Back Behind The Desk

After the rush to get things done last week, it was nice to return to the lodge for the first, post summer, stated meeting. As always, there were a few hiccups leading up to it but the night went by smoothly so I am not really in the position to gripe. And while it was a much more relaxed gathering (as this particular month usually is) we were able to get a number of things done and make progress on a host of other projects.

Of course, with the heat still lingering from the previous month, it wasn’t the most comfortable meeting of the year (especially for those of us in tuxedos) but it was also fairly mild in comparison to previous meetings and past years. What I did notice was the mix of brethren that were in attendance representing a large span of years among the small gathering. Each sharing stories about their summer over dinner and enjoying the fact that their monthly routine is now back offering a respite from the week.

The meeting went by faster than I was expecting and before I knew it the brethren were offering their final thoughts and thanks. At this point I couldn’t help but take a little jab at one of the brethren by recognizing him for completing the requirements for the Master Craftsman Award. This is especially impressive given the fact that he has been a mason for less than two years, received his Master Builder Award in the fall, and began his journey through the chairs in December. Of course, there are also other accomplishments in this short period of time but I have already done enough to embarrass him.

This is one of the more enjoyable moments as there are a few of us that will go back and forth trying to embarrass the other but in a good way. We don’t make mention of faults or errors but rather accentuate and inflate the accomplishments and accolades. It may seem like an odd contest to some but it is an enjoyable monthly banter and, clearly, an ongoing inside joke.

By the time we shut off the lights and began walking to our cars, I was already running through the list of things that needed to get done over the next week and the other items that needed to be checked off the list by next meeting. At the same time, I was really enjoying the simple fact that we were back and that I will have the pleasure of sharing another Thursday night with the brethren next month. And it is that feeling of comfort and anticipation that brings all of us back and keeps us active in the lodge. It is also what brings many of us back to the lodge between meetings for fellowship. It is a feeling that all brothers should have every month.

Last Extra Meeting Before The Break

With the conferral of degrees now having been completed for the month, the summer has now officially started at the lodge. Two new master masons will now have the opportunity to spend the next couple of months reflecting on the life changing process that they have just experienced. It has honestly been too long since I have been able to write those words but I am glad to be able to commit them to this blog once again.

While there are still a number of events that are on the calendar throughout the sweltering season including the final district visitation of the year, the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and a month of instructional classes just to name a few, this is the time of year that I try to dedicate to masonic reflection. A practice that I encourage all brothers to undertake during these months absent of meetings. It is this season when we make the personal decisions that determine the path we will take on our masonic journey.

Three years ago these were the months when I had to give serious consideration to run for the office of Secretary. The following year was all about making the additional efforts to bring the lodge a few steps forward. Last year, I dedicated a lot of deliberation as to whether I wanted to continue as Secretary or if I would remain and see things through a difficult and stressful time, personally and fraternally. This year, there thankfully has been a change from the thoughts that lingered with me last summer.  

This time around I am focusing on what I can do better as Secretary. Basically, there are a lot of ideas that float in and out of my head that I would like to give greater consideration rather than the limited attention they have received as fleeting thoughts. While doing this, I would like to focus on planning out the remainder of the year not just with regard to meetings and the routine tasks that are required of me but also so that I can meet the requirements for the Master Craftsman Award. Heck, if I can earn the Master Builder Award, I can earn this one too.

Lastly, I want to take the time to reach out to many of the brethren that have parted ways with the lodge for one reason or another. Whether it is simply someone that I haven’t seen in a while or those that have been suspended in recent years. I want to make sure that all my brothers have the same opportunity to enjoy the progress that we have made as a lodge and experience what the fraternity has to offer them. Most importantly, I want all my brothers to know that they are welcome anytime no matter how long they have been absent.

Third Masonic Birthday!

While I usually write about what is currently going on and sometimes complain about some of the things that have come up during the previous week, this post is a little different. This is not a post about the lodge, this is a much more personal essay as today I celebrate my masonic birthday and look back at the drastic changes that have taken place in my life over those past three years. It is hard to believe that it has already been three years but, at the same time, it seems like I have been a part of the lodge for much longer and known the brethren for my entire life.

