Most Excellent Prince Hall Grand Chapter Holy Royal Arch Masons
State of Illinois

Organized February 9,1878 A.D., 2408 A.I., 5878 A.L.

Officers

Most Excellent Grand High Priest

M.E.C. E. Eugene Daniel

 

Very Excellent Deputy Grand High Priest

V.E.C. Phillip Patton, Jr.

 

Right Excellent Grand King

R.E.C. David M. Dotson, Jr.

 

Right Excellent Grand Scribe

R.E.C. Donardo Jones

 

Right Excellent Grand Treasurer

R.E.C. James A. Mitchell, HPGHP

 

Right Excellent Grand Secretary

R.E.C. Vondell Patton

 

Right Excellent Grand Lecturer

R.E.C. David Pugh

 

Right Excellent Grand Trustees

R.E.C. Troy Graves – 1 yr

R.E.C. Antonio Terry – 2 yr

R.E.C. Ronald Hill- 3 yr

R.E.C. Cedric Allen – 4 yr

R.E.C. Ganges Bell – 5 yr

 

Assistant Grand Secretary

Damon P. Anderson, Sr., PMEGHP

 

Grand Recording Secretary

E.C. George Balentine, PHP

 

Assistant Grand Lecturers

 

E.C. Roderick Thompson, PHP

E.C. Ivan James, PHP


R.E.C. Antonio Terry, PHP

R.E.C. Brian Beatty, PHP

E.C. Brian Kendrick, PHP

E.C. Christopher Cummings Sr., PHP

 

Grand Captain of Host

E.C. Christopher Cummings Sr., PHP

 

Grand Principal Sojourner

E.C. Roderick Thompson, PHP

 

Grand Chaplain

E.C. Brian Beatty, PHP

 

Grand Royal Arch Captain

E.C. Tyrone Blount, PHP

 

Grand Masters of the Veils

1st E.C. Michael G Harper, PHP

2nd E.C. Robert Wilson, Jr., PHP

3rd E.C. Kenneth Baldwin, PHP

 

Grand Web Masters

E.C. Charles Fountain, PHP

Comp. Tony Scott

Comp. Brian Easter

 

Grand Marshall

E.C. Shannon Callahan, PHP

 

Grand Sentinel

E.C. Lethanial Hood, PHP

 

Grand CCFC

M.E.C. Damon P. Anderson, Sr., PGCMEGHP

 

Grand Deputies Coordinator

E.C.Robert Woolrige, PHP

ROYAL ARCH MASONS

Holy Royal Arch Masons of the State of Illinois trace its roots to the State of Pennsylvania where the first Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons was established. The First Independent African Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of North America was organized in Philadelphia on May 19, 1820. A schism within the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania occurred during this period which led to the formation of a second Grand Lodge, Hiram Grand Lodge, in the 1820s. As both Grand Lodges operated separately within the state through the 1840s, both maintained separate Concordant bodies throughout the rift producing multiple factions of Royal Arch Chapters within Pennsylvania during this time frame. On June 14, 1844, Rising Sun Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons was organized in affiliation with the Hiram Grand Lodge from Union Chapter #1, Jerusalem Chapter #2, St. John Chapter #3 and Friendship Chapter U.D. By October 1844 a separate convention was called in Philadelphia with delegates from Union, Jerusalem and Friendship Chapters for the purpose of forming a separate Grand Chapter. After failing to achieve the goal of the convention, Friendship Chapter shifted its affiliation to the First Independent African Grand Chapter in December of 1844 which later reorganized to secure affiliation with the National Grand Lodge in 1847. It continued expansion by forming Chapters in the States of New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, California, Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Illinois, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, Kansas and D.C. Holy Royal Arch Masonry has been in existence within the State of Illinois since the mid 1850s and traces its roots to the First Independent African Grand Chapter. By 1879, four Chapters, namely, St. Mark, St. John, Eureka and Mt. Moriah, had been established across various points within the state and, on October of 1879, they gathered in the city of Chicago and organized a Grand Chapter for the State of Illinois. On October 9, 1879, the convention produced the Most Excellent Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons for the State of Illinois and Its Jurisdiction. Most Excellent Companion Joseph W. Moore was elected the first Grand High Priest, Excellent Companion William D. Berry was elected the first Grand Secretary and the four Chapters of the Illinois Jurisdiction were renumbered as St. Mark Chapter #1 of Chicago, St. John Chapter #2 of Springfield, Eureka Chapter #3 of Chicago and Mt. Moriah Chapter #4 of Cairo.

