Past Worshipful Master of Gothic Lodge #122

1982

33rd Degree Mason,

King Solomon Consistory #20

1984

Most Worshipful Past Grandmaster

of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand

Lodge of the State of Ohio Free & Accepted Masons

1993-95

Honorary Past Imperial Potentate of Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles

of Mystic Shrine of North & South American Jurisdiction, Inc.

2002

Sovereign Grand Inspector General

of

33rd Degree Mason

May 30, 2005

   Legion of Honor Certificate

     presented August  18, 2004

Past President - Prince Hall Masons Midwest Grand Masters Conference (11 States)

1994-95

raised $90,000.00 in one day from member contributions to build a new Grand Lodge Headquarters

Hall of Famer

Midwest Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio Free & Accepted Masons

While serving as Grandmaster, Steve Reece was honored with a recognition in Cincinnati.  There were over 900 National Leaders and Masonic Leaders in attendance.

BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        Two Cincinnati businessmen — one black, and one white — were among those honored Monday for their efforts in creating mutual recognition among black and white Masonic groups.

        Steven Reece Sr. and Carl Lindner received plaques at the annual banquet of the United Supreme Council Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonary Prince Hall Affiliation Northern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Inc. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

        Sovereign Grand Commander Samuel Brogdon Jr. said the two Masons were being honored for their part in organizing that “historic meeting which ignited recognition.” He presented both with the plaques, which contained the illustration of two hands shaking — one white, one black.

        Payoffs for the mutual recognition between the two Ma sonic groups included greater scholarship funds and helping hands at work and in hiring, Mr. Reece said before the banquet.

        “It opens a lot of doors and dialogue,” he said. “The payoff to the community is building bridges.”

Sunday, August 1, 2004

Cincinnati Enquirer

Hall of Heroes

http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/nurfc/J12_hallofheroes.html

100 people who made a difference, from helping American slaves in the 1800s to fighting Asian sex slavery today, are honored in the center's Hall of Heroes.

1. Ali, Muhammad - Heavyweight champion stripped of his title after refusing, on religious

8. Beamer, Todd - One of the passengers on Flight 93 on 9-11 who fought the terrorists and prevented them from crashing the plane into the White House or U. S. Capitol. A 911 operator heard him say, "OK, let's roll!"

10. Berry, Theodore M. - Cincinnati's first African-American mayor. Served on city council and held national positions in civil rights with the NAACP and Community Action Programs.

11.Bethune, Mary McLeod - Educator and champion of civil rights and women's rights. Served as president of the National Council of Negro Women.

12. Bridges, Ruby - At 6 years of age, became the first African-American child to desegregate an elementary school in 1960 in New Orleans. Created a foundation to help parents become more involved in their children's education.

16. Chavez, Cesar - Organized migrant farm workers and led boycotts of lettuce and grapes in the 1960s and '70s.

24. Douglass, Frederick - Former slave who became an abolitionist, speaker, writer, diplomat and newspaper publisher. Helped many slaves to freedom in Rochester, N.Y.

34. Gibson, Althea - Became the first African-American to compete in the U.S. Tennis Championships in 1950 and at Wimbledon in 1951. She later won both tournaments. She also played professional golf, and was the first black woman on the LPGA tour.

41. Height, Dorothy - One of the major leaders in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years; served on presidential committees for equal rights; awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

49. Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights - Founded in 1988 to protect rights outlined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the Center provides resources for human rights defenders and investigates violations of human rights.

50. Kielburger, Craig - At age 12 founded Free the Children, an international organization aimed at stopping child slave labor around the world after reading a newspaper article about another 12-year-old who had been enslaved and murdered for speaking out against child labor.

51. King, the Rev. Martin Luther, Jr. - Champion of civil and human rights and a teacher of nonviolence for social change.

52. Lindner, Carl & Reece, Steven - In 1994, organized a summit in Cincinnati of black Masons and white Masons, believed to be the first time the two groups had met together in Ohio. Honored in 1999 for their efforts in creating mutual recognition between the groups.

Masons raze color barrier
Brotherhood Night

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/NEWS01/511190378/-1/back01

For more than 200 years, the international fraternal organization known as Free and Accepted Masons operated with white and predominantly black branches that always met separately and did not formally recognize each other.

That began to change in 1994 through the efforts of Cincinnatians Carl H. Lindner and Steven Reece Sr. and Perrysburg's James E. Olmstead.