I can still remember the day in the summer of 2012 when I decided to take a chance and I walked through the doors of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to inquire about becoming a mason. I had just finished my morning meetings and I decided to finally act on my desire to learn more. That meeting was the turning point for me as I was no longer simply thinking about becoming a mason but was actually doing something about it.

In the following weeks I sat down with my uncle both to ask a few questions and to have him sign my petition. This was soon followed by a meeting with one of the trustees of the lodge (coordinated by the Grand Lodge) who both took the time to get to know me and gave me a tour of the lodge itself. As the months passed things slowly fell into place as I sat down the committee of inquiry (along with my wife) and simply talked about life and why I had decided to become a mason.

My reasons were quite simple… Freemasonry is a part of my family history and it is something far greater than myself. The connections that we have as brothers is something that I have been seeking for some time and something that too few people truly appreciate. Additionally, it allows me to be myself, strengths and flaws, while still being supported by my brothers. But, at the same time, we are held accountable for our actions and guided by one another to ensure that we continue to follow the right path. We are equal but unique and all striving to be better men.

Unfortunately, due to the chaos that was my work schedule at the time, it wasn’t until the one day class on April 27, 2013 when I was finally able to receive my degrees. However, I did make it a habit to join the lodge for dinner every month leading up to my degree conferrals. I will never forget having my uncle sitting on one side and my mentor (with whom I had been speaking with for months prior) on the other. It was a feeling of having my family with me and a means of introducing me to an extended family… all over the course of a Saturday morning.

As soon as I was raised, I began getting more and more involved at lodge. I immediately starting pursuing my Master Builder Award, received my 32^nd degree through Scottish Rite, and was elected Secretary in December of that same year. It was already proving to be quite the journey and quite the change all within the first 8 months of becoming a mason. And while it has been difficult at times to get up to speed on certain things (especially since I was a participant in a one day class), the support I immediately received from my brothers constantly reassured me that I made one of the best decisions in my life when I decided to become a Mason.

Throughout the past three years, I have been proud of my association with Freemasonry and the work that we have done at the lodge. This fraternity has introduced me to experiences, people, places, and events that have proven to be invaluable moments in my life. It is also something that has given me a greater purpose both during those first few months when life was a bit up in the air but also in the years since as I have continued to look for ways to include my family and in my attempts to leave at least a small legacy for my son.

While there are certainly times that I have been guilty of complacency and there have been moments when I have had to make tough decisions, there is not much that I would change about my life. And while most of the moments in my life that I will continue to cherish involve family there are also many moments that meet that criteria that would have never been possible had I not taken the chance and decided to take action by walking into the Grand Lodge that day in the summer of 2012. Most Masons know that it is the first three that form the foundation to your masonic life. Well, I am now three years in with decades to go!

Welcome Back Extra Meetings

It has been too long since we had an extra meeting. Thanks to the work of many brothers at the lodge, we resumed degree conferrals last night for the first time in over a year. While we have had a few transfers and reinstatements since the last extra meeting, I hate to admit it but it has been that long since we welcomed a new brother to the lodge. Things are changing once again for the better and it really is a credit to many of the brothers who have taken a leadership role in the lodge.

While these are my favorite kinds of meetings to attend I was, unfortunately, unable to attend once again due to family commitments. It has been one of those periods when other unavoidable occurrences seem to be part of the regular routine. Actually, I haven’t been able to get completely caught up from the last stated so I now find myself two meeting behind with an official visitation looming in the near future. It is going to be a trying remainder of the month for sure but I am confident that I can, with the continued support of the lodge, make it through these tenuous weeks.

Even though I wasn’t able to attend the meeting, I did manage to stop by the lodge before the meeting and make sure that the candidates were present and that everything was relatively in order for the night. It may have been the most relaxed that I had seen the brethren before a degree conferral in a long time and I hope that this pattern continues as more and more petitions are received and read. Seeing this also reassured me that I was making the right decision to be with my family last night as my only concerns were at home.

By the end of the night, before heading off to bed, it was a great feeling adding three brothers to our roles following the transfer of one brother and the initiation of two others. While I don’t expect a drastic increase in membership, I hope that we can repeat our slow and steady growth from 2014 (2015 was an off year) and build upon these additions to the lodge. At the very least, it will be great to see new masons pursuing the Master Builder Award again along with mentors pursuing the newly established Master Craftsman Award (or Master Pillar Award for that matter). It will take time and effort, but we gladly give of ourselves as these meetings and pursuits will certainly pay dividends in the future.

