At the March 25, 2025 Communication of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, Worshipful Master John L. King, Sr. recognized a number of First Responders for their recent heroism.

In front of a crowd of Lodge members, guests, friends and family, Mr. Stephen Bailey, Paramedic; Mrs. Chelsea Frady, A-EMT; and W. Bro. Charlie Strickland (Bowersville Lodge No. 595), Paramedic, were recognized for a recent act of heroism. 

On March 11, 2025, Bailey, Frady, and Strickland responded to a call for service. Upon arrival, they found Mrs. Patsy Chastain, who had suffered from a cerebrovascular event. They provided emergency life-saving assistance, and their rapid response helped to save the life of Mrs. Chastain. Their actions on that day exhibited the highest standards of the Emergency Medical Service, their profession, and saved the life of Mrs. Patsy Chastain.

Brother Scott O'Barr, Senior Warden of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, was also recognized. Bro. O'Barr recently made a presentation to the members of the Lodge about recognizing the signs of strokes/cardiac emergencies and how to react quickly. The training that he provided assisted W. Bro. Buddy Chastain in recognizing Mrs. Patsy's symptoms and responding quickly and appropriately.

Pictured are, from left to right, Bro. O'Barr, Mr. Bailey, Mrs. Frady, W.Bro. Strickland, and Mr. Brandon Gibson, EMS Director for Franklin County. Not pictured is Ms. Brittany Cannon, 911 Dispatcher, who assisted W.Bro. Chastain and got Mrs. Patsy the help she needed.

At the March 11, 2025 Communication of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, Senior Warden Scott O'Barr (as acting Master) presented Worshipful Master John L. King, Sr. with his 2025 Master's Pin.

On behalf of the members of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, I would like to congratulate the 2025 Officers of the Lodge. 

John L. King, Sr. was elected Worshipful Master of the Lodge. 

Bros. Scott H. O'Barr and Robert M. Ogburn were elected Senior and Junior Wardens, respectively.

WBs Mark A. Sewell and Joshua M. Blakely were re-elected to their positions as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.

And congratulations to the brothers appointed to stations within the Lodge. 

Reverend Brother Benjamin F. Johnson, III, was re-appointed as Chaplain. WB J. D. "Jackson" Rogers was appointed Senior Deacon, and Brother J. Craig Hughes was appointed Junior Deacon.

WB Thomas R. Craig was re-appointed Senior Steward and Bro. Howard G. Farmer, Jr. was appointed Junior Steward.

And Brother G. Kirk Strange was appointed Tyler.

Congratulations to the Officers and Brothers of Lavonia Lodge No. 241. We're going to do something special in 2025, and we couldn't have done it without WB Shannon L. Thomas, who just finished his tenure as Master. 

An era in Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM history ended this morning.

In 1961, the Lodge, with the assistance of Brother Hugh Whitworth, purchased the old Ford's Theater, which had burned (twice by some accounts). The Brothers of Lavonia Lodge then undertook the onerous task of rebuilding the theater and making it into their Masonic hall. They moved in a few years later after rebuilding.

In the earliest maps that we've found of the City of Lavonia (Fire Insurance Map from 1911, Sanborn Map Company), Lavonia Lodge was located in the second floor of the Alexander's Flowers building (blue circle in first image) and the Ford Theater site was a residence (red circle in first image).

In a subsequent release of maps by the same company in 1924, the Lodge was still in the same location (blue circle in second image), but instead of a residence, Sewell's Garage was located in what would later become the Ford Theater site (red circle in second image).

Eventually, Sewell's Garage closed its doors and the Ford Theater set up shop (date unknown). Lavonia Lodge members used to hear stories about the Ford Theater from Mrs. Margaret Ayers, who used to work there when she was young. (See third and fourth images).

Finally, after an unknown number of fires, Lavonia Lodge took over the property, rebuilt the building (see image five), and met there for over sixty years see image six).

It's bittersweet, seeing the demolition (see images seven, eight, and nine) of the Lodge that so many of us met at for so long, but Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM is moving onward and upward, to bigger and better things... and we're just getting started.

At a Called Communication of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, we hosted an Emergent Communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Georgia, F&AM, for the purpose of Dedicating the Lavonia Masonic Center. 

MWBro. Ben W. Polston, II, Grand Master of Masons in Georgia, and many of his Grand Lodge Officers, performed a Dedication of Masonic Hall Ceremony in the presence of our Brothers, family, and friends.

And in true Lavonia Lodge fashion, we added a twist. After the Dedication ceremony, Worshipful Master Shannon L. Thomas recognized the many Past Masters in attendance, as well some of our local elected officials. Then, with the assistance of MWB Polston, they presented a 60 Year Award to WB Albert E. Childs, Jr., who was Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in 1963 and presided over Lavonia Lodge in 1974. WB Childs was joined by his lady, Mrs. Bobbie Childs; Bro. Beau Childs, Mrs. Tonya Childs, and Master Landon Childs (son, daughter-in-law, and grandson). 

