Making Good Men, Better Men Since Time Immemorial
Making Good Men, Better Men Since Time Immemorial

All posts by: Ross Jackson

Grand Master’s Social Media Message

January 13, 2021

Brethren, if you have not reviewed the Social Media Policy lately, I encourage you to do so. While posting on the internet can be fun, rewarding, and educational, at times it can be challenging, especially when engaged in a subject near and dear to your heart. Emotions can sometimes get in the way of expressing yourself in the manner that would be appropriate as a representative of our fraternity.

Having social discourse is a freedom we all enjoy. Please use the social medium platforms we have available today in a positive way and be respectable of others.

Tommy Morrow

Grand Master

*Service Date Change* Obituary of Mrs. Shirley Brackin

Please keep the family of Mrs. Shirley Brackin in your prayers. She is the Widow of Most Worshipful Brother Joseph Brackin, Past Grand Master. She is also the Mother of our current Senior Grand Deacon, Brother Allen Brackin.

Obituary:

Shirley Henderson Brackin, of Dothan, passed away peacefully on December 29, 2020 surrounded by her loving family. She was 85 years old.

Funeral services will be held 3p.m. on Sunday, January 17, 2021, at Sunset Funeral Home chapel with Rev. Mike Pearson and Rev. Teresa Seevers officiating. Burial will follow at Dothan City Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2-3 p.m. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Greystone United Methodist Church, 4401 Fortner Street, Dothan AL 36305.

Shirley was born on December 16, 1935 to the late John Asa and Katherine Henderson. She was a majorette at Dothan High school and graduated in the class of 1954. After high school, Shirley married the love of her life, Joseph Brackin, and they would be married for almost 50 years before his passing. Shirley worked at Fort Rucker as the Inspector General for 33 years until her retirement. She was a dedicated member of Greystone United Methodist Church, formally Lafayette Street UMC, where she served as the Church Financial Secretary, Sunday School teacher, and charter member. She was also a member and secretary of the Forsythia Garden Club.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joseph Brackin; and her sister, Bobbie H. Jackson.

She is survived by her sons, Allen (Mary Beth) Brackin, Mark (Kathy) Brackin, and David (Kris) Brackin; Her grandson, Matthew (Fiancée Cassie) Brackin; step-grandson’s, Michael Monday, Chris (Elisha) Hollis, and Joey (Erica) Hollis; several great step-grandchildren; her brother, Johnnie (Helen) Henderson; and a host of extended family members and friends.

Clarification to COVID-19 Update 16 December 2020

Brethren, just a point of clarification. If the brethren of your lodge decide that it is in the best interest of the lodge to not meet because of the pandemic issue, I want it to be the consensus of the members who attend on a regular basis, not the Worshipful Master only. The Worshipful Master can determine this consensus in the manner in which he chooses whether it be in a regular lodge meeting or a special called meeting for that purpose, or by contacting these brethren one on one, or in an informal setting with two or more brethren present. Now that a vaccine is in use, hopefully soon we will be back to normal, whatever that normal may be.

Fraternally,

Tommy Morrow

Grand Master

Installation of Officers | 2020-2021

Join us in celebrating the installation of the Grand Lodge of Alabama’s 2020-2021 Officers.

Lodge Officers

  • Shelby Thomas Morrow, Jr. — MW Grand Master
  • Billy Wayne Jackson — RW Deputy Grand Master
  • Richard “Rusty” Beck —  RW Senior Grand Warden 
  • Michael Lee Boyles — RW Junior Grand Warden
  • Zachary Allen Holmes — Grand Treasurer
  • Teddy Roosevelt Grogan, JR. — Grand Secretary
  • Gary Pervie Wates — Grand Tiler
  • Gene Thomas Nelson — Grand Chaplain
  • Daniel Wesley Robinson — Grand Orator
  • Travis DeFoor, Jr.  — Grand Marshal
  • Andrew Hill Barnett — Grand Historian
  • Joesph Allen Houston Brackin  — Senior Grand Deacon
  • Kenneth Neil Amison — Junior Grand Deacon
  • Billy Wayne Wilkerson — Senior Grand Steward
  • Jerry Ellis Miller — Junior Grand Steward
  • Wendell Merrell Black — Deputy Grand Tiler

2020 Annual Communication Announcement

Edit: Committee Chairmen May attend as well. Chairmen are asked to have their reports to the Grand Secretary by (preferably before) 15 Oct 2020.

To the Brethren of Alabama,

As we continue to live in the COVID-19 world, your Grand Lodge officers are constantly monitoring the national, state, and local events to ensure we are conforming to the guidelines established by President Trump, Governor Ivey and our local community leadership here in Alabama.  There have been many questions concerning our Annual Communication in November and because we have cancelled and/or rescheduled so many Masonic events already this year, I feel that it is important for our Fraternity to have a Grand Lodge Session. However, I also feel very strongly that we cannot just engage in “business as usual” and maintain all of the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of our Brethren.  As such, the general attendance at Grand Lodge this year will be restricted to one member per lodge.  This will reduce the expected attendance by several hundred Brethren.  Each of the attendees can proxy all four votes for your respective lodges so every lodge will have fair and equal representation at the Session and we will be in full compliance with the Constitution, Resolutions and Edicts of the Grand Lodge.  Also, the schedule will be abbreviated to ensure we conduct the required business of our Fraternity and minimize the risk to all.  We will not have the Committee on Work Workshop and Divine Service on Sunday afternoon.  We will not have the Exemplification of the Work by the Committee on Work and District Lecturers on Monday.  We will not have the traditional Hospitality Suite for the attendees.  Registration with the Credentials Committee will be from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Monday and 7:00 am to 12:00 noon on Tuesday.  The first event will be the Grand Master’s Banquet on Monday evening.  The 2020 Grand Lodge Session will begin at 0900 on Tuesday morning.  We will be focused on ensuring we make the most productive use of our time together.  At this time, we do not plan to have any activities on Wednesday morning.  Our intent is to complete all of the business on Tuesday, conduct the elections of the Grand Lodge officers, and have the installation Tuesday evening.  The ballroom is large enough to spread everyone out and by limiting the Session to one full day, this will provide the minimum amount of exposure possible.  

This will be the 200th Grand Lodge Session of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Alabama. Brethren, this is most definitely not how I wanted this Annual Communication to occur. We had planned to make this a “Session to Remember” and although it will bear no resemblance to events we had originally prepared, I am confident that none of us will ever forget the 2020 Annual Communication. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact me at any time and we will work together to make the best decisions for Masonry in Alabama.

Jon Michael Taylor

Grand Master