| GRAND MASTER | M.W. George F. Hamilton | Alpha Lodge, Framingham |
| DEPUTY GRAND MASTER | R.W. Kenneth J. Scott | Mount Vernon-Galilean Lodge, Melrose, MA |
| DISTRICT GRAND MASTER (PANAMA) |
R.W. Eduardo Crocamo | Eloy Alfaro Lodge, Albrook, Panama |
| SENIOR GRAND WARDEN | R.W. John E. Kelley Jr | Star of Bethlehem Lodge, Wakefield |
| JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN | R.W. Alfredo J. R. Canhoto | Middlesex Lodge, Framingham |
| GRAND TREASURER | R.W. Mason W. Russell | Budleigh Lodge, Beverly |
| ASSISTANT GRAND TREASURER | R.W. Paul R. Perkins | Wyoming Lodge, Melrose |
| GRAND SECRETARY | M.W. Albert T. Ames | Meridian Lodge, Natick |
| ASSISTANT GRAND SECRETARY | M.W. Richard Maggio | Boylston Lodge, West Boylston |
M.W. George F. Hamilton
On December 27th, 2022, George Forest Hamilton was installed as the 91st Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. He will preside over more than 200 lodges and 20,000 members throughout the Commonwealth, Panama, Chile, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, and Tokyo, Japan for the next three years.
The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts was chartered in 1733, following the establishment of the Grand Lodges of England in 1717 and Ireland in 1725. Massachusetts is the third oldest Grand Lodge in the world and the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Due to this precedent, the Grand Master of Massachusetts is referred to as the third “ranking” Mason in the world. 2023 marks the 290th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. A Grand Lodge is the governing body of Freemasonry in its jurisdiction.
As Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Hamilton has two distinct, yet equally important, responsibilities. First, he serves as the fraternal leader of the institution. In this capacity he ensures the activities that take place within the jurisdiction comply with the Constitutions and Regulations of the Grand Lodge as adopted in 1792 and amended through 2022. He also has numerous ceremonial privileges reserved for his position. The office of Grand Master is a volunteer position; the Grand Master is elected and installed on an annual basis.
His second responsibility is leading the business of Grand Lodge, including:
- Chairman, Grand Lodge Board of Directors.
- President, Masonic Education & Charity Trust (M.E. & C.T.). The M.E. &C.T. is a 501©3 overseeing the charitable activities of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
- Chairman, Grand Lodge Library and Museum Board of Directors; a 501©3 responsible for the Samuel Crocker Lawrence Library and the Grand Lodge Museum collection, both of which are open to the public.
- Member of the Masonic Health System (MHS) Board of Directors. With corporate headquarters in Charlton, MHS includes The Overlook Life Care Community, featuring independent, enhanced, post-acute and skilled nursing; as well as the Overlook Visiting Nurses Association providing services to more than 180 communities throughout the state.
Brother Hamilton was raised in Northborough and graduated from Algonquin Regional High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Lowell. Following college, he began working for GTE Corporation (now General Dynamics) in Needham. He retired from General Dynamics as Senior Director of Engineering after more than 30 years with the company.
In 1984 he started his Masonic career by joining Alpha Lodge in Framingham. He served as the Worshipful Master, or presiding officer of the lodge, in 1988 and 1989. Masons use the original definition of the word worshipful, meaning “honorable”. Even today, English mayors and judges are addressed by the title of “Worshipful”. As Grand Master, members of the fraternity call him “Most Worshipful”.
He is a member of several other Masonic lodges, including: The Scouters Lodge, Holden; Siloam Lodge, Westborough; and The Master’s Lodge, Needham; he is a charter member of The Lodge of the Royal Secret, Boston.
His service to Grand Lodge began in 2007 when he was appointed Grand Standard Bearer. In 2018, he was selected to serve on the Grand Lodge Board of Directors – a position he held until he was installed Grand Master. In 2020, he was elected Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge, the second highest elected position a Mason can hold in the state. For his service to Massachusetts Freemasonry and Grand Lodge, M.W. Richard Maggio, Grand Master, awarded him the Henry Price Medal, the highest recognition that can be conferred in the jurisdiction.
Active in several Masonic organizations, Brother Hamilton belongs to the Valley of Boston for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Within Scottish Rite Freemasonry, he was an active member of Giles F. Yates Chapter of Rose Croix and served as their Most Wise Master between 2014 and 2017. For his service to Scottish Rite Freemasonry, he was made a 33° in 2017 at the Annual Session of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, held in Rochester, NY.
He is a member of the York Rite’s Concord Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Adoniram Council of Royal and Select Master Masons, and Saint Bernard Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar. He also belongs to Aleppo Shriners, Wilmington and Stella Chapter #3, Auburn, Order of the Eastern Star.