WB Thomas then, with the assistance of Bro. Howard Farmer, presented MWB Polston with an honorary membership to Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM.

MWB Polston then told the assembled crowd about his programs for the year, with an emphasis on the Masonic Home of Georgia (https://masonichomeofgeorgia.com/) and the services that it has provided for Georgia children for well over 100 years.

We were honored to have our families and friends, as well as 76 Brothers, representing 21 Lodges from two different states, and the elected councilmen from two local cities, join us for this momentous occasion.

... and we're just getting started!

UPDATE: Thank you to Brothers Phil Flattley, John King, and Mark Sewell, who helped with the Child Identification Program event. All told, we helped the families of ten children in adding a little bit of protection to their families.

Due to the recent alarming number of missing children reported in the news, Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM will be hosting the Georgia Child Identification Program (GA CHIP) at the Lavonia Masonic Center on Tuesday, July 16. We will begin at 12 noon so that interested parents can bring their children by before the Carnegie Library's Summer Reading Program begins. We will stay as late as needed to help every interested parent or guardian.

GA CHIP is completely FREE of charge, and the only information retained is the signed permission slip. Upon completion, all collected information is turned over to the child's parent or guardian.

GA CHIP is a resource that parents can turn over to law enforcement in case a child is ever reported abducted or missing, and stores the following information in one place:

• full color digital photographs of the child

• complete set of the child's fingerprints

• identifying information about the child

• DNA swab of the child

• scent sample for K9 tracking

If you're interested in having a kit for your child/children, please join us. If you know of a parent who might be interested, please share this post with them.

Please take a look at the brochure or video below, and we hope you'll join us on July 16.

If someone other than the Parent/Guardian will be bringing the child to the GACHIP event, please complete the following Permission Slip for each child and bring it with them when they come. 

https://gachip.org/images/documents/brochure.pdf

https://youtu.be/CtZfRkBZIEQ

At the June 25, 2024 meeting of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, WB Walter McCannon, District Deputy to the Grand Master of Masons in Georgia presented a 60 Year Award and Apron to Brother Benjamin F. Johnson, III, in the presence of numerous members of his family.

Lavonia Lodge counts itself lucky to have a Brother as wonderful as Bro. Ben. We love you.

And we're just getting started.

At the April 23, 2024 Meeting of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, WM Shannon L. Thomas (left) presented Bro. David H. Gill (right) with his 25 Year Certificate and Apron. 

Note: This presentation was VERY late. Bro. Gill is just two years away from reaching his 50 Year Milestone. The Award was apparently misplaced and was found when moving to the new Lavonia Masonic Center. We look forward to presenting Bro. Gill with his 50 Year Award in a more timely manner.

At the February 27, 2024 Meeting of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, WM Shannon L. Thomas (left) presented WB Mark A. Sewell (right) with his 25 Year Certificate, Apron, and Pin. 

At the Annual Communication of Lavonia Lodge No. 241 in December, the Lodge voted for its 2024 Officers.

WM Shannon L. Thomas

SW Matthew L. Johnson

JW John L. King, Sr.

Treasurer Mark A. Sewell

Secretary Joshua M. Blakely

Chaplain Benjamin F. Johnson, III

Senior Deacon Michael P. Ruff

Junior Deacon Evan L. Herring

Senior Steward Thomas R. Craig

Junior Steward Robert M. Ogburn

Tyler Ivan D. Haynes, Jr.

At the November 14 Communication of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, and in commemoration of Veteran's Day, WM Shannon Thomas recognized our Veterans.

After thanking them for their service and sacrifice, WM Thomas brought them forward and presented them with a Masonic Veteran's Challenge Coin.

Lavonia Lodge thanks our Veterans for their Service. 

Brothers and Friends, at a recent meeting of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, the Brothers of the Lodge decided to allow the Great Room (dining hall area) to be rented out for private events. This follows with the tradition of the Community Center providing event space to the public. Many of us, over the years, have attended events that were held at the Community Center, and many family reunions and traditions center around this space.

Recently, the City of Lavonia Downtown Development Authority reached out to us and asked if we could accommodate some groups during the month of December, since the renovations at the new Lavonia Community Center (the old Woodmen of the World building) are not complete. As such, we currently have three bookings for the month of December, with a few more pending.

At this time, and due to the speed at which this has occurred, the Lodge has decided to honor the deposit and rental fees used by the City of Lavonia, which are $150 for the deposit, and $150 for the event space rental.

