the master mason rookie award: six stories

GRAND LODGE OF MASONS IN MASSACH USETTS ● WINTER 2009

The Master Mason Rookie Award: Six Stories

Scholarship Awards In Memoriam: MW David W. Lovering

From the East of Grand Lodge

ROGER W. PAGEAU

My dear Brethren,

As we mourn the loss of our recently deceased friend and brother, Most Worshipful

David Whitcomb Lovering my thoughts are drawn to that great man and Mason. He

appointed me a district deputy grand master and grand representative from Wisconsin

near the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. He encouraged us to look to the future by his

efforts at long-range planning and with our scholarship program. He was truly a vision-

ary, and throughout all his efforts ran one common thread—excellence. C. S. Lewis

said that excellence can be attained by caring more than others think is wise, risking

more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and

expecting more than others think is possible. That is how our brother lived his life and

that is how many of us will remember him. May the Grand Architect of the Universe

hold our brother in his protective care until we may all meet again in the Celestial

Lodge above.

May all of us dedicate the remainder of our lives to excellence in everything that we

do. May we be inspired to improve in our relationships with our families, friends, and

acquaintances. May we seek excellence in our jobs. May we strive for excellence in

our fraternal activities whether it is attending our lodges, reciting our ritual, or helping

our brethren. Let us keep alive the spirit of Brother Lovering by our demonstration of

who can best work and best agree.

I look forward to greeting many of you in the days and months ahead. In the meantime,

may God bless our great nation, our great fraternity and each of you.

Cordially and fraternally,

Roger W. Pageau

Grand Master

Magazine of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts

9 Making Your Lodge Environmentally FriendlyBro. Mark Stought’s ideas for lodge renewal.

16 Grand Lodge Scholarship Awards for 2009–2010Seventy-six grants this year.

10 Sons of HarmonyMasonic reenactors at Sturbridge.

13 The Grand Master’s Address at the September QuarterlyNew Officers • Candidates for Grand Wardens

21 Masonic Team-BuildingRt. Wor. Hunt’s interview with an expert.

11 Aligning Masonic Education and TrainingEducation Committee begins program reviews.

15 In MemoriamMost Worshipful David W. Lovering

24 News from OverlookOverlook Heritage Society launched.

26 Remember Your BrotherRt. Wor. David Newcomb’s plan to reconnect with inactive brothers.

19 Ask the Grand LecturersGuidance on ritual matters.

20 Living FreemasonryMeet an active Massachusetts Mason: Rt. Wor. Stuart E. Glass

3 Lodge & District NewsHenry Knox Commemoration • Huelen Lodge, Chile • DeMolay Conclave

12 Chaplains ColumnBrotherly Love, Relief, and Truth

23 The Prodigal MasonWor. Richard Thompson meets an old friend.

4 Cover Story: The Master Mason Rookie AwardSix recipients share their thoughts.

Vol. 27, No. 4: Winter 2009

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Instituted on the gun deck of the USSConstitution on March 17, 1926, the150th anniversary of the British evacu-ation of Boston, Major General HenryKnox Lodge is the military lodge of theGrand Lodge of Massachusetts. Formore than three decades the lodge hastrekked to General Knox’s adoptedhome and place of burial in Thomas-ton, Maine as near his birth date of July25, 1750 as possible. This year would

In June, 2009 Bro. Victor P. Silvajoined the ranks of Entered Ap-prentices in Huelen Lodge in Santiago,Chile.

The lodge’s history is linked toAmerican citizens who came to workhere, most of whom formed familiesand never left the country. It is remark-able the number of lodges chartered bythe Grand Lodge of Massachusetts thatexisted around the

Bro. Victor Silva with the other EnteredApprentices of the Lodge: Bros. Marcelo E.Romero (left), and Juan F. Cabello (right).

Members from the Henry Knox Masonic group from Maine and Mass. with Most WorshipfulRobert Landry, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maine.

On August 29, 2009, the new home ofEsoteric-Sherwood Lodge at 475 Pine St.,Feeding Hills, Agawam, was dedicated byMW Grand Master Roger W. Pageau. TheMayor of Agawam, Susan R. Dawson,shook hands with MW Bro. Pageau, con-gratulated the lodge and welcomedEsoteric-Sherwood to the community.

— Bro. Bert Krasner

Henry Knox LodgeSalutes Its Namesake

Huelen Lodge in Chile NowHas Three Entered Apprentices

N E W SLodge & District

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 3G R A N D L O D G E O F M A S S AC H U S E T T S

Grand Master of Masons in MassachusettsMW Roger W. Pageau

TROWEL Staff

Executive EditorJohn S. Doherty

Design andProduction

David A. Libby

Lodge and DistrictNews EditorLee H. Fenn

Consulting EditorRobert W. Williams III

Art Director EmeritusCharles M. Freeman

Editorial StaffStephen C. Cohn

Richard Thompson

Photography StaffRoger W. Appell

Roy C. LarkinPhilip A. Nowlan

Office StaffGeorge S. FontanaHelena M. Fontana

TROWEL Magazine is an official publication of the Grand Lodge ofMassachusetts, A.F. & A.M. © 2009: all rights reserved. Publishedquarterly for members of Massachusetts lodges. Subscriptions forbrethren of other Jurisdictions and non-Masons are $6.00 for oneyear, $10.00 for two years, and $12.00 for three years in the U.S.only; other countries add $5.00 per year. Mailed at standard A specialrates, prepaid at Manchester NH. TROWEL will accept unsolicitedarticles, with the right to edit and use when space permits. Articlesand pictures, unless specified, become the property of the magazine.Authors are requested to sign articles and include name, address,phone number, email if any, and if a member, the name of his Masoniclodge. Products and services mentioned herein do not carry theendorsement of TROWEL or that of the Grand Lodge of Masons inMassachusetts unless otherwise stated. Printed in U.S.A.

Address Changes for Massachusetts lodge members,and notifications of deaths should be sent to the lodgesecretaries, and not to TROWEL Magazine. Paid sub-scribers should notify: TROWEL Magazine, MasonicBuilding, 186 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111

TROWEL telephone: 617-426-6040email: [email protected]

Lodge News: [email protected]

Do not send address changes to the editors. Pleasedirect your message to the Grand Secretary’s Office.

Grand Lodge email: [email protected] Lodge Web Page: www.MassFreemasonry.org

Editorial Board:Roger W. Pageau, Stephen H. Burrall, Jr., Richard H. Curtis,

Jeffrey L. Gardiner, Donald G. Hicks Jr., David A. Libby,Thomas E. Pulkkinen, David C. Turner

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2010 Masonic Year Underway

Letters (and Emails!) to the EditorElectronic Communications

Hello Bro. Fenn,I have been mailing our monthly communication to GrandLodge. I will continue to do that, of course, however, I want-ed to know if you would like the electronic version emailedto you. From what I understand, the newsletters gets bun-dled and sent to you, sometimes too late to do anything withthem.

So, in addition to the mail, may I add you to our email listfor the PDF?

—John J. Maihos, Master & Lodge AmbassadorLiberty Lodge A.F. & A.M., Beverly

Editor’s Comment: YES! Please add us to your electronicdistributions and send to

[email protected]

A Grandfather’s LegacyBro. Doherty,If the email below does not warrant inclusion in the next edi-tion of Trowel I don't know what does.

Fraternally, Joe DeNicola, Master, Old Colony Lodge

Dear Mr. DeNicola, Years after my grandfather passed mygrandmother gave me a Freemason medal. At the time Ireceived the medal it was tarnished worn and dull. The ribbonwas torn on one corner and faded. Shortly after taking themedal into my possession I was contacted by a Freemason fromthe Old Colony Lodge. The man was seeking a medal to presentto another member. The lodge offered to allow me to sit in on ameeting and return the medal to the Freemasons. The medalturned out to be a surprise for the man receiving it. The man hadtears in his eyes as the medal was pinned to his shirt. He was

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O RWe encourage readers to contribute to TROWEL by sendingemails or letters. Letters will be subject to editing for length.Email to [email protected]

Or mail to: Trowel Editor,Grand Lodge of Masons186 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111

I feel as if I shifted from neutral directlyto fifth gear! This new Masonic year isoff to a roaring start. Many of you, I’msure, feel likewise.

