South Miami Lodge #308 F.A.M.

Please see photo in the album section.

South Miami Lodge had an open part of our Sateted Meeting on May 12th for the purpose of presentiong Brother William Lee Popham with The Daniel Carter Beard Award.

We were graced by the presence of M:.W:.Joe Fleites Grand Master of Masons of Florida, and honored by the surprise visit of W:.M:. and Brethren of Hibiscus Lodge.

Brother Popham was nominated by Brother William Sharp of Endeavor Lodge of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Delaware for this award, who flew that night just to attend the presentation. Just to furnish sufficient proof of "how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity" a Florida Mason nominated by Delaware Brother for a Masonic award from The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award is an honor due to the countless Freemasons who practice the ideals of Freemasonry and act as role models to the young men who are part of one of our nation's most outstanding youth organizations. The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Award not only supports the Masonic relationship through the man who brought Scouting to America, but proclaims the integrity of the Freemason who is honored by receiving the award.

Freemasonry's relationship with the Boy Scouts started with a Freemason named Daniel Carter Beard. Bro. Beard was made a Mason in Mariner's Lodge No. 67, New York City, NY, and later affiliated with Cornucopia Lodge 563, Flushing, NY. In the late 1800's he founded a male youth program called the "Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone." By 1905, the program had become "The Boy Pioneers." The man who would create the first "Boy Scouts," and be known as its founder, was Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Great Britain. Lord Baden-Powell, who was not a Mason, read of Beard's program and, based on his own military experience, developed what is known as the "Boy Scouts." In 1910, the Boy Scout program came to America when Bro. Beard merged his organization into the "Boy Scouts of America" and became its first National Commissioner.

Bro. Beard, known affectionately as "Uncle Dan" by millions of Boy Scouts, worked tirelessly to create the Scouting Program that we know today. He developed the elements of the Scout badge and the Scout uniform, and wrote and illustrated various early publications of the Boy Scouts of America. Bro. Beard exemplified the Masonic ideals throughout the Scouting program.

Source: The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.