In 1905 I was Master of Ocean Lodge. On St. John's Day, there was invited to Brunswick, the Masons of the Eleventh District and their ladies. Much was done towards their entertainment, a trip to Jekyll Island and a fish fry on St. Simons. It seemed that the sole purpose was to bring to the attention of the Masons of the District, myself. That fall at the Grand Lodge, I was elected District Deputy and by them, Chairman of the Board.

About 1908, an old Brother of !he Lodge had many years of dues charged against him and unpaid. It was the Lodge's pleasure to remit all the back dues. He was appointed Tyler and Janitor, both paying about $128.00 a year, to help him in his financial trouble. Many complaints were made against the Janitor service. A month would often pass without the Lodge room being swept. In 1908, C. D. Ogg became Master and, while retaining the Brother as Tyler, appointed a new Janitor. The old Janitor bided his time and, waiting several months, put in a considerable bill for Janitor service, claiming that he had not been notified properly of the change. He even sued the Lodge, and in Justice Court, demanded that the Lodge produce the Minute Book to prove his contention. In all this, the Lodge dealt leniently with him. In 1910 I was Master and again appointed the Brother as Tyler. He refused to open and close the Lodge room. Upon the Master's ruing that such was the Tyler's duty, he promptly resigned.

Early in the year, the Lodge, which had been doing but little work for some time, received applications from four splendid men. The Committees reported favorably and on putting the first ballot, one black ball appeared. Again, the same negative vote on the second. Without declaring the result, I stopped the ballot. While I knew it was illegal, yet I was in hopes that the whole affair might soon clear up and the Lodge proceed in peace and harmony. The old brother appealed to the Grand Master, who ordered the result of the ballot declared. This was done and the other three put to ballot. The one black ball appeared in each case and all four were rejected.

Since Ocean Lodge was the only Lodge in Glynn County, I felt there should be another Lodge. I began at once it's organization. I selected five members from Ocean Lodge and two from other Lodges. Thus began Atlantic Lodge No. 582, with the following members: Wm. G. Brantley, Laurence R. Akin, J. B. C. Blitch, Benjamin Borchardt and W. F. Symons of Ocean Lodge, and E.R. Conant, of Landrum #48 of Savannah, and C.P. Dusenbury, of Barnett Lodge of Jacksonville. Since then the one Ball black-baller has disappeared. Both Lodges have prospered and live together in peace and harmony. When the old Lodge at Wrightsboro gave up it's charter, I requested the Committee on Charters of the Grand Lodge, to give the number 82 to Atlantic Lodge. So since then Atlantic Lodge has been known as #82.

Editors Note:

Atlantic Lodge was originally chartered "Atlantic City Lodge No. 582", in 1910. In 1916 the name was officially changed to "Atlantic Lodge", then, in 1916, W.P. Arnold Lodge No. 82 of Wrightsboro surrendered their Charter. Atlantic petitioned the Grand Lodge for that number and, inasmuch as N.H. Ballard was then Grand Master, this was arranged with no difficulty.

The Lodge continued with variable success until surrendering their Charter in 1936. It was in Atlantic Lodge that our Past Grand Master John Christian Kaufman achieved his status as Past Master, thus becoming a member of the Grand Lodge, qualifying him, years later, to join the Line of Officers of that august body. He was Grand Master in 1958.

W. Brother Kaufman related to me that the reason for the closing of Atlantic Lodge was the economic distress experienced during the height of the Depression. The Lodge was absorbed into Ocean Lodge No. 214, and all of its Past Masters retained that status in Ocean Lodge.
RLF 4/23/2004