Firearms Friday: A Simple Question

As I mentioned previously, this past weekend we took a family vacation up to New York to attend a family reunion. Rather than stay anywhere near the city, we decided to stay a little further out and we found the perfect place in The Thayer Hotel. Now, because the hotel is on the West Point grounds, there is a security checkpoint that you need to pass through in order to get back to your hotel room. While this may put off some people I found it rather reassuring and enjoyed the quick conversations with the guards as we presented them with our identification.

One such conversation was rather amusing when we returned to the hotel a little later than we were expecting on Friday evening. While I had my identification in hand, my wife had left hers in the back of the car. When we stopped at the gate she got out and proceeded to the back of the vehicle. While she was opening the door and reaching into her bag, the guard turned and asked me “do you have any weapons or firearms in the vehicle?”

Okay, so that is not the amusing part. The look of surprise that he gave me when I responded is what gave me a little chuckle afterward. It went something like this, “Sir, while I have a concealed carry permit in my home sate I am a long way from Pennsylvania. While I don’t agree with many of the laws and policies in place in this country in general and this state in particular, I would be an idiot to try and carry any sort of firearm in this state and an absolute fricking moron to try and carry any weapon onto a military base.”

Right or wrong, that is how I responded… and honest and straightforward response. The look he gave me was the amusing part both for his appreciation for my position and slight shock that I actually said it but what he said reminded me of the sad cluelessness that has become pervasive in this country… “You would be surprised.” A response to so many different situations.

By the time our banter concluded my wife had retrieved her identification and we were being waved to proceed to the hotel. With a quick “thank you” we were on our way but clearly that moment has stuck in my mind. In the end, know where you are going and what the laws, regulations, and restrictions are in that place and at that establishment. It keeps you legal and it may even provide you with an amusing moment of honesty.   

Firearms Friday: Local Shops

I have been meaning to get out and explore a bit to see what the local shops have to offer but haven’t really been able to find much time for these little excursions. However, there were a few small windows that allowed me to get out of the house and drive finally allowing me to make it to a few local shops over the past several weeks. So far, there really isn’t much that I have been missing.

Maybe it is because of the simple fact that I have found the really good gun shops in a few other counties that, when I am able, I try to visit on occasion. Sometimes I may pick up a little something, sometimes I am there to sell, and other times it ends up simply being a great conversation that allows me to keep my wallet in my pocket. Of course, then there are the instance when I am able to bring others to those stores… a time when I can let them spend their money.

So far, while pretty on the outside, there isn’t much to be found in the way of deals or customer service at many of the local shops around me. Bear in mind that there is still quite the long list of places that I have yet to see. Many of these stores look really nice on the outside and have the prices on the inside to match their high end appearance. Needless to say, I didn’t make much in the way of purchased beyond finding a few used magazines in the discount bin (buy one, get one).

Hopefully, the places that I have come across aren’t part of a new trend in the industry although, based on the grand opening announcements that I have seen lately, this is probably the case. The small family stores are becoming harder and harder to find but they are still out there. It just takes a little more time and effort to find them. Commodities that I am in short supply of at the moment.

At this point, with none of the places around me worth a second trip, I am going to take a little break from trying to find the right store. I have great places where I enjoy spending time and the limited times that I am able to get out I would rather go there. Instead, I am going to focus on finding a good range where I can relax and enjoy time with friends and family. That seems like it will be a better use of my time for a multitude of reasons.

Quick Stop At The Lodge

Most of the brothers were at the district school last night so I knew that this was one of the few weeks when it was possible to have a very quick meeting at the lodge. So I reached out to the Treasurer a few days ago and coordinated a time to meet with him so that we could pay the bills and keep things running over the summer. Having both arrived in Ardmore at the same time we met up in the parking lot, walked through the front doors (after a quick stop at the mailbox of course), and sat at one of the tables in the back of the hall to get things done as efficiently as possible.

Since we usually aren’t able to talk much before or after meetings, it was nice to have a brief conversation, just the two of us, without any of the other brothers around and without any other commitments of my time. It was a conversation between brothers, between friends, as we sorted through the bills and signed the required checks (the third signature will come later). It is a great feeling having this time to connect and share the experience of the fraternity and of many common personal and family commonalities and coincidences.

Overall, it was a nice return to what I had become accustom to experiencing during my first year in office. Two seemingly opposite personalities, one gregarious and the other reserved, but by no means at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The difference is something that just seems to work as it has in the past but, more importantly, we are being ourselves and slowly building on the trust that we need to have with one another to be successful in our offices. And now with many of the obstacles behind us I hope that this partnership continues for many years to come… or at least until I step down in a few years. After all, I am in this for the long, six year haul, and I know that this Treasurer can succeed well beyond my limited years.

