Red Wing Lodge #8 December Tradition

 

Our Masonic Christmas Pudding 

For the past sixteen years Red Wing Lodge #8 has held a traditional dinner including a Christmas Pudding at the December Stated Meeting with the focus being the Officer Installation for the ensuing year. It is a tradition that has grown over the years, but this year is a blossoming time for our Lodge. 

It was a wonderful sight to see so many older members, and the Brothers who have been raised in the past year or two taking an active role. There were many guests who had come from neighboring Lodges to share the evening with us. 

The evening kicked off with a wonderful dinner prepared by WB Jeff Seaberg. It was a pleasure to see every chair filled in the dining room. 

The Christmas Plum Pudding has been a labor of love for WB Gary Thomas. A Christmas Pudding is a very traditional dessert in England. In England the pudding is typically very small. But this year's pudding was a behemoth to all those that I have seen in the past.  Gary stated that his recipe involves three pounds of butter, three cups of sugar, and a pound or two of plums, raisins, currents and other chefs' secrets. The flames are produced by a half pint of brandy. 

It was an All-Star Installation Team this year, and a real treat for us. The Installing Officer was our very own Grand Master of Minnesota Masons Dayton Berg, Installing Chaplin Senior Grand Deacon, Chuck Burst, Installing Secretary Junior Grand Warden RW Shawn Carrick, Installing Marshal Area Deputy Clint Christianson.

It was a full slate of Officers to include Stewards! With each and every Brother looking forward to taking an active role. 

There were a dozen spectators sitting on the side lines, including the Grand Lodge Education Officer Bradley Phelps. It's great to see that we are getting back to normal after Covid. 

Dr. Jonathon Lombardo our new Worshipful Master

We are very fortunate to have Jon as a member and now our Worshipful Master. He already has to start preparing for the new petitions that are coming in, and Jon told me that he is looking forward to it. 

Yeomen of York-Minnesota Preceptory #16

 

On November 20, 2023, I had the privilege to attend my Yeomen of York meeting. We met at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. It’s a meeting I didn’t want to miss, for if you never have been to Mancini’s, it’s a family owned fourth generation old school steak house that is in the retro style of a Las Vegas lounge with the tunes of Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennet playing in the background.

If you’re not familiar with the Yeomen of York. It’s an invitation only appendant body of the York Rite. To recognize those who have demonstrated exceptional service to the Blue Lodge, and to the bodies of the York Rite. (Chapter, Council, Commandery), and to promote the Blue Lodge and York Rite Masonry.

Qualifications to be invited is that you must have presided in all four York Rite Bodies. To be an Officer you must have received your Knight of York Rite Cross of Honor.

I enjoy the style of Minnesota Preceptory # 16 meetings. There are monthly Zoom meetings with quarterly dinner meetings that you may bring your wife or date.

The recipe for these successful meetings is that we meet in a private room in a classy place, generous time to socialize with appetizers, with your favorite beverage, dinner choice of steak, chicken or fish, a short meeting, cake for dessert.

The Yeomen of York wear a black military style beret, with a crest attached that is two laurel branches with the symbols of the Blue Lodge, Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Commandery in the center. But don’t be disappointed, we have other masonic bling in the form of a handsome name tag, and a polo shirt with the logo embordered that you can wear every day.

In case you’re wondering according to Websters dictionary the word Preceptory means a community of Knights Templar. The word Yeoman has various uses over the periods of time, so I'll use the Oxford dictionary definition that I believe is a good fit. Yeoman is a middle rank of servant in English royal or noble household.

Now I may get some flak for saying this. The big reason I enjoy the Yeomen of York it is one masonic organization where I do not have to do ritual work, nor prepare thought provoking lodge education pieces, nor organize a fund raiser. It’s a Masonic evening of just enjoying an evening of Brotherly love.

 

The York Rite Of Freemasonry

Degrees and Bodies explained by Thomas W. Jackson, R.W.P.G.S. of The Grand Holy Royal Arch of Pennsylvania.

