Russell Gillam, secretary of Argus Masonic Lodge 548 in Canfield, shows items at the lodge built in the late 1970s.

Masonic lodges have had to close or merge as they face the reality of their older members dying and not being replaced by younger people.

Masonic lodges in the Mahoning Valley opened their doors recently to showcase what they have to offer in an effort to recruit new members.

Lodges in Cortland, Warren and Canfield.are doing well as they look toward their future of showcasing brotherhood and fellowship, as well as community service.

Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest men’s fraternity. There are 90,000 Ohio Freemasons from various political, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

ARGUS LODGE IN CANFIELD

Russell Gillam, secretary with the Argus Lodge 545 in Canfield, said he has noticed younger generations generally are not part of Masonic lodges. Most demographics, he said, show the membership being older men with the average age mid- to upper-60s.

“A lot of lodges are losing the older members and not getting a lot of newer members. The (Ohio) Grand Lodge is pushing for new members and has information on its website on being a member. We have had some inquiries that way. Out of 20 inquiries, we were able to get in contact with five,” Gillam said.

He said the lodge is among the youngest around with the oldest officers in their late 40s. Gillam said membership is at 420 and was once near 1,000 in the mid-1990s.

“There will always be that appeal to men who want to be part of an organization like this. As the generation gets older, they will see the benefits of Masonry and what it does for the community and how it builds character. The Masons have always said, ‘We take good men and make them better.’ There will always be a need for Masons,” Gillam said.

The lodge sits on 44 acres off Shields Road with a main building, pavilion and outdoor amphitheater.

Gillam said in the 1970s when state Route 11 came through, there were two farms on the corner of Raccoon and Shields roads. The state route cut off the back acreage from the two farms so the land was deeded to the lodge, Gillam said.

He said the lodge used to meet on the square in downtown Canfield in the 1970s.

“In 1979 the Masons, including my father who was the grand master at the time, planned to build here. It was built solely by the members of the lodge. We had our own bricklayers and electricians,” he said.

The lodge hosts a car show, strawberry social, corn roast, fish fries, and at one time Civil War re-enactments with members playing the re-enactors.

Gillam said the lodge has historic furniture and other items from the 1800s.

“We were very lucky. The Western Star Lodge, which now meets in Boardman, they were originally in Canfield in the early 1800s. When they left Canfield and went to downtown Youngstown, they put all their furniture into storage. We were charged in 1886 and they gave us all that furniture,” Gillam said of the altar, table and chairs.

He said woodcarvings are symbols of the various degrees, and all were carved by past master Wally Moore.

Paintings done by Ralph Ellis hang on the walls with likenesses of former members. Ceremonies and events take place at the outdoor amphitheater.

“We would have big events there with buses from Pennsylvania and Canada coming here,” Gillam said.

Gillam said his grandfather, father and brother are all Masons.

He started with the Masonic youth group DeMolay in Youngstown until a chapter was started at the lodge. The DeMolay is for ages 12 to 20.

“The DeMolay was designed to help younger men. It is not intended to groom you to become a Mason,” he said.

He said two lodges in Poland — the Poland lodge and Wickliffe lodge — merged into the Col. J. Hillman Lodge. Other lodges in the area are Western Star in Boardman, and one each in Leetonia, Sebring and North Jackson.

OLD ERIE LODGE

Old Erie Lodge 3 in Warren is one of the oldest in the state and one of the original founding Masonic lodges.

Chris Kiraly, worshipful master, said the building off Pine Avenue and East Market Street once housed three lodges at the same time.

“Through time, the lodges consolidated and one moved to Cortland, and others merged in the early 2000s with Old Erie,” Kiraly said, noting the membership is 195 members.

The lodge was founded in 1803 and was among the first six Masonic lodges in the state that petitioned the Grand Lodge of Connecticut to create the Grand Lodge of Ohio in 1808.

Kiraly said the building was purchased by the Old Erie Lodge and the Mahoning Chapter of Royal Masons in 1903.

“Today’s society is a lot different than it used to be in the Masonic Lodge heyday. Part of the decline is our fault, and too often traditions are held on to for the wrong reasons.

“There are some traditions that need to be updated. In today’s modern society and technology of instant gratification, you lose being part of something that is bigger than yourself,” Kiraly said.

He said lodges try not to overlap meetings with Old Erie meeting on Tuesdays, Cortland on Wednesdays and Newton Falls on Mondays. Kiraly said once people become master masons and receive those credentials someone can go to any Masonic meeting anywhere in the state.

He said the Old Erie Lodge’s 225th anniversary will be marked in 2028.

Kiraly said plans are to have an annual open house, which allows for the Masons to reach out.

“This helps us to stay relevant and meet with the community,” he said.

Allen Briggs, lodge secretary and past master, said the lodge spends time seeking people who are interested in becoming new members.

“It was great to have an open house so people can come inside and look. We are the best-kept secret here, so we wanted to let people come and see what we are about,” Briggs said.

He said membership is a little younger with average age of members at 64. In the mid-1990s, the average age was 78.

Briggs said the local Odd Fellows in Warren has been disbanded.

CORTLAND LODGE

Cortland Masonic Lodge 529 recently had members from the Kinsman, Vienna and Fowler areas join, as their lodges closed.

Champion resident Tim Bauer, worshipful master for the Cortland Masonic Lodge, said the Kinsman Masonic Lodge and the Copper Penny Lodge in Vienna disbanded over the past few years.

“Their memberships were dwindling and they did not have enough participation to keep the lodges moving. It is not about funds, it’s about declining memberships,” Bauer said, noting in April every lodge hosted an open house for the public in an effort to try and recruit new members

“Everyone is so busy. It is all about time. We have had success in getting new members — we have 455 members. Anyone can join any lodge they want to, regardless of where they live,” Bauer said, noting Cortland has members from Niles and Hubbard.

He said some lodges meet early in the morning before members have to go to work, while others meet in the evenings after work.

Bauer said the Masons are involved in their communities and work with various charities.

“We try to help as many charities that we can. The main key is to give back and help charities. We do four $1,000 scholarships a year for Lakeview, Mathews, Joseph Badger and Maplewood,” he said.

Bauer said the new members from other lodges are very active with the Cortland lodge, which he said has become a mainstay of the community.

“I don’t fear for this lodge,” Bauer said.

Bauer, who became a Mason in 2008, said he enjoys doing charity and helping youth groups, having been involved with Scouting for 20 years.

“People like the fellowship. We have a wide range of ages from younger members to older members … Merging together has become a necessity. We are glad others have joined with us, but this lodge has always been very strong,” Bauer said.

He said a pancake breakfast each month is a major fundraiser benefiting Cortland Garden Club, Scouting, and the Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Rainbow Girls and TNR organizations.

“We have a member who provides all the materials. for the breakfasts. The other groups help work with us serving the breakfast, and all proceeds go to serving the groups,” Bauer said.

He said other Masonic lodges are located in Hartford, Niles, Newton Falls, West Farmington and Garrettsville.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com