Our History
WILEY WRIGHT MILITARY LODGE – #705
August of 1977 four brothers, Scottye J. Burnett, Charles Harvey, John E. Myers and Edward E. Oliver, met to discuss the feasibility of forming a study club on Homestead Air Force Base. The general idea at that time as to organize and set up a forum through which to share ideas of the Masonic Family. After we had much discussion, we decided to put a notice in the daily bulletin for all Prince Hall Mason to attend a meeting at the NCO Club on the second Friday of September at seventeen hundred (1700) hours.
The meeting was well attended by fifty (50) or more brethren from a wide area of the Prince Hall Jurisdiction. After stating the purpose, we learned that there had been a study club set up to operate on base. This study club was working under the protection of St. Matthew Lodge #670, Worshipful Master Lucais was Master at that time. This club was formed in June 1974 and had been in operation up to the end of 1976. It was due to transfers and discharges that the club had been in a dormant state for about a year.
We decided that the study club should be brought back to an operational status. We were able to accomplish this because there were several original members of the Square and Compass Club at this meeting. These members were brothers Ralph W. Bruney, Jay B. Grant, Leo Hawking, Jr., Walter Russell and Earnest Only. We all agreed that we would need to elect new officers for the study club.
We held an election and elected the following officers:
President ……………………………………………………….. Scottye J. Burnett
Vice President …………………………………………………. Jay B. Grant
Treasurer ……………………………………………………….. Charles Harvey
Secretary ……………………………………………………….. John E. Myers
At our second meeting, we discussed what procedures we would follow to get the study club on firm ground again. We talked of the fact that the club had been dormant for a year and that we needed to get the blessing of the Grand Lodge to operate once again. Brother Grant stated that he knew someone that could help us with the Grand Lodge as part of quest to be re-established as a study club with the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge. The President appointed Brothers Grant and Myers as a committee to met with Brother Grant’s contact and to report back to the study club at the next meeting.
The first report by Brothers Grant and Myers on their meeting with Worshipful Master Alphonso Wilkerson, Master of Ezekiel Lodge #503 was made. We were informed that Worshipful Master Wilkerson believed that we should ask the Grandmaster for a dispensation to form a lodge instead of a study club. And he further stated that he would talk to the Grand Master who lived in Miami. A couple of days later, he called Brother Grant and asked to meet with him and Brother Myers. At this meeting, he informed them that the Grand Master was in agreement with the idea of forming a lodge and that we should elect officers and come up with a name for the lodge. He suggested to us that we consider naming it after one of the District Deputy Grand Master of District #19, Deputy Wiley Wright. The suggestion was brought back to the study club along with the words of the Grand Master on forming a lodge. This was well received by the members. President Burnett commented on the reports and asked for a motion to accept them one at a time. The motions were made and voted upon and accepted by the brethren. With reports out of the way, the President then took up the first report and said there were some points that had been made in the report and that it was so well received that he would like to give us a week to think about who we would like to be the elected officers of the new lodge and what the name of the lodge should be. We were moving fast and he didn’t want us to make any bad moves that we would be sorry about later. He said that he would like to hold a meeting the next Saturday to elect these officers. It was agreed that we would meet and hold the election.
On the fourth Saturday in September 1977, we did meet and hold the election of officers for the new lodge. Those elected were as follows:
Worshipful Master ……………………………………………. Jay B. Grant
Senior Wardern ………………………………………………… Edward E. Oliver
Junior Wardern ………………………………………………… Edward Moore
Treasurer ………………………………………………………… Charles H. Harvey
Secretary ………………………………………………………… John E. Myers
Senior Deacon ………………………………………………….. Leo Hawkins, Jr.
Junior Deacon ………………………………………………….. Sidney O. Ebanks
Senior Steward …………………………………………………. Scottye J. Burnett
Junior Steward ………………………………………………….. Arnold R. Stanley
Chaplain …………………………………………………………… Julius A. Taylor
Tyler …………………………………………………………………. Walter Russell
These would be our officers until December 1978. The first term of office for these officers would be fifteen (15) months instead of twelve (12) months because of the forming of the lodge.
After the election, we considered the suggestion of naming the lodge Wiley Wright Military Lodge. Upon completion of the discussion, it was decided that we would name the lodge Wiley Wright Military Lodge. The president of the study club turned the meeting over to the newly elected Worshipful Master Jay B. Grant. His first duty was to put the name of the lodge to the floor for a motion. Brother Myers made the motion that the name of the lodge be Wiley Wright Military Lodge. It was seconded by Brother Edward Moore. The vote on the motion was carried and the lodge was so named. The second thing the Master had to do was have his secretary notify the deputy to come out to install the new officers.
District Deputy Grand Master Wright and Worshipful Master Wilkerson came out the following Friday night to install the officers of Wiley Wright Military Lodge UD. When the Deputy arrived, we opened the lodge in true Masonic ritualistic manner without the ritual. This was noted by the Deputy when he took the gavel. He spoke to us on the forming of the lodge and installed the officers. He told us that we would be issued a charter at the Grand Lodge session in April 1978 and welcomed us as the newest lodge in the Florida jurisdiction. He then turned the lodge over to the Worshipful Master Wilkerson who welcomed us and offered his assistance along with that of his lodge.
The second order of business was to establish a committee on by-laws for the lodge.
The third order of business was the reading of five (5) petitions for membership.
Mr. Harold L. Caldwell
Mr. Wayne L. Parker
Mr. Charles e. Hill
Mr. Curtis L. Kenoly
Mr. Frank M. White
These five men became the first candidates for initiation into Wiley Wright Military Lodge.
The lodge was closed with a prayer by the chaplain. The Master set the next meeting for the third Friday in November 1977. We parted on the square.
Wiley Wright Military Lodge UD became Wiley Wright Military Lodge #705 in April 1978.