Written and produced by Peter F. Gross

This was produced in Pennsylvania, and is narrated by one of the very notable Masons Thomas W. Jackson.
I think it is an excellent over view of the Rites 

Lebanon Lodge #346 Presents Hiram Award to WB Reed Bornholdt

 

   Lebanon Lodge 13th Hiram Award Recipient Reed Bornholdt-Photo by Terrance M, Schaffer

On November 10, 2023, Lebanon Lodge #346 hosted its 13^th Hiram Award ceremony at Turtles Social Center in Shakopee, Minnesota. Worshipful Master William Loman announced that his 2023 honoree was Worshipful Brother Reed Bornholdt.

For those of you who are not familiar, the Grand Lodge of Minnesota Hiram Award is a well-earned, once in a lifetime recognition presented to a Brother in tribute of his outstanding service to Freemasonry. The Worshipful Master of the Lodge is entitled to recognize one Brother with this special distinction during the term of his office.

For those of us who know Reed, we couldn’t be happier for him, and are proud to call him our Brother.  Reed has demonstrated dedication and leadership and is an inspiration to Freemasonry in Minnesota.

The fifty-three attendees gathered at 6:00 for social mingling. A delicious dinner of prime rib and chicken was served at 7:00. Following dinner, the Master of Ceremonies, WB John Curlott, conducted the program.

Photo by Tom Hendrickson

Reed Bornholdt is a fourth generation Mason. He was raised in 1972 at Rising Star Lodge in Iowa. Last year Reed was presented with his 50-year award.

Reed has a Masonic resume that is very lengthy, so here is just a few of the highlights.

Reed served as Worshipful Master to Lebanon Lodge in 2019.

He is an active member of the Scottish and York Rite.

Reed is a member of the Funsters Unit of Zuhrah Shrine where he can be seen every weekend as a clown entertaining young and old at various parades across Minnesota.

He is the leader of the Dan Patch Masonic Club at the Minnesota Masonic Home where he provides monthly programs, and a newsletter to all the Masons who live there. 

Outside of Freemasonry Reed has been an active adult leader with the Boy scouts for the past sixty years, and active in his church.  

The center of Reeds life is his cherished family, who were in attendance to see Reed receive his award and Reed’s son, also a mason, present the award to his father.

Reed’s remarks were inspirational and touching.  It was great pleasure to be in attendance to see Reed received his award.

I would like to thank Lebanon Lodge for the invitation and for providing a marvelous event for Brothers and family to enjoy. It was a festive evening for all to come together in the spirit of Brotherly Love to celebrate the presentation of the Hiram Award to Reed Bornholdt, and honor his talents, achievement, and success in Freemasonry. It was an evening that was uplifting, inspirational, reflective, and very enjoyable.

 

Photo by Tom Hendrickson

 

 

Veterans Day 2023-Thank You for Your Service

 

Created by Gene Russell -Thank you U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Red Wing Lodge #8 Helps United Way Packing for the Weekend

Charity has always been one of the fundamental principles of Freemasonry, and at Red Wing Lodge #8 we are proud of our 167 years of helping those in need. Our members make an important contribution every year by giving both their time and money to make a real difference to the community of Red Wing and the surrounding area.

On Sunday October 22, 2023, members of Red Wing Lodge #8 volunteered their services to assist the United Way of Goodhue and Wabasha County with a fundraiser for “Packing for The Weekend” held at the Southeastern Minnesota Technical College.

Packing For the Weekend” began at the Sunnyside School in Red Wing in January 2011. Today the program covers seven schools in Goodhue, and Wabasha counties. The program provides a backpack containing meals of approx. four to five pounds of nutritious nonperishable meals for school age children who are experiencing food insecurity at home. It is a program to make sure that no kids go hungry. To date the program has provided 8477 backpacks of food. Currently 200 back packs a week are distributed. 

For this year’s fundraiser, the participants could donate $30.00 and enjoy gourmet soups and breads made from local restaurants and chose an artesian handmade bowl to take home with them.

The 109 handmade bowls were made by three local artists applying their own creative skills. The bowls were created at the Red Wing Arts Clay and Creative Center. Of note, the making of a bowl is a three-day process by the artists.  

