Author: J.B. Covert

Come and join us for lunch at the Lunch Bunch gathering. Lunch Bunch is an informal gathering of individuals who meet, eat, and have good fellowship, good conversation, and great stories. We meet every Tuesday of every week at 11:30 a.m.  at J.B. Covert Lodge, 848 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 45245..

Participation is simple.  All you have to do is pack a lunch and show up.  Not a member of J. B. Covert Lodge?  Not a problem, all are welcome.  Come on over and meet some of the brothers, find out about the lodge, and have a good time.

Not a Mason?  Also not a problem.  Again, all are welcome.  Come on over and find out about Freemasonry, what it is and what we do as Masons.

We look forward to meeting you at the Lunch Bunch!

In May of 2020 we launched a building remodeling and improvement campaign aimed at increasing the health and safety of the building along with the potential for increased rental income in the coming years. You can read more about the plan by clicking here.

Here is the message from Worshipful Brother Walter Disney regarding this historic campaign-

In June of 1969 Worshipful Brother John Disney, my grandfather, sent a letter to members of the lodge soliciting funds to build the building we now occupy. It seems fitting that I now write a similar letter seeking your support for significant repairs and updates to our facility. At the February Stated meeting I appointed a Building Repair & Improvement Committee to make an assessment of our facility and to develop a plan to insure the longevity of our investment. Their report which I will highlight in this document shows that as King Solomon’s Temple did not escape the wrath of time and ravages of barbarous force our temple has endured a battle with Mother Nature and now needs our help.

At the May Stated Meeting the committee presented a detailed plan and budget to the members of the lodge along with a motion to start the work which was approved by the membership in attendance. We sought and received guidance and approval from the Grand Lodge of Ohio as to investing the lodge’s cash resources in this manner. We currently have enough cash reserves to pay for this project, however it will be a significant impact that could limit our long-term investment earnings capabilities.

I am going to ask you to invest the following three precious items with your lodge: Time, Talent, and Treasure.

Time: There are several phases of this project that we can save money on by doing a lot of the work ourselves. If you have time to come by in an evening or on a weekend to be a general laborer and help with whatever the week’s project is I ask that you contact the Secretary at 513-658-8994 or via email at [email protected].

Talent: If you are a licensed or certified tradesmen you can imagine some of the processes we have in store and we’d certainly appreciate adding you to our crew. If you’re a homeowner who has spent quarantine time painting your house and are ready to paint somewhere else we’ll have room for you as well!

Treasure: Yes, we are going to be asking each member to consider a financial pledge above and beyond your 2021 Dues. You can read more about this later in this document, but please know that your lodge leadership team recognizes that for some this is a very tough economic year. One generous Brother has committed to matching up to $5,000 if pledges and payments totalling that much are received by the July Stated Meeting, which is on July 21st!

Lastly, our goal is to have all of this work complete and our facility ready for the Reconsecration by the Grand Master and Grand Lodge Officers on Saturday, September 26th. You are highly encouraged to attend our Reconsecration yourself!

Sincerely & Fraternally

Walter D. Disney
Worshipful Master

Click the brick to buy an engraved brick in our new patio area:

Freemasonry is the leading fraternal organization in the world. Its origins are lost in the unrecorded history of medieval times, but it formally organized in London, England, in 1717. Current worldwide membership totals over 3 million members, 1.1 million of whom are in North America. With 75,000 Masons and 450 local Lodges, Ohio has one of the largest Masonic memberships of any state in the country.

As a fraternal organization, Freemasonry unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind.

via The Grand Lodge of Ohio, F & AM

Joseph Benham Covert was born February 6, 1798 near the town of Lebanon, Ohio.  Little history of his early youth has been obtained but it is known that part of his boyhood was spent driving teams that conveyed supplies to the troops on our Western and Northwestern Frontiers.  When he was about twenty years of age, he relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio and made his home there until his death.  On the morning of November 8, 1876, Masonic funeral services were held in the Scottish Rite Hall followed by Knights Templar Services and by Scottish Rite Services.  His remains were then escorted to the depot of the C. & N. Railroad, from thence by train; the escort went to Spring Grove Cemetery for interment.