New Faces And Awards

Something all new masons should strive to achieve! I wonder what the new awards will look like. 

Shortly after arriving at the lodge on Thursday night I was greeted by a few familiar faces as well as some men that I had only met just recently. This is quite the change from the past year as those new faces were those of petitioners and prospective candidates with whom I had primarily spoken with via email. In addition to this mix of men conversing just outside the front door, there were also numerous visitors to our lodge this week. Overall, the makeup of people at the dinner and during the meeting clearly demonstrates the growth of our lodge not just in numbers but in the quality of masons actively participating on a monthly basis.

Leading up to our monthly gathering it has been quite the task juggling the emails and phone calls that have occupied many of my days but it is the great kind of busy that really doesn’t feel like work. While it does take time to reach out and connect, the conversations that I have had over the past month have been very interesting and felt much like catching up with a long lost friend rather than a simple inquiry. While we already have many great masons in the lodge, that number is certain to grow given the interaction that I have had with many of those interested in joining the fraternity.

This convergence of good men striving to be better is what this is all about and I am excited to see how the remainder of the year will progress. We will, of course, be encouraging our new brothers to earn their Master Builder Awards and now we will also have many members of the lodge pursuing other awards that were recently launched… similar to that which is earned by first year masons but with a few differentiators. It will be great to see new brothers and their mentors striving to achieve these recognitions as they learn from their experiences and form a stronger bond as they simultaneously meet each of the requirements for their respective recognition.

At the same time, other lodge projects are moving forward. Some are through my office and others are completely separate from my duties (and I am absolutely okay with that). The whole situation really has me curious to see what we will be able to accomplish this year and the strong position that we will find ourselves in heading into 2017. But, I am definitely getting ahead of myself. The key takeaway so far is that it is going to be a busy year and, more importantly, an active year at the lodge and I am proud to be a part of this masonic experience.

Filling The Masonic Calendar

One of the things that I have really been noticing as I have combed through the various emails and papers for the lodge summer newsletter is all the events that are taking place in the fall. While the lodge itself has a number of things on the schedule, there are a slew of other places where brethren will be congregating. From Grand Lodge to appendant bodies, there are countless dates and times that I am having to sift through… while I would like to include everything, it is becoming less and less likely that all of these events will be represented on the calendar.

So, with the long list in hand, I have had to figure out a means of prioritizing them. First, our lodge. This is pretty self-explanatory. We need to make sure that all the brethren are aware of all the events that we have planned for the remainder of the year. This includes an open house, blood drive, various programs, and all the usual meetings and fellowship nights that we have all become accustom to seeing on the calendar. While the last two aren’t really necessary (as we all know this part of our masonic schedule), it is a helpful reminder for all of us and it demonstrates the importance of these regular meetings.

Next on my list are the variety of events of which I have received notice from the Grand Lodge. In addition to the quarterly and annual meetings at the end of the year there are also other events such as a corner stone laying ceremony in September. Grand Lodge events are a great way to meet brethren from across the Commonwealth. I have enjoyed every one of them and always encourage new brothers to do so as well. Personally, I have not been able to attend a cornerstone ceremony so I will be sure to mark it on my personal calendar along with the others.

Things are already starting to fill up the remaining months of the year. Here is when I look to the other district and family events. They are both, theoretically, close to home and also provide each of us the opportunity to bring our families to dinners, picnics, Autumn Days in Elizabethtown, and other events. I always enjoy the opportunities to share these great times of fun and fellowship with my family.

Here is where things kind of go back and forth for me when working on the calendar. With hardly any space remaining, I have to be careful as to what I can fit on the page and what has to be disseminated by other means. There are youth events as well as other appendant body events that are vying for space. Generally, I usually select those with the closest ties to the lodge. If there is a brother being honored by an appendant body (i.e. Shriners, Scottish Rite, etc.) I put that event on the calendar. If there is a youth event beneficial to those pursuing the Master Builder Award, I include those events. Other Master Builder optional events follow.  

