b'Victor Major, Most Worshipful Grand Master for the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South CarolinaBy Debra Young / Photography by Jeffrey GrahamThrough the years, there has been a shroud of mysteryhis community.He was ready for the commitment.A andmisconceptionssurroundingtheFreemasonrythird-generation Mason, he followed in the footsteps brotherhood.Victor Major, the 27thMost Worshipfulofhisfather,ChristopherMajor,Jr.andgrandfather, GrandmasteroftheChristopherMajor,Sr., SouthCarolinaPrincewhowerebothPrince HallMasons,isintentHallMasons.Currently, ondemystifyingthoseMajor is a member of the misconceptions.AsEastCooperMasonic Grandmaster,MajoristheLodge#470,wherehis leaderoftheentirePrincegrandfatherwasoneof HallMasonicorganizationitsfoundingmembers. in SC. According to him,Thattraditioncontinued FreemasonryistheoldestwithMajorsfatherwho fraternalorganizationinheproudlyshareshas the world.He explains thatbeenaMasonfor50 Masonshavebeenaroundyearsandwasthefirst since the 1700s and PrincememberLodge#470to HallMasonssince1775.beappointedtoaGrand PrinceHallMasonsareLodge(Statewide)office. namedaftertheirfounder,Hisfatheralsoholdsthe PrinceHall,thefirstdistinction of being one of AfricanAmericanMason,only seven Honorary Past he continued. Most peopleGrandMastersinSouth back then knew Masons toCarolina.Beingapartof be Caucasians.Prince Hallmasonryandsharingit becameaMasoninsideofFounded in Charleston in 1868, the Princewithhisfatherisoneof apredominatelyAncientHall Masonic Lodge in Charleston was the firstthe most rewarding things FreeMasons,alodgeonlyin his life. Caucasiansweremembers.fraternity in SC. There are currently 276 Prince Prince Hall was told by theHall Masonic Lodges in South Carolina. ABOUT PRINCE lodge that even though theyHALL MASONRYwould make him a Mason,ThefirstPrinceHall he would have to start his own lodge, thus, the birth ofMasonicLodgeinSouthCarolinawasfoundedin the Prince Hall Masons.1868.ItwaslocatedinCharlestonandwasthefirst African American fraternity in SC. There are currently Major became a Mason at the age of 27. He had been276 Prince Hall Masonic Lodges in South Carolina. surrounded by Masonry all his life and believed in itsThe organization is celebrating its 155th year.There mission.He wanted to do his part in giving back toare approximately 8200 Prince Hall affiliated Masons 14IMARA'