Brother Helping Brother

With a rather hectic day behind me I found myself trying to catch up and take care of those quick phone calls that seem to get lost in the minutes of the calendar. Having checked off a few of the things that I had fallen behind on I made one more call before I left the office. It had been well over a week since I placed the print over at Staples for the lodge and I haven’t heard anything from them. I am glad that I decided to pick up the phone as I was able to swing through Bryn Mawr and pick up everything that we needed to send the notice out this weekend (with the exception of the notice which will get done later this week).

With a fresh stockpile of dues cards, an address stamp, and newly retrieved mail in hand, I walked through the front door just as the Worshipful Master was heading out. After reviewing a few quick items (including the aforementioned dues cards which have a very minor change over the old stock), we circled up on a couple of things, shook hands, and parted for the evening. When I walked in I didn’t notice many brothers in the hall with the exception of a new mason putting together the announcement board in the corner. However, it was quite and I soon found myself finishing up a few items a little faster than usual and heading up to the lodge room to grab the embosser.

It was here where I found all the brothers that I thought would be at the lodge. Split into a couple of groups to work with new candidates, many of the recently raised brothers were instructing them on what they had just learned the previous week. Can’t say that I would have been able to do the same thing so soon after being raised. It really was something to behold as this was for them a normal part of being a mason. The fellowship that we have tried so hard to foster over the past year was slowly becoming part of what is expected from candidates and, therefore, new masons.

It was the epitome of brother helping brother. The room was mostly filled with those who have been masons for two years or less with a Past Master offering his wisdom and experience when needed. While I offered a few tips here and there to the new masons, I pretty much stood back and enjoyed being in the midst of such a drastic change over what we experienced last winter. While there are things that need to be done every week at the lodge, this is really what makes me look forward to driving to Ardmore every Tuesday night.

Celebrating My First Masonic Birthday

My Masonic birthday gift from the Worshipful Master (it is a small cooler).

To be honest, I was dreading getting up this morning as I knew that there was a stated meeting tonight and I had a lot of work that still needed to be done before the lodge opened. That seems to have been the pattern of the past month, if you couldn’t tell already. It has been one thing after another which has been a mad scramble. I woke up this morning with the minutes from the previous meeting pressing down on my neck. Somehow, in the minutes and moments between emails ad projects at the office, I was able to piece together all that I needed for the evening.

With the work day behind me, I walked through the lodge doors ready to pull a few things together (basically organizing everything I needed for the meeting) before changing and resurfacing upstairs for some dinner. That was the plan. In reality, it only took a few seconds before I had brothers following me down the stairs and into the office. More so than in previous months, it was a constant fraternal ebb and flow for about an hour and a half before I rushed up the stairs, back down (because I forgot to take care of something in the chaos), and back up to the top floor to take my seat at my desk.

Having heeded the advice of the Grand Lodge, my duties have been streamlined during the meeting. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of other things to keep me busy. In fact, the number of petitions, involvement, and initiative that have already crossed my desk this year is a great sign of things to come and I hope that things continue to progress in the months and years to come.

The meeting progressed at usual with petitions read, and excellent presentation on “The Golden Fleece”, and some encouraging words from the District Deputy Grand Master during another unofficial visit. Toward the end of the meeting, as is done every month, those celebrating their Masonic birthday this month were asked to stand in the middle of the lodge to be recognized. For the first time, I was one of those brothers standing in the middle of the lodge celebrating my first Masonic birthday.

Immediately following the recognition of Masonic birthdays one of the Past Masters of the lodge took a moment to stand and commend me for already taking on the ‘hardest job’ in the lodge and within my first year as a Mason. It was with these comments that the entire lodge gave me a round of applause. While I am fine with the casual recognition that comes with a Masonic birthday or like recognition that every brother experience there are some moments that I really don’t feel I have deserved. I appreciate the kind words and undeserved praise, there are many others who do much more for their fellow brothers who should be applauded.

After the meeting it was time for a little more work in the office and, finally, after that a few moments to breath. But, the relaxation doesn’t last long as the month starts over again and preparations are made for the next meeting. This time, I need to make sure I have everything prepped early so I don’t fall behind again. In other words, time to get back to work.  

Masonic Marathon

The Tuesday’s immediately following our stated meeting are the nights when we train for the Masonic Marathon. These are the nights that consist of multiple degrees, hours of lodge time, and impressive demonstrations of memorization on the parts of those participating in the degree work. While it is not every month that such late nights occur, there are still the occasional evenings when I know my wife is not going to be happy with me when I walk through the apartment door.

This is not something any of us are paid to do. This is something that we do for our brothers and soon to be brothers. It is in the passion to see men improve themselves that we find the motivation to participate and congratulate. It is a regular experience that I consider a privilege to witness and play some small role in simply by being there.

Last night I found myself in the lodge during one of the longer nights when two degrees were conferred (it would have been three but there was a hold up as one of the candidates was not prepared). It was a long night to be sure but one during which we were able to see a man take his first steps in Freemasonry during the first half of the night and another man become a Master Mason in the second half of the night. In all, we were there for over three hours and departed the lodge absolutely wasted from the day.

Driving home it was interesting to think about the similarities and differences that some of the conferrers have as I have seen a number of different Past Masters confer degrees over the past 6+ months. From a brother in his forties to a brother in his eighties, all have has different approaches, presentations, styles and inflections while all maintaining an impressive script running through their minds.

Like the conferrers, the men whom have become Masons have been of all ages as well ranging from a man in his twenties to a man in his late seventies. All determined to become a part of the fraternity it just took a few of them a little longer than others. I have seen all these degrees from various vantage points as well. From simply being present to lend support to sitting as a stand in officer, to knowing that next year I will be playing a small but significant role throughout the process as Secretary.

This is not just a matter of seeking more light. It is seeing how the light is refracted and reflected. It is seeing the light from all angles and trying to take in as much as you can. It is a never ending journey and a process without pause as one can never capture every ray of light that is cast upon them.