75th Anniversary Our Seventy-Fifth Anniversary was observed in a very fitting manner under Wor. Master Stuart D. Coward with Rt. Wor. Robert Gillette as Chairman. The Lodge opened a Special Communication at 5:30 for the purpose of receiving the Grand Lodge Officers who were escorted into the Lodge by the Past and Present Masters. Rt. Wor. Curtis Chipman, Deputy Grand Master, was received as Acting Grand Master in the absence of Most Wor. Grand Master Dudley H. Ferrell who was visiting Lodges in South America. Following the meeting an informal reception was held for the Grand Lodge Officers during which Organist Thomas C. Auld gave an organ recital. At the conclusion of the reception a banquet was held in the auditorium which was decorated with greenery, potted plants and ferns while the centerpiece of the stage was a large portrait of Wor. Samuel K. Hutchinson, the first Master of Mount Tom Lodge. One of the interesting events occurred just as Rt. Wor. Robert Gillette rose to introduce the Deputy Grand Master, when a bugler took his position at the rear of the auditorium and sounded a call. On this signal two members of the Lodge rolled a table into the room upon which had been placed a huge birthday cake adorned with seventy-two lighted candles. At the apex of the cake were three unlighted candles which the present historian designated the Past, Present and Future, and called upon Bro. Robert T. Prentiss, the oldest Mason present to light the Past. Wor. Bro. Stuart D. Coward the Master was then called upon to light the Present and Bro. James G. Sinclair, one of the youngest members, to light the Future. The Secretary then called the roll of the twenty-five living Past Masters and of this number thirteen responded. The celebration was climaxed with an Anniversary Ball which was held at the Hotel Nonotuck. Throughout the entire program one significant fact was the note of prophecy for the future, the feeling that the past alone did not suffice, but that the Seventy-Fifth Birthday of the Lodge merely stood as one of many milestones and that the same obligations which have actuated the Masters and members of the Lodge in the past must be the motive which will serve as a guide to the Lodge during the years to come. At the Official visitation of Rt. Wor. A. Anderson Mackimmie on October 14, 1927, the first presentation of Fifty-Year Medals was made. The recipients were Bros. David H. Lowe and Alvah Oldershaw. Medals were also provided for Bros. Joshua H. Fraser, Charles C. Jenks, Leon M. Mosher, Marden W. Prentiss and William A. Prentiss, who were unable to be present. The Eighty-Fifth. Anniversary of the Lodge was celebrated April 25, 1935, in a less pretentious manner than the Seventy-Fifth but nevertheless befitting the occasion. We were honored by the presence of the Most Wor. Grand Master Claude L. Allen and his suite who participated in honoring a group of fifty-year members. Bros. William J. Crosier, William Henderson and John Leishmann were presented their Fifty-Year Medals and R. W. David Glassford was instructed to present similar medals to Bros. William S. Beeching, George W. Collins and George R. Stalker who were unable to be with us that evening. Again on May 26,1939, in the presence of Most Wor. Grand Master Joseph L. Perry and 237 Brethren, the Lodge was pleased to honor its members of fifty years. On that date Fifty-Year Medals were presented to R. Wor. Archibald A. Brooks, Bro. John Thomson and Bro. George P. Rice. Similar Medals were also awarded to Bros. Edmund J. Crowther, Frank L. Haskell, Addison L. Green and Frederick F. Celce who were unable to be present. During the 1930's the heavy hand of the great depression was felt by industries and business throughout the land and its consequent results reached into fraternal organizations of which Mount Tom Lodge was no exception. As a result applications fell off and the finances were affected accordingly. Retrenchment was necessary in order to live within our income. | Previous Page | Contents | Next Page | | Mt. Tom 100th Anniversary | | Mount Tom Lodge Home | | HolyokeMass.com Blog | HolyokeMass History | Hampden County | | Western Mass History & Genealogy | © Laurel O'Donnell 1997 - 2012, all rights reserved This is an adaptation of the original publication This document may be downloaded for personal non-commercial use only and cannot be reproduced or distributed without permission.