From Boy To Man To Mason

June meetings are always interesting as you never know what the turnout will be like and what motions will be made before the summer break. It is also a time when I have to make sure that everything is up to date so that nothing gets delayed until September. However, the last meeting before the summer break this year was a little bit different and a welcomed change from the previous years. Attendance was average, motions were minimal, and I was able to get everything off of my desk. But that wasn’t the best part of the night.

While we previously held this large gathering a bit earlier in the year, this time around the last meeting before the summer vacation was Scout Night. Not only is it a great opportunity to see the lodge room filled with so many people (masons, parents, and scouts of all ages) but the engagement between many of the people in attendance is great to see. Contract to what many people think, there is a tremendous masonic influence on the foundation of scouting in the United States and bringing all of us together is a tremendous opportunity to share a little bit about each of our respective organizations.

Further, there are a lot of masons (many of which are serving as officers) who were members of the scouts when growing up. Correction, there are many masons who are scouts as it is something that never leaves them. Of those brothers, quite a few have continued their involvement with scouting while adults whether through guiding their own sons or serving as a mentor for a pack or troop. It was particularly interesting to hear a few of those brothers explain what scouting meant to them growing up and how freemasonry has served to continue those principles and comradery that shaped their lives early on.

By the time the evening came to an end, there was a great atmosphere that was magnified by the evening and the conversations which stemmed from the presentations were fascinating to hear. And with a clean slate for the summer, I was eager to join those remaining in the lodge and enjoy the tremendous success that we have all experienced thus far in the first half of the year. While by no means perfect, I hope that the many achievements that we have fostered over the last several months continue to be a part of our new routine rather than simply a small fortunate period of success.

The program served as a great way to enter into the sweltering months and it should carry over into the fall as we look to complete another fantastically smooth year. And with all of the required tasks completed before the weather turns, we are in a great position to initiate some other projects that have been lagging behind for some time now. The lodge may be dark for two months but the light within remains bright and continues to grow brighter with every passing week.