He was raised a Master Mason in N.C. Harmony Lodge #2 on December 5, 1828.  And from that date, those who have recorded the history of Freemasonry in Cincinnati are obliged to record the history of Joseph Benham Covert, so closely is one identified with the other.

Brother Covert served as Tyler of N.C. Harmony Lodge for over twenty-five years.  He was made a Royal Arch Mason in 1831, elected as High Priest in 1861 and served as Guard for the body for thirty-four years.  He was elected Guard of Cincinnati Council #1 in 1846 and served at that station until his death.  His was the first petition received by Cincinnati Commandery #3 in 1840.  He was elected Sentinel in 1846 and held that position for thirty consecutive years.

The Grand Lodge of Ohio appointed him Tyler in 1848 and the Grand Chapter, Grand Council and Grand Commandery at once appointed him to corresponding positions in their respective bodies.  He continued to fill those offices until the weight of years and infirmities of age compelled him to ask to be relieved of his onerous duties a few months before his death.

Probably no one in this country was as well qualified to fill such positions as Right Worshipful Brother J.B. Covert.  His extraordinary and remarkable ability to remember names and faces rendered his service invaluable to all the Bodies which he served.  It is doubtful if there was any Mason in Ohio who was as widely known and held in such high esteem as was “Uncle Joe Covert”.

In 1869, a lodge in Clermont County received dispensation to meet.  A year later on October 18, 1870, at the convocation of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a charter was granted to that Clermont County Lodge to be known as J.B. Covert Lodge #437 F. & A.M.

Prior to J. B. Covert Lodge # 437 in Clermont County was established Covert Lodge #11 was chartered in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory in 1866. Click Here to see excerpts from the Grand Lodge of Nebraska’s Ninth Annual Communication held at Omaha City in June of 1866.

While Covert Lodge #11 in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory was “Under Dispensation”, which means operating without a charter from the Grand Lodge of Nebraska between July 24th 1865 and June 21st, 1866, Right Worshipful Brother J. B. Covert had the ornate setting maul pictured here made for Covert Lodge #11.

But how did a lodge in Omaha City in the Nebraska Territory come to be named after a Cincinnati Mason? Click here to read the short answer in the 1885 Masonic Review

The testimony of his accomplishments is a standard for manhood and Freemasonry:  his efficient services, his judicious council, his sterling honesty, his prompt attendance at all meetings, his constant labor to advance the interest of Masonry.  His cheerful greeting, his words of exhortation, and his heartfelt sympathy for all will never be forgotten by those who served with him and by those who would honor the memory of his name…  The members of J.B. Covert Lodge # 437 F. & A. M. are privileged to have such an exemplary namesake to follow in word and deed.

Excerpts from the History of Cincinnati Commandery #3 Knights Templar and the generous contribution of Brothers W.C. Middleton, C.R. Folger, J.H. Hewes and E. F. Howard are gratefully acknowledged.

Is it your desire to join the ranks of men, both great and small, who are proud to share in the Masonic tradition of service and excellence?

Freemasons come from all walks of life, each serving his community in his own way. Members of the uniformed services, like policemen, firemen, the EMS, and our military personnel meet together as equals with civilians, regardless of rank or distinction. They join together in fraternal fellowship to improve themselves and their communities.

If you do desire to join a Masonic Lodge and share in the fraternal fellowship that abounds there, contact the secretary of our Lodge for information regarding the fees for application, and arrange to meet with two members of the Lodge, who will consider recommending you for membership in the Lodge.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

Application for membership is open to men who:

The application fee for J.B. Covert Lodge is $170 and the annual dues are $79. The Masonic term for a membership application is a “petition.”  To download a fill in the blank PDF version of the petition click here: JB Covert Petition

WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU DECIDE TO JOIN

Once you turn in a petition to join the lodge, you will be asked to meet with several brothers from the lodge who interview all prospective members. This interview customarily involves a visit to your home, although it can be held at work, at the lodge, or another location depending on circumstances. Their job is to see that you are indeed a man of good character and reputation, that you meet all the qualifications for membership, and that your expectations are realistic. If you have already met with members of the lodge in a meet and greet setting, most of their questions will have already been answered.

After the interview, they will report back to the lodge and a vote will be taken on your petition.  Because many Lodges meet only once a month, it may take a month or two from the time you complete the petition to the time you are invited to lodge to start your first degree in Freemasonry.