Acacia Lodge #49

The Beardsley Medal can be given to any member of this Grand Lodge who has made an exemplary contribution to the Grand lodge of New Brunswick and the advancement of Freemasonry. 

This medal is awarded to a member of this Grand Lodge in recognition of praiseworthy service rendered to the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. 

The application must be submitted by a voting member of Grand Lodge on behalf of a worthy brother.  The completed application is to be forwarded to the District Deputy Grand Master not later than March 1st each year.

Not more than two will be given each year in the entire Grand Lodge Jurisdiction if worthy candidates are presented.

If a Lodge or member has previously submitted an application of a worthy brother for either of these awards and that brother did not receive an award, it is there prerogative to resubmit an application on behalf of this brother.

Click here for the application form.

THE GRAND HISTORIAN'S NOTEBOOK

by R:W:Bro David "Bud" Gillrie

THE REVERED JOHN BEARDSLEY MEDALLION

The Rev. John Beardsley Medallion was introduced to the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick and is considered the highest recognition Grand Lodge of New Brunswick may give to a brother of the jurisdiction, though there have been presentations made outside the fold.

The concept of the Beardsley Medallion was introduced to New Brunswick Masons during the Grand Lodge's Centennial year, 1968.

The proposal and introduction at Grand Lodge was in a verbal report on the floor of the Grand Lodge, the contents of this verbal report were not recorded in the Grand Lodge Proceedings of that particular year, though a facsimile of the proposed medallion was printed. The verbal "terms of reference" offered to the assembled members of Grand Lodge, were regularly moved and adopted at the May 1968 Communication and referred to the Board of General Purposes with the power to act.

The following year at the 1969 Communication, the Board of General Purposes report, stated "thirty five medallions had been received and distributed as noted in the Grand Master's Address" That the dies (three in number) for the medallion were placed in the vault of the Grand Lodge, in the possession of the Grand Secretary.

The first reported issue of the medallion was to M Wor Bro William John Summerville, nine New Brunswick Past Grand Masters, three Past Grand Masters of Massachusetts. The Grand Master and a Past Grand Master of Nova Scotia, two Past Grand Masters of Maine, the Past Grand Master of Prince Edward Island, the Grand Secretary of New Brunswick, two Past Grand Wardens of New Brunswick and a Junior Grand Warden of New Hampshire. In total twenty two of the thirty five medallions received.

M Wor Bro Arthur E Coleman, Grand Master of New Brunswick in 1955 was presented a Beardsley Medallion at the 1970 Communication by the GRM M Wor Bro Speight.

The Proceedings for the years 1971 and 1972 do not report the presentation of medallions, with the next reported presentations being in 1973 to Rt Wor Bro Philip L W Drader of Keith Lodge No 23 and Rt Wor Bro Reginald Francis Wright a 60 year member of Albion Lodge.

Between 1974 and 1980, there were sixteen medallions awarded, of these four were awarded to distinguished brethren of other jurisdictions. Between the years 1981 and 1988, New Brunswick brethren were awarded twenty of the Beardsley medallions.

The medallion was not issued during the years 1989 to 1991 nor was it awarded in 1993.

From 1992 to 2004 with the exception noted of 1993, forty of the awards were presented to worthy brothers. During the years of 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2001 four medallions were awarded at each of those annual communications

In total to the 2004 Grand Lodge Annual Communication, 102 Beardsley Medallions have been awarded of which twelve have been awarded to brethren from outside the New Brunswick jurisdiction.

New Brunswick Lodge No 22 with five medallions awarded has been recipient of the most awards. Hiram Lodge No 6, Sussex Lodge No 7, Carleton Union Lodge No 8 and Lodge Saint John No 27 have each seen four of their members honoured. Corinthian Lodge No 13, Keith Lodge No 23, Tweedie Lodge No 41, Fownes Lodge No 45 and Acacia Lodge No 49 have all seen three of their members receive this award.

Albion Lodge No 1, St John's Lodge No 2, Hibernia Lodge No 3, Howard Lodge No 15, Lodge St Andrew No 16, Northumberland Lodge No 17, Carleton Lodge No 35, Colebrooke Lodge No 39, Landmark Lodge No 51, Coverdale Lodge No 52 and Centennial Lodge No 53 have each had two of their brothers receive the medallion.

St George Lodge No 12, Restigouche Lodge No 25, Victoria Lodge No 26, Benjamin Lodge No 31, Alexandria Lodge No 33, Albert Lodge No 34, Ashlar Lodge No 36, Steven Lodge No 37, Tobique Lodge No 48 and Cherry Mountain Lodge No 51 have each had one brother awarded the John Beardsley Medallion.

The honour of the award is the brother's, the effort and the satisfaction surely must reflect on the brother's lodge and be an inspiration to the lodges to emulate the distinguished brethren in their devotion to the craft.