Scottish Rite Masonry was organized in Danville, Virginia in April 1923 when
36 Scottish Rite Brethren signed an application for Letters Temporary requesting
the formulation of the Danville Scottish Rite Bodies. This application was
presented to Illustrious Robert Shields Crump, 33º, Sovereign Grand Inspector
General in Virginia by Brothers J. Edward Wagner of Danville and C. Fisk White
of Greensboro, North Carolina and was subsequently approved on May 7, 1923.
Among those brethren signing the application for Letters Temporary were the first Officers of the Danville Lodge of Perfection: H. J. H. Begg, Venerable Master; John W. Estlow, Senior Warden; William H. Alves, Junior Warden; E. N. Z. Ellis, Orator; W. C. Wooding, Almoner; J. Edward Wagner, Secretary;
Dr. Burnell P. Jones, Treasurer; W. M. Nabors, Master of Ceremonies; J. Allen Herman, Expert; W. L. Davis, Asst. Expert; H. B. Silverman, Captain of the Host; and T. J. Posey, Tiler.
The first Reunion conducted by the Danville Bodies was held on June 20, 1923. The Fourth through the Fourteenth Degrees were conferred on a total of 33 (yes that number is correct) brethren.
Among those receiving the Degrees at that time were Brothers Alfred R. Hill, Sr. and William H. Hoffman.
Both of these brethren would later receive the 33rd Degree and even more noteworthy is the fact that two of our current Honor Men, Alfred R. Hill, Jr., 33rd IGH and Julian H. Hoffman, 33rd IGH are sons of the aforementioned brothers Hill and Hoffman respectively.
The second Danville Reunion was held on September 23, 1923 with 30 candidates receiving the Degrees. According to available records the first instance of the Council of Kadosh and Consistory Degrees being conferred in Danville was April 27, 1927. These Degrees were conferred by teams from the Richmond, Virginia Bodies under special dispensation issued by Robert S. Crump, S.G.I.G. in Virginia at that time. The Council of Kadosh and Consistory were chartered in Danville on October 22, 1929.
The meetings of the Danville Bodies were held in the Blue Lodge room of the Masonic Temple in Danville. Eventually the Scottish Rite auditorium was built on 11th floor of the Masonic Temple with a Dedication Ceremony for the new auditorium being held on October 4, 1947. This coincided with the opening session of what was then known as the Scottish Rite Council of Virginia which was meeting in Danville for the first time. Among the many Masonic dignitaries attending this event was Most Worshipful Harold R. Stephenson, 32*, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, who delivered the keynote address of the Dedication. Among the brethren receiving the Scottish Rite Degrees during the first reunion held in the new auditorium was our current Secretary, Jesse M. Hutcherson, 33rd IGH.
As is the case with Masonic Bodies in particular and civic organizations in general the Danville Scottish Rite Bodies have experienced a "roller coaster ride" over the years in regard to the number of members. At the end of our first year, 1923, we had a membership of 101. During our 25th Anniversary year our membership was 854 and continued to climb to 977 during our 40th year. We reached the zenith of our membership numbers during 1973, our 50th Anniversary, with 1031 members. At the present time we are now at 440 members (as of April, 2001).
While our membership has declined the zeal and enthusiasm of the Danville brethren has been steadfast and constant. We enjoy the support of our Scottish Rite Women's Club which meets during our Stated Meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, July and August excepted. In an innovative move during 1998 our then Venerable Master, Ill. W. A. Wells, III, decided to take Scottish Rite "on the road" the months of July and August when no Stated meetings are held in accordance with our by-laws. These meetings were held in locations which are distant from Danville in order to allow our members in these areas to fellowship with Officers of the Lodge of Perfection without having to travel to Danville.
This concept has proven to be very popular with the brethren in the field as well as the Officers of the Lodge of Perfection. This meeting format has now become a staple part of Scottish Rite activities in Danville.
Another noteworthy activity sponsored by the Danville Bodies is the annual Blue Lodge Fellowship Night which is well attended by the brethren in our jurisdiction as well as several of our neighbors in North Carolina. Each year a Blue Lodge in our area is selected to serve as "Host Lodge" for this event. That Lodge is responsible for conferring the Master Mason's Degree on a candidate of that Lodge or another Lodge as needed and approved by dispensation of the Grand Master. This event was first held in 1987 and has been hosted by a different Blue Lodge each year. In 1997 Mountain Home Lodge # 263 was selected to serve as Host Lodge. This had a special significance in that Mountain Home was the Lodge of Most Worshipful Alan Wayne Adkins, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia in 1997.
To further enhance the festivities Degree teams composed of Elected and Appointed Grand Lodge Officers conferred both Sections of the Master Mason's Degree on Brother Joe Kenneth Kinsley, Jr. of Anderson Lodge # 258 in Gretna.
We also have a Blue Lodge Degree Team composed of Scottish Rite brethren who will travel to any Blue Lodge in our area to confer the Blue Lodge Degrees if requested to do so.
At the present time the brethren of Danville are anticipating a move to a new meeting place which has been necessitated by the sale of the Masonic Temple in Danville by Roman Eagle Lodge # 122.
Roman Eagle
Lodge, along with the Danville Scottish Rite Bodies, Morotock Lodge # 210,
and the other Appendant Bodies of Masonry in Danville have entered into a
joint venture with the purchase of the former Post Office facility off West
Main Street in Danville near Ballou Park. The high cost of maintaining the
Masonic Temple, the lack of interested tenants for the rental space in the
building not used by the Masonic Bodies and several other factors contributed
to this move. We hope to occupy this facility later in 2001 and look forward
to the Virginia Scottish Rite brethren visiting with us as we host the Scottish
Rite Conference of Virginia in 2002.