Sadly we must begin this issue withthe news of the passing of our PastGrand Master, David W. Lovering. SeeGrand Master Pageau's letter and the In Memoriam storyon page 15 for some thoughts about MW Bro. Lovering.

The Grand Lodge Scholarship Program initiated by MWBro. Lovering has made awards again this year, and wereport these awards here as a tribute to your generosity andthe achievements of our young students. Nearly $4.5 mil-lion has been awarded in the fifteen years of this importantprogram.

This issue’s feature story recognizes a very successfulMembership Committee program: The Master MasonRookie Award. Six of our rookies talk about their experi-ences with the award program, and Bro. Lee Fenn hassome thoughts for lodges on expanding on the success ofthis initiative. Fraternally, John Doherty

choked up after the meeting while shaking my hand and justkept telling me how much it meant to him to receive this medal.While I was only 16 at the time, when drivers licenses, girls,and football practice took center stage, an old ribbon and tar-nished medal were just that: metal and fabric. I knew by thereaction of the gentleman receiving the medal that it was indeedan honor.

I hoped attending a meeting of the Freemasons might giveme insight into the man my grandfather really was. I had heardstories and read articles of my grandfather’s accomplishmentsbut I was born after he passed and was never able to meet himin person. From what I remember of the meeting, besides theshiny shoes and bow ties, was a proud fraternity, a brotherhood.The pure joy and honor a simple medal and ribbon brought to aman that night is something that has always stuck with me.

That night I caught a glimpse into who my grandfather was bymeeting the kind of people he surrounded himself with. As Iapproach the age of 30 the night of the meeting is something Istill think about every time I pass a Masonic temple.

I'm writing to you for information on joining the Old ColonyFreemasons. Would you mind sending me any information youhave on the procedures of joining? I would sincerely appreciateit. Regards, Howard L. Tufts IV

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have been the general’s 259th birthday.The event began with a parade from

Orient Lodge through town to the vil-lage cemetery. This year’s GrandMarshal was Bro. W. Raymond Robin-son, a member of Orient Lodge #15 ofMaine and General Knox Lodge, whohad been instrumental in originallybringing both lodges together for thisannual commemoration. After parad-

ing, groups of onlookers and digni-taries joined the memorial tributewhich began with a benediction andoration on the life of General Knox.Various groups (Boy Scouts, MaineDAR and SAR, Ms. Ellen Dyer of theKnox Mansion Museum, Mr. DanAllen of the Thomaston HistoricalSociety, the Grand Lodge of Maine,Orient Lodge #15)

Esoteric-Sherwood LodgeDedicates New Home in Feeding Hills

(continued on page 28)


Along time friend of mine is a Mason, and he wouldshare his experiences and thoughts with me while

becoming a better man. As the godfather of his children, Ialways knew him to be a good person, co-worker, father,and husband, and yet he was seeking more. That encour-aged me to take stock of my own life and deeds. How

would I be remembered and by whom?I asked my friend, “How does onebecome a Mason?” I became a Masonby asking a Mason—2B1 Ask 1.

That is when my journey started. Iattended the next open house, becamea candidate, studied the cipher/rituals,and became active in the lodge. Withina few months of being raised, I wasasked to join the officers line. I am for-tunate that over the years our lodgemembership and officer line has beengrowing with new brothers. Thisgrowth is due to our active, seasonedmasters and officers, without whosesupport and guidance I would havefound my journey most difficult.

ture. He took the floor and asked theworshipful master of Old Colony that Ibe recognized for having done a fantas-tic job at the previous week's visit.Afterwards I did it for another class ofcandidates in our lodge as well as twicewhen asked by Wor. Ned Bean ofMacedonian Lodge.

Among the other requirements, justvolunteering to be an officer and serv-ing as a steward helped to accomplishmany of these goals. Being involved inworking with the newest brothers byhelping them out with their ritual andtaking advantage of the opportunity to

be an instructor at 8th District Lodge of Instruction wasalso quite rewarding and a lot of fun. The greatest and most

valuable part of these activities was learning howto get work accomplished in your

lodge and meeting brethrenfrom all over the state. I

recommend that anynew brother get in-volved in his lodge

and go for the award,for like Masonry itself,

you get out of it what you putin, tenfold. ■

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 54 G R A N D L O D G E O F M A S S AC H U S E T T S

Early in the 2008–2009 Masonic Year,

our Membership Committee intro-

duced a new program: the Master

Mason Rookie Award. The objective of

this program is to promote membership

engagement—getting our new members involved

in their respective blue lodges. In the words of its

chairman, Rt. Wor. George J. Bibilos, “The goal of

this award is to give new members a well rounded

exposure to the wide array of opportunities our fra-

ternity provides: performing charity work, holding

lodge functions, and networking with new friends,

just to name a few. Beginning with brethren raised

during the 2008–09 Masonic year, each new lodge

member should be given the opportunity to pursue

the Master Mason Rookie Award on the night he is

raised or shortly thereafter.

“The future of our fraternity and the ability to

continue to grow membership highly depend on

engaging new members in lodge activities. New,

actively involved members become the best

source of new candidates. The Rookie Award is a

way to achieve these membership goals. When a

“Masonic Rookie” completes the award require-

ments, the master and ambassador of his lodge

sign his record of achievement, which is then sub-

mitted to the Grand Master’s Office. When

approved, a Grand Lodge Rookie Award certificate

and a Master Mason Rookie Award lapel pin will be

presented to the recipient at the next visit of the

district deputy grand master to the new member’s

lodge.”

The new Master Mason has one

year to accomplish the award require-

ments, which are:

1. Attend each blue lodge degree atleast once.

2. Attend at least one visit of the lodge’s districtdeputy grand master to another lodge in the dis-trict OR attend a communication of another lodgein the district.

3. Attend at least seven stated lodge communica-tions over the course of the one year.

4. Work on at least one lodge social activity ORlodge charitable event.

5. Sponsor at least one candidate into the lodge.

6. Attend one Masonic funeral.

7. Serve on one investigation committee.

8. Assist at least once with the preparation of can-didates.

9. Assist officers setting up of the lodge room atleast once.

10. Attend at least three additional Lodge ofInstruction communications beyond what isrequired.

11. Attend one meeting of the building/templeassociation.

12. (Alternate requirement that can be done in lieuof not completing one of the first eleven.) Attend atleast one Quarterly Communication of GrandLodge or the Feast of Saint John.

As the 2008–2009 Masonic year came to a close,

26 Master Masons had been awarded the Rookie

Certificate. Here are a few of their stories in their

own words.

It is an honor to be one of the newbrethren to receive the Massachu-

setts Grand Lodge Rookie Award. I wasinformed of the opportunity soon afterI was raised last spring at St. Paul’s-Algonquin Lodge. At first it seemed tobe a daunting task, but like most ofMasonry which I’ve experienced in myshort time, brothers were there to helpme out.

Rt. Wor. Robert MacDougall andWor. Gerry Scampoli informed andencouraged me and my fellow “newbie” Brothers JesseKrawiec and Paul Paquin to go for the award. We kept incontact with each other about various opportu-nities in order to see that we couldaccomplish them. Also help-ing us were our chaplain,Bro. Robert Knowlton,and Bro. Alex Nicollwho organized theannual Randolph BellRingers Christmas Con-cert. We all worked hard tomake that event a success.

It was quite a pleasure to visit lodges in other dis-tricts. I would like to especially thank Wor. Kevin D.Morisi and Wor. James Bennette of Plymouth Lodge forhelping make my first visit out of the district so welcominglast June. I feel fortunate that I was able take part in somany Masonic moments in my first year.

