10/12/2025
History
G.M. Lee Birl Carter
Prince Hall Scholar, Ritualist, and Builder of Legacy
Introduction
G.M. Lee Birl Carter is remembered as one of the most gifted ritualists and visionary leaders in the history of Prince Hall Freemasonry in Florida. A 33rd Degree Mason with unmatched command of ritual, he served with distinction in multiple jurisdictions and left behind a legacy of fraternal excellence, mentorship, and principled leadership.
Early Life
Lee Birl Carter was born in July 1953 in Clarke County, Mississippi. He graduated as a member of the Class of 1972 from Quitman High School, where he distinguished himself academically. That same year, he was awarded the prestigious Warren A. Hood Scholarship, recognizing him among the top graduating seniors across Mississippi. This achievement, documented in The Clarke County Tribune (June 23, 1972), marked him early on as a young man of promise and discipline.
Following high school, Carter attended Jackson State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. After completing his education, he relocated to South Florida, where he would go on to become a community leader, a devoted family man, and a pillar of Masonic excellence. He worked for the City of Hialeah Water Department, retiring as a foreman in 2011. Outside the lodge, he was a dedicated Sunday school teacher and a faithful member of New Birth Baptist Church, The Cathedral of Faith International.
Prince Hall Masonry
Carter served as Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida from 2009 to 2010. Though his tenure was shortened by illness, it was marked by decisive leadership and vision. In 2010, he approved the chartering of the RAE Sr. Grand Court of California, authorizing the establishment of a Grand Court—an important expansion of Masonic Order work on the West Coast.
To honor his contributions, Lee B. Carter Lodge #768 was named after him. Additionally, two classes of the Florida Council of Deliberation were named in his honor: Lee Carter Guild #44 and the Heroine Templar Crusaders.
Scottish Rite and Ritual Mastery
Carter was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, regarded by many as the sharpest ritualist in the jurisdiction. His rare ability to recite all degree work from the 1st to the 32nd—and then in reverse from the 32nd to the 1st—complete with signs, passwords, and sacred words, set him apart as a true Master of the Craft. His reverence for ritual and his instructional gift inspired a generation of Masons throughout Florida and beyond.
Legacy
In 2011, he was honored with the title of Honorary Past Grand Master by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and Jurisdiction, Inc., recognizing his stature in the wider Prince Hall Masonic world.
His wife continued the family's Masonic legacy and was elected the 4th Grand Worthy Matron of Jerusalem Grand Chapter in 2016, further solidifying the Carter family’s impact on Florida Freemasonry.
Lee Birl Carter passed away on May 27, 2020, in Miami, Florida, where he had lived for over four decades at 1201 NW 175th Street. His passing was deeply mourned, but his legacy remains alive in the lodges, rituals, and Masonic hearts he shaped.
Grand Historian
Genaro Antoninus Pius Urso
