Scout Troop 1496 completes project for Bainbridge’s Masonic Lodge

Scouts from Troop 1496 raised the flag, for the first time since 9-11, 2001, on the newly refurbished flagpole at the Masonic Lodge under the watchful eye of local Masons and their Scoutmaster John Hobbs.

July 4, 2014 2:30 pm
Members of Boy Scout Troop 1496 raised the flag on the refurbished flagpole at the William Renton Lodge No. 29 F. & A. M. (Masons)
Members of Boy Scout Troop 1496 raised the flag on the refurbished flagpole at the William Renton Lodge No. 29 F. & A. M. (Masons)

Scouts from Troop 1496 raised the flag, for the first time since 9-11, 2001, on the newly refurbished flagpole at the Masonic Lodge under the watchful eye of local Masons and their Scoutmaster John Hobbs.

Charley Haas, a Scout with Bainbridge Island’s Boy Scout Troop 1496, spent over 30 hours wire-brushing almost 57 years of rust off the old flagpole at the Masonic Lodge where the Masons’ historic 48-star American flag was last raised on Sept. 11, 2001, the day the World Trade Centers fell. With the help of his younger brother Matthew Haas, he repainted the flagpole with rustproof paint to keep the flagpole in good condition for years to come.

Jerry Hall, a member of Masonic Lodge, masterminded the lifting of the 40-foot high, 450-pound flagpole by a crane back into its final resting place in front of the lodge.

The Troop also recently spent more than 50 hours sprucing up the grounds around the building.

Troop 1496, led by Scoutmaster John Hobbs, is one of the largest Boy Scout Troops in Washington state. The Troop is sponsored by the William Renton Lodge No. 29 F. & A. M., located across the street from Bainbridge High School at the corner of High School Road and Grow Avenue.

The 48-star flag was first created in 1912 with the annexation of New Mexico and Arizona to the United States. The historic 48-star flag waiving on the Mason’s flagpole once flew over a U.S. Navy ship in World War II.  With the annexation of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, the current 50-star flag became the official flag of the United States in 1960 under President Eisenhower. Prior versions of the U.S. flag may officially be flown until they become unserviceable.

The flagpole is just one of many steps the Masons are undertaking to update their building and grounds. Inside, a new stainless steel commercial kitchen will soon be in place at the lodge and available for use by parties renting the building for private events. Nutrition and cooking classes will also be taught in the new kitchen.

For information about renting the lodge, email postmaconstruction@gmail.com.