The history of Prince Hall Masonry in Hawaii begins with Prince Hall.
PRINCE HALL,
Master of the African Lodge, No. 1 June 30th, 1784; in the year of Masonry 5784. In the name of the Holy Lodge.
C.UNDERWOOD, Secretary
TEXT OF THE ORIGINAL CHARTER [copy]
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:
Thus were we greeted by the Grand Lodge of England, on the 29th day of September, A.L. 5784, A.D. 1784; the following said Greeting was warranted 459, granted by the Grand Lodge of England on petition of Prince Hall, Boston Smith,Thomas Sanderson, and several other Masons of Boston, constituting them into a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons.
To All and Every:
Our Right Worshipful and loving Brethren, we, Thomas Hall, Earl of Effingham, Lord Howard, etc., etc., acting Grand Master under the authority of His Royal Highness, Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, etc., etc., etc., Grand Master of the Most Ancient and honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, send greeting.
Know Ye, That we, at the humble petition of our right trusty and well beloved Brethren, Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson, and several other Brethren residing in Boston, New England in North America, do hereby constitute the said Brethren into a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, under the title or denomination of the African Lodge, to be opened in Boston aforesaid, and do further at their petition, hereby appoint the said Prince Hall to be Master, Boston Smith, Senior Warden, and Thomas Sanderson, Junior Warden, for the opening of the said Lodge, and for such further time only as shall be though proper by the brethren thereof, it being our will that this our appointment of the above officers shall in no wise affect any future election of officers of the Lodge, but that such election shall be regulated agreeably to such bylaws of said Lodge as shall be consistent with the general laws of the society, contained in the Book of Constitutions and we hereby will require you, the said Prince Hall, to take especial care that all and every one of said Brethren are, or have been regularly made Masons, and that they do observe, perform and keep all the rules and orders contained in the Book of Constitutions; and, further, that you do, from time to time, cause to be entered in a book kept for the purpose, an account of your proceedings as shall be made for the good government of the same; that in no wise you will omit once in every year to send us, or our successors, Grand Master, or to Roland Holt, Esq., our Deputy Grand Master, for the time being, an account in writing of your said proceedings and copies of all such rules, orders and regulations as shall be made as aforesaid, together with a list of the members of the Lodge, and such a sum of money as may suite the circumstances of the Lodge, and reasonably be expected toward the Grand Charity. Moreover, we hereby will and require you the said Prince Hall, as soon as conveniently may be, to send an account in writing of what may be done by virtue of these presents.
Given at London under our hand and seal of Masonry, this 29th day of September, A. L. 5784 By the Grand Master command.
R. Holt, Deputy Grand Master
Attest: William White, Grand Secretary
==================
Prince Hall Masonry In the State of Hawaii
Prince Hall Freemasonry has been established in the State of Hawaii since 1912, with Masonic Lodges from the States of Missouri, California and Texas.
According to available data, the first Lodge in Hawaii was John M. McCarthy Lodge No. 50 when various members of the Buffalo Soldiers, who at the time were attached to the 25th Infantry Division stationed at Schofield Barracks was granted a Charter from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri. John M. McCarthy Lodge No. 50 together with Lodges in the Philippine Islands made up the 20th Masonic District under the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri.
In 1943 under the leadership of Grand Master George R. Vaughns of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California, Brother Henry J. Green Sr. was given the task of re-establishing a Prince Hall Lodge in the Hawaiian Islands. Brother Green came to the islands, and organized a Masonic Club in the city of Honolulu. This Club after working for a period in a manner satisfactory to the Grand Lodge, petitioned for U.D. status. On July 20, 1944 with a membership of mixed nationalities, numbering 54, Puuola Lodge No.51 was granted a charter with Brother Henry J. Green Sr., as first Worshipful Master.
In 1950, Past Grand Master Theodore Moss of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California authorized the formation of yet another Masonic Club that was the groundwork for Cosmopolitan Lodge U.D. The first in a series of meetings of the proposed Masonic Club was held in Good Samaritan Mission Hall at 1801 10th Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii on March 7, 1952. On May 29, 1954 Grand Master S.J. Hopkins with the assistance of Grand Marshall Stanley Y. Beverly instituted Cosmopolitan Lodge U.D. On May 28, 1955 with its membership of 45 Master Masons, Cosmopolitan Lodge No. 82 received its charter with Brother Ambrose M. Costa Sr. as its first Worshipful Master.