Brother Hamilton married his childhood sweetheart, Theresa Marie Warren. They made their home in Framingham where they had two sons: Benjamin Warren Hamilton (Brighton, MA), and Thomas Forest Hamilton (Manchester, NH). In 1995 the family moved back to George and Theresa’s hometown of Northborough where they raised their sons. They currently reside in Westborough. He has been involved with Boy Scout Troop 101, Northborough, since childhood. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and is now an Assistant Scoutmaster. He is a member of the United Methodist Church of Westborough and the National Society Sons of the American Revolution.
R.W. Kenneth J. Scott
Kenneth John Scott was installed Deputy Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts for 2023. The Deputy Grand Master is the second highest ranking officer of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
M.W. George F. Hamilton, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts and the presiding officer in the state, handpicked Scott for the position. He will assist the Grand Master and lead Grand Lodge during his absence for the next year. He is also the Grand Master ex officio should the Grand Master not be able to complete his term. He previously served Grand Lodge as a Grand Steward in 1980 and Grand Pursuivant in 1995.
In 1969 Brother Scott joined Galilean Lodge in Malden (now Mount Vernon-Galilean Lodge, Melrose). In 1976, he served as the Lodge’s Worshipful Master. He is a charter member of The DeMolay Lodge, Boston, and was their Master in 1983. He is also a charter member of The Lodge of the Royal Secret, Boston. As a youth, he was a member of the Everett Chapter of the Order of DeMolay and led his Chapter as Master Councilor for a term. For his service to DeMolay, he was awarded the Degree of Chevalier, the highest honor that an Active DeMolay can receive.
In 2008, M.W. Roger W. Pageau, Grand Master, presented him the Joseph Warren Medal for Distinguished Service. Named for the Patriot killed during the Battle of Bunker Hill, Warren was the presiding Grand Master at the time of his death. The medal recognizes exceptional service to the fraternity. In 2019, he received the Veteran’s Medal honoring his 50 years of membership.
A member of several Masonic organizations, Brother Scott belongs to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and was Sovereign Prince of the Giles F. Yates Council Princes of Jerusalem in the Valley of Boston, from 1995 – 1998. He was awarded the honorary 33° in 1997 at the Annual Session of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Grand Rapids, MI. He belongs to the York Rite’s Concord Royal Arch Chapter, Concord, Boston Council of Royal and Select Master Masons, Boston, and St. Bernard Commandery #12, Knights Templar, Boston. He is an Aleppo Shriner, Wilmington.
Scott is Secretary Emeritus for the Valley of Boston of the Scottish Rite, having served as Secretary from 2001-2021. He lives in Topsfield with his wife, Bonnie. They have three children: Hillary, Graham, and Holly. Scott served as Trustee, Topsfield Public Library, 2018-2022; Deacon, Linebrook Congregational Church, Ipswich, 2005-2015; and Chairman, Topsfield Republican Town Committee, 1986-1998. Prior to working for the Valley of Boston, he had a 23 year career with Eastman-Kodak. He was raised in Revere and attended Boston University.
R.W. Eduardo Crocamo
Eduardo Crocamo is the 29th Panama Canal District Grand Master having been selected by M.W. George F. Hamilton for the position. In his role, he represents the Grand Master in the Republic of Panama and the Republic of Chile on all Masonic matters. He was installed on December 27, 2022 and will serve three, one-year terms.
Brother Crocamo joined Freemasonry as a member of Eloy Alfaro Lodge, Albrook, Panama in 2007. He served as their Worshipful Master in 2011 and 2012. He also affiliated with Sojourners Lodge, Vista Hermosa, Panama in 2008. He was their Master in 2013 and 2014; he was Secretary from 2015 through 2021.
The District Grand Master oversees Ancon Lodge, Eloy Alfaro Lodge, Gatun Lodge, and Sojourners Lodge in Panama.
In 2013, M.W. Richard J. Stewart, Grand Master, presented Brother Crocamo with the Joseph Warren Distinguished Service Medal.
He is a member of Abou Saad Shriners, Panama Canal Orient, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, and Royal Order of Quetzalcoatl.
R.W. John E. Kelley Jr
John Emerson Kelley Jr of Pelham, NH was installed Senior Grand Warden for 2023. Senior Grand Warden is the second highest elected officer of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
As Senior Grand Warden, Brother Kelley will assist M.W. George F. Hamilton, Grand Master and the presiding officer for the jurisdiction, for the coming year. He also serves as Grand Master Pro Tempore in the absence of the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master.
Prior to being elected Senior Grand Warden, Brother Kelley had been Grand Marshal for the past three years to the previous Grand Master, M.W. Richard Maggio. It has been the tradition of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts since 1906, that at the completion of the Grand Marshal’s tenure, he serves as Senior Grand Warden the following year.
