OLIVE BRANCH 38 CELEBRATES 175 YEARS

 

Stated Meetings

First and Third Tues.

Olive Branch Lodge No. 38, A. F. & A. M.

Masonic Temple – 109 W. North St.; P.O. Box 1773

Telephone 217/446-7620

Danville, Illinois  61832

 

The year 2021 marks the 175^th anniversary of the Chartering of Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 by the Grand Lodge of Illinois on October 6, 1846.  In observance of this milestone, the lodge has shared several blog posts about the history of the lodge and its members at https://olivebranchlodge38.blogspot.com/.  The lodge has also planned two events scheduled for late September and early October to celebrate the occasion. 

The first of these events, the Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 175^th Anniversary Celebration and Memorial Service, is scheduled for Saturday September 25th at Spring Hill Cemetery in Danville.  This event is free, open to the public, and requires no reservations.  This celebration and service will be a Sunrise ceremony beginning at 6:30 am.  It will include a brief talk on the men who have been important to the creation and sustainment of the lodge and conclude with an exhibition of the Masonic Funeral Service in honor of all of our Brethren who have passed.  The ceremony will take place near the grave sites of both William E. Russell, the first Master of Olive Branch Lodge, and John P. Norvell, who served the lodge as Master more times than any other.  Please enter the south section of the Cemetery from Voorhees Street and follow the instruction of the parking directors on site and park on the right hand side of the road.  The gate will open at 5:30 am—please arrive well before the start time to allow yourself time to park and walk to the ceremony site.  The event should last 30-40 minutes.  Please bring your own lawn chair if you will need to sit during the ceremony.

The second of the events will be a Lodge Rededication Ceremony performed by the Grand Master and Officers of the Grand Lodge of Illinois.  This event is scheduled for Saturday October 2, 2021 at the Danville Masonic Center at 109 W. North Street, Danville.  This event will rededicate the lodge for Masonic purposes and offer an opportunity for all of us to reflect on where the lodge has been in the past and where it is going in the future.  The doors to the Masonic Center will open at 11:00 am.  The Rededication ceremony will begin at noon.  There is no cost to attend this ceremony and friends and family are welcome. 

We invite you to and hope you will be able to join us at these events.

 

 

First Master's gravestone refurbished

 Earlier this year, members of the Olive Branch Lodge 38  visited the Spring Hill Cemetery grave of William E. Russell, the first Master of the lodge and the man most responsible for the establishment of Freemasonry in our area, and found his gravestone in a state of disrepair.  Knowing what needed to be done about it, the lodge voted to have the stone professionally refurbished.  The stone had been removed from the cemetery for repair and progress was being made.  Lodge members visited the gravesite on Wednesday, September 9th as they prepared for their 175th Anniversary Celebration and Memorial Service that will be held there at sunrise on September 25th.  They were pleased to find that the refurbished stone had been placed and looked great.  Here are some before and after pictures to see the difference.  To learn the story of Brother Russell and honor him and the other Brethren that have come before us, join us at the sunrise event to begin at 6:30 am at SpringHill Cemetery on Saturday September 25, 2021.

1946 G. Haven Stephens News article transcribed

 The September 29, 1946, Commercial-News article written by Dr. G. Haven Stephens describing the history of Olive Branch Lodge 38 at its 100th anniversary has been transcribed and can be read at a page of this website here https://olivebranchlodge38.blogspot.com/p/sunday-commercial-news-olive-branch.html.