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2016 SESSION
16104708DWHEREAS, on December 13, 1865, Most Worshipful Edward H. Lane, Grand Master of Masons in the Commonwealth, presented Monitor Masonic Lodge No. 197 with its inaugural charter to be formed under the Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; and
WHEREAS, Monitor Lodge No. 197 was originally chartered in May 1863 as Monitor Lodge No. 113 by the Grand Lodge of Maryland, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, by request of freemasons serving in the United States Navy at Fortress Monroe during the Civil War; and
WHEREAS, on January 2, 1866, a healing ceremony took place above the stables of Fortress Monroe, officially establishing Monitor Lodge No. 197 under the Grand Lodge of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, on January 2, 1866, Monitor Lodge No. 197’s first Worshipful Master was J. G. Fulton, its first Senior Warden was R. H. Baughton, and its first Junior Warden was James Curry; and
WHEREAS, Monitor Lodge No. 197 is named in honor of the USS Monitor, which participated in a heroic battle with the CSS Virginia (originally the USS Merrimack) on March 9, 1862 (the first sea battle between iron ships), and tragically sank on December 31, 1862, in a gale off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Harrison Phoebus, the founder and namesake for the Phoebus township now within Hampton, was raised to Master Mason in Monitor Lodge No. 197 on January 13, 1871; and
WHEREAS, Monitor Lodge No. 197 has participated in the laying of numerous cornerstones for historical statues, churches, government buildings, and Masonic lodges, including participation at the Yorktown Victory Monument ceremony in October 1881 with United States President Chester A. Arthur, which marked 100 years after the surrender of General Cornwallis to Brother General George Washington, a Mason; and
WHEREAS, Monitor Lodge No. 197 met at St. Tammany Lodge No. 5 in 1894 when the horse stables at Fortress Monroe were torn down; Monitor Lodge No. 197 built and relocated to its new hall, at 212 E. Mellen Street, in Phoebus on October 20, 1894; and
WHEREAS, Monitor Lodge No. 197 continues to be the home and sponsoring body of Hampton Assembly No. 2, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, a Masonic youth organization for girls teaching leadership, service, and public service skills since 1974; and
WHEREAS, December 13, 2015, was the 150th anniversary of the chartering of Monitor Lodge No. 197 under the Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; at the time of the ceremony, the Worshipful Master was Joseph Daniel Grist, the Senior Warden was Fred Defrees Yagerhofer Miller, the Junior Warden was Hunter Wesley Routten, the Secretary was Michael Noel Spencer, and the Treasurer was Ryland Vincent Mundie; and
WHEREAS, the members of Monitor Lodge No. 197 continue to provide enlightenment to good men, making them better, by expressing a belief in God, religious tolerance, freedom, and equality; continue to teach temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice; and continue to promote charity not just to members of their Fraternity and their families but to all mankind; and
WHEREAS, the members of Monitor Lodge No. 197 look forward to another 150 years of service to the community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Monitor Masonic Lodge No. 197 hereby be commended on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Monitor Masonic Lodge No. 197 as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s congratulations and respect for its 150 years of fraternal, charitable, and philanthropic activities.