History of Bivouac Lodge #503

The majority of us, as African-Americans, know all too well what it means to grapple with the loss of an accurate account of our history. Perhaps, some of us may be able to trace our roots back to a great, a great-great grandparent and on some rare occasions, to relatives in the motherland of Africa. Nevertheless, such are the exceptions to the rule rather than the norm. Unfortunate events resulting in fire, smoke, water-damage, failing memories and deaths of many our brothers and sisters, presented us with a great loss of many parts of our written and oral history.

 

We know that on November 5, 1914, seven masonic brothers banded together and organized a Lodge. We know that on December 10, 1914, Worshipful Master W. H. Powell, Senior Warden James Ellis, and Junior Warden Julius Harper, received a Charter from the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient Freemasons, for the State of North Carolina. Robert Baxter McRary served as the Most Worshipful Grand Master, and Calving S. Brown, Grand Secretary. This Charter gave them the authority to open and hold a Lodge by the name of Bivouac, and designated its number as 503, in the City of Winston-Salem.

 

We know the reality of the hardships of those that came before us. We know well the struggle for freedom, equality and justice embodied in the Constitution of the United States of America. Masons such as our first Grand Master, Prince Hall, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Medgar Evers, Andrew Young, A. Philip Randolph, W.E. B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, and many others spent their lives fighting and dying for those inalienable rights. In this vein, we must mention Bivouac’s Brother Carl H. Russell Sr., Winston-Salem’s first Black Mayor-Pro-tem, Alderman for 16 years, business owner and champion for housing, education and medical care for this Black community. Also, we make honorable mention of and distinguished unnamed list of highly influential Brothers, who have passed through the door of our Lodge, as active members.

 

 We are developing agendas designed to address what we believe to be pressing, and immediate concerns of the Black community. We are extremely alarmed the preexisting and current trends challenging the development of our Black youth. As a Lodge, we have adopted Caver Senior High School, where we volunteer or time, hopefully adding to the storehouse of positive role models available to our young men. Also, in the age of technology, via the internet and social media, we are reaching out to the youth by means of our website, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel. This, we believe is our solemn obligation to provide them with enlighten alternatives, such as the Prince Hall Masons, and yes, Bivouac Lodge #503.

 

We are grateful that God has provided us with a continuous stream of Leadership. Though we cannot call each by name, He has consistently supplied this Lodge and this Global Brotherhood with the appropriate leadership teams throughout our existence. We seek your prayers and support as we move forward with an unyielding Faith in God, a never ending Hope for the future and Ceaseless Charity towards the entirety of humanity. Taking Masonry to the next level while maintaining those fundamental Landmarks set by those who have gone this way before us.