The empty bowl that was purchased now sits in my cupboard.  Seeing reminds of my time overseas when I saw many people extend their hand holding an empty bowl which expressed their need and hunger. Hunger exists everywhere today, in every community and every city. Helping this charity was a very worthwhile thing for Red Wing Lodge, in my opinion.

The members of Red Wing Lodge along with friends or family assisted with the serving of the soup, bussed tables, and general clean up. It was a lot of fun, and laughs. Most importantly it was wonderful again to see Red Wing Lodge come together with other members of the community to help their neighbors. 

 

Brother Ben Manning and his wife Kat provided wonderful music for the event.

I would also like to thank Nicolle Mechelke the Executive Director of the United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha and Pierce County for the delightful and informative conversation which provided the facts for this article.

Red Wing Lodge helps to Fight Child Hunger

Minnesota Masonic Charities 18th Annual Gala

On Saturday, September 23, 2023, Minnesota Masonic Charities hosted its 18^th Annual Gala at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The MMC Gala is my favorite Masonic event every year. When I receive my invitation, I am always excited to attend.  It is a chance to see old friends as well as learn about the organizations that MMC supports. The word gala originates from old French word gale, meaning to rejoice as in a festive celebration.

For the past 17 years the MMC gala had followed a standard format, that I thought was a very pleasing, of a social gathering of attendees from across Minnesota, some that I had not seen in some time, a delicious dinner in the beautifully decorated Dan Patch Hall, updates on charities supported and concluding with an inspirational message from the CEO.

This year the invitation letter promised there would be some exciting changes for the gala this year.  I realize that the word change can cause anxiety for most of us older Freemasons, so I took a big breath and read on.

This year’s gala dinner focus was fundraising for our scholarship programs, specifically the new “Kindness Scholarship, The Selfless Scholar.”

For those of you who are not familiar with Minnesota Masonic Charities, one of the many programs it supports is a scholarship program. They are one of the largest providers of scholarships in the state of Minnesota. MMC has given fifteen million dollars has already been given to recipients with an average of $1,500,000 a year awarded.

Education is a very powerful tool for transforming a person’s life. With MMC’s support and contributions, the Freemasons make a direct impact for deserving students to enable them to pursue their dreams, and make a positive impact on their community, state, and the world.

The promised changes to the evenings program, were a silent auction, a live action and other activities to enhance the fundraising efforts while providing a more enjoyable and engaging time.  

Upon arrival, on a rainy Minnesota evening, the Heritage Center was filled with many of my old Masonic friends, plus I had the opportunity to make some new ones as well. In exploring the Heritage Center, I found a photo booth that had been set up just outside of the Museum-library. There was a wine pull plus in the hall the silent auction items were on display.  There were also descriptions of the live auction items to prepare everyone for the bidding.

Most Worshipful Grand Master Dayton Berg

Markus Muller-MMC-Duluth

It was fun to watch people dressed up enjoying themselves having their photos taken and my wife and I decided to join in and have our photo taken as well. Afterwards we were presented with a print of the photos that provided a memorable keepsake of the evening. You may see by the photos that not everyone was as serious in their photos.

There was ample opportunity to wander the halls and a chance to mingle with the many guests. Music was provided by Past Grand Master Don Severson and his trio.

Reed Endersbe-Director of Membership Engagement

Just outside of Dan Patch Hall, where the dinner is served, a table of glasses of champagne or sparkling juice were available to take with you for dinner. Dan Patch Hall was lavishly decorated which created a very warm and welcoming atmosphere for the sell out crowd of 210 guests. The dinner and desserts were the normal excellent fare. The dessert, three mini bundt cakes in 3 different flavors, were on the table when we were seated, and I must admit I started with a couple tastes, and can vouch, they were excellent.

There were two other notable firsts that occurred this year, the first being that for the first time ever, rain dampened the arrival of the guests. The second being that the program did not start on time, promptly at 7:00 pm but did start at 7:01 pm.   Any of you familiar with MMC know that it runs a very tight schedule, so yes, this is certainly notable.

