Heritage of Our Lodge
History of Freemasonry
No one knows with certainty how or when the Masonic Fraternity was formed. A widely accepted theory among Masonic scholars is that it arose from the stonemasons’ guilds during the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in the fraternity’s rituals come from this era. The oldest document that makes reference to Masons is the Regius Poem, printed about 1390, which was a copy of an earlier work. In 1717, four lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England, and records from that point on are more complete.
Within thirty years, the fraternity had spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies. Freemasonry became very popular in colonial America. George Washington was a Mason, Benjamin Franklin served as the head of the fraternity in Pennsylvania, as did Paul Revere and Joseph Warren in Massachusetts. Other well-known Masons involved with the founding of America included John Hancock, John Sullivan, Lafayette, Baron Fredrick von Stuben, Nathanael Greene, and John Paul Jones. Another Mason, Chief Justice John Marshall, shaped the Supreme Court into its present form.
Over the centuries, Freemasonry has developed into a worldwide fraternity emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy. During the late 1700s it was one of the organizations most responsible for spreading the ideals of the Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual, the right of all persons to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and the importance of public education. Masons supported the first public schools in both Europe and America.
During the 1800s and early 1900s, Freemasonry grew dramatically. At that time, the government had provided no social "safety net". The Masonic tradition of founding orphanages, homes for widows, and homes for the aged provided the only security many people knew.
Today in North America, the Masonic Fraternity continues this tradition by giving almost $1.5 million each day to causes that range from operating children’s hospitals, providing treatment for childhood language disorders, treating eye diseases, funding medical research, contributing to local community service, and providing care to Masons and their families at Masonic Homes.
The four million Masons worldwide continue to help men and women face the problems of the 21st century by building bridges of brotherhood and instilling in the hearts of men ideals for a better tomorrow.
Our Lodge's History
The Hall Committee then purchased the Wamsutta Club property at County and Union Streets, the site of the present Temple.
The new Masonic Temple was completed at an expense of less than $200,000.00 and is considered one of the best for its size in the state.
A Special Communication was held in the new Temple on April 11, 1927 for the purpose of dedication.
Quittacus Lodge and Eureka Lodge: The Merger and Beyond
By 1991, the membership of Eureka Lodge had slowly declined to a point that a merger was considered. Eureka Lodge was in good shape financially but there were six Lodges meeting in the New Bedford location and there simply was not a large enough membership to sustain all six Lodges. A committee was formed to consider the possibilities of a merger and it was determined that Quittacus Lodge should be approached due to its younger and more active membership. Quittacus Lodge responded by forming a merger committee of its own and, after due discussion and deliberation, it was decided to proceed with the merger process. It was determined to retain the name Quittacus Lodge but to retain the Charter of Eureka Lodge due to its earlier precedence by sixty-three years. Although there was some expected trepidation, the true spirit of Freemasonry prevailed and the merger occurred on May 23, 1991.
Since the merger, the overall attitude of the membership has slowly blossomed to reflect the benefits of the merger. The yearly exchange of visits with May Flower Lodge have continued to flourish as have the yearly Past Masters' Nights. However, the Lodge has become more active with its support of the Salvation Army by ringing the bells during the holiday season and participating in the annual dinner for the needy which was instituted in 1993 by our own R. W. George J. P. Breault. We are also participants in the Masonic CHIP (Child Identification) Programs in the District.
Since February of 2002, the Chaplain of the Lodge has organized Brotherhood Breakfasts which are held at the Courtyard Restaurant in Fairhaven (owned by our own Bro. Matthew Gamache) about every six weeks throughout the year. Due to space limitations, the breakfasts are limited to members of Quittacus Lodge and any prospective members. Attendance averages about twenty-four and the list of attendees varies at each breakfast so that during the course of a year, we may have as many as thirty-five different members attend. At these breakfasts, we take a voluntary collection. After the bill and gratuity are paid, the excess goes into a fund which at year's end is donated to the Salvation Army. Our goal each year is to reach $1,000 in that yearly breakfast donation. The breakfasts commence with coffee at 7:30 a.m., we sit down and order at 8:00 a.m. and we are on our way by 9:00 a.m. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better and to promote a true sense of brotherhood.
During the past several years, due to the efforts by the Lodge and our Grand Lodge to bring Freemasonry before the public that they may know who we are as well as what the principles and teachings of Freemasonry offer, we have experienced a definite increase in candidates. It is not unusual to have eight to ten candidates each year. But the most exciting and significant aspect is not the increase in numbers but the fact that so many of the candidates are younger men who arrive at our door quite well-educated in the basics of Freemasonry due to information available on the internet. The candidates arrive ready to get active and participate. Our current progressive officers' line has few Past Masters in it and next year's line is expected to have none. Another important reason for this strengthening of the progressive officers' line is that several Masters in recent years have graciously consented to serve two years in that station to allow the officers line to strengthen and gain experience. A typical meeting draws about two dozen members plus visitors. We also have a number of members who have affiliated because they are attracted by the attitude and activity of Quittacus Lodge. It is good to know that regardless of which Lodge we attend or visit, the spirit of Freemasonry is the primary factor which unites us, bonds us and allows us to meet, greet and depart on the Level. Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again.
Challenge to Masonry
The record of a hundred fifty years in Quittacus Lodge has been written. It is a story of good fellowship and notable service in the Masonic life of this community, of which every member is or should be justly proud.
It is a record that holds much promise for the future. In these days of strife and turmoil in which we live, when on every hand alien minded individuals, who enjoy our freedom and our economy, seek to tear down and destroy that which in our land has been build so well, it is of vital importance that we should be firmly united in our determination to preserve our national ideals as well as the spiritual values of civilization itself. Only so long as those values and ideals can be preserved can we be sure that our nation, our fraternity or civilization will survive.
There was never a time in our history when it was so vitally important as now to be "vigilant, active and alert in matters affecting our Constitution". On every side, numerous vicious assaults have been and are being made to undermine and impair its control and guidance of our government. We need an enduring faith today in the thought that after the night cometh the day, that after the gloom of the night cometh the glory of the dawn.
Today, as almost never before, the world sorely needs the teachings and philosophies of Freemasonry. It needs to recognize again the Brotherhood of Man. It needs a universal striving for World Peace, hoping ever and praying always for the coming of the day when "swords shall be beaten into plough shares and spears into pruning hooks, when nations shall not life up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more".