So, with the sun still bright above the horizon and no one else present, we turned off the lights, locked the door, and parted ways in the parking lot until the next round of checks need to be cut. Getting in the car I realized that we might have set a record for the shortest meeting at the lodge as the clock told me that only 25 minutes had passed since we arrived. Efficient, productive, but not rushed… seems like a good formula for any meeting.

No Shoe For You!

The last couple of years we have been able to round up the brothers and converge en masse in Conshohocken to take the shoe for the remainder of the year. It seems as though, like many things, time has gotten away from me a bit and the reminders weren’t as frequent as they have been in the past. This was clearly an issue last night as our turnout to the last official district visitation of the year wasn’t nearly what it had been during our previous efforts. Because of this we all got in our cars knowing that another lodge would be holding the shoe until the calendar changes.

However, while we may not have walked away with the shoe, it was a great night when I was able to reconnect with some brothers I had not seen since this same meeting last year while others I was meeting for the first time… at least I think it was the first time. It was during these moments of re-acquaintance that some of the best conversations of the evening took place and I was able to find many more commonalities with a few of my brothers which I had not realized previously. Of course, as usual, there were also moments when I realized more clearly just how much more I have yet to experience in the fraternity.

The meeting itself is always a little odd for me as I am used to sitting in the east for the duration and actively playing a role in all meetings. Sitting on the sidelines for the entire meeting is something that I am simply not used to doing. I can’t tell you how many times that I nearly stood up when I heard only two raps from the gavel. That being said, there were things that I was able to observe from this perspective as I watched another secretary take charge. There were some things that I didn’t prefer while there were other items that I will certainly incorporate moving forward.

However, there was a singular moment that caught me completely off guard. As the names of those brothers that were suspended was read to those in attendance, my mind stuttered a little when I heard a brother who shares my family name was no longer in good standing. I guess this year my work will have to go beyond my lodge and I need to improve my communication not just with the brethren but within my own family as well. After all, no matter you endeavor, which is how we learn and that is how we band together both as brothers and as a family, separately and together.

Fellowship… With Horseshoes

It was nice knowing that when I arrived at the lodge last night that there were no emergencies, no meetings that needed to take place, and nothing that needed to be completed that night. It was an opportunity to go to the lodge and enjoy the fellowship while casually discussing topics that happen to come up in conversation. What I didn’t expect was that those conversations would be happening over a game of horseshoes in the back yard.

I honestly can’t remember the last time that I tossed a horseshoe across the grass in the hopes of hearing it ring on the post. It has probably been at least fifteen years since I flipped the steel from my fingers so there was quite a bit of relearning taking place throughout the evening. Of course, the last time that I recall playing was simply as a fill in while one of my uncles took a break so there wasn’t much of a technique to be found in my past either.

The most important part of the whole evening was that fact that we could enjoy the fellowship with our brothers without an agenda to be mentioned and we were able to get to know one of our newly raised brothers a little more and in a relaxed setting. While we have had conversations in the past and I have spoken with him at great length, there is something to be said about seeing a person’s personality during a casual competition. Safe to say, more so than I was before, I am glad to have this new mason as my brother.

It is this type of environment that I would like to see constantly fostered and built upon as we move forward. This is a return to the way brothers used to interact with one another all over the world not just at lodges here and there. This is what we need if we are going to see our lodge and our fraternity as a whole thrive in the coming years and decades. Brothers of all ages and experiences simply going to lodge to enjoy the fellowship found in our fraternity.

Nights like this are part of why I decided to become a mason. It is not just about learning something new and striving to be better men, it is a brotherly bond that you share with your fellow mason, with whom you truly enjoy spending time with at the lodge and beyond the confines of the building. This is certainly something that I have to improve upon and embrace as I rarely see the brethren outside of a masonic setting. I guess I have another goal for the summer.

Sunday Search: Speaking For My Ancestors

A few weeks ago I was at a business event in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia. While I did notice the construction being done on I-95 in that area I didn't take notice beyond the fact that the resulting traffic and detours delayed my arrival at the venue. However, after a conversation I had this week, there is certainly greater significance for me concerning that highway expansion project. It all started with a simple email that I received through my Ancestry.com account.

As it turns out, as part of this project they are conducting extensive archaeological excavations around the area that will be impacted by the build out. Again, being that I am not too familiar with that section of the city, I was unaware of this research being done. And while they slowly sift through the layers of history they are also digging into the records for each of the impacted properties. Well, to my surprise, my family turned up during this examination of historical documents.

The connection and the basis of the query which I received was because of Adah Mary Worth, my great great grandmother on my mother’s side, being listed in the 1870 census. At the time she was living in the Mullin household and the researcher was curious as to the connection she had with the family. He had been consulting both my public tree on ancestry.com and had been reading a few of the relevant posts on my blog to try and figure things out himself but, in the end, still needed to connect with me in order to put the pieces together. Well, after a long conversation where we each shared what we have been able to uncover, the resulting story was rather interesting.

