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Lodge History
An Historical Synopsis
of
CHARITY LODGE No. 134 A.F.& A.M.
Charity Lodge No. 134 is the only Lunar Lodge in the State of Maryland. Charity Lodge No. 134 does not have a fixed date for their meetings. They meet monthly from September through June. Meetings are held on the Saturday on or before the full moon. According to the history of the Lodge, members leaving the meetings would have the advantage of full moon light as they journeyed to and from the Lodge. Many traveled by horse, cart, buggy or foot. Since train service ceased well before the Lodge closed, one brother reportedly walked twenty five miles after Lodge closed that he might be at work by 5:00 A.M.
Charity Lodge was chartered on May 11, 1868 in Bentley Springs, Md. It was known as Bentley Springs Lodge No. 134. Bentley Springs was located on the Northern Central Railroad. The track for this railroad was laid in 1832 and ran from Baltimore to the Pennsylvania Line.
Bentley Springs was named after Charles Bentley, who lived there and became the first Master of Bentley Springs Lodge No. 134. He served in that capacity from 1868 to 1873.
On January 15, 1868, on recommendation of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 116, of Towson, (then known as Towsontowne) Grand Master Coates issued a dispensation for the formation of this Lodge.
Meetings were held in the Boarding House in Bentley Springs for eight years, when on May 9, 1888, by Dispensation of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, it was moved to Parkton, Md. The name was then changed to Charity Lodge # 134. Meetings were held in the Presbyterian Church which stood on the hill by the Northern Central Railroad, which later became known as the Pennsylvania Railroad. On November 17, 1888 a communication was received from a Mr. J. S. Brown inquiring if the Lodge was interested in purchasing the Church. A committee was formed to determine the feasibility of this. On June 28, 1890 the project was stopped (reason unknown) and all moneys were returned.
On August 6, 1892 a motion was made to remove all Lodge possessions from the Church as soon as possible. This apparently prefaced the move to the building owned by Mr. Ayres in Parkton.
In 1938 the Parkton Temple was enlarged and modernized.
On June 1, 1968, Charity Lodge celebrated its 100th anniversary in the Hereford Fire Hall. Brother Roy Calk, P.M., Worshipful Master, invited Grand Master Thomas Middleton and Grand Line to this affair. Over 300 guests attended this auspicious occasion. Grand Master Thomas Middleton granted permission to Worshipful Master Calk to preside over the Cornerstone Ceremonies at the educational building in the Methodist Church in Bently Springs. Grand Master Middleton furnished Worshipful Master Calk with grand lodge tools that were well over 100 years old for this special occasion.
In 1972, Charity Lodge's building in Parkton sustained considerable water damage from "Hurricane Agnes". Water reached halfway up the first floor wall. Worshipful Master Ed Berry headed up a crew of members to repair the extensive damage. Many records and other historical items were damaged beyond salvation during this storm. Our history for this period is not as clearly defined as it could have been if these records had not been lost.
In 1988 Charity Lodge No. 134 initiated discussions relative to the purchase of the Church for use as a new Lodge. Brother Les Orlidge, Worshipful Master, initiated the necessary paper work to the Grand Lodge and their committee on Lodge buildings.
Several properties were available during this period of time but the Lodge eventually voted to pursue the Methodist Church property at the intersection of Middletown and Freeland Roads. In May of 1988 Lodge members signed an option to purchase the property. Zoning issues delayed further action until February of 1989 when the Lodge made application for rezoning the property for use as a "Community Building". Specific zoning for use as a Masonic Lodge did not exist. This became a lengthy process which included the necessary planning for conversion from a church to a lodge layout, architectural drawings and finally permits. In February settlement on the property was held, the purchase contract was signed for sum of $65,000 and the building and lot officially became Lodge property.
Several years of delay occurred while the Lodge waited impatiently for the State to declare the property adjacent to the old Lodge excess . Finally in the Spring of 1992 the state sent appraisers to evaluate the property. In June of 1992 the State decided on the price of $18,700 for the property. This was more then members were willing to spend and efforts to sell the building continued with the thought to allow the new owners the obligation to deal with the State.
In August of 1990, Charity Lodge and Pythagorus Lodge traveled to Kingston, Tennessee with Most Worshipful Grand Master B. Hope Harrison for the annual "Caves Degree" where under dispensation, they conferred the Maryland third degree and raised Brother Peter Tinley, one of Charity Lodges members. The Kingston Lodge hosts the "Caves Degree" each year with a different Masonic Jurisdiction invited to confer the degree. Brother "Pete" Tinley was raised by Worshipful Master Karl Knouse. The obligation was presented by Brother J. R. Biggs, Junior Warden.
