M.W. Clifford F. Stamm Biography 2003
CLIFFORD F. STAMM, II
Clifford Frederick "Chip" Stamm was born in Hartford on March 6th, 1956, the only son of Clifford F. Sr. and Jane Coulson Stamm. He has one sister, Suzan Stamm Claytor, who operates Tilting -At-Windmills Galleries with her husband Harry Claytor in both Manchester, VT., and Bonita Springs, Fl. A life-long resident of Newington, CT, Chip attended Ruth Chaffee Elementary, Martin Kellogg Junior High, and graduated from Newington High School in June 1974.
Chip joined Scouting and received the Eagle Scout award at age 13. He received the Quartermaster Sea Scout Award in December 1974. Chip was the Jr. Asst Scout Master of troop #341, earned the God & Country Award, and was a leader/instructor at Lake of Isles Scout Reservation in Ledyard, CT.
Bro. Stamm enrolled in Lake Forest College in Ill. and was able to take his E.A. and F.C. degrees in Lake Forest as courtesy work. He spent the winter term of his senior year touring several countries in West Africa (Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Gambia) to study the advancements and modernizations since their independence in 1960.
Chip graduated in June 1978 with a B.A. in Physics and Political Science, and in the same month, he was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason at his home lodge, Sequin Lodge No. 140, in Newington. He then attended the University of Hartford and received a B.S. in Engineering in 1979.
While living at home, he was able to take the several degrees of the Scottish Rite in Hartford and joined Sphinx Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. and it s Cycle Unit in 1979.
He was accepted into the Industrial and Management Engineering School of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the fall of 1979, and completed his M.S. in Industrial and Management Engineering from RPI in May 1983 through their Hartford Graduate Center.
At Stanadyne, Bro. Stamm contributed to the development, fabrication and testing of numerous prototype fuel injection products and calibrations for four cylinder European diesel engine manufacturers. This included occasional trips to Europe including a four-week winter test excursion with Volkswagen, driving up north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden and back. He remains a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
After accumulating 10 years of service with Stanadyne, he met the love of his life, Cynthia Bacewicz, and was married on June 20th, 1987. Cynthia was, and remains, an educator with 20 years of service to the Town of Enfield Public Schools. During that year, Bro. Stamm was asked to enter the family construction business - Stamm Construction. He secured some land in Newington to build their home, and joined the officer line of Sequin Lodge as Senior Steward. He and Cynthia also had their first daughter Anastasia (Staci) in 1990. Chip joined Newington Chapter No. 119, Order of the Eastern Star in 1991, and they had their second daughter Alizandra (Ali) in 1992. He is a life-long member of Church of Christ Congregational in Newington.
Continuing his Masonic activities, Bro Chip became Master of his Lodge in Newington in 1992, and received the Master's Achievement Award. He stepped back into his Lodge line as Senior Steward in 1993 and continued through every chair again to become Master in 1998 for the 50th anniversary of Sequin Lodge No. 140. During that time he also took the York Rite degrees, becoming a member of Columbia Chapter No. 31 R.A.M., Lee Council No. 25 R.& S.M. and Washington Commandery No. 1 K.T. He is also a Grand Representative from Connecticut to Masons in Belgium.
Bro. Stamm became a dual member of Friendship Lodge No. 33 in Southington, is active with Southington Assembly No. 27, International Order of Rainbow for Girls, and received the Rainbow Grand Cross of Color. Staci Stamm, his daughter, was Worthy Advisor of Southington Assembly No. 27 in 2003.
At the Grand Lodge Annual Communication held on April 5, 1994, Bro. Stamm was appointed to be R. W. Grand Junior Steward by M. W. Charles W. Yohe on the recommendation of M. W. George W. Pangborn who had been doubtlessly impressed with the energy and what he saw as fervency and zeal in the not yet 40 year old brother. He progressed through the line and was installed as M. W. Grand Master on April 2, 2003.
The year was one filled with energy, activity and thought provoking initiatives. The activity was so intense that the Report of the Grand Master was not completed until the 11th hour and the Committee on Address found it necessary to report their conclusions at the Semi-annual Communication the following October.
Not one to rest on his laurels, following completion of his year as Grand Master, M. W. Bro. Stamm chaired the Finance Committee. At the same time, he presented an initiative to the Conference of Grand Master of North America for the formation of a Masonic CHIP Support Committee. This was adopted by a 93% vote and, of course, Brother Chip was named Chairman, which continues to this day. He is responsible for the expanding adoption of such programs by Grand Lodges all over the United States and Canada.
Back in Connecticut, M.W. Chip has chaired for several years the Publicity & Public Relations Committee, with special emphasis on the development of the Grand Lodge website. He was also a driving force in the development of the Connecticut Freemasons monthly newspaper. He was instrumental in the creation of the Connecticut Freemasons Foundation and obtaining the 501 ( c ) (3) tax exempt charity status for it from the IRS. He is currently serving as Chairman of the Foundation Committee.
