OGDENSBURG -- Members of Masons Builders Lodge 177, Ottawa, Ontario, and Carleton Lodge 465, Carp, Ontario, made an official visit to the June meeting of Ogdensburgh Acacian Lodge 128 Free & Accepted Masons in the lodge at State and Washington Streets to attend the lodge’s annual awards and ritual education night.

The evening started with a presentation of a purple and gold Grand Steward apron to John B. Kennedy, III, recently appointed to the Grand Master’s staff by James Sullivan, Grand Master of Masons in New York State. Philip J. Arno, Master of 128, and William F. Gokey, Secretary, made the apron presentation.

Members up for years of membership pins were: Brig./Gen. Frank Martin and Preston Carlisle, 50 year pin; Robert A. Martin, Wm. Douglas Popple, James A. Mix, and Henry W. Norman, 40 year pin; Irwin W. Shaver, 35 year pin; Kenneth Graves, Rev. Walter Smith, and James H. Ott, 30 year pin; Ronald J. Pitts, 20 year pin.

Kevin Leeson and Morris “Skip” Weller, Honorary Members of 128, performed a flawless 30-minute Masonic ritual recitation entirely from memory. The Canadian visitors were thoroughly impressed and entertained by the demonstration.

The evening was topped off by a home-cooked lasagna dinner in the “down-under” lodge social rooms. The dinner was personally cooked and donated by member John B. Kennedy, Jr., father of newly appointed Grand Lodge Staff Officer, John B. Kennedy, III.

Blake Farmer, Secretary of Carleton Masonic Lodge 465 of Carp, Ont., summed up by stating, “Coordinating and getting this many of our Canadian Members together to visit a Lodge in the U.S.A. probably could be compared to trying to herd a gang of feral cats the length of a football field, but the warm hospitality and genuine fraternal friendship extended to us this evening in Ogdensburg has made our visit well worth the trip!”

The Masonic Fraternity is worldwide and they are the oldest fraternal organization in the world. The Masonic Lodge in Ogdensburg was first chartered in 1809, making it the oldest lodge in northern New York.

The Ogdensburg Masons started the construction of their present lodge building in 1917 and the Masonic Fraternity has been holding regular meetings in the same building since its completion in 1919.