After dinner, John Schwietz, described the new scholarship program, the Selfless Scholar.  Then COL. Kurt Johnson took the stage to begin the Fund a Need and then the live auction. By the end of the evening $102,000 was raised for the Scholarship Program, with an additional $32,000 raised for the Masonic Children’s Hospital.

President & CEO Eric J. Neetenbeek

My favorite part of the evening is always when the President and CEO Eric J. Neetenbeek makes the closing comments for the evening. He reminded us of the noble and worthwhile on-going efforts supported by Minnesota Masonic Charities which include:

Masonic Cancer Center-University of Minnesota; and

Masonic Children’s Hospital-University of Minnesota; and

Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain; and

Minnesota Masonic Home; and

Minnesota Masonic Scholarships; and

many other community services that directly impact the lives of Minnesotans.

For me, and I know many feel the same, that the Minnesota Masonic Charities Gala is a wonderful time to celebrate and rejoice in the great work that is done throughout the year to help others in our communities. It is also a time to renew our commitment as Freemasons to our tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth by continuing our support to Minnesota Masonic Charities.

We were promised a few changes at this year’s MMC Gala, and I certainly enjoyed them, and I believe the other attendees did as well.  

 

 

 

 

 

Message from the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Israel

Everything Old is New Again

1955 International Farmall -WB Paul Otte Proud Owner

 

Everything Old is New Again

Potluck and Hayride- Oriental Lodge #34 of Cannon Falls, MN

In my opinion, there is a lot to be said for the famous quote from the 1700’s writer Johathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels, that “everything old is new again”.

This quote demonstrates the reoccurring nature and cycle of life, the drawing wisdom from past experiences to navigate solutions to today’s problems or situations.

When I was a young Mason, many moons ago, but who is counting, I attended many potlucks and get togethers with my brothers, outside of regular Lodge nights. Most of those events were not even in the lodge, but in Brothers homes, backyards, garages, and city parks. I have many memories of these informal gatherings that provided an opportunity to get to know each other and create bonds between us.

It was during those informal activities that I really got to know my Lodge Brothers and forged solid lifelong relationships.

I can’t put my finger on the time frame when these types of get togethers started to diminish, but like many things in life, the frequency gradually reduced, until the gatherings no longer happened at the Metropolitan Lodges.

As I was progressing thru the Grand Lodge line during the 2000’s, and as Grand Master, I had the great pleasure of traveling around every corner of the state from the “big city” Lodges to smaller rural Lodges. I must say I fell in love with many of the rural lodges because they were deeply involved in their communities, a principle tennet of Freemasonry, I even joined Red Wing Lodge and am active.  

I was very excited when I received an invitation to attend Oriental Lodge #34 annual Potluck and Hayride on August 30, 2023. It’s a lodge that I have been to many times, but not recently, and it was a gracious offer I couldn’t refuse.

Oriental Lodge is located in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, approximately 45 miles from Minneapolis. The Lodge will be celebrating its 163rd Anniversary this October. The Lodge building has a very prominent location in the towns center. The Lodge members are very active in the town’s civic affairs. If you’re curious how the Brothers came up with the Lodge’s name 163 years ago, the word Oriental means “from the East”, how fitting for Masonic Lodge.

The lodges Secretary, Paul Otte, has hosted a lodge gathering at his country home to kick off the start of the Lodges Fall calendar for the past four years, factoring out the pandemic years.  This is a wonderful way for the members to gather and reacquaint themselves, with the Lodge being dark of the summer months.

The timing of the gathering is strategically important, it is exactly one week before the return to the normal Lodge calendar. This opportunity to gather in an informal setting, creates interest and generates excitement among the Brothers for the returning to Lodge and formal Lodge nights.

I have been told by the MN Grand Lodge, that attendance in our Lodges is down, with Brothers very slow to return to Lodge since the pandemic. I believe if more Lodges would host kick off events, like Oriental Lodge, it could greatly help generate interest in the return normal Lodge activities.

