Temple Lodge 128

09/30/2026

UPDATE: Additional parking, arrival, and attire information has been added below. Please review the revised guidance if you plan to participate in the Masonic Memorial Service.

Brethren,

The following are the current arrangements for Brother George Bacorn’s services. While these plans are fairly solid at this time, there are still a lot of moving parts involved and the situation remains dynamic. If anything changes, I will provide updates as soon as possible.

Saturday, October 3, 2026
North Caroline High School Auditorium
10990 River Road, Ridgely, Maryland

Public Visitation: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Masonic Memorial Service: 12:00 PM
Law Enforcement Services: Immediately following

Services are expected to conclude at approximately 2:00 PM.

Temple Lodge No. 128 will have the honor of conducting the Masonic Memorial Service for Brother George at noon. Our Deputy Grand Lecturer, Brother Michael E. Holcomb, PM, will serve as Acting Worshipful Master, and I will serve as Chaplain for the memorial service.

IMPORTANT ARRIVAL & PARKING INFORMATION

Brethren participating in the Masonic Memorial Service should plan to arrive at North Caroline High School by approximately 10:30 AM and absolutely no later than 11:00 AM. Earlier arrival is strongly encouraged if possible. I intend to be at the school by approximately 9:30 AM.

We are expecting a very large crowd, and parking will be extremely limited. Please allow plenty of additional time for traffic and parking.

Those participating in the Masonic Memorial Service should be able to park behind the school, either in the rear lot or adjoining field. When you reach traffic-control personnel, tell them specifically that you are participating in the Masonic Memorial Service, and they should direct you to the appropriate parking area.

Additional parking with shuttle service to and from the school will be available at:

Sharp Road Community Park
320 Sharp Road, Denton, MD 21629

Denton Elementary School
303 Sharp Road, Denton, MD 21629

HAPS – Health & Public Services Building
403 S. 7th Street, Denton, MD 21629

ATTIRE

For Brethren participating in the Masonic Memorial Service, a black suit is strongly preferred. A dark suit is also acceptable. Please wear a white dress shirt with coat and tie.

A tuxedo is also appropriate, and the officers participating in the service will be wearing tuxedos.

Officers do not need to provide their own jewels or aprons; I already have those for the service.

If you have your own appropriate Masonic apron, please bring it. We will also have plain white aprons and white gloves available for Brethren who do not have them.

First responders and members of the military are welcome and encouraged to attend in their Class A uniforms.

I strongly encourage every Brother who is able to attend. Many of our members knew George personally, and this is our opportunity to stand together as his Brethren, support his family, and give Brother George the Masonic farewell that he and his family deserve.

Please continue to keep George’s wife, Charmaine, his sons, his entire family, and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement in your prayers.

Rest in peace, Brother George. We hope you will join us Saturday as we honor his life and say farewell to our Brother.

Sincerely & Fraternally,

Stephen R. Twomey II
Worshipful Master
Temple Lodge No. 128

Chief George Bacorn spent his life showing up for others. On Saturday, we will show up for him.

Please join Chief Bacorn’s family and the Denton Police Department as we honor his life and service to his beloved community. Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by the service at 12:00 p.m. Both will take place in the auditorium at North Caroline High School, 10990 River Road, Ridgely. All are welcome to attend.

Chief Bacorn was larger than life. As we gather with his family and fellow officers, we will honor the life he lived and the legacy he leaves with this community.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in the Chief’s memory be sent to either of the following:

SWAC for FOP Lodge 118 (Shop with a Cop)
100 N. Third Street
Denton, MD 21629

or

Caroline CARES, through For All Seasons
111 E. Dover Street
Easton, MD 21601
forallseasonsinc.org

09/27/2026

It is with profound sadness that Temple Lodge No. 128 mourns the loss of our Brother, George William Bacorn Jr.

For more than 35 years, George devoted himself to the service of Denton and the people who call this community home. He joined the Denton Police Department in 1990 and served as a patrol officer, field training officer, supervisor, commander, Deputy Chief, and ultimately Chief of Police. His service eventually extended throughout Maryland, where he held leadership roles representing municipal law enforcement at the state level.

But a life cannot be measured simply by years of service, positions held, or titles earned.

To many of us at Temple Lodge, he was simply Brother George.

George was a familiar and deeply respected presence in the community, but to those fortunate enough to know him personally, he was also a friend and Brother. Many members of our Lodge knew George for years, and his sudden passing leaves an emptiness that will be felt deeply among our Brethren and throughout Denton.

