THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410190164
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Lionell Spruill Sr. has had two great personal ambitions in his life.
One was to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly. He realized that goal last year when he was elected to represent Chesapeake in Virginia's House of Delegates.
The other was to become most worshipful grand master of the Free and Accepted Masons.
That dream was realized when he was selected last month as most worshipful grand master of Northwest Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia.
As most worshipful grand master, the 47-year-old former city councilman oversees 324 Masonic lodges in Virginia with a total of 15,000 members and affiliated associations, including the Shriners, Eastern Star, Royal Arch Masons, Knights Templar, Consistory and Knights Pythagoras.
His rise in the organization began in 1973, when he became master of Providence Lodge No. 189 in Chesapeake. Since then, he has served as grand junior deacon, grand senior deacon, grand junior warden, grand senior warden and deputy grand master.
The Free and Accepted Masons was founded in 1784, when the Grand Lodge of England granted Prince Hall, a free black preacher, and 14 other free black men authority to form Lodge 459 in Boston, Mass. To be a member, one had to be free and accepted. After Hall died, the grand lodge in Boston was named in his honor.
``The original purpose of the organization was to have other men become free and to help others in need,'' said Spruill.
Today, the group's focus is still on helping others.
Each year, Spruill said, many thousands of dollars are contributed by the Masons to education scholarships, youth programs, the state and national chapters of NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, the Virginia State Heart Association and widows and orphans.
``Anybody can request funds from us,'' Spruill said. ``We will check it out.''
Spruill said the theme of his term in the new post will be ``Sharing the Vision.''
``First, I'm going to ask all the lodges to open their halls to brothers who tutor and train kids and to young people for recreation,'' Spruill said. ``And I'm going to ask all the members to go and visit a small church to participate in its worship and leave a $10 check.''
Spruill explained that, unlike big churches, most small churches often have difficulty obtaining adequate funding without the help of organizations like the Masons.
Spruill speaks with obvious pride about his selection for the post of worshipful grand master.
``I am probably the youngest grand master in Virginia,'' he said. ``When you become the most worshipful grand master, you're over everything.''
Irving Spencer, who was Spruill's campaign manager in the early 1980s, when Spruill ran for the position of grand junior deacon, described the qualities that made Spruill successful.
``He's a hard-working young man,'' Spencer said. ``He's not flashy. But the work he does behind the scenes shows his ability as a leader.''
Spencer, one of the two grand lecturers of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, met Spruill 15 years ago at a joint fellowship between his Progress Lodge No. 80 in Norfolk and Spruill's Providence Lodge No. 189 in Chesapeake.
``We just happened to sit side by side,'' Spencer recalled. ``We later became friends.''
When Spencer ran for grand lecturer, the highest position in Masons' educational function, Spruill in turn helped his campaign.
Another of Sprilll's Masonic friends is Michael K. Brown from the Providence Lodge No. 198. Brown and Spruill grew up in the same neighborhood.
``He's a public servant,'' said Brown. ``He's a community-oriented person. I look at him as a leader. It's enjoyable to work with him.''
Brown said Spruill is also a family man who has drawn his three grown sons into the local lodge.
Spruill said his family, especially his wife, has given him the support he needs.
``My wife has a lot of patience,'' Spruill said. ``She helps me with visitations to other churches.''
Spruill said the 1995 Virginia convention of the Free and Accepted Masons will be held on the third Tuesday of September in Chesapeake. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Lionell Spruill is the most worshipful grand master of Northwest
Prince Hall Grand Lodge.
by CNB