There was also ample time to socialize before and after the potluck dinner, but the highlight of the evening, for me, was a hayride for those who wished to ride. It was a picture-perfect evening for a hayride. Riding on the country roads thru the forests, and fields thru the scenic rolling countryside. The tractor pulling us along was a 1955 International Farmall, built solid last the test of time, much like Freemasonry.

Having grown up in Minnesota, a get together and a potluck just go together.  It’s a great way to bring people together in a relaxed atmosphere that allows time to talk, eat and get caught up on what everyone was doing over the Summer. It was also an opportunity for the six new Master Masons to get to know their Lodge brothers. The wives also got a chance to renew friendships and make new friends.

Also, a potluck get together has many Masonic qualities. It’s a shared activity with shared responsibilities. Everyone brings something to the table. It doesn’t matter if it’s something homemade or a last-minute purchase. It is a shared endeavor with something for everyone.

For those of us who practice our Freemasonry in the metropolitan areas, we can forget that just as many Masons practice Freemasonry in small towns and country Lodges. Attending Oriental Lodge’s potluck was also a wonderful reminder of my families farming background, and a way for us to quietly celebrate our Minnesota Farming heritage.

Lodge Education Officer, Roger Otte, presented an informative talk on the Plumb Line. The information was educational for the Brothers, and informative regarding an aspect of Freemasonry for the others attending “all without revealing the secrets” Roger said with a chuckle.

Oriental Lodge has had a very successful year bringing in six new members and in doing the degree work, with all six new members attending the potluck. Two of those new members drive 60 miles to attend Lodge. They pass five to ten Masonic Lodges to get to their new Lodge in Cannon Falls.  That is impressive and tells me that Oriental Lodge has done an excellent job of making their Lodge a special place that is welcoming, relevant, and a meaningful experience for them.

I had a chance to chat with, and get know, Worshipful Master Greg Ziemer. I congratulated him on the six new Brothers that he raised. He said thank you and gave me smile, and said I think we may have couple of more soon, which is really encouraging.

I think Oriental Lodge may have a blueprint that can help some other Lodges. I hope to explore this further in the coming months.

At the close of the evening, our hosts Paul and his wife Tracy, stood in the driveway as we said our goodbyes. In another fine Minnesota tradition, they stood with plates full of their garden’s bounty offering home grown tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini to any takers. I couldn’t pass that up!

The evening was fun, uplifting and memorable while being nostalgic and thoroughly enjoyable.  I thank Oriental Lodge for the invitation to attend and thank to everyone for the wonderful food and fellowship.

Some may call her a "Concrete Princess, but she is a beauty. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rochester Valley Scottish Rite BBQ

On Thursday August 24th I had the opportunity to drive 90 miles to Rochester Minnesota to enjoy an evening of fellowship and BBQ with my Brothers with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons of the Valley of Rochester. 

This is a small group who are energized to do the work of bringing more light to Free Masons in Southeran Minnesota. 

It was pleasure to spend time with them and feel their energy and enthusiasm. They were discussing the plans for their upcoming calendar of degrees for their class of candidates, plans for education for the new candidates, plus education of existing members for the year. They also discussed selection of restaurants to hold feasts, and of course a Road Trip to the Grand Daddy of all, the Scottish Rite Festivals in Guthrie Oklahoma.

You can see for yourself the full calendar below. 

Oh, and the BBQ dinner of ribs, slaw, potato salad, beans, corn bread was just outstanding. All were made by our very own Past SGIG and Potentate, Jerry Oliver. 

If you are a Master Mason who lives in Southern Minnesota, there is still time to get your petition in to be part of the 2023-2024 Class of Candidates. The Class will start in two weeks. 

Grand Lodge of Minnesota- Past Grand Master Luncheon 2023

 The Fourteenth Annual Past Grand Masters luncheon was held on August 11, 2023, at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington, Minnesota (Covid prevented us from meeting in 2020). 

It is an occasion for all the Past Grand Masters along with the current Grand Master and his Officers to celebrate our heritage and honor our traditions, embracing the present while looking to the future.  