E. Eugene Daniel

MOST EXCELENT GRAND HIGH PRIEST

Past Most Excelent Grand High Priest

  • 1880-1882 Joseph W. Moore
  • 1883-1885 John J. Gross
  • 1885-1887 James W. Taylor
  • 1887-1889 George J. Smith
  • 1889-1891 William Holt
  • 1891-1893 Charles F. Thomas
  • 1893-1895 I.W. Young
  • 1895-1897 Thomas F. Dyson
  • 1897-1899 George W. Donegan
  • 1899-1900 George H. Green
  • 1900-1901 William L. Darrow
  • 1901-1904 Robert J.B. Ellington
  • 1904-1906 James Murphy
  • 1906-1909 George H. Green
  • 1909-1911 William H. Green
  • 1911-1914 Thomas M. Holland
  • 1914-1917 Samuel B. Walkup
  • 1917-1919 Albert R. Lee
  • 1919-1920 Frederick J. Lee
  • 1920-1922 S. Joe Brown
  • 1922-1924 Fred Hardin
  • 1924-1926 Andrew Henderson
  • 1926-1928 George B. Fort
  • 1928-1930 Robert S. Taylor
  • 1930-1932 William H. Jones
  • 1932-1934 Pink Jackson
  • 1934-1935 John D. Reynolds
  • 1935-1937 Horace Cooper
  • 1937-1939 Andras Babero
  • 1939-1940 Wesley A. Outlaw
  • 1940-1942 Joshua B. Gilmore
  • 1942-1943 William L. Thomas
  • 1943-1944 Joseph W. Clemons
  • 1944-1946 Henry W. Calhoun
  • 1946-1947 Luther McGowan
  • 1947-1948 James Allen
  • 1948-1949 Henry Parker
  • 1949-1951 James Dentley
  • 1951-1952 Ulysses B. Robertson
  • 1952-1954 Otis L. Simmons
  • 1954-1956 William J. Wallace
  • 1956-1958 Eugene D. Posey
  • 1958-1959 Ellis T. Moore
  • 1959-1960 Wheeler W. Brown
  • 1960-1961 James Mayfield
  • 1961-1962 John W. Thompson Jr.
  • 1962-1963 Luther Gidney
  • 1963-1964 L. Purdy
  • 1964-1965 A.L. Terrify
  • 1965-1966 Richard D. Posey
  • 1966-1967 Henry K. Moore
  • 1967-1970 James W. Miles
  • 1970-1971 Milton D. Wiseman
  • 1971-1972 Paul Combs
  • 1972-1975 Willard N. Bess
  • 1975-1977 Joe Shoto
  • 1977-1978 James Reasby
  • 1978-1980 Alex C. Adams
  • 1980-1982 Melvin Frierson
  • 1982-1984 Gordon Pinson
  • 1984-1986 Davis C. James
  • 1986-1988 Willie Johnson
  • 1988-1990 Charles M. Jones
  • 1990-1992 William L. Johnson
  • 1992-1993 Erlee Brown
  • 1993-1995 Rufus Clay
  • 1995-1997 William Coleman
  • 1997-1999 Raymond T. Tucker
  • 1999-2001 Damon P. Anderson Sr.
  • 2001-2003 Clyde L. Jenkins
  • 2003-2005 Dr. Arthur Parrott
  • 2005-2006 Lorenzo P. Pious
  • 2006-2008 Gordon L. Brewer Jr.
  • 2008-2010 Melvin Crawford Jr.
  • 2010-2012 Carl Richardson
  • 2012-2014 Charles Holiday Jr.
  • 2014-2016 Kerry K. Fitch
  • 2016-2018 Ron Wilson
  • 2018-2020 David Fields
  • 2020-2022 Joseph L. Williams

Honor Roll of Honorary Past Grand High Priests

James H. Black, Sr.

*Levi L. Rose

*Harold Faulks

*Thomas McGee

*Willie Thomas

Clarence W. Trotter

James A. Mitchell

Leroy R. Gary

*Brian L. Abrams, Sr.

Montie Reynolds

*James B. Blanton, III

Leroy Berry

Joseph Ryan

Major Lacy, Jr.

Tommy Sims

Darryl Andrews

 

*Josephus Cason, Sr.

*Lonnie Clay

*Willie M. Gistover

*Willard D. Stewart

George W. Tynes

Willie B. Evans, Sr.

James E. Gavin

James Patton – AF&AM

Freddie L. Morris

Dr. James E. Lanier

*James R. Jones, II

James Wheems

Donald Cleveland

Jesse J. Smith

Enoch Clark-Bey

Michael Ramey

Subordinate Chapters

St. Mark #1
1st Tuesday 8pm
11300 S. Vincennes, Chicago IL

Eureka #3
2nd Wednesday 8pm
809 E. 42nd PL Chicago IL

Rising Sun #17
1st Saturday at 11am
234 East Marietta St. Decatur, IL

East St. Louis #20
2nd Saturday at 12pm
329 S. 8th St East St. Louis, IL

Oriental #21
3rd Thursday 8pm
809 E. 42nd PL Chicago IL

Tyre #25
4th Tuesday 7pm
7545 S. Cottage Grv. Chicago IL

Harold Washington #63
2nd Saturday 2pm
Park District 921 S. 9th Av Maywood, IL

Richard D. Posey #64
2nd Saturday at 10am
809 E. 42nd PL Chicago IL

Willie Thomas #65
3rd Wednesday 8pm
7545 S. Cottage Grv. Chicago IL

O’Dell Smith #68
1st Saturday 2pm
1112 Kane St. Aurora, IL

Jack E. Steele #69
2nd Saturday 2pm
Elgin Twsp. Hall 729 Mclean Blvd. Elgin, IL