North Star Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons

There are many different reasons why men decide to become Freemasons. I became a member in 2014 because I wanted to be part of something that can make a difference in my local community and the philosophies of Freemasonry appealed to me. I want to use this space to write about the happenings of North Star Lodge in Ashland and help raise awareness for our organization. This month, I thought it would be appropriate to give a little history of the Lodge and explain how we got where we are today.
North Star Lodge was chartered on June 14th, 1864, just over 153 years ago. We were not always located at 54 Front Street on the so-called “Greenwood Block,” but we purchased the building in 1922 allowing us our own space for the first time. During that time, the Lodge has gone through many phases and reached a peak membership count of almost 200 Masons around the time of the 1960s. At that time, it was a thriving organization and very active in the community. Unfortunately, in the 80’s and 90’s, the Lodge experienced a steady decline until, in the early 2000s, there were barely enough members to officially hold meetings.
Then, in 2009, a few Masons from other Lodges began attending North Star in an effort to keep its charter active. They slowly rebuilt the membership, one stone at a time. When I joined, we decided it was time to begin reaching out to the community, and so we re-established the Charity Committee and Events Committee and began reorganizing ourselves as a publicly facing group. Today, North Star Lodge supports several local charities and organizations.
Family Promise Metrowest: FPMW provides comprehensive assistance to homeless families through community support by offering shelter, skills training, and life skills management ultimately leading to the point of sustainability and permanent housing.
Masonic Angel Fund: North Star Lodge hosts a chapter of this charity that is run by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The MAF provides modest anonymous assistance to children whose needs are otherwise not met by social programs. It typically acts through positions of authority in contact with children such as school administrators and the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.
North Star Lodge Masonic Scholarship Award: We give this scholarship to seniors graduating from high school based on financial need, scholastic achievement, and community service.
Decisions at Every Turn: DAET is dedicated to helping children and families make healthy choices to avoid problems with substance abuse later in life. We provide coalition support as a Fraternal Organization and are looking forward to new ways to get involved.
As time goes on, I look forward to keeping the community up to date with what we are doing in the local community and explain more about what makes us tick. Until then, have a great summer and enjoy!