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Written by Administrator
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A Brief History of Wyllys-St. John's Lodge No.4
About
244 years ago twelve members of the fraternity wrote a letter “Craving
a deputation” to permit formation of a lodge in Hartford. At this time
Masons were present in almost every town in the colony; but their home
lodges were elsewhere. The request for the “deputation” was directed to
the “Provincial Grand Master of the Ancient and Honorable Society of
Free and Accepted Masons in North America”. On March 21, 1762 a charter
was issued creating the First Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in
Hartford, a lodge that grew to become St. John’s Lodge #4, AF&AM.
Because
it was a hardship to attend meetings, a horse drawn buggy in good
weather requiring about an hour to make the trip to Hartford, some
brothers residing in West Hartford petitioned and successfully
established in 1866 a new lodge, Wyllys Lodge #99 AF&AM.
In
early 1988 societal forces and social changes of the previous few
decades had not acted favorably upon fraternal organizations (although
many feel the tide is now turning). Such pressures forced us to study
our circumstances at the time with diligent attention so as to seek a
solution for the survival of the fraternity in our locality. The
consolidation process was initiated in early 1988 by St. John’s Lodge
#4 and unanimously agreed upon by Wyllys Lodge #99 in December, 1988,
culminating in the formation of Wyllys-St. John’s Lodge #4 on December
31, 1988. This consolidation was a coming together of once separated
family members, as it were, who united to find the most effective
answer to the problems facing each respective lodge and the greater
fraternity of which all are a part. It created a united and
strengthened family with a strong and unwavering faith in God embarking
upon a new adventure as a more active and vigorous lodge, faithfully
promulgating Masonic principals and charities, and zealously benefiting
our brothers and our community. At full circle and over a century later
we are one again and continue to grow and spread the tenants of masonry
to successive generations of worthy recipients.
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