The annual Wilson Masonic Lodge Flea Market and Inside Yard Sale will be Saturday September 24, 2022,from 8AM to 4PM at the Hardy Civic Center, 301 W. Main Street Hardy Arkansas. Over 50 vendors, artists and craftsman will participate. In addition to Flea Market items, the event will feature music and concessions including hot dogs, hamburgers, and drinks. All proceeds from the sale of booth space and concessions will go to support masonic charities.
A 10ft X 10ft booth space may be reserved for $30 with an additional adjoining space only $10. Admission for the event is free and there will be an hourly 50/50 raffle. Although postponed due to Covid for the past several years, the Annual Flea Market and Yard Sale is one way Wilson Lodge supports the community and masonic charities.
Wilson Lodge is one of the oldest organizations serving Hardy and the surrounding area. Wilson Lodge received acharter November 23, 1886, from the Arkansas Ground Lodge and is one of 196 lodges in the state representing 9,462 members. The Wilson Lodge Hall is on Woodland Hills Road in Hardy next to Hardy City Hall. Many familiar modern sayings such as “on the level”, “third degree”, “cornerstone”, and “black balled” have their roots in freemasonry.
Freemasonry is thought to have arisen from the stonemasons’ guilds during the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in the fraternity’s rituals come from this era. While there are references to Masonry as early as 1390, modern Masonry stemmed from the creation of the first Grand Lodge in England in 1717. Within 30 years, the fraternity spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies.
Free Masonry was very popular in the American Colonies. George Washington was a mason. Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Hancock, Lafayette, Nathanael Greene, and John Paul Jones all played a role in the fraternity in early America. During the late 1700s it was one of the organizations most responsible for spreading the ideals of the Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual, the right of all persons to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and the importance of public education.
Modern day Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternity emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy.
Today in North America, the Masonic Fraternity continues this tradition by giving almost $2 million each day to causes that range from operating children’s hospitals, providing treatment for childhood language disorders, treating eye diseases, funding medical research, contributing to local community service, and providing care to Masons and their families at Masonic Homes.
The four million Masons worldwide continue to help men and women face the problems of the 21st century by building bridges of brotherhood and instilling in the hearts of men ideals for a better tomorrow.
For more information on Freemasonry, ask a mason. To reserve your flea market space Sept 24th contact Greg Bess at 870-761-2828 or via email at [email protected]. All event proceeds will benefit masonic charities.
