st. john's lodge no 2 - The Trestleboard

Jephtha Lodge No. 494 of Huntington.

Desirous of forming a lodge in the village of Northport, they organized a masonic club and began the preliminary work of organizing a masonic lodge. By laws were written, and an initiation fee of $25.00 and annual dues of $3.00 were agreed upon, officers for the proposed lodge were selected, and numerous meetings were held to rehearse the ritual to assure proficiency in the standard work.

Finally all was ready. All that was needed was the consent of Jephtha Lodge, which at the time it had been reluctant to grant. Bro. William H. Sammis, who had served as Junior and Senior Warden in Jephtha Lodge, was able to persuade the lodge to grant its consent on September 28, 1868. The necessary documents, praying for a dispensation authorizing the brethren to establish a lodge to be located in the village of Northport, N.Y. and to be known as Northport Lodge, were prepared and presented to Grand Lodge.

In reply to the petition, the Grand Master, the Most Worshipful James Gibson (1868-1869), stated that he would not grant a dispensation under a place name; that the name of the masonic lodge should have some masonic significance. He provided a list of several names, from which the brethren could select one for the propose new lodge. Br. William Sammis and Bro. Ebeneezer Parotte were appointed as committee for the purpose of selecting the new name of the lodge. The choice was the narrowed down to two names Alcyone was the one favored by Bro. Sammis, whereas Aquila was favored by Bro. Parotte . It was decided that Bro. Parotte should write down each name on eight sheets of paper and Bro. Sammis should draw one slip from a hat, thus leaving the name of the new lodge to be settled by faith.

It was not until years afterward that it was learned from a letter written by Bro. Parotte, who had relocated to the far West, that seven of the slips had contained the name Aquila, whereas the