As I have written about previously, Adah’s father, Jacob Worth, was killed in action during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. Adah’s two siblings passed away at around the same time leaving her as the only remaining child. By the 1870 census, Adah’s mother, Mary Eppright, had remarried to a man named William Mullin, a widower with a young daughter of his own from his first marriage (to Mary Pote). The duplication of Mary’s is what originally confused the research but we were able to verify everything shortly after our conversation. This new merged family lived in the area in question.

Adding further intrigue was the fact that Mary Eppright was born in Haverford, lived in Roxborough while married to Jacob Worth, moved to Fishtown with William Mullin, and, once again a widow, moved back to Roxborough soon after Adah met John Uttley who was a Philadelphia Police Officer in the 5^th Ward (Roxborough). This answered the researcher’s additional question of why only Mary Mullin and Adah Worth are found living in Roxborough in the 1880 census (Adah and John Uttley married in 1881).

So, as it turns out, my family touches on more neighborhoods in the Philadelphia area than I originally thought and, once again, the census has proven to be a valuable tool in filling in some of the interesting colors and shades of some of the leaves in the family tree. And now I am interested in learning more about the archaeology being done in a few of the Philadelphia neighborhoods… some of the initial information can already be found at diggingi95.com. While by no means the primary reason for devoting the time and energy to researching the various lines in my family tree, this has been a crystal clear example of the impact that our work can have on others. Furthermore, by trying to find out as much as we can about our ancestors, it puts us in a better position to give them a voice in situations such as this. There are few feelings and situations more rewarding than that.

Different But Similar

There have been several occasions when I have heard people compare the first meeting with a candidate with that of a sales meeting. I wholeheartedly disagree with this premise. Meeting with those men interested in becoming masons should never involve any kind of sale whatsoever and should never come across as such. Meeting with a candidate for the first time should be a time to answer questions and start and interesting conversation. At no point during such conversations have I had the goal of getting a petition signed… my objective has always been to have a great conversation.

By approaching the process in this way it allows all the cards to be put on the table. The potential candidate gets to know me and I get to know them. We find our similarities and, sometimes, we discuss our differences. While I do my best to answer any questions they may have about freemasonry and give a very broad overview of the lodge, the fraternity, and the process of becoming a mason, it is a very open and broad conversation as a whole. Right or wrong, this is how I approach these opportunities to meet interesting people from the community.

This was the case last night as I had previously coordinated a time to meet with a prospective candidate last week. After a brief introduction and welcome, we made our way into the hall and sat at one of the dining tables to simply have a conversation and to get to know one another. Over the course of the evening there were a number of other brothers who introduced themselves and joined the conversation and by the end of the night we had discussed a wide range of topics. However, the most important part of the evening was that we were able to learn a little about him and he was able to learn a little about us as individuals, the lodge, and freemasonry in general.

As we talked about our families and the reasons why freemasonry piqued our interest there were a number of commonalities in our perspectives and in our lives that wouldn’t necessarily be evident to someone who would simply see the two of us talking. The reasons for our interest in the fraternity are nearly identical and we are both interested to learn about our grandfather’s lives within freemasonry. However, he did surprise me by the end of the night by immediately completing a petition on the spot. This surprised me both because I didn’t expect him to do so (I never go beyond handing someone a petition and asking them to think about it) and because it is the same way that I would have reacted had I been given the same situation.

Again, I walked toward the parking lot reinvigorated by the night and excited to have another good man interested in joining our lodge and becoming part of this fantastic fraternity. I consider myself very lucky for having witnessed that same passion and excitement so many times in so many good men over the years (especially over the last several months). There is a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to during the second half of the year.

Sunday Search: Topic Of Conversation

This past week I spent a lot of time at business dinners where the topics of conversation varied pretty significantly from course to course and from meal to meal. However, there were a few subjects that came up regularly during those times around the table. The first two were, of course, the most obvious as business and the actual trade show we were attending were discussed at great length. Beyond that discourse, the primary topic that we talked about at length was genealogy.

Many of the people with whom I spent the first part of the week had at least a basic knowledge of their own family histories or were interested in pursuing that knowledge. Because of the neutral nature of the discourse, we went from moment to moment and from generation to generation of predominantly United States history with each subject and time period allowing us to learn a little more about each other while remaining appropriate for a business gathering. I guess you could say that this is one of the ancillary benefits to the work that I have done regarding my family history.

It was actually quite surprising the commonalities that many of us possessed in both geography and in the participation of our ancestors in particular events. There wasn’t a single statement that wasn’t followed up by either a story or a question. And this was going both ways as there were definitely some aspects of history of which my knowledge is limited or a local history of which I am completely unfamiliar. In the end, we all came away with a much broader sense of the reach and inter-connectivity that our histories have in relation to one another. And that was just the people that knew at least a little about their own ancestry.

