Throughout
this past week I was doing my usual preparations for the stated meeting
although the June meeting is a little different. Just like any job that you
enjoy sometimes you just need a little break. This is time of year when we hope
that the temperature isn’t too high outside and the meeting goes quickly. By
June we are all itching for a little vacation.
The
meeting on Thursday night was excellent. There were great proposals and others
that we will continue discussing in the future… it is safe to say that we are
all looking forward to a new kitchen. It was also a slightly more relaxed
meeting as June meetings usually are. Finally, toward the end of the evening, I
made the motion that everyone had been looking forward to… I made the motion to
go dark until the September meeting.
However,
there is still a lot of activity that will be taking place during the warmer
months. In addition to the continued fellowship there are other meetings to
attend, events to bring our families to, and plan that need to be finalized.
And, for me, it is a time to catch up on the communications that have been slightly
lacking and completing the tasks that will make the rest of the year much
easier.
Of
course, during this time we all have another job that needs to be done… the
number of petitions this year has shrunk significantly from the previous year.
We all know good men whom we see every day or on occasion. Now, during this
down time, is the chance to talk with them about the fraternity and the
opportunity that those good men have to be better.
This
is also the time when I think back to the first time that I walked through the
doors of the lodge. I had stopped by Grand Lodge the week prior and was subsequently
introduced from one of the brothers from Ardmore. In between these meetings I
had the chance to meet with my uncle, talk about the fraternity, and have him
sign my petition.
It
was a sweltering summer afternoon when I met with my future brother at the IHOP
half a block down the street. We spent the better part of the lunchtime hours
discussing my interest, motivations, and what I am looking to get out of
becoming a mason. We also discussed his extensive experience. Our meeting then
moved to the lodge where he walked me through many of the then foreign rooms
before he took my petition and we went our separate ways.
Many
months later I received my degrees but I will never forget that afternoon. That
afternoon during the dark months of 2012. It is safe to say that these months
aren’t truly dark when you can so easily find masonic light in the pages on the
calendar. We may not be convening at the lodge for meetings over the summer but
the fellowship, brotherhood, and commitment continues throughout the year.
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