[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO EUREKA LODGE 
                                 NO. 52

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 14, 2003

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional 
institution within my community, the Eureka Lodge No. 52, and to 
congratulate its members on reaching an exceptional milestone. Soon 
these men will celebrate the lodge's tradition of 100 years of 
dedication to their community and to each other.
  From its humble beginnings in a barber shop in New Jersey, a group of 
men, led by Hodges Ford, sought to begin a Masonic Lodge in Montclair. 
The barber, Brother Joseph Hooper, joined these men, guiding their 
vision, and helping them to establish what is now Eureka Lodge No. 52.
  The first lodge was founded on December 5, 1903, in Bloomfield, not 
Montclair, as there was no available hall to be found there. On January 
22, 1904, Eureka Lodge No. 52 held its first meeting at Arab Hall, with 
18 members--3 more than the minimum requirement of 15. In December of 
1909, the Lodge was rewarranted and moved to Montclair at the request 
of the officers and members.
  Thus began their many years of service to the community, remaining 
faithful to their claim that they are ``founded upon unity and 
brotherly love.''
  The Eureka Lodge celebrated its 50th anniversary on December 3, 1953, 
at the Ivanhoe Inn in Irvington, NJ.
  On November 21, 1965, the Lodge reached what it considers to be the 
pinnacle of their achievements--the laying of the cornerstone in their 
$50,000 Masonic Building. This building has become a source of pride 
for its members and the people within the community as it continues to 
be a meeting place for an affiliation with a long and distinguished 
past, proudly claiming 3 of its members as Most Worshipful Grand 
Masters.
  I hope that you will all join me in congratulating the men of Eureka 
Lodge No. 52, whose members, both past and current, have been devoted 
to fraternity, fellowship, and service to their community.

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