Ernest Everett Just Lodge No. 27

Our history began when a Warrant of Constitution was given in open Grand Lodge, under the Hands of our Grand Officers, and the Seal of our Grand Lodge at St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on September 16, 2021. The Consecration was made, on November 14, 2021, Assembledin Grand Communication in St. Croix, Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Virgin Islands, F &AM., PHA, Inc. Ernest Everett Just Lodge No. 27 St. Petersburg, Florida, Jurisdiction of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, F&AM., PHA, was established. 

The founding members and lodge officers were:

· Worshipful Master Johnny D. Mercer

· Senior Warden Anthony Bryant

· Junior Warden Kevin Hill

· Secretary Richard Long

· Treasury Laharold Woodhouse

· District Deputy Grand Master Antonio Landers

· Past Master Denzel Howard

· Past Master Rawls S. Somersall Sr.

The Lodge is named after Dr. Ernest Everett Just.  He is a founding member and adviser of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Just is recognized for his work with cell surfaces in the development of organisms.

As Worshipful Master, my responsibility was to establish goals that would serve as the foundation to grow and nurture the new lodge. With this motivation, two major goals were established for the lodge. Our goals became to increase Lodge membership, and for lodge members to possess Masonic proficiency.

Over the year we successfully built lodge membership from nine members to over 30 members and counting. The newly created Master Masons Class Members were:

Class Genesis: Raised April 2, 2022

Black, Ricardo              Farrar, Brodrick

Harris, Michael A.      Landers, Chance

McClellan, Demetrius       Raine, Rodney

Sallis, Kenneth             Smith, Sheldon
 

Class Ashlar: Raised June 25, 2022

Brown, Michael Darwin         Doby, Leon Anthony

Jones, Xavier Alexander             Landers, Tyreke

Magee, James D             Somersall, William James Devon
Class : Raised April 15, 2023

Thomas, Anthony                    Morrissette, Bobby

Williams, Skye                        Chambliss, Adrian

Willis, Calvin

Class : Raised June 1 2024

Edwards, Ural

Build Lodge Membership 

My strategy to successfully build membership was to request each member to introduce two new lodge members through petitions and demits. To facilitate this objective, members were encouraged to list prospective candidates to include friends, family and co-workers. Members sought Masonic affiliations within their family, i.e., fathers, uncles, nephews and cousins. Members did not ask anyone to join. Instead, we discussed the organization’s mission in which Freemasons strive toward Noble Deeds, Higher Thought and Greater Achievements in personal life growth to “Make Good Men Better” and prospective candidates then enticed by the information asked to join.

Secondly, we can find Entered Apprentice (EA) and Fellow Craft (FC) members that had not completed their Masonic degrees for whatever reason. We can carefully review inactive petitions to help create new interests. The lodge will follow the Grand Lodge’s procedure for guidance on reinstating an inactive EA or FC. As a result, this is a method that can be used to help members complete their journey to become Master Masons.

Lastly, we spoke to “Divine 9” fraternity members of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) about Freemasonry and the similarity of the mission to “Make Good Men Better”. This recruitment method acquired additional prospective candidates that completed their journey to become Mason’s.

Gain Lodge Proficiency

As we grew, we implemented weekly training meetings for our newly initiated brother’s at all three stages of the membership journey. The sessions were well attended and a source of great Masonic discourse. The lodge conducted multiple virtual classes for Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason Degree training. We created and conducted Ritual Degree Work simultaneously in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Florida once a quarter. The Worshipful Master located at the primary Lodge site with the minimal of one master Mason staffed at each additional site conducted the Initiation and Passing Degree work. Each location was furnished with the Three Great Lights, Lester Look To The East, Hoodwinks, Cable tows, Aprons and two computers equipped with the Zoom application. The last phase was in-person Master Mason Degree Work (Raised) on location in St. Petersburg Florida April 2 and June 25, 2022.

CHALLENGES WE FACED:

As a new lodge with officers and new demits with experience as Past Masters, our challenges were manageable. However, as a new Lodge without furniture, we had to rely on charity, in-kind donations, and discounted prices to acquire the needed furniture. 

When we hosted our first Masonic Degree Work session on April 2, 2022, due to the size of our membership, all lodge officers were required to work multiple positions. However, once the membership settled into their new assigned roles, the second Masonic Degree Work weekend went well from the lessons learned.

Finale Thoughts 

Ernest Everett Just Lodge No. 27 is eternally grateful to District Deputy Antonio Landers and Past Master Denzel Howard for their vision to create the lodge. I thank you both for selecting Anthony Bryant as Senior Warden, Kevin Hill as Junior Warden and myself as the first officers authorized, empowered and trusted to open and hold the Lodge name of Ernest Everett Just. A special recognition is in order to Junior Warden Kevin Hill for his dedication to our goal of Masonic Education and Proficiency.

My Masonic journey started as an Entered Apprentice, Passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft and Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in I. H. Clayborn Military Lodge No. 61 Uijongbu Korea, Jurisdiction of Oklahoma F&AM., PHA. I then transitioned to Holding Lodge No. 300, Jurisdiction of Oklahoma F&AM., PHA. My next transition was to D. Hamilton Jackson Lodge No. 26 Fredericksburg Virginia, Jurisdiction of St Croix U.S. Virgin Islands, F&AM., PHA. Now, It has been both an honor and blessing to have served as Worshipful Master of Ernest Everett Just Lodge No. 27 St Petersburg, Florida, Jurisdiction of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, F&AM., PHA.

I leave you with a lodge that is healthy, solvent and poised to make monumental strides. As this chapter of the lodge ends and a new begins, I encourage each member to commit to growing the membership. As you grow membership, stay faithful to masonic proficiency, so that your work will be just and in order. Remember your oath to make good men better and continue to let your Masonic light shine.

Fraternity, 

Past Master

Johnny D. Mercer