For those who were still unfamiliar with their familial past, it was an eye opening experience that ignited a desire to know about their own families. Hopefully the basic outline that they were given is enough to keep that interest going and that they begin to fill in some of their own trees. After all, it would be great to learn a little bit about their families the next time that we are all together around the dinner table. Who knows, maybe we will find some stronger historical ties between our ancestors. And maybe they can use that new found knowledge, as many of us have, as a great topic of conversation during casual business meetings and, more importantly, with their own families.

Firearms Friday: Helping Others At The Bench

No matter where I am or what setting in which I find myself having a conversation, I am usually able to find at least one or two other firearms enthusiasts with which to talk. I have had this happen at various community events, family gatherings, lodge, work, and different conferences and trade shows in different parts of the country. Sometimes I have no idea how we got on the subject while other times it is quite clear as either the conversation turns to politics or someone gives a bewildered or disappointing look to one of the ‘no firearms allowed’ signs that seem to be popping up with shocking regularity. Regardless of how we get on the subject, it is a topic that we tend to stay on for some time regardless of whether the people around us agree with our views.

We go through the usual list of questions which vary depending on whether we have spoken on the subject before which commonly includes how often we get out to the range; rifle, handgun, or shotgun preference; caliber preference; about our local shop; and so on. And one topic that seems to play more of a prominent role as of late is building and gunsmith work. As many of you know, building an AR is far from difficult but it is perceived as rather impressive to those who have never taken on the task. This particular line of conversation usually ends with them asking me to either build a rifle for them or to help them build a rifle. And bear in mind that this is coming from a variety of people including family, friends, coworkers, clients, brothers, and others.

Of course, now we have to discuss parts. What they want, what I recommend (depending on what they want), budget, tools, basic functions, and the overall process. This can take some time as sometimes people know what they want while other times it is a more involved process to drill down to get those details. I usually end up telling each of them the same thing… once I can find the time to complete some of my own builds, I will be happy to help them with theirs. And if they are interested in learning this very basic skill I am happy to show them the process as I put my own projects together.

I believe that knowing how to build an AR is a basic skill that everyone should possess just like knowing how to field strip a 1911 or AK and other handgun and rifle models, the basic fundamentals of making your own rounds, and zeroing in an optic. These are the simple things that I really wouldn’t classify under gunsmith work but rather the necessary tools needed to be a well-rounded firearms owner. However, the biggest takeaway from these conversations is that if you are open about your views and especially your support for an individual’s right to own firearms, you might be surprised by those around you who share your views (other views beyond firearms also apply).

Sunday Search: Holiday Opportunities

The holidays are always a great opportunity to get together and simply enjoy the company of friends and family. While we may not be completely conscious of it at the time, it is a means to strengthen the bonds that we have with one another and take stock of the changes that have happened in our lives since the last time that we all gathered together. The most important thing about these times is to be in the moment and to spend time with those you love but there are opportunities that come about naturally from time to time that we, as family historians, must remain cognizant of and remember not just for ourselves but for the family as a whole the for the future when things have a tendency to be forgotten.

It is inconsequential how one gets to a subject but there are moments when we must be opportunistic and learn a little more about those around us. Furthermore, if we are able to ask questions we must do so to fill in some of the details that may have been glossed over. At the same time, when possible, we must be ready to recall what we know in order to offer that information in the hopes of jogging someone else’s memory or adding dimension or perspective to the story being told.

For some, including myself, this is sometimes the hardest part of trying to find out everything I can about the family. There is a fine line between conversation and investigation which we must respect during the holidays because, again, this is a time for family not about family. After all, we are all guilty from time to time for focusing more on the past than the present. Sometimes it is during occasions such as this while other times it is about not taking the opportunity, setting aside the time, and talking to family members about their own history and about what they know about others in the family.

Today I learned a few more details and was given a few more documents. Thankfully, I learned a lot with little effort. It was more about being in the right place and keeping my ears open to the conversations taking place. I knew some additional details and I asked a few questions but it was part of the natural flow of the dialog. Maybe I have finally found some kind of balance to this holiday conundrum. Of course, it helps that everyone knows about my passion for the family history and the respect that I have for our history. That can sometimes be the difference between being given, entrusted, with personal information and histories and not ever being told what happened.

A More Complicated Petition

Well, it should be no surprise to anyone who read my post yesterday that I didn’t make it to the lode last night as I was recovering from my second serious car accident in the past ten days. However, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been working on a few things for the lodge. In fact, I have been working on a rather interesting petition as of late that has been an ongoing project since the last stated meeting. While most petitions are pretty straightforward, this one in particular has had a number of details that have made it a great learning process both for the petitioner and also for me.

