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Memorial Celebrates 100 Years of Service at Gala Event

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The Honor Guard of the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line opens the Annual Meeting with the presentation of the colors.

Exe. Dir. George Seghers unveils the new portrait of George Washington at the Annual Meeting. Local artist Christopher Erney set the scene in Washington�s study at Mount Vernon and patterned his stance after the statue of Washington in the rotunda of the Virginia State Capitol by renowned sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

Hundreds of guests from across the nation and around the globe attend the Centennial Celebration.

Memorial President Tony Wordlow welcomes guests at the opening of the Freemasons’ White House Stones exhibit featuring 45 stones marked by the Scots Masons who helped to build the White House. The stones are on loan from Grand Lodges around the country.

Board Members John Ryan (left) and Clair Tusch (right) talk with GM of Virginia Bill Rorer at the Association’s Annual Meeting.

Members of the International Order of DeMolay rededicate the statue of Washington in Memorial Hall on the 60th anniversary of its unveiling by President and PGM Harry Truman. The statue was a gift from the DeMolay.

On display during the celebration were the trowel and gavel Washington used to lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol in 1793, and the Bible from Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, upon which he took his Masonic obligations.

Dean Malissa as George and Mary Wiseman as Martha are special guests of honor at the event. They are pictured here at the gala reception next to an ice sculpture of the Memorial.

The General uses his sword to cut the cake.

The General and Lady Washington with Memorial President Tony Wordlow and his wife Marilyn.

George Washington (Dean Malissa) poses with colonial dancers from Alexandria Assembly, a local dance group. The dancers performed at the reception and also at the Ladies and Guests program.

Photography by Chester B. Simpson

On February 22, 2010, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association celebrated its 100^th Anniversary at the Memorial with a festive day of events. Hundreds of Masonic leaders and guests from across the nation and around the globe attended this historic occasion on the 278^th birthday of George Washington.

The day began with the Annual Meeting of the Memorial Association and included the unveiling of a new portrait of George Washington by local artist Christopher Erney. A bronze cast of the Memorial’s new logo, also designed by Erney to commemorate the 100^th Anniversary, was on display for the first time in Grand Masonic Hall. In honor of the occasion, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, hosted by the Grand Lodge of Virginia, was held in nearby Arlington. Delegates attended the Association’s Annual Meeting and celebration events.

The International Order of DeMolay rededicated the colossal bronze statue of George Washington in Memorial Hall following the Annual Meeting,. The statue was a gift to the Memorial from the DeMolay and 2010 marks the 60^th Anniversary of its unveiling by President and Past Grand Master Harry S. Truman.

Concurrent with the Annual Meeting, a program for ladies and guests was held featuring colonial entertainment. The celebration also included the premiere of a new film titled "Built on Freedom” which presents George Washington as the inspiration for the founding of America and the founding of the Memorial. The film was underwritten by the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma. The day concluded with a gala reception held in Grand Masonic Hall with birthday cake, an ice sculpture of the Memorial, champagne toasts, and special guests of honor George and Martha Washington. A Centennial Celebration souvenir booklet containing a brief history of the Association with historic and current photographs was distributed and several commemorative gift items were available and on display.

Also on display during the celebration were the trowel and gavel used at the 1793 Cornerstone Laying of the United States Capitol by George Washington and the 1752 Bible from Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 upon which a young Washington took his Masonic obligations.

As part of the celebration, the new Freemasons’ White House Stones exhibit opened on Sunday, February 21. Each of the 45 stones in the exhibit is marked by one of the Scots Masons who helped build the White House in the 1790s. The stones were discovered during the restoration of the White House by President Harry S. Truman in the late 1940s. The exhibit is sponsored by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia, and by the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia.

2010 is a unique celebration year for the Memorial Association. Together we are celebrating 100 years of dedication to Freemasonry’s greatest brother and honoring the countless brothers who built the Memorial and those who sustain it today. The Association will continue to shine as a bright light of Freemasonry as it fulfills its mission: “To inspire humanity through education to emulate and promote the virtues, character and vision of George Washington, the Man, the Mason and Father of our Country.”

