
Palmetto York Rite College #70
An Honorary and Invitational Body Dedicated to service to the York Rite of Freemasonry.
South Carolina
About the
Palmetto York Rite College #70
The York Rite Sovereign College of North America exists primarily to be of service to the York Rite of Freemasonry. Constituent colleges must declare fealty to the Grand Lodge of their respective jurisdictions. The pre-requisite for membership, which is by invitation only, is good-standing in all four York Rite bodies: Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commander.
The first York Rite College was constituted on June 15, 1957 in the City of Jackson, Michigan. From here, the new organization spread rapidly from coast to coast and from north to south and by 1970 Colleges had been established in fourteen States and one Province of Canada.
Membership in a College is by invitation, and is restricted to those who hold membership in all of the other York Rite bodies. Since the primary object of every College is to foster a spirit of service and to promote and support the York Rite in every way possible, it is no surprise to find many of the leaders of the Craft numbered among its ranks. Here they find a common ground from which the can act for the welfare of all York Rite bodies without special favor to any. Colleges have been active in the organization of York Rite Festivals, degree teams, drill corps, and many other functions which serve to assist, coordinate, and unify the Rite.
(source: https://yrscna.org/about-yrsc/)
Meeting Time & Location
Annual Meeting
First Saturday in May at 1:30 PM
Luncheon at 12:30 PM
Fall Meeting
First Saturday in December at 1:30 PM
Luncheon at 12:30 PM
Associate Regents to meet following
Masonic Temple
1518 Hampton St, Columbia, SC
Dress Code
Dress: Tuxedo preferred
Contact info
Robert (Bob) J Bean
724 Kitty Ln
Florence, SC 29501
Phone: (843) 229-4710
E-mail: [email protected]
Officers
2026-2027
| Preeminent Governor | Michael J Broom OPC {2} |
| Eminent Deputy Governor | Thomas (TJ) H Martin Jr {4} |
| Eminent Chancellor | William S Ghent {5} |
| Eminent Treasurer | F Dean Tollison, OPC, PG |
| Eminent Secretary | Robert “Bob” J. Bean, Sr., OPC, PG |
| Eminent Primate | William Summerville {4} |
| Eminent Preceptor | John R Bowker {2&4} |
| Eminent Seneschal | Gary Sowell, OPC {5} |
| Eminent Marshall | Robert M Saverance, OPC {6} |
| Eminent Sentinel | Jeffrey Hall OPC {2} |
| Eminent Herald | A C Flora IV OPC {2} |
| Director of Work | John R Bowker |
| COMMITTEES | |
| Audit | Nominating |
| Bobby J Fisher, Chairman | Robert “Bob” J Bean, Sr, PG, Chairman |
| Jeffrey Tompkins | Dean Tollison, PG |
| Robert Saverance | |
Members
| ASSOCIATE REGENTS | ||
| CLASS | NAME | |
| 1982 | * | J.D. Penley, Jr. |
| * | Willard F. Bond, Jr. | |
| 1983 | * | Andrew C. Grambling |
| 1984 | * | John B. Maxey |
| 1985 | * | George W. Romanstine |
| 1986 | * | John A. Dixon |
| * | Cammie E, Murphy | |
| * | Jesse Branham | |
| 1987 | * | Samuel H.J. Womack |
| # | Sam L. Grant | |
| 1988 | * | G. Ray Marsh |
| 1989 | * | Everette T. Deitz |
| * | Alfred Alsbrook | |
| 1990 | * | Raymond A. Wood |
| * | William E. Fuller | |
| 1991 | Joseph L. McGee, Sr. | |
| 1992 | * | R. Henry Brown |
| * | Leroy W. Wells | |
| * | Grady L. Fincher | |
| 1993 | # | J. Allen Prescott |
| * | Robert D. Yonce | |
| 1994 | * | James C. Dover |
| 1995 | J. Gordon Cartrette | |
| * | Robert C. Hopple | |
| * | Vernon A. Amick | |
| 1996 | * | J. Frank Gilliland |
| * | Ford M. Thornton, Jr. | |
| * | T. Henry Waldrep {84} | |
| 1997 | Lee Roy Bruce | |
| * | Henry Gregory Hiers | |
| 1998 | D. Samuel Tennyson | |
| * | Clarence E. Longberry, Jr. | |
| Robert J. Bean, Sr. | ||
| 1999 | Larry S. Rhodes {84} | |
| 2000 | Rawl J. Scheibler | |
| * | William R. Logan | |
| Gary B. Hinson | ||
| J. Sam Burton {84} | ||
| Norman Everett Wood | ||
| 2001 | * | J.C. “Mike” Hubbard, Jr. |
| Johnnie T. Morris | ||
| James D. Alewine {84} | ||