The situation is rather simple in that the candidate already petitioned another lodge which presented said petition at their last stated meeting. Following dinner last month at my lodge, he expressed a desire to join our lodge which is more convenient for a multitude of reasons. Following that meeting and after confirming his intentions, I circled back with the original lodge in possession of his petition. This is when things really got interesting as having not found myself in this position previously, I made sure to copy both District Deputy Grand Masters. After all, I always want to make sure that decisions such as this are by the book and as transparent as possible.  

Fast forward and I now find myself in a friendly back and forth trying to confirm many of the details of the process and double checking the conclusions with both my District Deputy Grand Master and the petitioner. It has been a process to say the least but it has also been a great learning experience and we will have a solution to the situation in short order now that the broad strokes have been taken care of. However, the most important thing that I have made sure not to lose sight of is the simple fact that a good man has shown a desire to become a mason.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter where he receives his degrees (although I have my preferences), the important things is that the fraternity is gaining a solid member. Too often lodges lose sight of this fact and focus on what is best for their lodge. While the betterment of your home lodge is hugely important, we can all agree on that fact, the growth of our fraternity, of Freemasonry as a whole, needs to take precedence. We have to keep in mind what is best for the brotherhood and for the man who desires to become a brother. If we do right by these two, things have a way of coming back to us both as a lodge and as a mason. We must do what is right.

Darting To The Lodge

That is not my car... but it is for now.

Given the conditions of the roads and still feeling stiff and sore from the accident, I hesitated heading over to the lodge last night. However, there were a multitude of meetings that I needed to take care of this week and driving to Ardmore was the most efficient means of getting everything done. So, while not the most comfortable option, I slowly navigated the bright white Dodge Dart rental around the suburban pothole minefield and made it to the lodge in plenty of time to check the mail and settle in before the next brother walked through the door.

As it turned out, I was not the only one having a bit of an off week as there were a couple of meetings that had to be postponed due to personal reasons. However, even with a few brothers having to miss the fellowship night, the lodge was still busy with nearly a dozen scattered throughout the building. Some of us were discussing various topics in the hall while others were practicing for the upcoming degree work. And, of course, we also had our new candidates in attendance nearing what they need to know before taking the next step.

Much of my night, without the aforementioned meetings, was regarding matters unrelated to the lodge. The first conversation I had was with a brother who will be helping me with some of the home renovation projects that I mentioned in a previous post. We also discussed my recent accident and reviewed some of the lessons that we each have learned over the years through personal experience as well as the accounts told by others. With books in hand it was also an opportunity to share with my brothers the work that has finally come to fruition in recent months (more about those later).

Finally, toward the end of the night, my cousin arrived to both take care of some replacement SAR paperwork and also to catch up a bit. It is great to have this common bond with him and have a space where we can meet and talk about our lodges, work, family, and anything else that may come to mind. It is also a great opportunity to introduce him to some of the brothers from the lodge in case he ever wanted to join us for a meeting. While not all of the meeting I had planned for took place, it was still a productive night and while I didn’t get home until much later than expected, at least I could relax knowing that a few things were crossed off my list for the week.

Mortgage Monday: A Means To Reconnect

There has been an unexpected benefit to moving into our own house that we have enjoyed over the past several months. Since the day the movers unpacked our furniture and belongings at our new address, we have been able to get together with a number of people with whom we have lost contact over the last couple of years. With all that has transpired we, for lack of a better term, closed ranks for a while just trying to get through some of the tougher moments that we have encountered. Since moving we have been able to open up and reconnect with a myriad of people that have been nothing but supportive and understanding of all that has gone on.

Recently, we were able to invite our Rabbi and his wife to our new home for lunch. I personally owe this man a lot for helping me become who I am today most notably in serving as my mentor during my conversion. My wife and I owe them both a great deal for providing us with the support and guidance over the years specifically during a rather interesting Aliyah experience. We were lucky to have them close by when we were living in Israel and were able to meet with them on several occasions to help us with our difficult decision to return.

As I mentioned previously, this has also been the impetus, or at least one of the contributing factors, in motivating us to restart our family newsletter. It is reassuring to know that in future years these annual reports will always be coming from our home… there is no longer the question of from where the newsletter will be sent. And we no longer have to include a section about moving. By the way, after a few unexpected delays, they are finally in the mail!

Most importantly, over the past few months, our home has been a means to reconnect with people. As I have admitted before, I am not the best person at keeping in touch with others. This has proven to be a great way to restart long dormant conversations and a means to discuss updates with friends and find out what they have been up to. Of course, now the goal is to keep myself from reverting back into old habits and putting forth the effort, and finding the time, to have substantive conversations with friends and family that I truly enjoy talking to and with which I continue to have great conversations.  

