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The Three Great Lights.
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View of the VSL.

A short essay on the History of Alcyone Lodge No. 695

About the year 1867, there were approximately twenty Master Masons residing in the village of Northport and Commack, most of whom hailed from Jephtha Lodge No. 494 of Huntington. Desirous of forming a lodge in the village of Northport, they organized a masonic club and began the preliminary work of organizing a masonic lodge. By laws were written, and an initiation fee of $25.00 and annual dues of $3.00 were agreed upon, officers for the proposed lodge were selected, and numerous meetings were held to rehearse the ritual to assure proficiency in the standard work.

Finally all was ready. All that was needed was the consent of Jephtha Lodge, which at the time it had been reluctant to grant.
Bro. William H. Sammis, who had served as Junior and Senior Warden in Jephtha Lodge, was able to persuade the lodge to grant its consent on September 28, 1868. The necessary documents, praying for a dispensation authorizing the brethren to establish a lodge 
to be located in the village of Northport, N.Y. and to be known as Northport Lodge, were prepared and presented to Grand Lodge. ​

 
​The petition was signed by twenty-one Master Masons as follows:
  • Elbert Arthur Jephtha No. 494
  • Lyman Beebe Jephtha No. 494
  • Ebenezer G. Bennet Jephtha No. 494
  • John H. Bennet Jephtha No. 494
  • Archibald M. Brewster Jephtha No. 494
  • Samuel S. Brown Jephtha No. 494
  • Brewster R. Burr Jephtha No. 494
  • Carl S. Burr Jephtha No. 494
  • Dennis Byrne Jephtha No. 494
  • John W. Dickerson  Jephtha No. 494
  • William Hamilton Jephtha No. 494 
  • Joseph R. Hart  Jephtha No. 494
  • Ebenezeer Parotte Jephtha No. 494
  • William H. Sammis Jephtha No. 494
  • Asa A. Turner Jephtha No. 494
  • Zebulon D. Whitman Jephtha No. 494
  • Jesse Carll Charter Oak No. 249
  • Jonas S. Higby Charter Oak No. 249
  • Abijah H. Bishop Connecticut
  • Dr. Steven Perry Penobscot Lodge, Maine
  • Selah Smith Penobscot Lodge, Maine
In reply to the petition, the Grand Master, the Most Worshipful James Gibson (1868-1869), stated that he would not grant a dispensation under a place name; that the name of the masonic lodge should have some masonic significance. He provided a list of several names, from which the brethren could select one for the propose new lodge. Br. William Sammis and Bro. Ebeneezer Parotte were appointed as committee for the purpose of selecting the new name of the lodge. The choice was the narrowed down to two names Alcyone was the one favored by Bro. Sammis, whereas Aquila was favored by Bro. Parotte . It was decided that Bro. Parotte should write down each name on eight sheets of paper and Bro. Sammis should draw one slip from a hat, thus leaving the name of the new lodge to be settled by faith. 

It was not until years afterward that it was learned from a letter written by Bro. Parotte, who had relocated to the far West, that seven of the slips had contained the name Aquila, whereas the one drawn by Bro. Sammis was the only one bearing the name Alcyone.  A new petition was prepared and presented to Grand Lodge, and the dispensation was granted for the establishment of Alcyone Lodge, U. D.. On March 5, 1869 the first communication of Alcyone Lodge, under dispensation, was held in the building on the North side of Main Street, later occupied by the Long Island Express Company.  W. Bro. William H. Sammis was appointed Master, having served as a Warden in Jephtha Lodge No. 494 of Hungtinton, Bro. John Dickerson was appointed Senior Warden, Br. Archibald M. Brewster was appointed junior Warden, and Bro. Ebenezer G. Bennet was appointed Secretary. 

The charter was granted, and on the 23rd of June 1869, the lodge convened for dedication and the installation of officers. The lodge was opened in due form by Right Worshipful Bro. John Anton, acting Grand Master. Assisting in the ceremonies were R. W. Bro. Alfred Hopper (Senior Grand Warden) , R.W. Bro. Duncan McKay (Junior Grand Warden), W. Bro. W.H. King (Grand Secretary), R.W. Bro. L. Bradford Prince (Grand Marshall). The lodge then proceeded to the Methodist Episcopal Church where the lodge was then duly constituted, consecrated, and dedicated Alcyone Lodge No. 695 F. & A. M. and its officers installed. 

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