The hardest, and most rewarding, part of fulfilling therequirements was volunteering to do the junior warden’sFirst Degree lecture in front of our District Deputy GrandMaster Rt. Wor. Lawrence E. Piper Jr.and his distinguished suite of 30 or sobrethren. Having theater and publicspeaking experience I had no problempreparing for it. But the moment Istood up, I realized that I was in frontof veterans who knew the lecture. I gota bit nervous. What helped most wastaking a breath and realizing that mostimportantly I was introducing fourbrand new brothers to the wonders ofFreemasonry. This inspired me to carryon and deliver it as best as I could. Aweek later at a fraternal visit to OldColony Lodge in Hingham I was hon-ored by Rt. Wor. H. Lee Potter Sr. whowas part of the suite that heard the lec-

THE MASTER MASONROOKIE AWARD

by Bro. Lee Fenn, Lodge & District News Editor

Bro. Kurt Gombar

Bro. Michael Scott Cavanagh

Bro. Kurt Gombar in the South atMacedonian Lodge.

RW William Rudolf Currier, Bro. MichaelScott Cavanagh, and RW Ernest ArnoldBean at the presentation ceremony for

the Master Mason Rookie Award.

Reflectionson the Master Mason

Rookie Award

Cover and page 8 photos by Wor. Roger W. Appell


As the senior steward of Caleb Butler Lodge, Iam active in the preparation of candidates. I believethis is a critical time for new Masons, since they havea lot of questions and may be apprehensive about theCraft. It is our responsibility as brethren to guide and teachthem to fear no danger on their journey. With today’s com-peting priorities, I think the biggest challenge of the Craftis making the commitment of that non-renewable re-source—time.

One of my proudest moments as a Mason was the firsttime I was installed as an officer. My eldest son James

Michael Cavanaghhad just returnedfrom his training withthe United StatesMarine Corps to at-tend the installation.James led the lodgewith a hearty andsteadfast rendition ofthe Pledge of Alleg-iance. He is sched-uled for deploymentin the autumn of

2009. May God watch over him and keep him steadfast.It was my privilege to participate in the installation of

officers with the Kilted Craft and hear the charge given byour own Rt. Wor. H. Arnold Wilder—33rd Degree, JosephWarren Medal recipient, 60 Year Past District DeputyCertificate holder and 75 years in Masonry—an icon. Rt.Wor. Bro. Wilder was installed in the Celestial Lodge justthree days shy of his 100th birthday.

As a rookie, I am one of a number of new brothers thathave become active in the Craft. Any brother can satisfy therequirements of the Rookie Award by being an active par-ticipant in his lodge. Be sure to record the dates of each ofthe completed requirements as soonas they are obtained. This will helpyou stay focused on the remainingrequirements. I chose to attend theFeast of Saint John in Boston as oneof my optional requirements.

I must say that when Rt. Wor.William Rudolf Currier called out myname during lodge, I was apprehen-sive. The marshal conducted me tothe East and to my relief I was award-ed the Rookie Award. Rt. Wor. Bro.Currier and Rt. Wor. Ernest ArnoldBean informed me that I was the 14threcipient of the award in Mass-achusetts, which coincidently wasalso the number of our district.

Caleb Butler Lodge provides the

opportunity to become actively involved by attend-ing the regular communications, focusing on Lodge

of Instruction, becoming certified as instructors, par-ticipating in charity events, being a CHIP volunteer, or

an officer or ambassador. Our lodge usually retains theAttendance Gavel of the Fourteenth Lodge of Instructionand is working to obtain the Grand Masters Award.

I’m proud to be a Mason and thankful to my brothers fortheir support in enabling me to earn this Rookie Award. ■

Bro. Craig Gallant

Bro. Todd Rovinelli

Bro. Francis Hart

Bro. Cavanagh at his installationas Senior Steward with eldest sonMarine James Michael Cavanagh.

The opportunity to try for the Master Mason RookieAward was presented to me shortly after being raised

in November 2008. I was told that this was a program fornewly raised Masons and a great way to learn more aboutthe different aspects of what a Freemason does. Thissounded like a great idea; I was anxious to learn.

I began by looking at the upcoming schedule for thingsin which I could participate. Having just missed the Feastof Saint John, I went to the Quarterly Communication ofGrand Lodge. It was a wonderful experience. I only wishedI could have stayed longer to see everything that was in theGrand Lodge.

The final obstacle I faced was attending a building asso-ciation meeting. The only meeting that I was eligible toattend was at the end of April, all the other meetings beingclosed to me. As luck would have it I had finished all therequirements before that meeting took place and was final-ly able to submit for the award.

I am grateful to all my great brothers who offered theirhelp and guidance on my way to this cherished award. ■

My journey to earning the Master Mason RookieAward actually began before I was even an Entered

Apprentice. After interviewing, but before even taking mydegrees, I was asked if I would like to help out with SimonW. Robinson Lodge’s annual seniors’ holiday dinner. Iarrived at 9 a.m. and, to my amazement, didn’t leave until6 p.m. I found it to be such an enjoyable event that I stayedaround to assist with the children’s holiday party that tookplace afterwards. I stayed to help with the party and evento clean up for a second time that day. By the end of thatevening, I knew that I was going to enjoy being a Mason. Imet so many great soon-to-be brothers and received suchwarm welcomes that it truly was a special day.

I was raised on March 10, 2008. Before the lodge wasabout to go dark for the summer, the senior officers offeredme the opportunity to join the line as inside sentinel, whichI was eager to do. I felt that attending lodge was going tobe more interesting by being actively involved and divinginto ritual. Candidate education and other tasks piqued myexcitement after being a member for only three months.When a new member of my lodge couldn't make it for hisEntered Apprentice Degree and needed to be taken to acourtesy degree, I took this opportunity to see how another

lodge did their degree work and togive support to our candidate.

Along with helping some brothersbegin their Masonic lives, I wasprivleged to assist with final tributesfor brothers by participating in twofuneral services in my first year, andremember meeting the widow of oneof our departed brothers. The happi-ness I could see in her face to see usthere to perform a Masonic funeralfor her late husband was an excep-tionally touching moment.

Going to the Grand Lodge for myfirst time for the Feast of Saint Johnwas my most exciting accomplish-ment for the Master Mason RookieAward because I had never before

been in the Grand Lodge. The tradition and cere-mony of the event made Freemasonry truly specialto me.

My favorite accomplishment was organizing the 14thDistrict’s family hockey night. I spent months promotingthis event. The turnout of 46 brothers, family, and friendsto this, my first Masonic activity, was truly inspiring.

I am proud and honored to be among the first to receivethe Rookie Award, and encourage all lodges to challengetheir newly raised Master Masons with this program. Itprovides an invaluable opportunity to give them strongexposure to Freemasonry and gets them involved in thelodge from the start. ■

Bro. Todd Rovinelli of Simon W. RobinsonLodge gets the first Master Mason RookieAward from Rt. Wor. William R. Currier. Bro. Francis Hart receiving his Master Mason Rookie

Award from Wor. Robert A. Belcher of Hayden Lodge,

Most Wor. Roger W. Pageau presenting the Master MasonRookie Award to Bro. Craig Gallant.

For me, Masonry has been something I have been inter-ested in for some time. It wasn’t until I had mentioned

something in passing about Masonry to my father-in-lawwhen out came the Masonic ring, cufflinks, membershipcard, and a copy of Trowel that had an application inside.We then spent many hours talking about everythingMasonic.

I submitted my application and was accepted intoHayden Lodge. Going through my degrees was fantastic. Itried to listen and absorb everything, but we all know thatdoesn’t happen. That’s why I found the Lodge of In-struction very helpful. They gave me a very good under-standing about each of the degrees.

