Fun (And Food) For The Whole Family

There was a little bit of chaos for me leading up to the stated meeting as there usually is before an official district visitation. The usual list of items that need to be prepared before any meeting pretty much doubles in size and given that our lodge is on display to a lot of visitors I make sure to double check that everything is in place hoping that the one thing that I do forget can be overcome with relative ease. And this is something important for every officer to remember… you are going to forget things. The trick is to make sure that it is as insignificant as possible as to not disrupt the meeting itself.

The visitation this year was a little different than in previous years. For one, I was able to enjoy some time in the hall dining with the brethren and, in some instances, with their wives. That was a pretty significant change and one that I hope to see continued in the months and years to come. Not only were wives and families welcomed to join us, we were also treated to a delectable Brazilian dinner prepared by one of the wives (with a little assistance from her husband and Junior Warden). For me, on the top of that to do list was to make sure I thanked her for all of her hard work… something that I am glad that I remembered to do.

The meeting itself went very smoothly with only a minor mistake on my part that was easily rectified. It was also a very productive meeting as there were a number of projects that needed to be addressed and motions that needed to be made. Overall, especially given the last couple of months, it was a welcome respite from the week and a reinvigorating one at that. There is great progress that has been made, positive changes that are in the works, and important motions that have been passed.

When the meeting was over and all the bills were paid, I finally sat back to collect my thoughts for a few seconds before starting another conversation. In many ways, I can’t believe that this is already my third year as Secretary and the beginning of my forth year as a mason. It seems as though I was raised yesterday while, at the same time, I have been coming to lodge my whole life. It is really hard to put into words but something that motivates me to see the lodge succeed and to see new masons to succeed as well. And now, with the changes in process, it is something that I will be able to happily share with my family on a more regular basis… especially my son who I hope will join me at a meeting someday.