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.

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.

Golden Globes And The Art Of The Quip!

While flipping through the channels the weekend before last, I stumbled upon the Golden Globes. Actually, it was the cheekiness of Ricky Gervais that really caught my attention. With my wife and son sick and having long since gone to bed, especially since our usual programs were reruns, I was looking for something to put on in the background while I did some work on my computer. Now that a program was selected, I pulled out my laptop and proceeded to open up the numerous pages and tabs that had been dormant for the past day. It didn’t take long before some of the quips pulled my attention away from my work.

In particular, his banter with Mel Gibson was something to behold as you could tell there were a number of lines that Gervais was waiting to say hoping that someday the two of them would meet face to face. However, it wasn’t all about the ongoing dialogues. Many times it was a single line that had the audience gasping and my chucking from the kitchen. For instance, who else would introduce one of the nominees in the following way while taking a jab at another celebrity: “He’s also the only person who Ben Affleck hasn’t been unfaithful to. Please welcome, Matt Damon!”

Beyond the quick wit on display, one of the more memorable moments was when Sylvester Stallone won for best supporting actor for his role as, you guessed it, Rocky Balboa in the film Creed. Thankfully, he didn’t forget to thank his imaginary friend, the aforementioned Rocky, because that would have been an interesting apology later. Good think Adrianne is dead because that might have been even more awkward.

But there were also lines that were topical as well as humorous including an interesting reference to El Chapo: “I want to do this monologue and go into hiding, OK? Not even Sean Penn will find me.”

However, there were moments of seriousness during the broadcast beyond tremendous speech by Tom Hanks and the tearful acceptances of stunned stars. Leonardo DiCaprio, regardless of what you may think of him he is one heck of an actor, while accepting the Golden Globe for Best Lead Actor for The Revenant proclaimed that he shares the honor with “all the indigenous communities around the world. It is time that we recognize your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them. It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.”

It will be interesting to see if his actions reflect the words that he spoke during the ceremony and if he makes similar statements should he win the Academy Award next month. That is what it really comes down to… follow through. He can say, preach even, all that he wants but you earn the respect of the people you supposedly represent by taking action. So, similar to the way Gervais ended the night while invoking the sentiments of Mel Gibson, I will end this post with a single word… Shalom!

Returning To Normal

The last couple of month have been a little odd at the lodge with a rather testy meeting taking place in February and a postponement of the stated meeting in March. Thursday was a welcomed return to normalcy even if I was still running a little behind schedule in my duties… most notably in getting the monthly notice in the mail which I would much rather have sent off a week prior rather than a few days before.

Of course, I wasn’t sure if this would be the case as I was rather pointed in my message this month in the notice. It wasn’t about calling anyone out, it was simply a means to try and get everyone back on the same page so that we work together as a lodge rather each person pulling the rope in a different direction. Sometimes things need to be said and thankfully, as it turns out, it was received in the way that it was intended.

The meeting itself ran smoothly with the agenda run through quickly and the discussions limited to updates and information. There weren’t any of the unpleasant tones that existed in previous meetings. Progress is being made on most fronts and the projects that at one point looked like they might be stymied, are once again moving forward.

However, there is one area where we seemed to have stalled. With no petitions having been received so far this year, we will not be having an extra meeting until September at the earliest. This is the complete opposite of last year when the petitions were plentiful and the extra meetings frequently consisted of multiple candidates. Not a good time to hit a lull but it happens.

Thankfully, the new brothers that have made up the most recent wave are continuing to remain active and we are continuing to move forward with award applications for those first year masons. While I may not have been able to make it to the lodge every week, each one of them has been present and has learned both from one another and from the more experienced masons that join them for the evening. While the petitions may not be flowing in like they once were, the quality of the new brothers that have joined us is outstanding and their continued involvement is exactly what every lodge wants to see.

Now that we have returned to the quick and uneventful, it is time to prepare for next month as I refuse to fall behind once again. We expect a packed lodge due to it being both our official visitation as well as first responders night. It is a lot of work but, as was proven last year, it is well worth the effort and a meeting that I have been looking forward to for months. I guess I could say the same thing about most meetings.

