Sincerity Lodge 430 in Gray is commemorating its 125th anniversary next week with an open house, inviting the public to join the celebration.
The open house is scheduled Nov. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the facility will be open to the public during that time. The lodge is located at 402 E. Clinton Street in Gray.
According to its history, Sincerity Lodge 430 was chartered Nov. 2, 1899.
Sincerity Lodge 430 sponsors the Georgia Masonic Children’s Home, providing for the care and education of 30 kids who live at the home.
The lodge is led by Worshipful Master Scott Godwin.
Lodge Secretary Roger Hawke said they currently sponsor two girls ages 11 and 18.
“Members often go to the home to provide activities, such as pizza night, movie night, kick ball games and cookouts,” he said.
He said the lodge holds fundraisers, such as peanut sales and pheasant shoots, to help families in need, school organizations and other community needs.
In 2023 the Masons were contacted by the Gray Jaycees about the annual Christmas Parade.
“We had to decide whether to take it over or let it go,” Hawke said.
The members opted to take over the parade, and the 2023 parade was a rousing success. They stated planning for the 2024 parade almost immediately.
“It’s a team effort,” the secretary said. “We are one of the busiest lodges in the state.”
Sincerity Lodge 430 hosts a Public Safety Appreciation Day each year for firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and rescue volunteers and other first responders.
Hawke said that event includes lunch, music and games with lots of prizes. He said local car clubs also show up to show their appreciation.
They also provide scholarships and teacher awards in local schools and provide handicapped ramps to people in the community who need them free of charge.
“Masons are all about service. We enjoy doing it and enjoy getting out,” Hawke said. The secretary said the lodge has 140 members and average from 20-30 members at their meetings. They meet twice a month on the first and third Thursdays.
“We have a lot of young members, and that makes a difference,” he said.
More history
Freemasonry in Georgia dates back to 1734 with the founding of Solomon’s Lodge 1 in Savannah. Freemasonry in Jones County began in 1821 with Sincerity Lodge 23. That lodge met in Clinton and closed in 1835. Lodge 115 opened in 1850 and closed in 1866.
When Sincerity Lodge 430 was chartered, the members teamed with the Clinton School Trustees to build a two-story schoolhouse. The school met on the first floor with the lodge meeting on the second floor. The lodge moved to Gray in 1920 and to its present location in 1972.
Freemasonry is considered the world’s oldest fraternal organization with roots back to Solomon’s Temple.
The history states, “Masonry takes good men and makes them better by basing its efforts on morality, justice, charity, truth and the laws of God.”
