[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND 
              ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2011

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 200th 
Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the 
District of Columbia.
  Freemasonry has been active in the United States for over two hundred 
and fifty years. Since its founding in 1811, the Grand Lodge of Free 
and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia has encouraged 
interaction and discourse among individuals of differing beliefs by 
promoting community service, civic responsibility, and civil debate.
  The Grand Lodge of D.C. has participated in the development and 
strengthening of our national institutions of government, including the 
United States Congress and Judiciary, Presidency, and Executive Branch 
Agencies, as well as the Capital's historic landmarks such as the White 
House, Smithsonian Institution, Washington Monument, and Washington 
National Cathedral. The Grand Lodge of D.C. has been greatly involved 
with the enrichment of Washington, D.C., with members establishing 
prominent institutions such as the Corcoran Gallery and George 
Washington University, and has been actively engaged in charitable 
projects. The Masonic Foundation of DC has provided tens of thousands 
of dollars each year in financial scholarships to college students who 
attended D.C. public schools. Participation in numerous community 
service projects include Hands on DC, Adams Morgan Day, Susan G. Komen 
Race for the Cure, Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital, United 
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Doctors Without Borders, So Others 
May Eat, St. Baldrick's Foundation for childhood cancer research, DC 
Community of Hope, DC Central Kitchen, and DC Special Olympics.
  The Grand Lodge of D.C. has been involved domestically and abroad in 
countries such as Armenia, Cuba, and the Philippines. It also hosted 
the 2008 World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges, the largest 
gathering of Masonic leaders in history, to discuss ways to build a 
global civil society.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 
200th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the 
District of Columbia. For 200 years, the Grand Lodge of D.C. has 
supported the Freemasonry founding principles of ``Brotherly Love, 
Relief and Truth,'' and continues to do so today, supporting the 
American ideal that individuals can coexist peacefully and come 
together to form a community, regardless of background and differences.

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