Glenn Montapert,
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About 2018 Honorary Mayor Candidate Glenn Montapert
Hellooooo, my name is Glenn Montapert and I have lived in Middleborough since 2007. Middleborough is a great place with great opportunities to do things that you cannot do in a big city. Here I have already been elected to the Middleborough Gas & Electric Board of Commissions for 3 years (2012-2015) and am a founding member of the Middleborough Tourism Committee (2014-Today), you may have heard of us as we are starting our 5th year with such events as the April Herring Run Festival, October Town Hall Ghost Tours and OktoberFest and Decembers Christmas Tree Lighting and Festival of Lights. All of which I do as a volunteer as I love the town and its opportunities. I also Volunteer for the newly purchased Oliver Estate (2016-Today) here in town on Plymouth Street volunteering with the April Easter Egg Hunt, June ParaCon (Paranormal Convention), and Ghost Tour Investigations. What else can one do in this great town? You can be a Free & Accepted Mason with the May Flower Lodge right here in downtown Middleborough. May Flower Lodge has been around since Middleborough was young with the lodge getting its charter from the Grand Lodge 153 years ago in 1864. I have been a Free & Accepted Mason since 1999 starting in Stoney Point Lodge #313 in New York then in Mount Horeb Lodge in Dennis Port MA on the Cape and now for many years at the May Flower Lodge here in Middleborough where I am active in the line to one day be Master of the Lodge for a year. You can see more about Masonry and May Flower Lodge on this site along with my Deputy Mayor Candidate John Shaw Jr. who was the first Master of May Flower Lodge from 1864-1865. What else about me besides my community? I recently celebrated 25 years working for AT&T as a project manager and have worked all my life for big corporations like AT&T, Merrill Lynch, Chase Manhattan Bank, IBM and Johnson & Johnson. It is amazing how many ‘worlds’ one can be a part of, above is my induction into the Municipal world, I have had over 30 years in the Corporate world, thanks to my wife Leilani Dalpe who was an Opera Singer for 30 years I have been an extra in the Opera ‘Carmen’ and even sang in the chorus for ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ and now as a second job I am part of my first small business, Three Dogs Villa Bed & Breakfast right here in South Middleborough. I am living an exciting life working and volunteering for my community and now I get to be part of another great project, “Honorary Mayor of Middleborough”. This is the ultimate WIN-WIN, I get to help raise money for the Friends of the Middleborough Cemeteries and help promote Free & Accepted Masons, two great causes dear to my heart all in one basket, how lucky for me! There are many candidates this year for Honorary Mayor so please vote for me or any one of the great people running for this great cause; it’s a cause to die for. Candidates much choose an “Honorary Deputy Mayor” running-mate, a deceased person from Middleborough’s past, and campaign with this person. Glenn chose John Shaw Jr. (1822-1891), and submitted this biography: John Shaw Jr was the first Master of the May Flower Lodge, serving from 1864-1865. John Jr. was born to John Shaw, Sr. and Mercy (Bennett). He was a twin to his brother George Shaw (1822- ) and had another brother Jacob Bennett Shaw (1820-1893 buried Central Cemetery in Middleboro). His father was previously married to Lydia (Atwood) (1785-1818) and they had three children, therefore, John Jr. had three half-siblings: Sullivan Bridgham Shaw (1806-1876), Lydia Atwood (Shaw) Murdock (1810-1830), Truman Shaw (1818-1874). These three half-siblings are all buried in Union Cemetery in Carver, MA. John’s occupation at the time of his marriage was listed as “Trader”. According to information gathered from Thomas Weston’s History of Middleboro, birth records, and U.S. Census records, he was at times listed as a bookkeeper, merchant, druggist, stationer, and owner of an apothecary. He and his brother Jacob Bennett Shaw, took over an apothecary shop owned by their uncle Allen Shaw. This is thought to have been located where later the Peirce building was built, at the corners of Center and North Main. (Until recently Maria’s Card store). He was born 1822 in Carver, MA and married 1851 in Wareham, MA, where his wife Hannah Franklin Nye was from. From mention in an issue of the Middleboro Gazette that he was “off to West Wareham” by June 1854. His first born, John Nye Shaw, was born in Wareham but he was living in Middleboro at the time of his daughter Helena’s birth in 1859. He continued to live in Middleboro until his death in 1891. Records show his wife Hannah was renting at #3 Rock St from 1900 until her death in 1907. Their daughter Helena lived at that address until she moved to Brookline, MA in 1911. This would appear to be the last connection to Middleboro for the John & Hannah Shaw family. Their daughter Lizzie married Arthur Leonard and moved to California. John Jr. was a Freemason, and was a charter member of May Flower Lodge Ancient Free & Accepted Masons in Middleboro in 1864. He served as the first Master, from 1864-1865. Prior to that he was a member of the Social Harmony Lodge in Wareham, first installed in 1860. John Shaw Jr died at the age of 69 on December 10th 1891 and is buried at Nemasket Hill Cemetery in Middleborough. Candidates must also choose a “Supported Cause or Organization”, an entity which improves Middleborough’s future, and campaign with this entity as well. Glenn chose to promote the "May Flower Lodge Ancient Free & Accepted Masons”, & he explains why: Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. It is comprised of adult men (18+) of good character from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion. Its body of knowledge and system of ethics is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, his faith, his country, and his fraternity In today’s world, it is difficult for men to come together in a way that enables them to develop true and lasting connections. Increasing demands from our careers and family makes camaraderie difficult to establish and maintain. Masons develop a connection built on shared beliefs and experiences. This creates a profound bond that transcends ordinary kinship. Brothers support and challenge one another, share knowledge and wisdom, and provide light and hope in times of darkness. As a Masonic brother, you will always have a network of peers who care about you, no matter the hardships you may face. In this world of plenty, no one should be in need. Freemasons believe that the desire to help others is a natural by-product of our own personal growth and development. When good men come together, this desire (and our ability to put it into action) grows exponentially. From the earliest days of Freemasonry, providing care and resources for others has been one of our most vital activities. In fact, we give over 2 million dollars to national and local charities every single day. More importantly than financial support, however, is that all Masons give generously of both their time and talents. As Freemasons, we continually seek to better ourselves and the world around us through the pursuit of knowledge. At its core, Freemasonry is about the nature of truth. Together, we pursue wisdom through a system of values. We use symbols and allegory because they are the surest way in which our shared truth may be taught. Through these symbols and our shared traditions, each Mason defines and discovers his own unique path. Leadership Leadership skills are developed by Freemasons in their search for truth. As we learn and grow, we become mentors to others. Freemasons share their knowledge and skills with other Masons and with the community as a whole. Within Freemasonry, there are ample opportunities to learn the leadership skills that you may have never recognized you possessed. This includes leadership positions available at the lodge, District, and Grand Lodge level. Betterment Striving for personal growth is a core tenet of Freemasonry. As Masons progress through the Craft, they discover different aspects of themselves and develop a range of skills they may never have recognized they had. The opportunities for betterment are immeasurable, whether it’s through helping a brother in need or supporting the community through acts of charity. Enlightenment As Freemasons, we cherish the pursuit of wisdom. We strive for enlightenment through the pursuit of the knowledge found in our symbols, rituals and allegory. By striving to live with virtue and compassion and by maintaining an ongoing curiosity about our world, we continue to embody the spirit of enlightenment. |