Earlier this year, while being recognized for 35 years with the Denton Police Department, George recalled being asked at his police academy graduation in 1990 how long he intended to stay in Denton. His answer was that if Denton treated him well, he would treat Denton well.

Thirty-five years later, George could simply say, “Here we are.”

Those words now seem especially fitting. George kept his end of that promise.

He gave a remarkable portion of his life to protecting, serving, and caring for this community. The countless people whose lives he touched are part of the legacy he leaves behind.

Our hearts and prayers are especially with his wife, Charmaine, his family, his fellow officers of the Denton Police Department, and all who loved him.

For the Brethren of Temple Lodge No. 128, we mourn one of our own.

May God grant comfort and strength to George’s family and friends, and may the memory of our Brother remain with us always.

Rest in peace, Brother George.

You will be greatly missed.

Sincerely,
Stephen R. Twomey II
Worshipful Master of Temple Lodge No. 128

(The photo was taken after we initiated Brother George as an Entered Apprentice)

06/30/2026

🇺🇸 Temple Lodge No. 128, A.F. & A.M., Denton, Maryland 🇺🇸

| Celebrating 250 Years of American Independence

As America celebrates her 250th anniversary, it is fitting to reflect on the relationship between Freemasonry and the ideals upon which our Republic was built.

Freemasonry did not establish the United States as an institution, nor did the Fraternity dictate the structure of our government. Yet many of the men who secured our independence and shaped our nation were Freemasons whose moral education was rooted in the timeless principles of the Craft.

Within a Masonic Lodge, every Brother meets upon the Level. No man is born to privilege. Officers are elected by the membership rather than inheriting authority. The Lodge is governed by written constitutions, established rules, and the consent of its members. Debate is conducted with civility, every Brother has a voice, and those entrusted with leadership are accountable to the Brethren they serve.

These principles of constitutional government, representative leadership, equality before the law, personal responsibility, and respect for individual conscience were also embraced by many of the men who established the United States. While these ideals were part of the broader Enlightenment, Freemasonry provided a place where they were regularly taught, practiced, and reinforced.

Known Freemasons Who Signed the Declaration of Independence

• Benjamin Franklin
• John Hancock
• William Ellery
• Joseph Hewes
• William Hooper
• Robert Treat Paine
• Richard Stockton
• George Walton
• William Whipple

Prominent Freemasons of the Revolutionary War

⭐ George Washington - Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States.

⭐ Marquis de Lafayette - French general whose leadership and influence helped secure the French alliance that proved decisive in defeating Britain.

⭐ Baron Friedrich von Steuben - The Prussian officer whose training transformed the Continental Army into a disciplined fighting force at Valley Forge.

⭐ Nathanael Greene - Washington’s most trusted field commander whose Southern Campaign exhausted British forces and paved the way for victory.

⭐ Henry Knox - Chief of Artillery whose transport of cannon from Fort Ticonderoga forced the British evacuation of Boston.

⭐ Benjamin Lincoln - Major General who accepted the British surrender at Yorktown on behalf of General Washington.

Other known Masonic generals include Israel Putnam, John Sullivan, Hugh Mercer, Richard Montgomery, John Glover, Mordecai Gist, Arthur St. Clair, John Stark, William Woodford, Otho Holland Williams, Rufus Putnam, John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, David Wooster, James Clinton, Edward Hand, Samuel Holden Parsons, James Mitchell Varnum, George Weedon, Elias Dayton, William Maxwell, John Paterson, John Nixon, James Hogun, Jethro Sumner, William Thompson, and several others. Historians have documented 33 of the 81 Continental Army general officers as Freemasons.

Perhaps no single image better symbolizes the connection between Freemasonry and the birth of our nation than this: when George Washington took the first Presidential Oath of Office, the Bible upon which he swore was provided by St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York.

America was not founded by Freemasonry, but many of her founders were Freemasons. The lessons taught within the Lodge including integrity, virtue, liberty under law, self-government, religious tolerance, charity, and Brotherly Love helped shape the character of men who would shape a nation.

Two hundred and fifty years later, those same principles continue to inspire Freemasons around the world as we strive to build better men, stronger communities, and a more virtuous society.

Happy 250th Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

Interested in learning more about Freemasonry?

Temple Lodge No. 128 welcomes good men of character who believe in a Supreme Being and desire to improve themselves while serving their families, communities, and fellow man.

Learn more about Freemasonry in Maryland and how to begin your journey:
https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/

Or send Temple Lodge No. 128 a message here on Facebook. We’d be happy to answer your questions and introduce you to the Craft.