We have gathered since 2009 in the mid to late Summer when things are more relaxed, and it’s easier to travel. It’s also a more convenient time for the Grand Master and his officers to attend before their calendars become filled with Lodge events. 

It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us to escape our daily activities for a time and to gather together in one place for just a couple of hours to share past memories and discuss the future with the newest officers. 

There were many who could not attend due to health issues, work and family commitments and we missed them, we were able to receive updates from those familiar with their circumstances.

There were no deaths to report among us this year, and that's something to celebrate! 

Boston Commandery #2 Strawberry Festival

 

I had the distinct honor and privilege to attend one of the finest Masonic events and one of the preeminent Knights Templar events that I have ever attended, thanks to my Masonic Brother and Eminent Commander Dan Daily, and the Boston Commandery #2.

The invitation materialized because I was planning a trip to Boston that was a combination of business and pleasure. I was excited for this trip as a chance to renew my relationship with my Masonic Brothers that I had developed when I visited Boston as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota in 2011.

The Boston Commandery#2 Strawberry Festival is one of their premier events of the year. It is a social gathering held each year just before they stop activities for the Summer.

The Boston Commandery has a 221-year history that is deep, rich and unsurpassed. I would be amiss if I didn’t briefly mention their history and to add perspective for all to appreciate it more.

When knowledge of the Order of the Temple came to Boston. America was part of the British Empire, and King George III was its King.

Traveling British Military Lodges played an important role in the spread of Freemasonry across the globe. When on October 1, 1768, several regiments of British soldiers arrived in Boston, among them were several regiments that had military lodges. The 14^th Regiment (Irish) in which Army Lodge #58 was held, and the 29^th Regiment (Irish) in which Army Lodge #322 was held. A month latter the 64^th Regiment (Irish) in which Army Lodge #106 was held was added. It was these Army Lodges which brought to Boston a knowledge of the Order of the Temple.

These troops held regular Masonic relations with the Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston which had received its charter from Scotland. Within a year, a Royal Arch Chapter under the charter of St. Andrews was formed. The recordings of this first meeting were preserved and today we can see that at the meeting ten Brothers were present, of which six were soldiers, and four were members of the Lodge of St. Andrew. The British Soldiers were chosen as the top three officers. This implies that the soldiers knew the work of the Royal Arch. The orders of the Knights Templar were performed under the Royal Arch Charter.

From August 28, 1769, until 1794 the orders of the Knights Templar were worked in the Royal Arch Lodge.

Then from 1794 the Orders were continuously worked without a chartered authority, but the knowledge of the ritual was never lost. 

On March 12, 1802, a group of Masons who were Sir Knights, established Boston Encampment of Knights of the Red Cross. On December 21, 1805, these same Masons formed the Encampment of Knights Templar, and on March 15 of that same year, the Encampment of Knights of the Red Cross dissolved, and later the name was changed to Boston Commandery #2 Knights Templar.

Thomas Jefferson was President when Boston Commandery #2 was formed. –

The venue for the festival was the Daversport Yacht Club, located just thirty minutes north of Boston.   If you have traveled to Boston, you are aware that traffic in and around Boston, can be challenging at all times of the day.

Daversport is tucked away on a nineteen-acre picturesque waterfront peninsula on the Porter River that leads directly to the Atlantic Ocean. The idyllic view is just a classic Massachusetts waterfront view.

The gathering location was a courtyard surrounded by groomed gardens with a large tent pavilion. The weather could not have been more perfect, which given the rainy days leading up to the event, was a bit of a surprise to me.

Inside the tent, the tables were set with white linens for the 98 attendees. Waiters were roaming with trays of appetizers, a bartender was serving refreshments, and just outside the door was a well-proportioned table full of cigars.

The stage was certainly set to facilitate for the magic that occurs when the Masonic Brothers gather and engage in conversation, but we simply call it Brotherly Love. When this group of Masons meet, their conversation is relaxed, open, caring, curious, nonjudgmental and filled with humility. 

