The Grand Master's Pin

Was It Conceived In The Mind Of An Architect?

By Mark A. Genung, Grand PR Officer

Almost all Grand Masters, beginning in 1992-93 (with Max Carpenter, PGM ), have designed, and made available to the Craft, a Grand Master's Pin. The designs of the pins are inspired by the GM’s journey to his year as leader of Freemasonry in Indiana.

Several of our Brothers collect and display the thirteen available (and some are very hard to find) pins.

Grand Master Herrell’s pin’s design was discovered in Evansville in a most unusual fashion.

While the Grand Master was taking the York Rite degrees (some years ago), he discovered -- in the cloisters of the temple -- a display that included a very old apron. Centered within the body of the apron was this beautifully designed square and compass, surrounded by lily work. The Grand Master made a mental note of this singular circumstance and filed the memory away for future reference.

Some years later, with GM Herrell’s year fast approaching, he started thinking about his GM's pin design. His memory soon directed him to a mental picture of the apron with the square and compass that he had seen years earlier. Not remembering where he saw the design he started asking various brothers in the Evansville area. Soon it was discovered at the York Rite in bad repair.

The GM asked Bro. Bill Reiners to obtain some pictures of the apron and uncover its history. Filed away with the apron, written for historical purposes December 24, 1935, the following information was observed:

Raleigh Hudson

This Regalia was the Property of Raleigh Hudson of New Orleans La. He was killed by a Gambler shooting at another Gambler during a quarrel as he (Mr. Hudson) stepped from a Drug Store. The Assassin was never captured.

Mr. Hudson was killed in the year 1858 when his son Mr. Orlando Hudson (now living) was three years old. The junior Mr. Hudson resides with his daughter, Mrs. Albert J. Shafer, at 1665 S. Elliott St., City, and is past eighty years.

The Wife of Mr. Raleigh Hudson was formerly Miss Adelia Azenia Gordon, born in Mt. Carmel Ill. and died in Evansville in 1912 at 76 years.

No date of Mr. Raleigh’s age or Masonic Record is known to exist at this time, but it is known that this Regalia is over 100 years old. He was known to have traveled extensively in foreign countries and had no living relatives at the time of his death except his own family. He was a Govt. Eng. (Civil).

The grand daughter, Mrs. Shafer, has graciously donated this to the Hadi Temple Drum Corps and they have agreed to keep same in a good state of preservation as possible as a memory of the past.

Secured through the efforts of Nobel Herbert W. Strange —member Hadi Temple Drum Corps.

The document goes on to list the names of the members of Hadi Temple Drum Corps. It also notes that the Regalia is on loan from the Drum Corps to the Masonic Temple Museum.

With his memory refreshed, Grand Master Herrell sent the pictures off to get the pin designed, and it is now widely available for proud display by the Craft.

Recently refreshed, the apron and other regalia are on display at the York Rite in Evansville.