Brother Kelley began his Masonic career when he was initiated in Star of Bethlehem Lodge, Wakefield, in 1999. He served as their Worshipful Master in 2006 and 2007. He was also the Lodge’s Secretary between 2008 and 2010. He is also a member of William Parkman Lodge, Woburn, Norfolk Lodge, Needham, The Masters Lodge, Needham, Wisdom Lodge, West Stockbridge, and Mount Holyoke Lodge, South Hadley Falls.
His first Grand Lodge position was Grand Steward in 2014, appointed by M.W. Harvey J. Waugh, Grand Master. In 2015 he was named Grand Standard Bearer. He was the District Deputy Grand Master of the 13th Masonic District for 2016, serving one year instead of the usual two years. He did not complete his term because M.W. Paul F. Gleason, Grand Master, selected him to serve as Grand Sword Bearer – a position he held between 2017 and 2019. In 2020 he was installed Grand Marshal. His term as Senior Grand Warden in 2023 will mark his 10th consecutive year serving as a Grand Lodge officer.
A member of several Masonic organizations, Brother Kelley joined the Valley of Boston, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in 1999. As a York Rite Mason, he was Exalted in Saint Paul’s Royal Arch Chapter, Boston, in 2016; Greeted in Boston Council Royal & Selected Master Masons, Boston, in 2020; and, Knighted in St. Bernard Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar, Boston, in 2021. At the Grand Lodge of New Jersey‘s 2022 Annual Communication, M.W. Robert V. Monacelli, Grand Master, bestowed on him Honorary Membership.
In 2015, R.W. Kevin J. Willis, Deputy Grand Master, presented him the Joseph Warren Medal for Distinguished Service.
R.W. Alfredo J. R. Canhoto
Alfredo Jorge Rodrigues Canhoto was installed Junior Grand Warden for 2023. Junior Grand Warden is the third highest elected officer of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
As Junior Grand Warden, Brother Canhoto will assist M.W. George F. Hamilton for the coming year. He also serves as Grand Master Pro Tempore in the absence of the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and Senior Grand Warden.
Canhoto lives in Framingham with his wife, Laney, and their two daughters, Carolina and Ellie. Originally from Saint Michael Island, Azores Portugal, he received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of South Carolina. His thesis title is “Retinoic Acid and Transforming Growth Factor-beta modulation of the Upstream Regulatory Region of the Human Papillomavirus Type 16”. He completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with a joint appointment to Harvard Medical School working on Cell Cycle regulation for which he received a Damon Runyon Fellowship Grant. He is the Senior Manager of External Quality Assurance at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge. He had authored 13 peer reviewed studies and numerous industry publications.
Brother Canhoto was initiated in Middlesex Lodge, Framingham in 2005. He served as Master in 2011. He became the Lodge’s Assistant Secretary in 2009, and has been Secretary since 2019. He is also a member of The Masters Lodge, Needham; The Scouters Lodge, Holden; and an honorary member of Charles A. Welch Lodge, Concord. He is also a charter member of the Massachusetts Lodge of Research.
He began serving Grand Lodge in 2012 as a Grand Steward. That same year, M.W. Richard J. Stewart, Grand Master, presented him the Joseph Warren Distinguished Service Medal. In 2013, M.W. Brother Stewart named him Grand Representative near the Grand Lodge of Florida.
In 2017 and 2018, Brother Canhoto was District Deputy Grand Master of the 15th North Masonic District. The 21,000 Freemasons and 207 lodges in the jurisdiction are organized into 37 Districts, each lead by a District Deputy Grand Master who is the Grand Master’s personal representative to the lodges therein. Canhoto led: Middlesex Lodge, Framingham (chartered in 1797 by Paul Revere); Meridian Lodge, Natick (1797, also chartered by Revere); United Brethren Lodge, Marlborough (1859); Charles A. Welch Lodge, Concord (1872); and, Alpha Lodge, Framingham (1875).
In addition to the offices he has held, Brother Canhoto has been a member of several Grand Lodge Committees, including: Chair, Grand Lodge Strategic Planning Committee; Chair, Beyond the Third Degree; Chair, Masonic Leadership Summit; Education & Training Committee; and, Membership Development Committee.
Brother Canhoto also holds membership in several Masonic organizations. He joined the Valley of Boston of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in 2010; he is an officer with Mount Olivet Chapter of Rose Croix and a member of the Massachusetts Chapter, Knights of Saint Andrew. He is a member of the York Rite’s Concord Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Adoniram Council of Royal and Select Master Masons, and Saint Bernard Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar, for which he is the immediate past Eminent Commander, and the Massachusetts College of Rosicrucian Society, Boston. He belongs to Aleppo Shriners, Wilmington.
