The Pride of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 12 currently is being reorganized, according to lodge worshipful master Alfred Blanton, a 32nd Degree mason.
The organization recently received its charter from the St. Matthew Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M. of Texas Inc. in Houston, under the leadership of Darrell Wilson, and is hoping to find real estate for the lodge home in Palestine as well as begin projects to help the community.
“Ten years ago St. Phillip’s No. 501 Lodge folded due to a lack of leadership,” Blanton said. “Approximately one year and six months ago, I began doing research on Palestine. Palestine has strong history in Masonic and Eastern Star in both the west and east divisions. Several years ago, Palestine even had one of the largest groups of Masons in the state.”
Blanton moved to the area after meeting his wife, Palestine resident Berto Clark. They will have been married one year on April 22.
After serving 48 years in law enforcement and retiring from the fire department in California in 1992, Blanton has been involved with the Masons ever since.
“I have had the opportunity to reorganize lodges in Lousiana, several in Texas, as well as in California and Arizona,” Blanton said.
While in Louisiana, he served as president of the non-profit community organization Pieces of the Past which organized Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations.
Second in command at the Pride of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 12 is senior warden Dwayne Dewberry. He serves as chief of security at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Powledge Unit and also has worked as a captain at the Beto, Coffield and Telford units.
He served at the Huntsville Fidelity Lodge 221 until Blanton requested his help in reorganizing the local lodge.
“We want this lodge to bridge the gap,” Dewberry said.
Dewberry has been a Mason for 23 years and was member of the first Prince Hall.
Other officers include: Darrell Hatton, secretary; Melvin McCrary, treasurer; Arthur Tillis, senior deacon; Lamon Reece, tyler; Hilton C. Bryant, junior warden; and Michael Mitchell, senior steward.
“We currently have applications in process for eight new members and are now ready to bring on the Pride of Palestine Eastern Star chapter,” Blanton said.
The lodge is currently waiting to see if they will be classified as a 501 c3 or a 501 c4 organization in order to plan the types of programs it will offer.
“Our main objective is to be supportive to the community at large,” Blanton said.
Current ideas for lodge programs include developing a food distribution center, an after-school tutoring program with a computer center, scholarships for students, and supporting other Mason charities.
“Our main project will be a juvenile unit that will take kids ages 7 and up and teach them the values of life,” Blanton said. “We want to teach them how to respect themselves first so that others will respect them and so that they will gain the respect of society as individuals.”
The leadership also plans to look into grants that will help support some of these programs.
“We are currently looking for property to be donated or leased that will be big enough to not only house these kinds of programs but also to serve as a Red Cross shelter if needed,” Blanton said.
Currently, the Pride of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 12 is meeting at the Palestine Senior Citizens Center.
“We need support from the community to go toward building funds or grants to obtain the type of property of building we are looking for,” Blanton said.
While the Pride of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 12 is not the only Masonic Lodge in Palestine, Blanton said he wants to work with other groups for the betterment of Palestine.
“Being a Mason is extremely important to me — God first, family second and Mason third,” he said. “I appreciate everything I have learned from other Masons over the years.”
For more information about the Pride of Palestine Masonic Lodge No. 12, call Blanton at 903-729-5577 or 903-391-3668.
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Pride of Palestine lodge reorganizing
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