The master of my lodge, Wor. Robert A. Belcher, men-tioned that the Grand Master had started a Master MasonRookie Award. Pursuing the award seemed the next logicalstep for me; I had gone through my three degrees, and wasvery excited about being part of the best fraternity in theworld. As the newly appointed junior deacon, I was on myway. Confident, as junior deacon I prepared a Fellow Craftcandidate. The stewards and tyler commented about mygood job and me being “The Man.” When the senior dea-con answered the door, he asked an extra question: “Whereis the candidate’s apron?”

I attended a Masonic memorial service for a long-timemember of the lodge. I was sitting there doing my partwhen all of the sudden the emotions hit me. Not because Iknew him personally, because I didn’t. It was because hetook the same oath I took, he signed the same bylaws Isigned, in the very same lodge: he was my brother. Thatexperience is something that will stay with me forever.

I think the Master Mason Rookie Award is a fantasticprogram and would definitely recommend the program toall newly raised Master Masons. ■

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 9

Making Your Lodge Environmentally Friendly:

DON’T REDUCE,DON’T REUSE,

ANDDON’T RECYCLE!

by Bro. Mark Stought

Now, judging from the title, you might think I’m writ-ing a humor piece or that I’m out of my mind. There

are probably some folks who might concur with the latterassessment, but I assure you that this is a wholly seriousarticle. The title might not seem to make sense, but it willonce we have the proper perspective.

The “Three Rs”Today, the general populace is very concerned about theenvironment, and the “three Rs”: reduce, reuse, recycle.These refer to reducing waste, reusing materials, and recy-cling to be environmentally friendly. My contention is thatmany of our lodges have gotten well ahead of this environ-mentally friendly trend and have been doing this for quitesome time, with the opposite effect!

We have been reducing our active numbers, reusing oldideas, and recycling the same officers year after year. Ifyour lodge’s membership gains do not end up becomingactive and participatory members of the lodge, they onlybenefit the lodge monetarily. A lodge with a lot of moneyand no officers will be forced to merge at some point whenit can no longer conduct business.

We reuse the same ideas. What I refer to here is doingthe same thing over and over and over again without reallyconsidering the viability of the idea. Keep in mind thateven a successful idea can wear itself out; going to threeTable Lodges in two weeks may be great fun, but one canget tired of prime rib. What this reuse leads to is stagnationin the lodge because there are no new ideas. A pertinentquote comes to mind here: “If you always do what you’ve

always done, you’re always going to end up with the sameresult with diminishing returns.”

We recycle the same officers year after year. When youhave the same Master year after year, or a Warden thatmoves back and forth between the Senior and Junior spots,there has to be a problem somewhere in the line. It is not atall easy to be a Master of a lodge and it is very hard toimprove on a first year with what is done in a second (or athird, fourth, etc.). Again, one falls into the trap of repeti-tion and diminishing returns.

Customizing SolutionsSolving the problem is the hard part. It would be fantasticif there was one catch-all solution that worked for every-one, right? Well, there is no such thing. Every lodge is dif-ferent for different reasons. The guidelines of whateverplan your lodge puts into action need to take into accountthe personality and location of your lodge, but it may alsoneed to take into account that personality can change overtime. To take an example from my 15th District North, mygrandfather was a member of Alpha Lodge in Framinghamthough he knew a lot of the members of Perfection Lodge,which is also in Framingham . I would posit that he joinedAlpha because there were a lot of tradesmen who weremembers, and he was an electrician by trade. Well, thesedays, Middlesex Lodge (the third lodge in Framingham)seems to have more tradesmen than the other two lodges.What I am getting at here is that in order to figure out whatyou need to do to solve a problem requires that you knowwhat the lodge is like.

Other people might say that it really comes down tomembership: “If we get new members, we will be fine.”However, when looking at the numbers, there’s really apretty high percentage of new members who join and thennever come back to lodge. If the new member cannot beturned into an active member, there’s no chance for newideas or for new officers.

This is not a hierarchical problem where solving oneitem at the top or bottom of the chain solves the rest; every-thing is intertwined. Why didn’t that new guy get active?Maybe the key here is not to wait for X number of monthsfor the candidate to finish his degrees before getting him

Bro. Mark Stought is Junior Warden,Historian and Ambassador atPerfection Lodge in Framingham andserves as an instructor for variousLodges of Instruction. He is active asan officer in various York Rite Bodies,and works on the production crew forthe Scottish Rite Valley of Boston. Healso serves as Editor-in-Chief of theMassachusetts Consistory Bulletin

for the Valley of Boston and is a staff writer for the AleppoShriners News.


8 G R A N D L O D G E O F M A S S AC H U S E T T S

Bro. Brian Besse Lodge Quarterly instead. Before the meeting dayhowever, I came across an obituary of a brother. The

funeral parlor informed me that there was going to be aMasonic service. I parked a mile away and watched at adistance, due to the huge number of people in attendance.I felt out of place: the crowd had a stronger connection withthis departed brother than I had. (I have since presided overa funeral for a departed brother from my lodge and I found

that experience very gratifying.) But I had still made a commit-

ment to attend Grand Lodge. Andthis turned out to be the highlight inearning this award; I urge anyMason who has never been, tomake your way to Grand Lodge.The building is spectacular; it isfull of wonderful Masonic and his-torical artifacts, as well as elabo-rately decorated lodge rooms.

On my way home, it reallydawned on me the great fellowshipI now have with so many great menwho, if not for Masonry, mighthave otherwise remained at a per-petual distance. The Master MasonRookie Award is a lot of work, butit is a fast way to discover the bestsecrets of Freeasonry. ■

It all started the night of my Entered Apprentice Degree.The senior deacon for my lodge, Rt. Wor. Wayne

Anderson, mentioned a new award to get new brothersinvolved with their respective lodges and give them well-rounded exposure to the things our fraternity does. Hehanded me a list and gave me hisbest wishes!

Many items on the list were verysimple such as setting up the lodgeregalia or a charitable event. Thelist also had a few difficult tasks:planning to attend three lodges ofinstruction and attending a Masonicfuneral. Grand Lodge also alloweda Mason to attend a Grand LodgeQuarterly Communication in lieu ofany of the other items on the check-list, which helped.

The item that gave me the mosttrouble was the Masonic funeral. Iwas done, everything checked off,except the funeral. It felt almostmorbid the way that I had to waituntil a brother departed to finish mylist. I decided to attend the Grand

Each of these men, began their journey in

Freemasonry when they knocked three times and

requested admittance. They stepped into the fra-

ternity as we all did, but with a difference. They

pursued a program of active involvement with

Freemasonry; they put in more and are getting

out more because they worked at the Master

Mason Rookie Award.

They can serve as guides for new Masons: be

involved, step into your Masonic shoes, and join

us on our joyous walk. You can have fun on your

lodge night, laugh at a clown at the next charity

event, take some responsibility, and enjoy the

appreciation of your brethren. You could be a

Master Mason Rookie Award winner and learn

about the meaning of those knocks, that ring, and

your fraternity.

But these Rookies also shine the light of

Freemasonry to all our brethren. When was the

last time each of us dressed well for our brothers

and attended our lodge? Do you remember the

argument, or the bad meal, or the television pro-

gram, which first pulled you away from your

brethren? Isn't it time to have a “Year as a

Rookie” to reinvigorate your involvement? Look

around the lodge: the happiest Mason is often the

involved Mason.

These brothers have done what we could do.

We thank them for sharing their Masonic experi-

ences.

S U M M I N G U P T H E E X P E R I E N C E

Bro. Brian Besse from Guiding Lights Lodgedisplays his Master Mason Rookie certificate.


This summer the Masonic society, Sons ofHarmony, produced a well-received

entertainment for the public at Old SturbridgeVillage (OSV), in Sturbridge. OSV is a cele-brated destination that draws tourists toMassachusetts all year round.