In 1991 Worshipful Master George E. Lang III, P.M. got the actual demolition and construction of our new Lodge building started. The bell and bell tower was removed from the front of the building along with an interior wall extending from "North to South" and about 20 from the East.
On May 6, 1992, Worshipful Master J. R. Biggs invited Bro. John Smith, M.W.G.M. and his Grand Line to Charity's new Temple to conduct a "Corner Stone" ceremony. The Boumi Temple Highlanders drum and bagpipe corps "piped" the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge Line accompanied by the Worshipful Master and the Charity Lodge Line across the property to the Cornerstone. The Hereford High band provided appropriate patriotic music for the festivities. Brother Bill Hughes, then Commander of the Parkton Chapter of the American Legion, presented Worshipful Master Biggs and Charity Lodge with an American Flag. Local residents also attended the ceremonies and press coverage was provided by several local newspapers.
The following items were placed in the "time capsule" within
the cornerstone:
Charity Lodge Communications for 1992
A picture of the new building prior to renovation.
Three pictures of the old building in Parkton, Md.
Pictures of the 1992 line officers, Charity Lodge Past Masters present
at the 1992 Installation of officers.
A glass from the Cornerstone Ceremony
Charity Lodge By-laws from 1991
A directory of Lodges and appendant Masonic bodies
A 1992 Grand Lodge Directory of Officers, Lodges and Worshipful Masters
A Bible
A picture of Grand Master Smith
1991 Grand Lodge Proceedings
A 1991 Commemorative coin from the Ground Breaking Ceremony at Bonnie
Blink
A 1991 Commemorative coin from Harvest Home Day
Cornerstone Ceremony Program
Volume XXXVIII number 4 of the Knight Templar, the Spring 1992 issue
of the Royal Arch agazine
The June 1992 issue of the Scottish Rite Journal
The "Star Spangled Banner" issue of the Scottish Rite magazine.
The Corner Stone was donated by Joseph and Ronald Silbaugh of Silbaughs' Memorial Stones in Shrewsbury, Pa. Arrangements for this were handled by Morris Bohlayer, Senior Warden. In addition the Silbaughs donated the marble squares used by the Deacons during degree work.
During 1992, the Lodge journeyed to New York to visit Garabaldi Lodge to watch the conferral of an Entered Apprentice Degree. All Degree work was done in Italian. Garabaldi operates under dispensation of the Grand Lodge of Italy and confers the Italian EA Degree.
Charity Lodge also held a Worshipful Master's Night, with visiting Worshipful Master's occupied the chairs and conferred a Fellowcraft Degree.
On October 30, 1993, Past Masters night, Brother Jon Thompson was the last member to be raised in the old Temple in Parkton. Jon was raised by Past Master John Dell. W. M. Bohlayer closed the final meeting in the old Lodge room that night.
On November 27, 1993, Brother Morris Bohlayer, Worshipful Master, opened Lodge in the new building for the very first time. The weather did not treat us kindly, dumping 5" of rain that weekend. It did not deter many masons however, as approximately 100 brethren braved the elements and attended that long awaited meeting. Brother Bohlayer was the last Worshipful Master to close Lodge in the old Temple.
On March 26, 1994 Brother Art Stika conferred the first degree work in the new Temple. Brother Stika presided in the East and passed Brother Paul Edgar Neal to the degree of Fellow Craft.
On May 14, 1994 Worshipful Master George E. Lang III, P.M. hosted The Most Worshipful Grand Master William M. Clark and his Grand Line. Grand Master Clark presided over the "Dedication Ceremony" for the new Charity Lodge new building.
On June 4, 1994, Worshipful Master George E. Lang III, P.M. initiated the first candidate in the new Temple.
In 1995 Charity Lodge received 14 petitions and WM Arthur R. Stika performed degree work at almost every communication.
In 1996
In 1997
In January 1998 Bro. John R. Biggs, Jr., P.M. was appointed W. Sr. Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Maryland. WM (elect) Jon A. Thompson, Sr, invited MWGM John C. Naquin and the Grand Line to conduct the installation ceremonies. 102 masons attended the festivities. Brother John R. Biggs, P.M., invested the Deacons.