If you are interested  in hosting an event in Lavonia, please take a look at the "Lavonia Masonic Center" tab at the top of this page. Feel free to refer your friends and family to the page as well, for more information. The calendar on the page shows the dates available and provides instructions for booking.

And keep checking in on the page, because we are actively making updates to the building and the amenities available.

Lavonia Masonic Center - lavoniamasoniccenter@gmail.com 

Mr. Andrew Schmakel (Phantom Fireworks) presented a Big Check to Lavonia Lodge No. 241

Brothers, you missed a great meeting on Tuesday, September 12. 

It was only our second meeting at our new location, but all the seats were filled. 

Lavonia Lodge No. 241 hosted visiting Brothers from in and out of state. WB Eddie M. Addison, Past Master of Spring Lodge No. 1174, AF&AM of Spring, Texas; and Brother Cory A. Baird, Junior Steward of Carson Valley Lodge No. 33, F&AM of Gardnerville, Nevada were present. Also present were Brothers from Grove Lodge No. 652, Mt. Airy Lodge No. 141, and John H. Jones Lodge No. 348.

We discussed the final stages of our relocation, held a Special Election to fill an officer vacancy (due to resignation), learned of new Committee appointments, and planned for upcoming fundraisers.

Finally, several presentations were made. WB R. Ben Shiretzki, Jr., was belatedly presented with his 25 year award, as well a that of his late brother, Bro. Harry Shiretzki. Bro. Randall S. West was also presented with his Lodge apron. 

Please make plans to join us soon, as big things are coming!

Strange title, good day. We met at the new Lodge building on Saturday, August 5, at 9AM. We cleaned out and cleaned up the temporary Lodge Room.

Then we migrated to the old Lodge building and moved and cleaned the Lodge furniture that we need for the new Lodge.

Then we got our new (temporary) Lodge room set up!

We had a great day, and thank you to all the Brothers, and Mrs. Alexx, for all the help!

On January 24, 2023, Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM, will be conferring the Entered Apprentice Degree on candidates from both Lavonia and Grove Lodges. The degree conferral will be conducted by a team of officers from both Lodges. 

At the November 22, 2022 meeting of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, Fellow Craft Brothers Evan Herring and John King were raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason.

They stood for an examination for their proficiency on the Master’s Catechism on January 10, and passed.

We are very proud of Bros. Herring and King.

The 2022 Lodge Fundraiser is about to kick-off, and tickets will soon be available. This year's raffle is as follows, and features three prizes:

1. Radical Firearms AR 5.56 Rifle 

2. Springfield XDS 9mm Handgun with a Crimson Trace Red Dot optic

3. $100 Gift Certificate to LA Armory

Please let us know if you want tickets. The cost of these tickets is $20 each, or 6 tickets for $100.

Thank you all in advance for helping us out with this fundraiser.

(September 7, 2022 Daniel Brown -92.1 WLHR News - https://921wlhr.com/lavonia-police-chief-receives-prestigous-award/) - Brother Carlisle is a member of Lavonia Lodge No. 241, F&AM.

Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle was recently awarded the 2022 Judge Arthur M. Kaplan First Responder Leadership Award. 

The award was presented by Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite Valley Of Atlanta last week at the Atlanta Masonic Center in downtown Atlanta. 

Carlisle said the award was great honor but added the award represents all Lavonia law enforcement. 

“I’m very humbled and honored to receive this award.  Anytime that I step outside the city of Lavonia and receive any type of recognition or represent the city, I keep that in mind that I am representing the city of Lavonia.  It’s been such a honor to be here in the city, and we have such great people, and I’m just grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to put Lavonia on the map a little bit outside of our area and statewide.  Like I say, this is not just something for me.    It’s for the whole city.  It represents who we are and how far that we have come in the field of public safety here in the city.  I’m just honored and humbled to be small part of it.

Carlisle thanked the Lavonia City Council and Mayor Courtney Umbehant for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Lavonia. 

Judge Arthur M. Kaplan First Responder Leadership Award is named in honor of Judge Kaplan who served Atlanta both as a judge and a first responder. 

“I have a lot of friends that worked for the Atlanta Police Department that actually knew the judge and worked with him and told me what a great asset he was to the first responders in the Atlanta area and how many people that he helped along the way during his lifetime.  So this award being named after the judge was quite an honor to him and for his family.”   

Kaplan passed away in 2010 at the age of 84.

According to his obituary in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Kaplan was honored by the Secret Service, trained thousands of law enforcement officers in emergency rescue and on a few occasions personally treated wounded officers even as shots were being fired.

Kaplan taught his lifesaving techniques to officers and Secret Service and FBI agents as well as some probation violators who would appear before him in court.

During his career Kaplan appeared on the television shows To Tell the Truth and he was featured on This Is Your Life. 

Newsweek Magazine included the judge on its list 100 “unsung heroes” of America in 1986.