Arkona Lodge No. 307 - Arkona, Ontario - Established 1874

Meeting Info

First Thursday at 7:30pm

Closed July and August

Location

7345 Arkona Road, Arkona Ontario

Contact

Arkona Secretary

Arkona, in Lambton County, 48 kilometers northeast of Sarnia, was first called “Eastman’s Corners” in 1830 after Nial Eastman, the community’s first German settler. By 1851 the name had been changed to “Bosanquet.” In 1857, when it was hoped that the Grand Trunk Railway would be built through the village, the name was changed to “Arkona”. The population of ambitious and enterprising people had grown to 800 when a group of Masons sought to form a Lodge.

At the 1874 Grand Lodge Communication M. W. Bro. William Mercer Wilson reported that he had issued dispensations for the formation of new Lodges, including one dated January 13, 1874, for Arkona Lodge. The Board of General Purposes, having reviewed the situation of all Lodges under dispensation, recommended the issue of a warrant to Arkona Lodge and Warrant No. 307 was granted. The Lodge was dedicated by R.W. Bro T. McNate, District Deputy Grand Master on October 14, 1874.

The Charter Officers of Arkona Lodge No. 307 were: W. Bro. John Dallas (WM), Bro. Jacob Holmes (SW), Bro. Phillip Bosenberry (JW), Bro. I. Wintermute (Secretary/Treasurer), Bro. R. Dunn (SD), Bro. J. Cornell (JD), Bro. G.M. Evertt (DofC), Bro. R.J. Brett (SS), Bro. T. Hay (JS), Bro. Jas. Donley (IG), and Bro. A Champion (Tyler).

Arkona Lodge has had several homes, the present Lodge building having been purchased on September 4, 1919. Ours was not the first Lodge to have electric power, but it was one of the first customers to be supplied by the Ausable Dam site of the Rock Glen Power Company.

The records of Arkona Lodge No. 307 show that Freemasonry runs deeply in some families. A man might be inclined to become a Mason because his brother, his father, his grandfather, and his uncles, were Masons. Further, there are some families in Arkona Lodge No. 307 that have repeatedly contributed leadership to the Lodge and to Freemasonry in Ontario. The many branches of the Wilson, Sercombe, Eastman, and Hoffner families are well represented in the ranks of officers of Arkona Lodge No. 307.

During its existence seven members served as District Deputy Grand Master: R. W. Bros. A. M. Thoman (1907 - 1908), Herbert John Hall (1931 - 1932), Emmanuel Orville Sitter (1952 - 1953), C. John Rowland (1974 - 1975), James R. Sercombe (1999 - 2000), Frederick C. Hoffner (2012 - 2013), and Carl G. Kristensen (2019 - 2022, an extended term due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Other members have served as Grand Steward: V. W. Bros. Richard E. Wilson (1932 - 1933), G. S. Lampman (1953 - 1954), Frank E. Muma (1975 - 1976), James B. Wilson (1983 - 1984), Frederick T. Sercombe (1988 – 1989), Wayne E. Hodgins (2000 - 2001), Robert W. Wilson (2006 - 2007), George W. Richards (2013 - 2014), and James R. McCormick (2019 - 2021, an extended term due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

V.W. Bro. Daniel L. Richter was appointed the Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies for 2017 - 2018. Arkona Lodge No. 307 was originally a moon lodge and met on the Thursday on or before the full moon until 1939 - 1940 when it changed to the Friday on or before the full moon. In 1950 it changed its meetings to the present day of the first Thursday of each month from September to June inclusive at the Masonic Hall, 7345 Arkona Road, Arkona.