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 14th Regiment
(Irish) in which Army Lodge #58 was held, and the 29th Regiment
(Irish) in which Army Lodge #322 was held. A month latter the 64th
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!
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.
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.
