(Chelsea Update would like to thank Dustin Suntheimer for the information in this story.)
Early in January, 1865, a group of men gathered for the first Installation of officers in the newly chartered Olive Lodge #156 of Free and Accepted Masons in Chelsea.
Many of their names now adorn the names of the streets on which we live and many have still have family in our community. It was a small group but they had taken the initiative to petition the Grand Lodge of Michigan for their own charter and were granted the right to lawfully meet and begin their charitable work.
They were the pillars of our community – the business men, the farmers, the shop owners, everyday working men, and all were united by a single purpose – to play an active, yet discreet, role in making Chelsea a better place to live.
Since that time, Olive Lodge has persisted through many wars, economic ups and downs, and has seen the birth of the most technologically sophisticated age known on the planet. It has witnessed the progress of our country, the spread of Democracy, and it has seen 28 Presidents- many of whom themselves were Freemasons, elected to office. Your local lodge has stood alongside the growth of Chelsea and we continue to do so today.
On Dec. 9, 2014, Olive Lodge #156 held its 150th Annual Installation of Officers much in the same manner as it has done for the past century and a half. Peacefully climbing the stairs to the lodge, the men and their families saw their fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and fellow brothers happily accept the responsibilities of the office to which they were elected. They snapped pictures of smiling faces and enjoyed a meal that was shared by all who attended.
Before departing, some of the men remained to take stock in the accomplishments of what their brothers, past and present, had done for the community. There were stories of pancake breakfasts, Euchre tournaments, spaghetti dinners, and endless rolls of raffle tickets. Donations to charitable organizations, scholarships, and of quiet deeds that have gone unsung.
They spoke of times when lodges were packed so full they had every seat in the lodge full. It was a moment for grandfathers to remember initiating their sons and grandsons into Masonry and how that tradition in the world’s oldest fraternity had given to them so much more than they ever asked of Freemasonry.
As we move through this year, Olive Lodge #156 will be hosting several events in celebration of our sesquicentennial anniversary.
There will be a re-dedication of our charter, public open houses to allow a glimpse of the lodge and its members, and special times when you can see who was a member long since passed.
We will also be publishing additional articles through this year for Chelsea to become more familiar with its own lodge and piece of Masonic history.
The regular meetings are on the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m.
For more information, contact them at 734-972-2693 or via email at [email protected].