It was so good to see familiar faces and re-connect with acquaintances, as was well as meet so many new Brothers. It was the most welcoming of meetings, and as a matter of fact, they were very concerned about my welfare being from the Midwest, so they wanted to help me fit in. My Brothers at the table, as we waited our turn at the buffet line, conducted “how to speak like a Bostonian lesson”.  Yes, I took notes…

I was politely informed that for those natives from Massachusetts or MA, as they refer to the state, only have 25 letters in their alphabet, which does not include the letter R.

We had a lot of fun as they helped me learn the correct Bostonian pronunciation of chowda, lobstah, wotta, or the phrase, I pahk the cah in Havahd yahd.

Now that’s Brotherly Love!  

As we were waiting for the main course to be served, I was asked if I liked lobster. I replied that it is a delicacy in Minnesota, and I enjoyed the sweet tender meat. As I finished speaking the waiter placed a platter containing the biggest lobster, I have ever seen in my life in front of me. I had never seen a lobster that big back at my hometown Red Lobster!!!

It had been a decade since I had eaten a whole lobster and as I looked at that huge lobster, I was trying to recall the process to get to that highly prized succulent meat. I observed that the brothers sitting around be appeared to be true afficionados, so I followed their lead.

First, when eating a lobster, one does not utilize a lot of culinary sophistication.  No way around it, I was going to get up close and personal with my meal. I was going to be eating with my fingers, and it was going to be messy. That big lobster bib they handed to me was a suit saver, and I highly recommended that you use it whenever eating lobster, for that bib is all that stands between you and a multitude of lobster juices.   It will be come your best friend, especially if you happen to be wearing a suite and silk tie as I was. What commenced was a lot of cracking, pulling, and twisting with bits of shell and juices flying in all directions.  I used a tremendous number or napkins and wet wipes, and I wished I had thought to bring a roll of paper towels. Eating a lobster isn’t just a meal, but an experience, and a workout as well.

As I was busy cleaning the flying lobster juices from my glasses and getting my fingers caught in the lobster cracker, I found the conversation between the Brothers both uplifting and pleasing for they were discussing what activities they were planning for their Lodges and the York Rite. It was so exciting to hear of the plans for an upcoming installation of a new Worshipful Master and officers of a Lodge and that they were expecting 120 people to attend. The York Rite degree teams had been holding rehearsals and had a few last degrees to perform before the summer season, and they were already throwing out ideas for Fall activities. For me, as a Craft Mason, it was warming to the heart to hear that the state of Freemasonry is alive and in such good caring hands.  

After dinner the R.E. Grand Commander, Sir Knight, Eugene Blake Nichols, of the Grand Commandery of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, held a short ceremony passing out some well-deserved recognition certificates. Afterwards I had the pleasure of chatting with him for a few minutes. What a nice guy.

But I must also include meeting WB Jim Orgettas, the Executive Personal Assistant to the Grand Master. He was so gracious when he refused my offer to pay for the dry cleaning of his suit, as he sat next to me at dinner, and I splashed him many times with lobster juice as I was trying to eat my lobster. For more information on WB Jim, see my blog post of July 21, 2023 “My Visit with the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts”.

After the comments were concluded by the distinguished Brothers, we all gravitated out into the courtyard, where we watched the sun set in the painted sky, with a cup of coffee, dessert, and a cigar. We did what Mason’s do best, had more meaningful conversion.

As the evening waned, we began saying our goodbyes. Every hand that I shook and pair of eyes I looked into, was a wonderful masonic moment, for it was very much a “happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again” moment.

I think the nicest complement I received was when I heard the words, “We hope you make Boston your second home’”.  Upon consideration, I think I will try to do that. 

I especially wish to give many heartfelt thanks to my Masonic Brother who is the Eminent Commander of Boston Commandery, Daniel J.T. Daley, who invited me to attend and transported me to, this wonderful Boston Commandery celebration.

I am going to let the cat out of the bag. It was Dan who was responsible for the organizing of this event. It was with his caring heart, keen eye to detail, style and panache that brought a Strawberry Festival to a whole new level that I had not experienced. As Grandmaster, all we ever had in Minnesota was strawberries.  Let me just say, lobster versus strawberries. There really was not a contest.