[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 157 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CARTHAGE LODGE 197

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                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 2, 2017

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Carthage 
Lodge 197 on its 150th birthday. On the 7th of October, members of this 
Freemason lodge will gather to celebrate this landmark occasion.
  The first organized Grand Lodge met in 1717 in England. Freemasonry 
has promoted a strong sense of pride, family values and intellectual 
development in its members over the centuries. Furthermore, Freemasonry 
has deep roots in the United States, with George Washington himself 
being initiated into Freemasonry in the year of 1752.
  Freemasonry has been part of Missouri and the city of Carthage for 
generations. The Grand Lodge of Missouri chartered a lodge in Carthage, 
Missouri in 1849. In 1861 this lodge was destroyed, but no one is 
exactly sure how this lodge was destroyed. Most likely it was destroyed 
in the Battle of Carthage during the Civil War. In 1867, former members 
of the previous lodge and other Freemasons gathered to organize for the 
chartering of a new lodge to be located in the city. The current 
Carthage Lodge 197 was granted its charter on October 19, 1867. Members 
of the lodge meet in this location to this very day.
  I am honored to recognize the 150 years of the Carthage Lodge 197 in 
southwest Missouri. This is truly a historical achievement. On behalf 
of Missouri's 7th Congressional District, I ask all my colleagues to 
join me in congratulating the members of Carthage Lodge 197 on its 
150th birthday.

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