By this time the calendar is almost certainly full. If there is a space or two left I usually put in a couple of things that I am interested in attending. It is by no means a perfect system but it seems to have served me well and I have yet to field any complaints. After all, you can easily get caught up in all that is happening in the fraternity because, for some, freemasonry only requires one night… seven days a week. We have to keep our balance, measure our days, and choose wisely when it comes to creating our own masonic calendars.

While In Pittsburgh…

Photo taken after riding up the Duquesne Incline. 

As the black clouds overtook the blue and gray in the sky yesterday, I knew there was a good chance that fellowship was going to be cancelled for this week. The power outages and tornado warnings were already circulating as I got in the car after work. After a few minutes on the road, the texts and calls began vibrating my phone out of the holster. Just as I had thought, the weather was not going to permit us to meet for the night.

With that said, there was still a lot that happened this past week. As I previously mentioned, my wife and I made the trip across the Commonwealth this past weekend so that I would be able to attend the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. It was a perfect excuse for a short family trip and it was a great way to spend Father’s Day weekend.

While I have attended many quarterly communications in the past (I believe I have been to all of them since being raised in April of 2013), this one had the most brothers from my lodge in attendance and for good reason. Erie was an interesting (and long) adventure last summer but this meeting was a little different and one that I wanted to be sure to attend. This meeting was an opportunity for me to watch a couple of my fellow brothers and my lodge to be honored by the Right Worshipful Grand Master.

We may be a small lodge but we have certainly accomplished a lot over the past year and the meeting in Pittsburgh was a perfect way to acknowledge the work that we all had done the previous year. Not just the leadership and officers of the lodge but each and every member regardless of how long they have been in the fraternity. After all, the success of the lodge is dependent upon not just those in leadership roles but also those who have decades of knowledge and experience as well as new brothers determined to get involved (as those who received their Master Builder Award this weekend have). While the Worshipful Master may have been the one accepting the Grand Master’s Award, it was an honor bestowed upon the lodge not any brother in particular.

Grand Master presenting the Master Builder Award to new brothers...
not a great photo but this was the best I could do from my seat. 

While I am proud to be a mason always and especially at these meetings, I sat a little taller on Saturday as I heard the name of my lodge repeated several times throughout the morning. We have several brothers who have been presented with the Master Builder Award, the lodge has received the Grand Master’s Award, and we all came together to take back the shoe earlier this month. We have been busy so far and we still have a long way to go. Thankfully, we are all pulling in the same direction.

The Shoe Is Back

You can have your travel shoes... we'll take the traveling shoe. 

As I mentioned last week, it is that time of year again when many of us from Ardmore descended upon another lodge in the district. For me, I have attended this particular visitation in Conshohocken every year since becoming a mason. It has been an interesting trifecta of meetings with something different at each and every one.

The first year that I attended I was one of only a handful from my lodge sitting in the room. In fact, all of us in attendance from my lodge had only been masons for a couple of months at the time. We all wanted to be there and we were all striving to meet the requirements early on for the Master Builder Award. Someone had to stand up and represent the lodge so I found myself standing and speaking for the first time at a lodge meeting.

Last year was completely different. By then I was serving as secretary and had spent the previous few weeks making calls and trying to get as many brothers to attend as possible. For the second year in a row there was a reward at stake but this time it was far more important… this time we were all coming together to support and represent our lodge. By the time we left we had the traveling shoe in hand and the points in the books for the Grand Master’s Award.

This year we are doing all that we can to repeat our previous performance. Unfortunately, I don’t have the same amount of time that I did previously to be on the phone for a couple hours each day but we were all still able to come together. And it was a truly representative mix of brothers from the lodge as there were masons who had only been raised a few months ago and another who was celebrating 66 years of masonic service this month. Officers and non-officers alike were in attendance, working together, and walking out with the shoe as a lodge and with the much need points to possibly repeat in receiving the Grand Master’s Award this year.

It was also interesting this year compared to others in that there was more of a celebratory atmosphere in the lodge room last night. These official visitations can sometimes be a little rigid but this time around all the officers were very familiar with one another and have come to exemplify brotherhood. This allowed for a more relaxed but also more personal experience that brought in all the brothers in attendance as an inclusive peek into the close comradery that exists among worshipful masters in the district.

It was a perfect example of the fact that no two meetings are exactly the same and while lodges may be close in geography it can be a completely different experience in both. This is what really keeps me coming back and looking forward to attending meetings at different lodges. We all have our differences as individuals and as lodges but we are all part of one fraternity, a unified brotherhood. Some of us now just have an extra shoe.