Alright, Alright, Alright…

This time every year, the awards shows block off an entire evening on network television to tell me about all the shows I didn’t watch and all the movies I didn’t see in the previous year. There are a few programs that I recognize, and occasionally they seem to humor people like me with nominations for the shows that I enjoy. But usually it looks a bit odd like “one of these things is not like the other” (much like Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech verses everyone else’s).

Despite my seemingly lack of connection to most of what is found on television or in the theaters, these shows are rather entertaining. If anything for the reactions of the people who really didn’t expect any recognition. Not for what they say but for the shock on their face at the news and the slight horror of having to get up on stage and thank everyone without a script having been written beforehand. The Golden Globes this evening was a prime example.

Watching The Andy Samberg and Amy Poehler win awards this evening was worth watching. Both of these Saturday Night Live Alumni looked to be in genuine shock when their names were called and even Seth Meyers, who announced Samberg’s win, were filled with a childishness glee (in a good way) when the reality finally hit them. While we were all watching this unfold, Poehler getting a massage from and making out with Bono and Samberg high fiving Leonardo DiCaprio on his way to being mauled on stage by Meyers, the evening seems to take on a surreal quality for the two of them.

On the other side of the spectrum is the simple fact that as you watch the camera cut to different stars, you are faced with the aging, some gracefully and others not so much, of some of the many stars that you grew up watching on television or in the movies. It makes you wonder how much longer they are going to be performing. While some may seemingly go on forever you know that some others, no matter how much you enjoy their work, are probably going to be gone soon. While many were nominated this evening, Michael Douglas and Jon Voigt to name a couple of winners, it is an interesting dynamic to watch the transition to a new crop of actors in the prime of their careers, DiCaprio and Matt Damon seem to be the two that most accurately fit that description.

As you can see, even if the majority of your entertainment comes from life and nonfiction programs (or even those things we call books) you can still get a kick out of watching the Hollywood social experiments known as awards shows. And while this evening proved entertaining and even as a means of prediction for the other two majors, things will surely be a bit more interesting with the raised stakes that come with the Oscars and Emmys. Based on tonight, this should be interesting.

A Night With Ben

Former Governor of Pennsylvania Mark Schweiker delivers
keynote address at the Marcum Innovator of the Year Awards.

Last night I was out again and this time I was at the Franklin Institute in center city. I guess you could say that the evening was a mix of both business and pleasure as I was there in support our client that was nominated for an award but also it was an enjoyable time just getting to meet a variety of new people. So, overall, it was my kind of night.

What began as a slow crawl into the city by way of the I-95 parking lot quickly picked up speed until I looked at my watch and wondered where the night had gone. Given the people in the room that really wasn’t a surprise. All present were there for a reason and all earned their place in the room.

I have gotten to know a lot of intelligent, even brilliant, people in my live and I even have the privilege of working with a few and I know many dedicated hard working people but, for some reason, finding individuals with that particular combination is becoming harder and harder to find. Maybe it’s a generational thing maybe it’s just me (I wouldn’t consider myself on the plus side of either of the aforementioned characteristics). But that room was completely different.

In every direction you could see a deep rooted intelligence and a flame in the eyes of all in attendance. Every nominee, every company, had an amazing story and people behind them with such drive that inspires one to work hard and look for the next opportunity to succeed. From small companies like BizEquity and bulogics to large companies such as Rajant and Nemours, the talent that exists in this all too often overlooked region is astounding. I highly recommend looking up each of those companies and learning about how they are going to continue changing the world.

The Marcum Innovator of the Year Awards accomplished its goal of highlighting some of the ideas and technologies that are bound to change the world not just the area. There is impact in the genius that churned in the audience under the shadow of Ben Franklin. And by having such a collection in that place which carries the name of greatness, you couldn’t help but be inspired, motivated, and maybe even a little bit smarter.

It was a night that was enjoyable throughout the course of the event but also one that will continue to bring much enjoyment in the future as I watch these companies and read about the advancements they are making. It is one of those corny things that makes me proud of where I grew up, where I live, and where I will continue to remain rooted. Simply put, we take pride in our commonwealth and continue trying to see all the positive developments happening around us even when other things aren’t necessarily going the way we would like them to.