening ,

October 27th 2012

Congratulations Newly Raised Master Masons

Norris Ellis ……………………………...……..… King David Lodge No. 20

Duran Mullen …………………………….…….... King David Lodge No. 20

Henderson Butler IV ………………………..... Corinthian Lodge No. 38

Frank Garrett ……………………………….…... Geometry Lodge No. 49

Damon Hodge ………………….………….…... Geometry Lodge No. 49

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