Fraternally shared by the Brethren of Temple Lodge No. 128, A.F. & A.M., Denton, Maryland.

© Temple Lodge No. 128, Denton, Maryland

05/31/2026

Today, May 31, 2026, marks the 225th anniversary of the opening of the first Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 31, 1801.

That moment is often remembered as the birth of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite as we know it today. Charleston became known as the home of the “Mother Supreme Council of the World,” because regular Supreme Councils throughout the world trace their lineage, directly or indirectly, back to that first Council.

The early Scottish Rite did not replace the Blue Lodge. It built upon it. A man first becomes a Mason in his symbolic lodge, but the Scottish Rite gives the Master Mason a broader field of study: morality, philosophy, history, symbolism, duty, faith, justice, and the lifelong search for further Light.

The 33rd Degree has also been the subject of many conspiracy theories over the years. In reality, the 33rd Degree is not a secret position of power or hidden control. It is an honorary degree conferred upon Scottish Rite Masons who have given notable service to the fraternity, their communities, and humanity. Most Scottish Rite Masons are 32nd Degree Masons, and the highest degree any Mason truly “earns” in the foundational sense is still the Third Degree, the degree of Master Mason.

So today, we remember not just the founding of another Masonic body, but the beginning of a system of Masonic education that has shaped generations of Brothers around the world.

The Blue Lodge makes Masons. The Scottish Rite gives Masons more tools with which to build.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day has a meaningful connection to the Masonic fraternity through Brother John A. Logan.

Logan was born in southern Illinois and served in the Mexican-American War before rising to the rank of Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. Though he came from a region where Southern sympathies were not uncommon, Logan stood firmly for the Union and fought against the Confederacy in major campaigns including Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Atlanta, and the Carolinas.

After the war, Brother Logan became Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans’ organization. In 1868, he issued the order calling for May 30th to be set aside as Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of those who had fallen in the Civil War. That observance would later become what we now know as Memorial Day.

As Americans, we remember all who gave their lives in service to our country. As Masons, we are reminded of our duty to honor the dead, comfort the living, and preserve the memory of those whose sacrifice helped secure the freedoms we enjoy.

May we never forget them.

From Temple Lodge No. 128, we wish everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

05/07/2026

Some doors lead to rooms. Others lead to a different way of life.

Freemasonry is for men who believe character still matters, that friendship should be more than casual, and that service to others is part of a well-lived life.

Within the Lodge, men from different walks of life meet as Brothers. They learn from tradition, strengthen one another through fellowship, and work to carry the lessons of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth into their homes, families, workplaces, and communities.

It is not about being perfect. It is about being willing to grow.

For the man seeking purpose, good counsel, meaningful friendship, and a place to do something worthwhile, the door is open.

Learn more about Maryland Freemasonry here:
https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/

05/07/2026

Seeking light?

Freemasonry is a path for good men who are searching for something deeper: brotherhood, wisdom, moral growth, service, and a life built on faith and character.

Through symbolism, allegory, tradition, and fellowship, Masonry encourages a man to improve himself, support his brothers, serve his community, and seek more light in his own life.

For those who feel drawn toward meaning, purpose, and becoming better than they were yesterday, Freemasonry may be worth exploring.

Ask a Mason about your local lodge.

Learn more about Maryland Freemasonry here:
https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/

05/07/2026

“Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

Freemasonry begins with a simple idea: a good man must seek. He must ask. He must knock.

Behind the door is not a shortcut, a title, or a secret path to worldly gain. It is a lifelong journey of brotherhood, moral instruction, self-improvement, service, faith, and the pursuit of light.

For generations, men have come to the door of the Lodge seeking something deeper: wisdom, fellowship, character, and a better way to live.

If you are a good man seeking purpose, brotherhood, and personal growth, perhaps it is time to knock.

Temple Lodge No. 128
Denton, Maryland

Learn more about Maryland Freemasonry here:
https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/

05/04/2026

05/04/2026

Freemasonry is open to good men who are seeking brotherhood, moral growth, and a deeper commitment to living with faith, integrity, and purpose.

In Maryland, a man must be at least 18 years old, be of good character and reputation, and have a sincere belief in God or a Supreme Being. Exact procedures may vary by lodge, but the first step is simple: ask.

Freemasonry is not about being perfect. It is about being willing to improve yourself, support your brothers, serve your community, and walk through life by principles greater than yourself.

If these qualifications describe you, consider taking the next step.

Ask a Mason about your local lodge.

https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/