Making Improvements

There was a different atmosphere at the lodge last night as the crowd continues to slowly grow during these times of fellowship. No meeting, no degrees, just time to spend with our fellow brothers, prepare those in the process of getting their degrees, and continue planning for the end of the year and the long year ahead of us. It is also a time to talk about all the things that we would like to see done to the building as we discuss changes and improvements to our space.

While we have the brothers now showing up and getting more involved, we would like to make the space more appealing and entice more of the lodge to join us during these nights. This is all part of the resurgence that I have written about previously. We have the motivation and the participation, now we are working on the other things that will accelerate that change. The actual lodge building is only a part of that effort.

Over the past year we have slowly been increasing our presence in the community through open houses, Alex’s Lemonade Stand fundraisers, the CHIP event during National Night Out, and soon we will be having a community blood drive. Each of these things you have read about at one point or another and while they are great events to open up to the community they have also been a great way for the brethren to get involved and have their family join in the efforts. Being able to include brothers, family members, candidates, and potential candidates has been a great way to reinforce the fact that we are all part of the same fraternal family working together to help and support our community.

There seems to be a growing sense of pride among the brethren as well. We are proud to be members of this fraternity and we want to get to the point when we can have that same sense of pride in the building itself. During the many open events and meetings over the past year we have been happy to bring family and friends to take part in the occasions but, at times, there were always those lingering moments when we would have to explain at one point or another that the building itself is still a work in progress. I look forward to the day when no explanation is needed.  

In one way or another, these are issues that all lodges are facing right now. Some may be further along in certain aspects but the general goals remain the same. We want our lodge and the fraternity as a whole to grow, our lodges be places where people look forward to meeting, and our communities to know the good work that is being done both within and outside the walls of our buildings. Our goal has always been to make good men better but we also need to look beyond that principle by making our community better and our families stronger. These are pillars of our fraternity and they remain essential to our future success.

Perfect Weather For An Open House

Yes, I know, this is an old stock photo. I keep forgetting to take a picture.

Friday night, just like I did on Thursday evening, I headed over to the lodge as soon as my work day came to an end. It was a much more relaxed drive as I didn’t feel as though I had to rush to make before any given time. Despite our big clean out having yet to happen, it was Open House time when we swung the doors open, put and Alex’s Lemonade Stand on the corner, and chatted with every person with whom we crossed paths. This is the first time that I have done this with the lodge and it was a great experience socializing with the brethren and those from the community, greeting new petitioners, and generally getting to know each person a little bit better.

Of course, during the slow moments during the night I was able to get a few things done and discuss a few potential projects with the Worshipful Master. Might as well, we had the time and it saved us from having to circle up over the weekend. Every now and again, a few new faces would round the corner with a few old faces sporadically walking up the front steps as well. We gave a few tours, accommodating everyone that asked to see the building, and made sure to promote the two businesses in the basement owned by brothers from the lodge.

Up on the corner where better foot traffic prevailed, a few other brothers (of various experience and degrees) ran an Alex’s Lemonade Stand. While the weather was beautiful with calm and cool temperatures and a bright blue sky slowly fading to star speckled black, there wasn’t much of a crowd out on the streets of Ardmore that night. Maybe we were too early, maybe we were too late, maybe the fact that it was the last day of school had something to do with it. Regardless of the crowd, or lack thereof, it was a great night for us all to get out, open the lodge up, and bond as brothers.   
Of course, the night would have been a little nicer had we raised more than $200 selling lemonade. However, we do have the opportunity to rewrite memory. Our generosity does not have to be confined to one evening selling lemonade along Lancaster Avenue as there are still a couple of ways that we can contribute to the cause. You can visit the lodge’s Alex’s Lemonade Stand event webpage and contribute by clicking the donate button near the top right of the page. The other option available for those who would like to contribute is to text “Lemonade E1113739” to 85944 (this will be recorded as a $10 charge and will be listed on your bill from your wireless carrier). Obviously, please feel free to share this information with any friends or family that would like to donate.

So, that was my exciting Friday night at the lodge. While it was slow this first time around I am sure that we will improve upon this experience in the fall when we will, once again, open up the lodge doors and welcome you all to the lodge. I hope to see you this fall!