| 2002 | * | John T. Davis, Sr. |
| * | John J. Hutton | |
| * | Martin Price | |
| 2004 | * | Leland Aubrey Haynes, Sr. |
| Clarence Leroy “Roy” Alsbrooks | ||
| * | Clarence Elton “Bud” Turner | |
| 2005 | Sidney Harold Gregory | |
| * | Lawrence E. Schoff | |
| * | Arthur C. Tracey | |
| Howard T. Burgess {84} | ||
| 2006 | Gerald L. Carver | |
| * | Wayne C. Smith, Jr. | |
| Michael E. Copeland {84} | ||
| 2011 | * | Leroy J. Delionbach |
| * | Charles E. Mackey | |
| 2012 | * | Douglas L. Amyx |
| * | Richard Wayne Sealy | |
| 2013 | Floyd W. Goff, Sr. | |
| 2014 | * | O. Walter Sealy |
| Albert J. Wyatt | ||
| 2015 | Robert J. Bean, Jr. | |
| A. Glenn Greene, III | ||
| 2017 | * | John T. “Temp” Dickson |
| 2018 | Gary C. Sowell | |
| Zebulon V. Morgan, III | ||
| 2019 | Dana P. Rickards | |
| 2021 | * | Robert Lacer |
| F Dean Tollison | ||
| 2022 | Michael W Kirk | |
| 2023 | Michael J Broom | |
| 2025 | Jeffrey L Hall | |
| Robert M Saverance | ||
| 2026 | Abram C Flora IV | |
| {xx} | Body received in, if not 70 | |
| * | DECEASED | |
| # | WITHDREW | |
Degree Team(s)
| CLASS NAME: | Robert Lacer | ||
| OFFICE | PRIMARY | ALTERNATE | Alternate #2 |
| First and Third Section | |||
| Governor | Joe Terry | Gary T James | Bob Bean |
| Deputy Governor | Tommy Hayes | ||
| Chancellor | Trae Mann | ||
| Primate | Martin Taylor | Jim Smith | |
| Preceptor | Andrew Hermann | Brian Armstrong | |
| Seneschal | Richard Valentine | Dean Tollison | |
| Marshall | Bill Summerville | ||
| Prologue | Charles Varn | Dana Rickards | |
| Lecture | Gary Sowell | ||
| Second Section | |||
| Athelstan | Ian Strickland | ||
| Prince Edward | Julian Bevel | Acy Flora | |
| Lord Chancellor of The Court | Charles Varn | Jonathan Riddle | |
| Lord Archbishop of England | Robert Saverance | ||
| Lord Preceptor of York University | Jeff Hall | ||
| Lord Grand Commander of Chivalry | Mike Kirk | Tommy Hayes | |
| Lord Mayor of York | John Bowker | Tommy Hayes | |
| Overseers | TJ Martin Kenny Miles | ||
| Knight Commanders | Charlie Raley Ian Raley | ||
| Herald | Martin Taylor | ||
| The above is the assigned degree team for our Meeting on May 2, 2026. | |||
| If you cannot take part, please notify John Bowker at (803) 767-0932 ASAP. | |||
| If you are an alternate, we expect you to be there and prepared to do your part. | |||
| We are depending on you. | |||
| Please try to have your part memorized. | |||
Past Governors
| YEAR | NAME | |
| 1979 | * | Wallace J. Knopp |
| 1980 | * | George W. Romanstine |
| 1981 | * | Willard Faroe Bond, Jr. |
| 1982 | * | John B. Maxey |
| 1983 | * | Andrew Copes Gramling, Jr. |
| 1984 | * | Samuel H.J. Womack |
| 1985 | * | James D. Penley, Jr. |
| 1986 | * | William E. Fuller, Jr. |
| 1987 | * | W. Jay Horne |
| 1988 | * | J.B. McGuirt |
| 1989 | * | John Alexander Dixon |
| 1990 | * | G. Ray Marsh |
| 1991 | * | Alfred Allsbrook |
| 1992 | * | R. Henry Brown |
| 1993 | * | Raymond A. Wood |
| 1994 | Joseph L. McGee | |
| 1995 | J. Gordon Cartrette | |
| 1996 | * | J. Frank Gilliland |
| 1997 | * | Ford M. Thornton |
| 1998 | * | Vernon A. Amick |
| 1999 | * | Neal H. Brown, Jr. |
| 2000 | D. Samuel Tennyson | |
| 2001 | * | Everette T. Deitz |
| 2002 | Robert J. Bean, Sr. | |
| 2003 | Norman E. Wood | |
| 2004 | Johnnie T. Morris | |
| 2005 | Rawl J. Scheibler | |
| 2005 | * | J.C. Hubbard, Jr. |
| 2007 | Roy Alsbrooks, Jr. | |
| 2008 | Gary B. Hinson | |
| 2009 | * | C. E. “Bud” Turner |
| 2010 | * | William R. “Bill” Logan |
| 2011 | * | Charles E. Mackey |
| 2013 | Gerald L. “Jerry” Carver | |
| 2014 | * | L. Aubrey Haynes |
| 2015 | Lee Roy Bruce | |
| 2016 | S. Harold Gregory | |
| 2017 | Robert J. “Robby” Bean, Jr. | |
| 2018 | * | Larry Dempsey |
| 2019 | * | Richard W Sealy |
| 2020 | A Glenn Greene III | |
| 2021 | A Glenn Greene III | |
| 2022 | F Dean Tollison | |
| 2023 | Floyd W Goff | |
| 2024 | Dana P Rickards | |
| 2025 | Zebulon Morgan | |
| 2026 | Michael W Kirk | |
| * | Deceased |