Kaneohe Bay Lodge No. 114 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California and Hawaii with Brother Terry Cook as its first Worshipful Master was granted a charter on July 23, 1992 under the leadership of Grand Master Harold D. Mure. New Hope Lodge No. 116 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California and Hawaii with Brother F.E. Fuller as its first Worshipful Master was granted a charter on September 19, 1995 under the leadership of Grand Master Joseph V. Nicholas.
Organization of The Grand Lodge
The members of Cosmopolitan Lodge No. 82, Pearl City, Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay Lodge No. 114, Kaneohe, Hawaii and New Hope Lodge No. 116, Wahiawa, Hawaii, all working under the Jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California and Hawaii Inc. and Aloha Military Lodge No. 635 working under the Jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas recognizing their inability to communicate with the grand officers about matters of importance which demands attention in a timely matter due to distance (2556 & 3792 miles) and time zones came together for a Prince Hall Masonic State Convention on a call from Right Worshipful District Deputy Grand Master Leslie C. Jones Sr. on April 15, 2000 in the city of Wahiawa, Hawaii.
The name of the four Lodges, and their Officers:
Cosmopolitan Lodge No. 82 F&AM, Pearl City, Hawaii (MWPHGL of CA & HI)
Gerald Burch – Worshipful Master
Harry Cleveland – Junior Warden
Maurice McCormick – Treasurer
Curtis Williams Jr. – Secretary
Kaneohe Bay Lodge No. 114 F&AM, Kaneohe, Hawaii (MWPHGL of CA & HI)
Linwood Richardson – Worshipful Master
Stephen M. King – Senior Warden
Clifton F. Reed – Junior Warden
Reginald Ingram – Treasurer
Milton D. Reed – Secretary
New Hope Lodge No. 116 F&AM, Wahiawa, Hawaii (MWPHGL of CA & HI)
Kyle W. Crump – Worshipful Master
Edward Smith – Senior Warden
George E. Washington – Treasurer
Anthony L. Brinson – Secretary
Aloha Military Lodge No. 635 F&AM, Schofield Barrack, Hawaii (MWPHGL of Texas)
Darryl Robinson – Worshipful Master
Eric Frazier – Senior Warden
Darrel Robinson – Junior Warden
Joaquin M. Diaz – Treasurer
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the establishment of a Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Hawaii. Past Master Anthony G. Adams of Aloha Military Lodge No. 635, MWPHGL of Texas, motioned that the four Lodges gathered, unite together and form what shall be here afterward known as the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Mason of Hawaii and Its Jurisdiction, Inc. This motion was seconded and carried. After some discussion with Grand Master Ronald Robinson of the MWPHGL of California and Hawaii and Grand Master Robert Connors of the MWPHGL of Texas, as a follow up to the action taken on April 15, 2000 each Lodge sent a letter to all members on roll and informed them that a separate vote would be taken at the stated meeting in December 2000 to withdraw its allegiance and obedience to the MWPHGL of California and Hawaii and the MWPHGL of Texas for the single purpose of establishing the MWPHGL of Hawaii and its Jurisdiction, Inc. After the vote, Aloha Military Lodge recanted and the three Lodges working under the Jurisdiction of California and Hawaii vote unanimous to withdraw and establish.
At the 82nd meeting of the Conference of Grand Masters held in the State of North Carolina, with the Most Worshipful Grand Master Deary Vaughn, Jurisdiction of Oklahoma, President, the Jurisdiction of Hawaii was recognize and accepted into the fraternity of Prince Hall Grand Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons.
On June 2, 2001, at the hour of 10:30 am, at the Pacific Beach Hotel located the City of Honolulu, State of Hawaii, the Honorable Ronald Robinson, MWGM of California and Hawaii presided over the consecration and dedication, of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. &A.M. of Hawaii and Its Jurisdiction and installed the following Elective Officers:
Leslie C. Jones Sr. – Most Worshipful Grand Master
Ervin Hendrix Jr. – R.W. Deputy Grand Master
Morris Johnson Jr. – R.W. Grand Senior Warden
Douglas A. Taylor – R.W. Grand Junior Warden
Ronald Ward – R.W. Grand Treasurer
Lindsey J. Morrell – R.W. Grand Secretary
Gerald Walton – R.W. Grand Lecturer
Committee on Original Constitution and Code
Leslie C. Jones Sr. – Past Master
Ervin Hendrix Jr. – Past Master
Morris Johnson Jr. – Past Master
Douglas A. Taylor – Past Master
Ronald Ward Jr. – Past Master
Charles Henderson – Master Mason
Eddie Wright – Master Mason