Chasing Down Dues

Since the last time I was at the lodge, stemming from a conversation I had with one of the brothers, I pulled together a list of those brothers who have yet to pay their dues for the current year. I divided the disappointing list between myself and a few other brothers, all of whom are past Masters, with the hope that we could all reach out to those brothers specified for each of us and make sure that our fellow masons can avoid being suspended. Well, I can’t speak for anyone else but I started reaching out to the members of the lodge that I selected for myself beginning with those whom I am most familiar.

And it didn’t take long before I spoke with a brother who has had a bit of a rough time as of late. Unfortunately, I had lost touch with him over the past year but took it upon myself to reconnect with him via Facebook. While doing so I had the odd feeling that something must have happened since it had been a while since I had seen him at lodge. While he was clearly being too hard on himself, I continued to insist that he is welcomed at the lodge at any time and that we are here, I am here, should he need any assistance. After all, we are brothers.

Thankfully, after a lengthy conversation we agreed to see one another again at the lodge soon. And, despite my justified offer to remit his dues, he insisted on paying is own way. I give him credit, he had a few very trying moments in his life lately but he managed to push through them and hopefully we can bring him full circle and continue to make this good man even better.

Other discussions never even got off the ground as there have already been a few unsuccessful attempts to reach various brothers. For some their lack of dues seems to be a simple oversight while, for others, there may be a little bit of abuse of the system at play. I can’t say for certain unless I speak with them directly but their track records in the database don’t quite match up with someone facing a recent hardship. But, again, part of being a good mason is giving your brother the benefit of the doubt so I will have to wait and see.

In the end, we are a small lodge with unreasonably moderate dues so when brothers don’t pay it does hurt. It won’t make or break us but it would give us some additional breathing room in the coming year should everyone pay their own way. Heck, they should take note of my interaction above… I was ready to remit his dues on the spot but he wanted to put forth the effort and the finances to pay for himself. I tip my hat to you sir and look forward to meeting again at the lodge in the near future.

New Year, New Life

It is always interesting spending time at the lodge for the first time in a new year. The turn from one meeting in the previous year to the next is something that can’t really be explained but there seems to be a new life that is breathed into the lodge as the page turns on the calendar. I guess it is something about working for the better part of a year to put a plan together and now that the time has come we are finally able to put it into action. And it is also a time to catch up on some of the things that I have missed over the last couple of months.

Last night in particular, I spent much of the night jumping from conversation to conversation either trying to figure out the next steps on a project already started or looking for some way to get things off the ground. The lodge office, the contents of which was moved last month, is something that we still have to figure out and it is pretty astounding how much stuff was in that space which was now staring me in the face. Needless to say, the pile in the upstairs room was bigger than I expected.

Seeing this mountain of masonic ephemera and memorabilia, I immediately started trying to figure out a way to configure the room. What did we need to keep? What could we possibly get rid of? Was there a way to have the space serve multiple functions? Was there enough room in the closet for storage? These were just some of the questions that initially came to mind which became more detailed as I explored more options and more closely assessed what we had to work with. There is tremendous potential that I am excited to see realized in the coming months.

Toward the end of the evening it was time to try and get another project off the ground… raising dues. Obviously a topic that isn’t really going to be very popular but we have gotten to a point that it is a necessity to have the discussion (and debate if necessary). We are the smallest lodge in our district (by a good margin) and we have, by far, the lowest dues in the district (maybe in the entire commonwealth). That combination is obviously not going to work in the short or the long term. While I don’t know quite yet what this little journey will entail, we have at least gotten things started and the conversation moving in the right direction. We will have to see what happens.

While this past year was trying and draining in about every way possible hopefully this year I can maintain the energy that we all have seemed to found in this new year. There is a lot of work to be done, much more than the few things I have mentioned and alluded to here and there, and the right people in place and participating in the success of the lodge on a weekly basis. There are enough sturdy shoulders to lift this lodge to the next level and I am definitely not the only who has noticed this and we are all excited about where we are heading.

Time To Party: Part II

In an interesting twist this year, I once again attended two holiday parties but, unlike previous years, neither one was a family gathering. Last Saturday, after a draining day at the lodge blood drive, I stopped over at the neighbor’s house for a wonderful gathering. It was a great opportunity to meet most of the people who live around us especially since I haven’t had the time to walk up and down the street to properly introduce myself. It was a great night.

This past Monday was the second party of the season. This time it was the annual work party but, once again, it was a little different than previous years. Our first holiday together, in 2013, we all went bowling at a place around the corner on Street Road. Last year, having previously held a large one year anniversary party a couple of months prior, we toned things down a bit and simply went out to dinner across the street. This year, the bar was clearly raised as we got a balcony box for a Flyers game at the Wells Fargo Center.

I really didn't know what to expect heading into the building as, despite growing up in the area, I had never been to a hockey game. Baseball yes, hockey no. The gathering itself was very nice as the noise in the arena wasn’t too loud so that we could still have conversations without having to yell at one another. We spent a good part of the evening talking about work (of course) but also some of our other interests. It is really nice to get out of the office and continue to get to know one another a little better even though we have the same banter during the work day. Meeting outside of the office is just a different time.