Every year in early August, OSV invites18th century reenactors to encamp for aweekend called Rebels to Redcoats. Thesetwo groups form encampments—open for thepublic to view—reflecting what the armieswould look like during the RevolutionaryWar, and stage battles between the groups inthe fields of nearby Freeman’s Farm. Visitorscan also watch many contemporary activitiesfrom military drill to demonstration of thesurgeon’s tools, as well as more mundane camp activitieslike laundry and cooking. There’s also a contingent ofFrench military and a group of civilians who demonstratethe more genteel aspects of life in the18th century. Theencampment draws reenactors from all over New Englandand New York. The visitors are much more widely trav-eled—in the parking lot you can see license plates fromalmost every state in the union!

Sons of Harmony is an association of 18th century reen-actors whose members are Freemasons. No ritual is per-formed, so brothers from all states may meet on the level atthe many reenactments that occur across the North East,drawing brethren of like interests together. The name, Sonsof Harmony, refers toMasonic harmony rather thansong, and is drawn from the18th century London clubsong “Anacreon in Heaven,”which mentions “a few sonsof harmony” in its first lines.The song is rarely heardtoday. The music, however, isextremely familiar to all, forit was taken from “Anacreon”and was married to words ina poem by Bro. Francis ScottKey and became the Amer-ican National Anthem.

Although the Sons of Har-mony is not named for musi-cal harmony, it is oftenknown for its repertoire of18th century music, both

vocal and instrumental. When its members meet, they usu-ally join voices in song. Their production, An Evening atthe Bunch of Grapes, has been held in MassachusettsMasonic lodges to some acclaim. It was most recently pro-duced for Rt. Wor. Ray King, one of its members. This pro-duction is centered on a banquet and includes music andtalks on Masonry, specifically the founding of Masonry inBoston by Bro. Henry Price at the Bunch of Grapes tavernin Boston in 1733. The educational entertainment is suit-able for Masons and for the public, and indeed introducesmany people to Freemasonry’s rich and fascinating history.

On the Saturday evening of the encampment at OSV,visitors and reenactors were drawn to the Masonic parade

that processed around the common led bytwo bagpipers of the club, Bro. Jeremy Belland Wor. Don Parsons. The processionended at the meetinghouse, where about100 people were entertained by the Sons ofHarmony. Masonic processions are record-ed in Boston and London in the 18th centu-ry, and this procession followed that style.

The Sons of Harmony, clad in authenticclothing and aprons, enjoyed presenting theCraft as it was in the 18th Century, and thesociety has accepted the invitation of OldSturbridge Village to repeat the event atRebels to Redcoats in August of 2010. ■

Masonic 18th Century Group Performs

at Old Sturbridge Village by Rt. Wor. Graeme Marsden

18th Century Masonic parade aroundthe common at Old Sturbridge Villageled by Sons of Harmony pipers Wor.Don Parsons and Bro Jeremy Bell.

Brethren doff their hats politely to Wor.Brad Chetwynd, Master of the Sons ofHarmony, escorted into the meetinghouseby the Marshal, RW Graeme Marsden.

Rt. Wor. Graeme Marsden is secretary of theSons of Harmony, Grand Representative toSouthern Australia & Northern Territory, andDistrict Ambassador to the 8th Masonic dis-trict.

Photos by Bro. Phil LaBranche

Over the years our Grand Lodge hasdone a good job of providing a

variety of different training opportuni-ties for our members. Yet in this era,when we are bringing many new mem-bers into our fraternity and seeing manyof them becoming officers in theirlodges and leaders in our fraternity,

aligning our approach to education is critical. When welook at the changing educational needs of a fraternity likeours, it is important to conduct a fit/gap analysis to reviewthe requirements of our fraternity and ascertain what isworking and where we might have gaps.

1. Educating candidates on the lessons of the degrees.This is a primary focus of the Lodges of Instruction (LOIs).In recent years, as LOIs have sought to reestablish them-selves, the delivery of the Masonic degree classes to thecandidates has not been equally applied at the quality levelneeded by our candidates. Under the reforms being imple-mented by new LOI Chairman Rt. Wor. James K. Ray, wewill be putting a stronger emphasis in this area.

2. Educating new members on lodge protocols andprocedures. This is an area where the LOIs need to beplaying a larger role by supplementing what new membersshould be getting at their blue lodges from their sponsorsor lodge ambassadors. With the volume of new candidates,it is critical that the LOI become the safety net to insurethis happens.

3. Educating lodge leaders to engage their member-ship. This is an area where we need to improve in our fra-ternity. A recent Masonic Leadership Institute project,Beyond the Third Degree, was a tremendous speakers’workshop; it provided a lot of good ideas for the 80+ atten-dees to take back to their lodges to engage their member-ship and get them active in their lodges. The Education andTraining Committee is now evaluating how to institutional-ize this training priority. It may well become a new stand-alone workshop.

4. Offering educational opportunities to expand one’sknowledge about Freemasonry. For a fraternity that is as

rich with history and tradition as ours, we seem to be com-ing up short in this area. The LOIs are providing someleadership in this area, but we need to be doing more. Weare fortunate that Trowel provides members with qualityarticles about various Masonic historical subjects and thatwe also have the National Heritage Museum in Lexington.

Blue lodges should also try to build an educational com-ponent into their meetings, particularly if they are notworking candidates. Additionally, the MassachusettsFreemasonry 2.0 initiative being launched by theMembership Committee will likely provide exciting on-line venues for members to enrich their knowledge of ourfraternity.

5. Offering officer training to try and build some con-sistency in the practices of our blue lodge officer ranks.This is a very important area where we as a fraternity havebeen falling short. While some LOIs have been conductingofficers’ training, many have not. Again, while we recog-nize that there have been many challenges in reestablishingthe LOIs, that can no longer be the reason for holding usback from delivering quality officers’ training. With thechanges that are being implemented for the LOIs this year,officers’ training will be getting the renewed attention itdeserves.

6. Offering officers an opportunity to learn to bestmanage their lodges. The Master’s Path does an outstand-ing job of preparing our senior line officers to assume theEast of their lodges. The program does a very good job ofself evaluation through participant feedback forms, andadjusts the program accordingly. From this program, wehave seen the outgrowth of breakout sessions for secre-taries and treasurers to help meet the important businessneeds of these two important roles.

7. Offering members an opportunity to develop theirleadership skills. For 12 years, the Masonic LeadershipInstitute has done a fine job in this area. Grand Lodge hasrecruited a lot of talent that was discovered and developedat the MLI. It is important that we look to sharpen the lead-ership focus of the program and keep the curriculum freshand state of the art.

Aligning Masonic Education and Training“All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity

to develop our talent.”—John F. Kennedy

by Rt. Wor. George J. Bibilos, Chairman, Grand Lodge Education & Training Committee


We certainly all recognize the above phrase nam-ing the tenets of our profession as Free and

Accepted Masons. To what extent, however, are theyreal? Our surrounding culture often views Masonrywith some suspicion. Various religious traditions mis-interpret our fraternity and see us as anti-God. Worksof fiction such as Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol ofteninaccurately portray Masonic history and prac-tices, and often these inaccuracies are per-ceived as true by non-Masons. As a result,many non-Masons stay focused on thesensational as opposed to that which iscentral to who we are.

Of course there are public things we doas Masons that emphasize brotherly love,relief, and truth. The Shriners hospitals cometo mind, as does our work with Red Cross blooddrives, or the CHIP program, or the Angel Funds of somany individual lodges. One would think these woulderase the negative and false images people have ofMasonry. And they certainly do for many people. Butoften I have found that it is the personal, one-on-oneexperiences of Masonry, rather than the public pro-grams, that dispel myth and open the door to reality.