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Memorial Participates in Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at Mount Vernon

Memorial President Tony Wordlow presents a wreath and speaks on behalf of the Memorial at the tomb of George Washington at Mount Vernon. The George Washington Masonic Memorial participated in the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at Mount Vernon at Washington’s tomb on February, 22, 2010, the 278^th Birthday of George Washington and the 100^th Anniversary of the founding of the Memorial Association.

President Anthony P. Wordlow presented a wreath and spoke on behalf of the Memorial. Executive Director George D. Seghers was also in attendance as well as several members of the Memorial’s Board of Directors. Other distinguished guests and speakers at the ceremony included Andrew U. Hammer, Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22; James C. Rees, President of Mount Vernon; and William E. Rorer, Jr., Grand Master of Virginia. Alexandria-Washington Lodge No 22 meets in the South Lodge Room at the Memorial and organizes the annual event. The tradition began in 1799 and has continued ever since.

The Society of Washington Lodges

The Society of Washington Lodges was formed on July 4, 2004 to recognize Lodges named after or affiliated with George Washington. To join the Society, Lodges must be named after George Washington or Mount Vernon or have a direct historical connection to Brother Washington. Lodges that are eligible with a direct connection are: Fredericksburg Lodge No, 4, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Saint John's Lodge No. 1 and Holland Lodge No. 8, in New York; American Union Lodge No. 1 in Ohio and St. John's Lodge No. 3 in North Carolina. The enrollment fee is $2,500 which is used for the preservation and perpetuation of the George Washington Masonic Memorial.

The current members of the Society are:

Washington Lodge No. 20, Sacramento, California
Washington -LaFayette Lodge No. 176, Portsmouth, Virginia
George Washington Lodge No. 251, Seattle, Washington
Potomac Lodge No. 5, Washington, DC
Washington Lodge No. 70, Windsor, Connecticut
George Washington Lodge No. 161, Denver, Colorado
Washington Daylight Lodge No. 14, Washington, DC
Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, Virginia
Federal Lodge No. 1, Washington, DC
Washington Lodge No. 46, Portland, Oregon

The Member Lodge names are cast in bronze and displayed in the Memorial and published in The Messenger and the Memorial's Annual Report. In addition, Member Lodges of the Society receive a Certificate of Membership, a print of the new George Washington Portrait, signed by the artist and suitable for display in the Lodge, a copy of the new George Washington/Memorial DVD, a photograph of the Memorial and a statue of George Washington mounted on marble from the Memorial.

The George Washington Masonic Memorial was erected and is maintained through the combined efforts of America's Freemasons and Friends of the Memorial as an everlasting tribute to the memory of George Washington.

For additional information contact: gseghers@gwmemorial.org

Martha Washington Butterfly Pin

The George Washington Masonic Memorial is pleased to present Martha Washington's Butterfly. This pin is an exact replica of a painting that, according to Washington family tradition, was painted by the hand of Martha Washington. The original painting passed through descendants of Martha Washington for generations and was eventually presented to Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 where George Washington served as the first master. It is on display at the Memorial. This pin was created to honor the significant role that Martha Washington played in the life of her husband and the similar role that wives have played ever since.

To order, please contact the Memorial Gift Shop at
703-549-9234 or visit the Gift Shop.

Crafted with pride in America

New Exhibit on Freemasonry

The Form and Function of American Freemasonry

This new exhibit explains what Freemasonry is and its role in American history. Its central theme compares the rough and perfects ashlars of Masonry to the lives of four American Freemasons: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and Harry S. Truman. Each of these men improved themselves as they improved their communities.

Portrait Program

He was there when most of you went to school. But today, many students don't have his inspiring countenance to look up to. Mount Vernon and the George Washington Masonic Memorial hope to change that by distributing portraits of George Washington to schools all across America.

The portrait chosen is the Rembrandt Peale painting of Washington. It's a striking pose of Washington in his Continental uniform. The finished size measures 24 x 36 inches, small enough to fit on most walls, and large enough to be clearly seen. Sponsorship of a single portrait is only $275.

We hope your Lodge will join us in this exciting new project to help make sure that George Washington is once again honored in every school. Click here for official program information from Mount Vernon including the Response Form and Sample Acceptance Letter.