Silent Strength in the Community
By Jonathan Gramling
As a part of his art exhibit Dark Matter, at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, British artist Faisal Abdu’Allah explores cultural representation and self-determination. Abdu’Allah, associate dean for the Arts, School of Education, is also a member of the Prince Hall Masons.
According to Wikipedia, Prince Hall tried to gain a place for New York's enslaved and free blacks in Freemasonry, education, and the military, which were some of the most crucial spheres of society in his time. When the Freemasons refused to admit African Americans because they were not born free, Hall established Black Freemasonry in the United States in 1784, known today as Prince Hall Freemasonry.
Prince Hall Freemasonry is alive and well in the state of Wisconsin with 565 members engaged in different levels of the Freemasonry movement. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Wisconsin is the umbrella organization, which is led by Most Worshipful Grand Master Samuel Stotts, who is the 33rd M.W. Grand Master in Wisconsin’s history.
“There is no limit in the Masonic Order,” said Ralph Sirmons, the Illustrious Potentate of Salaam Temple #83 centered in Madison. “It’s open for everyone. If you want to join the organization, you can. The only criteria that we really have is we do a background check. And we want to make sure that you believe in a Supreme Being. Believing in a Supreme Being could be Allah. It could be Buddha. You have to believe that there is someone who is more superior than you are.”
While the Freemasons have been depicted as a mysterious organization and has been the subject of some debunked conspiracy theories, the Prince Hall Masons are dedicated to service to the community.
“The basic tenets of Freemasonry are Faith, Hope and Charity and Making Good Men, Better Men,” said Alan Chancellor, the Past Master of Capitol Lodge #2.
The color line that had been strictly drawn back in 1784, there has been some mending of the divide that had separated Freemasons.
“There are 27 states now that have basically recognized that it has nothing to do with skin color,” Sirmons said. “We’re all trying to do the same thing. We are all equal. Wisconsin is one of those states and it is really big in Wisconsin. Annually we have a golf outing for all of us to be together and have song and toast and celebrate some of the things done throughout the year.”
While there are indications that Freemasons lived in Wisconsin since the 1800s, the Wisconsin Freemasons formally organized in 1925 and have grown to include 11 Lodges.
“In Madison, we have Capitol City Lodge #2,” Sirmons said. “In Beloit, we have W. B. Kennedy Lodge #3. In Racine we have Southgate Lodge #6. In Kenosha, we have Joppa Lodge #9. In Milwaukee, we have seven lodges: Widow’s Son Lodge #1, Blazing Star Lodge #4, Corinthian Lodge #5, Ashler Lodge #7, Tyre Lodge #8, King David Lodge #10 and True Square Lodge #11. The reason Milwaukee has seven lodges is because we started in 1925 in the state of Wisconsin. Back then, there were four lodges started. But on certain nights, most of the Brothers worked in factories. They would get paid overtime to work on Saturdays and so they couldn’t meet on Saturdays because they earned time and a half. Different lodges formed so that if your schedule didn’t work with one lodge, you could join another lodge. I’m a member of Ashler Lodge #7, which is actually in Milwaukee.”
There are many different levels that compose the Prince Hall Masons in Wisconsin.
“Masonry is 33 different degrees,” Sirmons said. “Physically what most people see is the Square, the Compass and the letter G. Those are the first three degrees of Masonry. It really is the first seven degrees of Masonry. That’s what most people see when people they get involved in Masonry at that level. That’s what most people are accustomed to seeing.”
As people rise through the ranks of the Masons, there is the Consistory, which is composed of 32nd Degree Masons.
“Our Consistory is a solemn assembly where a group of men come together and we make the decisions,” Sirmons said. “We are in the Northern jurisdiction. There are 26 states that make up the Northern Jurisdiction. We fall under the United Supreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rites of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliated Northern Jurisdiction USA where the Honorable Dr. Melvin Bazemore is our Sovereign Grand Commander. He resides in Maryland and our cathedral is in Philadelphia. That’s where all of the 32nd Degree Masons north of the Mason-Dixon Line fall under his leadership.”
There are two Consistories in Wisconsin, the Madison-Beloit Consistory #84 led by Illustrious Commander-in-Chief Bobby Moore and Iconic Consistory #70 led by Illustrious Commander-in-Chief Velvon E. Summers with approximately 265 members between them.
Black women have their own organization within Prince Hall Freemasonry.
“When we talk about the Masonic Order, there is also the Order of the Eastern Stars, the women’s side of Masonry,” Sirmons said. “There are nine chapters in the state. We have one in Madison, one in Beloit, one in Racine, One in Kenosha and five in Milwaukee. Just like the Consistory, the women have the Golden Circle, which is their 32nd Degree. There are two chapters of the Golden Circle, one in Milwaukee and one in Madison and Beloit. For the Order of the Eastern Star, the Grand Worthy Matron is Kathleen Crape.”
In addition to the Lodges, Consistories and 33rd Degree Masons and the Knights Templar, there are the shrines.
“There are two Prince Hall Shrines in the state of Wisconsin,” Sirmons said. “There is Zembo Temple #70, which is in Milwaukee and Marshall Tharpe is the Blessed Potentate. And then we have a temple in Madison, which is Salaam Temple #83. I am the Blessed Potentate there. With all of the different organizations, we also have our Grand Master who is the Honorable Samuel Stotts. He is the Grand Master for all of the Masons in the state of Wisconsin. Every organization reports to him. And Sam is the 33rd Grand Master of the state of Wisconsin. The Grand Master is elected by the members to a two-year term.”
And the children are not left out. There are the Knights Templar and Star Lighter groups for them.
While the Prince Hall Freemasons is a complex organization, they are primarily about community service, offering their own programming like making sure that Black youth meet a Black Santa — and receive gifts — at Christmas or by supporting others’ programming.
“The biggest thing that we do is every penny we raise goes back into the community,” Sirmons said. “There is nothing for us. One thing that I say and I tell people when they say they want to become a mason is ‘Masonry is very accessible. You travel all over the state and country. It’s what you can do for your community. The biggest things that we believe in is Brotherly Love.”
Next issue: The work of Capitol City Lodge #2