A personal story of brotherly love, relief, and truth:Jerry Gaskell died last December at age 62. He was theson of Jim and the late Emily Gaskell. Jim, or “Babe”as he is known to many, is well known to Massachu-setts Masons, having served as Potentate of AleppoShrine a number of years ago. He was active in hislocal lodge serving a term as master and for manyyears served Grand Lodge as well. His son Jerry wasborn with Down Syndrome, and it is a testimony to Jim

and his wife’s love and care that Jerry lived as long ashe did.

Jerry was a delightful person with a ready smile, asense of humor, and a joie de vivre that we should allat least envy if not even try to emulate. Jerry could notbecome a Mason because of his Down Syndrome, buthe was very much a part of our fraternity. He wore a

green fez given to him by the Shrine andenjoyed accompanying his dad to many

events and places that Masonry and theShrine took Jim. Anyone who knew Jimknew Jerry. And when Jerry died, I sawmany familiar Masonic faces at the call-

ing hours, and at the funeral the same.And so it was with so many friends and

brothers in attendance, I adapted a portion ofthe Masonic memorial service to fit the funeral

service for Jerry. The response to Jerry and his familyover the years by so many Masonic brothers and fam-ilies, even up to and beyond his passing was brotherlylove, relief, and truth in action.

It is my hope and prayer that we would all strive tomake the tenets of our profession more than just ritualto which we are introduced as Entered Apprentices, butrather see them as a way of life that can make a differ-ence in this world. ■

Wor. and Rev. Richard E. Haley is an active member ofEssex Lodge in Salem where he has twice served asmaster and currently serves as organist. He has been aGrand Lodge Chaplain since 2001. He is the seniorpastor of First-Calvary Baptist Church in NorthAndover and resides in Lowell.

“Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth”by Wor. & Rev. Richard E. Haley, Grand Chaplain

8. Offering training for our district deputy grand mas-ters: the personal representatives of the Grand Masterin their respective districts. The District DeputiesResource Team does a great job educating the DDGMs andgetting them to work together as a team. As with all pro-grams, it is important that it is kept fresh and that the mod-ules are updated when needed.

Going forward, as we align our educational and trainingopportunities, it is important to remember that all membersof the fraternity have educational opportunities made avail-able to them in order to improve themselves. In addition, aspart of this alignment process, it is important that the edu-

cational programs we offer to our members are also alignedwith the requirements at the blue lodge level, at the districtlevel, and at the Grand Lodge level. Over the next severalmonths, the Education and Training Committee will begoing through this alignment process and begin to addressthe gaps in our learning opportunities.

The Education and Training Committee would welcomeyour input as this process gets underway. You can contactme at [email protected]. There will certainly be somebumps along the way, but in order for us to progress as afraternity with so many new young members, it is the roadwe must all travel—together. ■

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 13

year. Still, we had a greatafternoon and the brothers arealready talking about next year.”

The summer months were a very busy time for GrandMaster Pageau. He attended lodge meetings and lodges ofqualification, traveled to the Grand Lodge of Canada in theProvince of Ontario, the Northeast Conference of GrandMasters and Grand Secretaries, and hosted the ScottishRite Supreme Council. The Grand Master also spoke at thefinal of three sessions of the Master’s Path and at a trainingsession for our district deputy grand masters. He attendedthe dedication of a new lodge in Agawam, and conductedinterviews with candidates for our next group of districtdeputy grand masters.

The State of the Massachusetts Grand LodgeThe Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is regarded as one ofthe premier Grand Lodges in the World. We are not onlyrespected as being the third oldest Grand Lodge in theworld, but we are respected as a leader among GrandLodges. Our charity and membership programs have beenadopted by many Grand Lodges in this country and in otherplaces and we frequently receive requests for informationfrom other Grand Lodges. This does not happen by acci-dent. It is the result of many years of hard work by the lead-

ership and membership of thisGrand Lodge. Said Grand MasterPageau: “Any organization is like aboat on a river. To navigate, theboat must be able to move fasterthan the current. If it simply drifts,it is unable to determine its direc-tion and will ultimately find itselfoverturned or cast upon the rocks.We can not allow our Grand Lodgeto suffer that fate. We must contin-ue to seek our own destiny by ourwillingness to try new ideas andmove against the current of medi-ocrity. We don’t just follow theherd; we set the course. I knowthat sometimes this is painful. It is

The Grand Master’s Addressat the September 2009 Quarterly Communicationof the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

Our new Masonic year began on a beautiful late-sum-mer day in Boston. Ionic Hall was once again filled

with brothers returning from refreshment to labor.Attendees seems particularly happy to be back this quarterand obviously enjoyed meeting old friends and renewingMasonic ties after the long summer break.

Grand Lodge AppointmentsMost Worshipful Roger W. Pageau, Grand Master, an-nounced several new appointments at Grand Lodge. Threenew Grand Lodge Officers were announced; they areGrand Chaplains Wor. and Rev. Keith Alderman and Wor.and Rev. John Taylor, and Associate Grand Tyler, Rt .Wor.Richard B. Burgess. In addition, three new and importantcommittee positions were named. They are Rt. Wor.George Bibilos, who was appointed Director of Educationand Training. Bro. Bibilos had been leading theMembership Committee previously. Rt. Wor. James Raywas appointed Director of the Lodges of Instruction andRt. Wor. Mason Russell, Past Deputy Grand Master, wasappointed Director of the Membership.

Grand Master’s ActivitiesThe Grand Master reported attending his second “hilldegree” during the summer. “I was pleased to join thebrothers of Lafayette-GreylockLodge for the celebration and con-ferral of the second annual hilldegree. The Chaplain informed methat he had prayed to the GrandArchitect of the Universe for goodweather and needless to say, hisprayers were answered. I wasreceived and seated on a ‘soft’ baleof hay and everyone enjoyed awonderful afternoon. If you recall,this is my second hill degree. Thefirst included torrential horizontalrain, plentiful mud, and mosqui-toes the size of Piper Cubs. Thisyear was much more comfortable,but it seemed pretty tame after last

Grand Master Pageau congratulates two newGrand Lodge Representatives: (L) RW MasonW. Russell, Grand Representative for BurkinaFaso, West Africa; (R) RW Stewart R. Holbrook,Grand Representative for Mato Grosso (Brasil).

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 15



always more comfortable to keep the familiar, to stay withwhat has ‘worked’ in the past and to avoid ideas that arenew or different. It is always easier to sit back and let thecurrent carry us along. But, if we were unwilling to try newideas and programs, we would have abandoned the ideasthat placed us in the forefront of Grand Lodges.”

The Grand Master cited the Membership Program as anexample. “We have encouraged our members to ask men ofgood character to consider joining our organization. Wehave allowed one-day classes and we have used the mediato tell our story. Many Grand Lodges are still strugglingwith these concepts. We have had two successive years ofmembership growth and I expect a third year for that whichjust closed. No other Grand Lodge can boast that record. Inrecognition of our achievements, the Supreme Council ofthe Northern Jurisdiction awarded our Grand Lodge theirKilliam Henry Van Rennsaleer Award for MembershipDevelopment at their recent Annual Session.”

Looking AheadGrand Master Pageau concluded the Quarterly Communi-cation with some reflections on his plans for the final 15months of his term. “I am very happy as I move toward the

completion of my second year. As you will recall, this waspredicted to be the year when I could do nothing right andI am sure that some believe that prediction may have beenfulfilled. I would like to think that despite the predictions,we are still making great progress. Our temple, this GrandLodge building, continues to be beautified and adorned.Our restored Chamber of Reflection was the subject of arecent story in the New York Times and Grand Lodge wasincluded on a television show and a book about specialplaces in Boston. Our MAC Committee published aMasonic Walking Tour of Boston for visitors that receivedpraise from many tourists. The Grand Secretary and I willcontinue to brainstorm ways to continue to improve ourhome.

“In the area of membership, we will continue our suc-cessful media program and we will continue to expand ourmembership base. We have established a new lodge thatwill perform part of its work in Portuguese and we aretranslating our membership information into Portugueseand Spanish. Our new Masonic Rookie Program has beena great success. A number of new Masons have earned thiscertificate as they experience and learn the lessons ofMasonry. These programs are imaginative and demonstrateour desire to promote membership.