Are You Being Served?

Sunday saw the second half of our Masonic weekend. Actually, it was more like the last third as I spent Friday night at Scottish Rite, Saturday raising money for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and yesterday I was enjoying and serving pancakes at our first annual flapjack fundraiser. Once again, we found ourselves at Applebee’s on City Avenue but this time the proceeds were to benefit our lodge and some of the work that needs to be done.

It was our first attempt at such an event and while we didn’t bring in a significant sum it was still a valuable learning experience that we got while, at the same time, remaining in the black. It was also another great day to spend with my wife and my brothers. Of course, we also kept the hat out from the day before and added a little bit from our total raising money for Alex’s cause.

Now, I’m not a morning person and an early rise on the weekend usually equates to a bad day but while my body may have been a bit tired I was full of energy at the same time. This is a different kind of good tired which I have written about previously. This is the tired that follows two days of putting forth the time and energy to give back. This is the tired that revitalizes you for the week to come and makes you look forward to the next opportunity to give of yourself.

But I must be honest, it wasn’t just about the fundraising. It was a great day to get to know a little more about each of the brothers present. Young and old, regardless of degree or affiliation with other Masonic bodies, we are all treated as equals. We all lead different lives with the commonality of a strong and ageless brotherhood. We welcome one another and our families. We welcome brothers and non-brothers alike with the same warmth and invite them to join us, in this instance, for breakfast.

It is moments like this past weekend that reaffirm my commitment and reassure me of my decision to become a Mason. I guess that it goes to show that not all light can be found within the walls of the lodge. Much, if not most, light is found in your fellow brothers and in your collective actions beyond the walls of the lodge. Light is limitless and is present all around us; it is our job to seek it out and recognize the illumination. If you seek light look around you, you may be surprised at where the rays originate.

Remembering Alex

Growing up I was never the kid who would set up a lemonade stand and try to make money or raise funds for a charity. Alex Scott was different. Even though she was only on this earth for a few years she started something much greater than herself, she was the driving force behind Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Yesterday was a long, but rewarding day, as my lodge sold lemonade at the Applebee’s on City Avenue to raise money for this truly worth, and locally based, charity.

It was a new experience for many of us and you could tell that there was a slight awkwardness that most of us felt when we first arrived but it didn’t take long before we banded together and sold as much as we could. Thankfully, it was a beautiful, and uncharacteristically warm, November day and the steady stream of cars (except when we dammed the flow of traffic for a few moments) provided for a constant flow of funds. Washington provided the bulk of the currency current with occasional ripple from Lincoln, Jackson, and Hamilton as well as one wave from Grant.

Many hands makes for light work and yesterday was no exception. Throughout the five or so hours that our lodge was on that corner we had brothers come and go contributing both time and money to the effort. Everyone gave a little bit of themselves to fill the hat as much as we could. It was a day that I was immensely proud to be wearing my apron outside the walls of the lodge.

Toward the end of the day things began to slow down. The lunch rush had dwindled and the foot traffic early came to a complete halt. It was a time for all of us to step back, recollect, and relax a little bit as we enjoyed being in the company of our brothers. It was especially nice for me because I also had my wife with me to enjoy the time we spent outside contributing to Alex’s memory.

It was around this time when we had a very special guest arrive at our little stand. Liz Scott, Alex’s mom, walked up to greet us and see how we were doing. Liz and her husband, Jay, supported Alex in the first few years with a small stand in their front yard just a few blocks from where we had our stand yesterday. Now she was supporting our efforts in the same way she supported her daughter.

By the end of the day we had raised almost eight hundred dollars (plus another five hundred from the lodge) for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Not too bad for the first time around. Of course, we are not completely done raising money.

For those of you so inclined you can donate $10 by texting “Lemonade E118099” to 85944. You can also contribute by calling (866) 333-1213 or going online at http://www.alexslemonade.org/contribute. Lastly, you can send a check or money order to the following address:

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
333 E. Lancaster Avenue #414
Wynnewood, PA 19096

Whichever method you choose, please make sure you reference the code “E118099” so that we can continue to build upon our efforts and solidify a much loftier goal for next year. Thank you!