The game on the other hand is not the game I remember watching when I was younger. In addition to the plentiful penalties, the sport is severely slowed by constant ice maintenance every five minutes which, in itself, took five minutes to clear the shavings. This drew out 20 minute periods into 45 minute marathons. This on top of the fact that the hard-nosed sport that I recall from years past is dead. Hockey without fights is like NASCAR without crashes. I am actually surprised that no one tripped on their skirt going up and down the rink.

By the time nine o’clock came around the third period was just beginning and the Flyers scored to tie the game within a minute of the puck being dropped (they ended up defeating the Blues 4-3). For a couple of us with longer drives home, it was the perfect opportunity to call it a night. And with our signed pucks in hand (everyone in the box got one), we made our way through the maze and finally out to the parking lot where there was no traffic to be found. 60 minutes later and I was home for the night, ready for bed, and not looking forward to the early morning alarm.

The Importance Of Client Dinners

Last night, after a long day at the office during which my evening schedule remained in flux, I walked out the door and headed to Sports Clips to prepare for our persistent client dinner. Thankfully I left a little early as my simple haircut and trim took much longer than expected. However, I still had plenty of time to drive up to Yardley for dinner (and I didn’t even get lost).

The Yardley Inn has become one of the regular spots where we meet this particular client for dinner. It is only about 20 minutes from each office location and the food has always been excellent. At least this is what I have been told as this was my first time there and so everything was new to me. However, after last night I can highly recommend the beet salad and the pork paprikash. And it doesn’t hurt that it is located on a beautiful lot right along the Delaware River.

Client dinners are always something that I look forward to as they are generally a more relaxed time to meeting and discuss other things besides work. These are the time that we really get to know our clients on a personal level and the one we met with last night is a perfect example of that. Too often we get caught up in the position that someone holds or the current projects that we are working on. However, we have to keep in mind that there needs to be a bit of a separation as those projects and insights basically encompassing the entirety of my job.

The stories that each of us shared last night are really fascinating as they both demonstrated the common interests and clearly defined the different experiences that have shaped us. All of which led each of us to the same table. The glimpses into life and experience that has shaped the people we work with and the things that they have accomplished in life are really what piques my interest and what motivates me to want to work even harder for them.

As the orders were placed and the drinks poured, the night continued in excellent fashion. We have worked hard all year and have had countless conversations with our client through email and over the phone but moments like this are the true motivators and give us that little bit extra drive when a project is nearing completion or an event is quickly approaching. In fact, I am looking forward to our next client meal after the long days on the show floor in Chicago in a couple of months. This was just the additional motivation I needed.  

Not A Good Sound To Hear At Lodge

I arrived at the lodge last night a little earlier than usual as there were a number of things that needed to be done and everyone has places that they needed to go later in the evening. It was a relatively quick meeting with everything taken care of, or so we thought, and we soon found ourselves discussing some of the event that we have going on over the next few months and those that we need to work on for next year. In the end, there was more progress made with regard to scheduling than any of us had anticipated. Great, fewer details that we have to take care of later.

With other brothers arriving the conversations quickly became varied and we found ourselves jumping from topic to topic just enjoying the fellowship of the night. With only a couple minor tasks that still had to be addressed I adjourned to my office in the basement, pulled out the books, and finished up my weekly tasks. That is when I heard the sound that I have become all too familiar with over the last couple of years.

The dripping was constant and could be heard prominently in the small space once the rustle of papers calmed. I first looked at the ceiling to see if I could see any stains but didn’t find any discoloration. My attention then shifted to the windows where I again found nothing. But, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the buckling wainscoting right next to the window. It didn’t take much more than a gentle breath to cause the particleboard to fail and crumble onto my desk. And right above it was the steady drip that was echoing throughout the small basement space.

As I have said before, there are some things that I am able to fix, either temporarily or permanently, but plumbing is not one of them. Thankfully I could hear a couple of the brothers talking in the entryway who have professional experience with such issues and so I ran across the basement and up the stairs before they could walk out the door. After an extensive minor investigation, we couldn’t find much let alone the primary cause of the slow flow but we managed to move everything out of the way, unplug the electronics immediately in front of the water feature, and made the calls to get it taken care of in the morning.

While I could have been out the door moments after those few tasks were finished in the office, the leak took up a little more time than I was expecting and I found myself shutting off the lights and locking the door with enough time to get home by 10:15pm. While usually not for situations like the one last night, this is why my wife and I don’t expect me home early on Tuesday evenings. So far, that is the only plan that seems to be working on lodge nights as everything else remains fluid.