What We Have Done And Have Yet To Do…

There is a certain amount of frenetic stress that enters into the picture as a stated meeting approaches and this month that was magnified by the fact that this was going to be our official district visitation. There was a lot of work that went into the meeting which I previously wrote about. Thankfully, everything was taken care of and by the time I got to the lodge the long list of tasks was completely crossed out (due in large part to the assistance that I got from a variety of brothers from the lodge).

Official visitations are an interesting night. There are a lot of different ceremonies and presentations that take place as well as recognition given to those individuals who have earned the honor to be noted in front of all the lodges from the district for their accomplishment. While in an odd turn of events there weren’t any brothers in attendance to be recognized for their long masonic service (we have a number of 25, 50, 60, and 65 year members this year as well as a 70 year member), many of the newer brethren were present.

This group included two brothers who have met the requirements for the Master Builder Award. Having received this honor myself, I know the great sense of accomplishment that comes with this recognition. It continues to be a great mark of achievement for the lodge that we, as the smallest lodge in the district by membership, have nearly twice as many Master Builder Award recipients than the rest of the district combined. This is a distinction that we continue to pursue thanks to the dedication of our new brothers.

However, the greatest honor of the evening was not one presented to an individual. Toward the end of the meeting, the District Deputy Grand Master addressed the lodge with plaque in hand. The efforts of this lodge were being recognized with the Grand Master’s Award. We are the first lodge in the district to receive this award and, again, it is because of the efforts of the lodge as a whole that this was even a possibility. We may be small but we are active, we are growing, and we are motivated to better ourselves, our lodge, and our fraternity.

With all the honors bestowed throughout the night it would be easy to sit back and enjoy what has been accomplished. However, we are already half way through the year and there is still a lot that needs to be done. We have accomplished a lot but, speaking for myself, I know we can do a lot better and I personally can do a lot more. The foundation is here and now is the time when we have to build. 

Making Masonic Memories

 

Tonight, for the first time, I felt comfortable at the Secretary’s desk during our stated meeting. So much so that I feel as though it is my desk at this point. Are there still rough patches during the meeting? Of course there are but I have gotten a lot better at quickly smoothing them out and moving on to the next item. And all of this couldn’t have happened at a better time as the District Deputy Grand Master was in attendance. This was an unofficial official visit that was rescheduled from last month.

In addition to the usual reading and approving of the minutes and the bills, we also had a lot of petition work to be done as we, thankfully, had three petitions that needed to be voted on. Getting though everything efficiently and in the proper way was a gratifying experience especially when I caught the approving glances from some of the long standing Brothers in attendance. Knowing that, in their eyes, I am doing at least a good job keeping things running smoothly really means a lot when you consider the fact that they have seen Masons come and go over the past 40+ years. After all, I am only just the most recent person to be elected into this office and with it comes the responsibility to uphold the values of masonry and the legacy of the lodge (along many other things to which I swore when I took the oath of office).

One of the responsibilities bestowed upon all officers in any lodge is to provide a positive example to all members of the lodge especially those newly made masons. The one time during the evening when I was caught off guard was when the District Deputy Grand Master asked myself and another brother to stand at the front of the lodge and face the brethren. It was at that time when I received my Master Builder Award from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

This award is earned by newly made masons when they meet certain educational requirements and demonstrate their continued involvement in their lodge, their district, and freemasonry in general. There is a two page check list which must be completed and approved in order to earn the honor. It was a great experience to receive the award and one that I will never forget, especially when I could see many heads nodding in agreement when I gave my very brief acceptance speech.

This award should be the goal of every new mason. If you have given the proper thought and consideration in your decision to become a mason and you are committed to embracing freemasonry, the requirements set forth should even be a challenge. It is the standard to which we should hold ourselves as we start our masonic journey and the example we should set for others who have decided to join our fraternity.

So tonight was an excellent experience and another moment that I will never forget. I am looking forward to the next moment and I am looking forward to guiding new brothers through the process in order to obtain this honor and know the sense of pride that it brings to your masonic life. For now, I am going to enjoy the moment and appreciate all that I have experienced in Masonry throughout my first year.