“Our Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer have beenvery busy. The Grand Secretary continues to implementand improve MORI, our membership information program.He and his ladies, along with a cadre of early users havebeen working on implementing and improving this pro-gram. My experience and all reports have convinced methat it is easy to learn and use and it will improve our mem-

Above: Candidates for Senior Grand Warden with the GrandMaster: (L) RW Stephen C. Cohn, Past DDGM, Waltham 5thDistrict; (R) RW Paul R. Perkins, Past DDGM, 4th District.

Below: The Grand Master presents candidates for the JuniorGrand Warden office: (L) RW Wayne M. Vinton, Past DDGM,15th District; (R) RW Philip A Drouin, Past DDGM, 8th District.

RW Ernie Pearlstein (L) and Wor. Edwin Parsons Jr. (R) pre-sent Grand Master Pageau with a Revere Bowl commemorat-ing his support for Team Freedom, the Service Committee’seffort to help members of our military forces.

“A society grows great when old menplant trees whose shade they know theyshall never sit in.” —greek proverb

Brother David Lovering left us onOctober 16, 2009. He was 88

years old. He was initiated intoFreemasonry exactly 64 years be-fore—to the day. When he was electedGrand Master of Masons in Mass-achusetts in 1993, he was 72 years ofage: not exactly young, but not old bytoday’s standards either. Let us simplysay that he was a senior citizen.

Who was this man? He was, forsure, a man with both feet plantedfirmly on the ground. His GrandMarshal, Rt. Wor. E. Joel Petersondescribes him as, “An old schoolMason; someone who demandedexcellence of himself and others.” Hewas known as an expert—perhaps theforemost expert—on Masonic proto-col and ritual in the jurisdiction. Hewas a detail-oriented man, a perfec-tionist.

I learned this about him firsthand.The very first letter I received asTrowel editor was from BrotherLovering. It began well enough,“Congratulations!”, but continued,“However I would point out a problem in protocol. On page8 you say “Rt. Wor (Last Name) . . . that is poor form andbad English.” There must be 500 Masonic titles in everyissue of Trowel! “How did he find this lone mistake?” Imoaned.

But, there was another dimension to this man. He was aman who planted trees for others to enjoy. He was a“visionary” as Grand Master Pageau commented. His closefriend, Rt. Wor. Bro. Peterson says, “I never met anyonewho thought more outside the box.” This trait was reflectedin the two achievements he was especially proud of—theGrand Lodge scholarship program, and official recognitionof the Prince Hall Grand Lodge—as well as in his efforts to

institute a long range plan forMassachusetts Masonry.

Our scholarship program beganmodestly during Bro. Lovering’s sec-ond year as Grand Master. Rt. Wor.James R. Franklin, the first scholar-ship program chairman, recalls theGrand Master’s attitude being thathelping young people, especiallythose that really needed financial help,get an education was the most impor-tant thing we could be doing for ourmembers. Brad Owen, one of the firstfive students to receive a grant, said,“Just being admitted to Notre Damewas a dream come true, but withoutthe aid of the Masonic scholarship,Notre Dame might not have become areality for me.” The program hasgrown from five grants the first year,to 76 grants in 2009 and has cumula-tively dispensed $4.5 million in schol-arships to young men and women juststarting out in life. Quite a nice littletree, Bro. Lovering!

Two hundred years after its found-ing , our Grand Lodge recognized thePrince Hall Grand Lodge of Mass-achusetts as a regular Masonic body.In 1995, Bro. Lovering embraced thisdevelopment. “He was delighted that

it finally happened during his watch”, said Bro. Peterson.Thirty-one states have followed us. Another much-neededtree, Bro. Lovering!

The committee structure that we take for granted todaydidn’t exist at all not so long ago. Beginning with the VisionStatement published in 1995, and then with the first longrange plan work, he propelled our fraternity forward.“Don’t talk about how we will get there,” said Grand MasterLovering, “talk about where we want to get to.” Yet anoth-er tree for others to enjoy, Bro. Lovering!

I have thought of this man each time I type a Masonictitle. In the future I will privately say,” Thank you for theshade, Bro. Lovering.” —Bro. John S. Doherty, Editor

In Memoriam

Most Worshipful David Whitcomb LoveringGrand Master 1993–1995

Most Wor. David Whitcomb Lovering

Born October 6, 1921

Initiated October 16, 1945

Passed November 5, 1946

Raised December 17, 1946

Departed October 16, 2009

1716

GRAND LODGE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR 2009–2010When the Grand Lodge Scholarship

Committee was first formed in 1995,$5,000 scholarships were awarded to five stu-dents. At the 15th Annual Scholarship AwardsDinner, held this past May, 76 students receivedscholarships of $5,000. These awards are for the2009–2010 academic year. Because of thetremendous generosity of Masons and non-Masons, the scholarship program continues toassist more and more students to meet the ever-increasing cost of higher education.

Including the awards granted this year, ourGrand Lodge has given almost $4.5 million infinancial aid to our youth. Financial assistance isprovided through three different vehicles includ-ing general Grand Lodge scholarships, namedGrand Lodge scholarships, and awards granted bythe Grimshaw-Gudewicz Foundation.

Congratulations to all of the students receivingawards this year. And special thanks to theScholarship Committee and its chairman, Rt. Wor.Robert H. Hartley for their continued efforts tohelp, aid, and assist these worthy students.

Grand Lodge scholarshipsTwenty-four $5,000 scholarships were awardedby Grand Lodge in 2009. In addition to 21 renew-als, there were three new recipients of theseGrand Lodge awards:

Bridget Butterworth is the daughter of Robertand Joyce Butterworth and the granddaughter of Bro.Everett Carr of Amity-Mosaic Lodge. She graduates thisyear from Bishop Brady High School in Concord, NewHampshire, where she is a member of the National HonorSociety. She has been on the soccer, cross country, softball,and basketball teams. She is active in the Interact Clubwhich involves community service. She will attendFairfield University in the fall.

Bethany Smith is the daughter of Stephen and JaneChadwick and the granddaughter of Bro. Alison Ellis of St.Alban’s Lodge. She is a graduate of Haverhill High Schooland is now attending UMass Lowell, where she is majoringin science. Her plans are to be become a veterinarian.

Benjamin Thomas is the son of Mark and DonnaThomas and the grandson of Bro. David Hadley of DewittClinton Lodge. Ben will graduate this year from UpperCape Cod Regional Technical School. He has participatedon the golf team and the basketball, baseball, and lacrosseteams. He has done volunteer work for the Canal Region

Chamber of Commerce, the American Cancer SocietyRelay for Life, and the Autism Walk in Boston. He willattend Florida Institute of Technology majoring in businessadministration.

Students who received renewed Grand Lodge scholar-ships include:

Faye Andrews—senior, St. Lawrence U.Benjamin Chasen—sophomore, Northeastern U.

Madison Currlin—sophomore, U. of FloridaPamela Darvirris—senior, Franklin Olin College of Eng.

Kathleen Dempsey—junior, U. of Mass, AmherstAmanda Dodge—junior, American U.

Daniel Duffty—senior, WPIDiane Fleck—senior, Dartmouth College

Evelyn Fowler—junior, Brown U.Alanah Grossman—senior, U. of Mass, Amherst

Kelsey McLaren—junior, U. of VermontKelsea McDonough—senior, Tufts U.