Cecile’s Story

I was recently given a copy of a few pages my great aunt wrote about her life. I have talked with her many times over the past few years about genealogy, her life, and all the memories that she is happy to share with family. Now in her early 90’s her memories are still there just a little harder to access. Unfortunately it has been some time since I last spoke with here. I should change that in the coming weeks especially since we can now share some more information with her about her roots for which she has always been passionate.

The dedication event in Elizabethtown over the weekend had me thinking about all of the veterans in my family and while there are many stories that have been told and many that have yet to be recorded on this blog, my mind immediately thought of my great aunt and the pride she has in her service in the Marine Corps during World War II. She has led quite the interesting life and while the following is by no means complete, I wanted to record her words as she wrote them. While I will write a more complete story about her early years and service at a later date (as those are the most vivid memories that she described to me in her advance age), here in her own words is her “Life History”:

Grew up in Virginia. My mother was a very disciplinarian on us. I loved to be with people old (although scared of them) and young. After school at age 18 (1941) I came to Pennsylvania – had a hard time becoming a Yankee but as long as I could go home to Virginia for visit I gave in and became to like it. My first job was Freas Glass Works in Conshohocken. Mr. Freas didn’t have a job for me but took me on because I had the determination to survive.

The Marines were recruiting for women – I joined being first Lady Marine. I was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for training then to school for placement. My last assignment was Arlington, Virginia on the cemetery grounds – it was a great place to be. I had the pleasure to do recruitment and cooking school taught by a Johnson & Wales Culinary School Where I had the rank of Sergeant. Where I met Truman and Bess and Margaret on several occasions. I did voluntary work at Bethesda Hospital and Walter Reed during off duty for hours. All five of us decided to take pilot lessons where I turned the stick too fast and turned the plane upside down when I landed. I never went back. It’s called a drop out.

The war was over. I came home, picked up where I left off. Alan came home from the Army. We got married in 1945. Bought our first home in West Conshohocken. Alan, after some persisting, became a buyer at Chatlins [?]. I had some jobs, Lil Tire [?] and Hale Pump, but a stay at home mom. We moved to Mechanicsburg for short time where we were involved in school and church. I joined a golf club which I always had to be in some sport and chose golf. Son Alan was always in sports and Janet had Ballet and calisthenics.

Now they are grown and we are free to travel which we did. Alan always took me back to Virginia – he enjoyed it as much as I. We did genealogy as a hobby. Now my children said they never knew anything about me. I belong to the Marine Corps which was in Conshohocken home and school PTA. Conshohocken Junior Women’s Club, [?], Valley Forge DAR, Women’s Marine Corps Military Monument at Arlington Cemetery, Car and Auto Club Norristown, and Church Deacons, Women’s Fellowship, ??? and other boards.

The most rewarding thing I can do and enjoy is helping people even if a visit to the nursing home. Or where I can do a little bit at my age. The Lord has blessed me I feel with an ongoing gift and I thank him for it. As I leave this world, I can only say thanks to all the wonderful people left behind. I love y’all.  

Return To The Night Life

Not those brothers!

Yesterday, with a long weekend ahead of me, I changed into my tux and got out the door as soon as possible. As you have read, I had been rushing for the past few days/weeks to prepare for this lodge meeting and even up until the time I got in the car, I was still a little nervous. Did I get everything done? Am I missing anything? Do I remember all the details of what I need to do during the meeting? All of those questions persisted throughout the 45 minute drive to Ardmore.

Thankfully, I arrived at the lodge a little earlier than expected and I was able to slowly walk across the street and get the mail before turning around and walking up to the lodge. Before I could to the front steps I was already in the middle of conversations with a prospective candidate as well as a few of the brothers who also wanted to get a jump on the meeting. That conversation is what brought me back my focus as well as relaxed me. Something so simple and I was ready to go.

It was at this point when I was able to pinpoint the few things that I needed to get done before the meeting began and soon I found myself down in the office taking care of those things. Of course, as is commonplace before meetings, there were several brothers who had a variety of requests and questions. I did my best to take care of a number of those things on the spot and some of the other items I wrote down on my note pad to knock out following our time in the hot box.

The meeting itself was a welcomed return to normalcy for me. The job seems to have already become second nature to me as I am able to both anticipate and present the information I need to relay to the brethren without a second thought. While I was, without question, a bit rusty the meeting went smoothly and we were able to make it bring the evening to a close much sooner than I had anticipated. Of course, the shorter meeting was balanced out by the other tasks that had to be taken care of afterward.

So we are back in the swing of things. We have come back to the lodge and reconnected with many brothers whom we had not seen in a couple of months. Now the work will pick up and the meetings will get a little bigger during the next couple of month. While it will occupy much of my time but it is well worth the effort once you see everything come together. After all, we are here for one another and for the community and playing even a small role in that dynamic is really something special and something which to be tremendously proud.