In April 1999 Charity Lodge sponsored nineteen (19) candidates for the Grand Masters first "one-day" class to receive the 3 degrees of Masonry. Seventeen (17) of those brothers completed their catechism and stood proficiency in 3rd Degree at the Regular Communication in February of 2000. One, Bro. Eric Sopp attained the East in 2006.
In November of 1999, Bro. John R. Biggs, Jr., P.M. was elected R.W. Sr. Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Maryland. Bro. Biggs became the first Charity Lodge member to be elected to Grand Line. Bro. George Lacey, P.M. was appointed W. Grand Tyler.
In January 2000 WM (elect) Frederick Laser, Jr, invited M.W.G.M. Francis E. Larrimore and the Grand Line to conduct the installation ceremonies. The first "open lodge" (which allowed non-masons to attend Lodge) in Charity's history was opened "in due form" by WM James L. McLaughlin. There were 130 guests present, including the 22 month old grand daughter of the new Worshipful Master, Miss Samantha Laser, who became the first non-mason family member to present the WM with his gavel.
The Grand Master and Grand Line Officers were received and given "Public" Grand Honors. Also, a rare occurrence, in the history of the Maryland Grand Lodge, a non-Past Master was appointed as a Grand Line Officer. That officer, Brother George W. Lacey III, Worshipful Grand Tyler, had served in the line at Charity Lodge since being raised in 1995 and, on this night, was installed as Charity's Senior Warden. Bro. John R. Biggs, R.W. Sr. Grand Warden, invested Brother Lacey with the Jewel of his office and delivered the charge to the Wardens.
On August 19, 2000 WM Frederick Laser, Jr. and a full line of Officers returned to Kingston, Tennessee, for "Union Lodge No. 38's annual Eblen's Cave Degree." There, under dispensation, they exemplified the Maryland 3rd degree on Brother Bobby Phillips, a member of Orange Grove Lodge, Orange Grove, Mississippi. At the conclusion of the ceremony WM Laser made Brother Phillips an "ornery" member of Charity Lodge No. 134.
In November, 2000 Bro. Morris Bohlayer, P.M. was elected R.W. Jr. Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Maryland. Charity Lodge No. 134 had Grand Line elected officers in two successive years. Bro. George Lacey was appointed W. Assistant Grand Organist.
On January 6, 2001, W.M. Frederick Laser, Jr., opened a regularly tiled lodge and received M.W.G.M. Bennie G. Owens, and the Grand Line Officers of Maryland for the years 2000 and 2001. W.M. Laser then proceeded to install W.M. (elect) George W. Lacey, III, PGT, and Asst. Grand Organist. WM Lacey installed the line officers of Charity Lodge for the year 2001.
The Senior Warden (elect), Bro. David E. Dell Jr, PM, was presented with the jewel of his office, and invested by Bro. John R. Biggs, RWPSGW. The Junior Warden (elect), Bro. Frederick Laser, Jr., PM, was presented with the jewel of his office and invested by Bro. Morris L. Bohlayer. R.W. Jr. Grand Warden. The Tyler, Bro. George E. Lang, Jr., was charged by W.M. Lacey, PGT, AGO.
Brother John R. Biggs, PM, charged the Worshipful Master and Brother Stephen R. Kearney, PM. charged the Wardens. All other Lodge Officers were presented and invested by Past Masters of Charity Lodge. Brother James L. Rosier, charged the Lodge.
In the Spring of 2004 M.W. Bro. John A. Young appointed Bro. John Biggs Grand Lecturer, taking the place of Bro. Edward B. Kraft, who retired from that appointment after 18 1/2 years of faithful service.
In the fall of 2004, Bro. J.R. Biggs, P.M. was elected R.W. Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maryland.
In the Spring of 2004, both honorary members of Charity Lodge, Bro. Kraft and Frazer were given the title of Emeritus by M.W. Bro. Ronald G. Belanger.
During the November 18th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, R.W. Bro. Biggs was elected to become the next Grand Master for this Grand Lodge. He was installed in that chair the following day, November 18th at 2 p.m. The Maryland State Police Color Guard presented the colors, and the Boumi Shrine Highlanders piped the Grand Master and Grand Line to the Grand East. Presentations to the new Grand Master were made by his wife, presenting him with a replica of the George Washington's gavel, and other gifts were given by his family. W.M. Eric Sopp, and by Greg Hudnet of Charity Lodge also made presentations.