On April 25, 1999, a letter was sent to the Honorable Brother Benjamin Barksdale 33°, Most Worshipful Grand master of the Prince Hall Jurisdiction of Georgia. In that letter, Worshipful Master, Brother Keith R. Jackson, Sr. requested that he and the Grand Master Barksdale meet to discuss the that Widow Son Lodge No. 8 and Sweet Rose Chapter No. 124 be admitted into the Prince Hall Family to operate as Masons and members of the Order of the Eastern Star.
The meeting was the stepping-stone to history in the Prince Hall Jurisdiction of Georgia, for June 9, 1999 marked the first time that an entire Lodge and Chapter of no-Prince Hall affiliation was ever admitted into the jurisdiction. The names of the Lodge and Chapter were given by Grand Master Benjamin Barksdale 33°, which were Port Royal Scott Lodge No. 591 and Viola Hart-Felton Chapter No. 584.
The Chapter was named in homage to one of Prince Hall’s great Heroines, Most Royal Grand Matron Sister Viola Hart-Felton who served in this capacity for the Jurisdiction of Georgia from 1902-1934.
On June 21, 2000, Grand Worthy Matron Sister Belle S. Clark, and Grand Worthy Patron Brother Felton G. Hudson presented the Charter of Viola Hart-Felton No. 584 in full ceremony to the Chapter’s Worthy Matron, Sister Mary Surry; Worthy Patron, Brother Nathaniel Hollis; III and Associate Patron Dannie Surry during the Grand Session in Macon, Georgia.
Two months later on August 7, 2000, Viola Hart-Felton Chapter No. 584 with the assistance of Grand Master Benjamin Barksdale 33° again made history, when seventeen members from Sirius Chapter No.1 merged with Viola Hart-Felton Chapter No. 584 making it the first Prince Hall Chapter to combine with a non-Prince Hall Chapter in the Jurisdiction of Georgia.
Since its inception Viola Hart-Felton Chapter No. 584 continues to make history and to trail blaze with each new member as it increases in sisterhood and service.