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Maine Masons

Mike Mendelson

Registered User
Hello to my Mainiac Brothers! My grandfather and great grandfather were masons in Lewiston (Rabboni Lodge). I've been trying for two years to find out about their masonic history but so far, "official channels" haven't gotten anything done. My dad, who is not a mason, but very happy I joined, is getting on in years and I would dearly love to give the both of us more information about our family's involvement in this great fraternity of ours. Please let me know if anyone out there on these great message boards can help, and feel free to PM or respond directly so we can connect. Thank you in advance!
 

Keith C

Registered User
The way I read your post, you are a Freemason under the Grand Lodge of Maine and are seeking information on the Masonic History of your relatives.

What "Official Channels" have you tried? Has the Secretary of your Lodge contacted the Secretary of Rabboni Lodge No 150? Has he contacted the Grand Secretary?

Outside of "Official Channels" what have you tried? Did you contact the Secretary of Rabboni Lodge No 150? Did you leave a message on their Facebook Page? Did you attend one of their Stated Meetings and ask the Secretary directly? If not those are all things you can try.
 

Mike Mendelson

Registered User
I am a Master Mason under the Grand Lodge of Maryland. I have made the request through my lodge secretary, who was supposed to make the request through my Grand Lodge, to the Maine Grand Lodge. I was told this was the proper way. Nothing for two years. I can try contacting Rabboni Lodge directly. I just don't want to get slapped for it.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
I'm a Mason in Minnesota. My grandfather was a Mason in Illinois. I sent them an email, explaining who I was and what information I was looking for. They could have replied "send the request through your lodge secretary to the Minnesota Grand Secretary, who will make the request of the Illinois Grand Secretary." They didn't. The next day a copy of my grandfather's Masonic record was attached to a reply email as a PDF.

After all, they respond to request like this from non-Mason relatives all the time.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
The best way of thinking about the etiquette of masonic correspondence is peer to peer or within groups with someone in the group being about to write outside it. Members can informally write to members. Only GSec should write to other GSecs (or their reps). GM to GM. WM to WM etc. A big factor is once it is outside your jurisdiction, the ideal is GSec to GSec for correspondence.... and there is a real difference between formal and informal correspondance. I would drop an email to a WMGM anywhere I knew if writing informally, officially, I would get our GSec to write to his GSec or authorise me to do so...

The logic which is being followed was - member write to his Sec. His Sec writes to his GSec, His GSec write to other Jurisdictions GSec. We can all immediatly see the potential problems..

@MarkR is correct. The public often writes to GLs, so don't write to them as a Freemason, write to them as a member of the public, but do mention in somewhere that you are a Freemason.

Better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission sometimes... because you have seen where that has (not) go you @Mike Mendelson

One thing, they will have a policy. Usually, the member need to be deceased, or deceased for a certain time before they will release records (also remembering they are also affected by any privacy laws).

Also note, I am aware we have members over 100, so age alone won't see the record released unless of an impossible age.

Give as much detail as possible, full name (including middle names), DOB, location.. and sometimes profession can help. Hopefully your relative is not called John Smith !
 

Keith C

Registered User
I apologize for misunderstanding the Jurisdiction you are under.

My Grandfather was a Mason in Connecticut. I had no idea what Lodge he belonged to. I asked my Secretary how best to find his Masonic history and her said the "Official" way would likely take several months. He said "Just send an email to the Connecticut Grand Secretary" which I did. I received a reply in about a week's time giving me the Lodge he was a member of as well as the dates of his degrees and the current Lodge with which his original Lodge merged in to.
 

Thomas Stright

Premium Member
I am a Master Mason under the Grand Lodge of Maryland. I have made the request through my lodge secretary, who was supposed to make the request through my Grand Lodge, to the Maine Grand Lodge. I was told this was the proper way. Nothing for two years. I can try contacting Rabboni Lodge directly. I just don't want to get slapped for it.

After I became a MM here in Texas, i emailed the GL of PA to inquire on my late grandfathers history.
Received a reply within the week will his complete history from when he joined in 43 to his passing in 2002.
Grand Secretary of PA was most pleasant and very helpful.
 

Keith C

Registered User
After I became a MM here in Texas, i emailed the GL of PA to inquire on my late grandfathers history.
Received a reply within the week will his complete history from when he joined in 43 to his passing in 2002.
Grand Secretary of PA was most pleasant and very helpful.
Our Grand Secretary does great work.

There is also a staff of researchers at our Grand Lodge Library who access such information quickly, since the vast majority has been digitized
 
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