Nicholas Masters—senior, Washington & JeffersonAndrea Nilosek—junior, U. of Southern Maine

Emily Parasiliti—junior, Manhattanville CollegeCarrie Pettee—senior, U. of Vermont

Alissa Roland—sophomore, Cal. Poly., San Luis ObispoAudra Sosny—senior, WPI

Joshua Torchia—senior, Worcester State CollegeSarah Wyman—senior, Assumption College

Jonathan Zielinski—junior, U. of Mass, Amherst

Named Grand Lodge ScholarshipsColumbian Lodge permanently endowed a scholarship inhonor of Most Worshipful Donald W. Vose several yearsago. Since that time, several other scholarships have beenestablished to honor prominent Masonic organizations andMasons, including our Past Grand Masters. The mostrecent scholarship, the Most Worshipful Jeffrey BlackHodgdon Scholarship, was awarded for the first time in2008.

In 2009, there were 18 renewals and 11 new recipients ofnamed Grand Lodge scholarships:

Carey Drourr is the son of Howard and Nancy Drourrand the grandson of Bro. Michael Laura of Charles RiverLodge. Carey will enter his senior year at Florida StateUniversity where he has a 3.9 GPA. He is majoring in busi-ness finance. Upon graduation he plans to attend lawschool. He is a recipient of the Neponset Valley Royal ArchChapter scholarship.

Anna Marden is the daughter of Craig Marden andLynn Meixler and the granddaughter of Bro. Bruce Mardenof Old Colony Lodge. She is a graduate of AmherstRegional High School and is presently attendingNortheastern University where she is majoring in journal-ism. Anna is the recipient of the MW Albert T. AmesScholarship.

Jordan Tye is the son of Jeffrey and Gayle Tye andJordan is a member of William North Lodge. He is a grad-uate of the Gann Academy and is presently attendingUMass, Lowell where he will enter his junior year major-ing in mechanical engineering. Jordan is an Eagle Scoutand presently is the Assistant Scoutmaster. He has alsobeen inducted into the Order of the Arrow. He is the recip-ient of the MW Arthur E. Johnson Scholarship.

Thomas Hunter is the son of David and DorotheaHunter and the grandson of Bro. Frederick Hunter ofJoseph Warren-Soley Lodge. David graduates this yearfrom Maynard High School where he is a member of theNational Honor Society. He is fluent in English and

German, and has been studying French. He will attendWorcester Polytechnic Institute and will major in mechan-ical engineering. He is the recipient of the RW Graham A.Long Scholarship.

Nancy Maleno is the daughter of Bro. Michael andKatherine Maleno of Republican Lodge. Nancy graduatesthis year from Greenfield High School. She has beeninvolved in the music program playing the clarinet. She hasalso had great interest in biology and microbiology and haswon various awards in science and engineering fairs. Shewill be attending Bay Path College in the fall, and is therecipient of the Edward William & Elsa OberleScholarship.

Joseph Wesoloski is the son of Jerry and DianaWesoloski and the grandson of Bro. Joseph Napoli ofMystic Valley Lodge. He will graduate from ArlingtonCatholic High School where he has been on the football,basketball, and baseball teams and a member of theScience Club. He has done volunteer work for the FidelityHouse in Arlington and Arlington youth sports. He will beattending WPI in the fall majoring in engineering. He is therecipient of the RW James A. Manninen Scholarship.

Rebecca Ralston is the daughter of Bro. William andTabitha Ralston of St. Mark’s Lodge. She is a graduate ofTriton Regional High School and has just completed hersophomore year at Wheelock College where she is major-ing in social work. She mentors a pre-school aged at-riskchild through the Jump Start Program in Boston, and hasdone volunteer work at the Maris Center in Salisbury. Sheis the recipient of the MW Donald Warren and DrucilleVose Scholarship.

The RW Philip M. Turner / Masonic Home Scholarshipsare granted to students who are planning careers in thehealth care field. In addition to the six Turner scholarshipsawarded to renewal applicants, we award four new recipi-ents:

Danielle Cloutier is the daughter of Bro. Kenneth andElizabeth Cloutier of Quaboag Lodge. Danielle will gradu-ate from Tantasqua Regional High School where she hasbeen a member and captain of the cross country team. Sheis a member of the National Honor Society and has partic-ipated in many volunteer activities. She will attend UMass,Amherst in the fall, majoring in premed, with plans tobecome a doctor.

Sarah LeBlanc is the daughter of Richard and RobynLeBlanc and granddaughter of Bro. Robert Goodwin ofSomerville Lodge. She graduates this year from Ralph C.Mahar Regional School. She has been president of theStudent Council and president of the National Honor

Grand Master Pageau and Rt. Wor. Bro. Hartley with recipients of newGrand Lodge Scholarships for 2009.


Society. She has been a member of the Superintendent’sLeadership Team. She ranks second in her graduatingclass. She will attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacyand Health Sciences, majoring in pharmacy.

Carrie LeGeyt is the daughter of Steven and AndreaLeGeyt and the granddaughter of our late Bro. WarrenLeGeyt of Mount Horeb Lodge. She is a graduate ofBarnstable High School and has completed her sophomoreyear at Wheelock College where she is majoring in ChildLife. Her goal is to establish child life centers in hospitalson Cape Cod.

Louis Marchetti is the son of Louis Marchetti andDonna Cabana. Louis is a member of Mount Hope Lodgeand is already an active member. He is a graduate ofCranston High School East in Cranston, Rhode Island, andjust completed his sophomore year at the University ofRhode Island majoring in biology and chemistry. His goalis to attend medical school and specialize in oncology.

The following students received renewed awards ofnamed scholarships in 2009:

MW Fred K Bauer ScholarshipDanielle Guilbault— junior, U. of Hartford

Donald S & Dorothy P. Cunningham ScholarshipSamson Shea—junior, Culinary Institute of America

MW Edgar W Darling ScholarshipMatthew Chrobak—junior, Rensselaer Polytech Institute

RW Oscar A Guinn Jr. ScholarshipBrittany Dodson— senior, Salve Regina U.

MW Donald G Hicks, Jr. ScholarshipKevin Haley—junior, Hope College

MW Jeffrey B. Hodgdon ScholarshipJesse Warren—junior, Franklin Pierce U.

MW David W Lovering ScholarshipLuke Hughes—senior, Boston College

Masonic Home ScholarshipDaniel Donnelly—senior, NYU

E. Marilyn Oberle ScholarshipMichelle Favor—sophomore, Mass. College of Pharmacy

RW Robert C. Patey ScholarshipSteven Lannon—junior, Boston College

St John’s Lodge ScholarshipJason Bornstein—sophomore, U. of South Florida

Wor Allen Charles Weissinger ScholarshipRobert Vanassee—senior, U. of Mass, Amherst

RW Philip M. Turner/Masonic Home ScholarshipsBethany Butland—sophomore, Regis College

Megan Hastie—junior, Quinnipiac U.Robert Matthews—junior, Northeastern U.

Emily Parsons—junior, U. of New HampshireJacqueline Schubert—senior, Quinnipiac U.Katherine Shaw—senior, Salve Regina U.

Grimshaw-Gudewicz ScholarshipsThe third category of scholarships is awarded through ourGrand Lodge due to the generosity of the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation. This foundation wasestablished by Bro. George E. Grimshaw and his long-timecompanion Irene Gudewicz. He was a member of Star inthe East-Paskamansett Lodge in New Bedford.

Mr. Andrew Shabshelowitz, one of the trustees of thefoundation was on hand this year to assist in presenting theawards to recipients.

This charitable foundation has provided our scholarshipprogram with funds again this year in order to help ourMasonic youth in their educational pursuits. Scholarshipsgiven in the name of the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Foundationare for children or grandchildren of Massachusetts Masonswho graduate from New Bedford High School as first pri-ority, and secondly to students who live in Bristol County.This year we renew 20 scholarships and award three newscholarships through this foundation.

The newest recipients of Grimshaw-Gudewicz scholar-ships are:

Ariana Cole is the daughter of Bro. William and NancyCole of Cosmopolitan & Major General Henry KnoxLodge. She will graduate from Dartmouth High Schoolwhere she has been involved with photography, AmericanField Service, the debate club, the Key Club, and been vicepresident of the French club. She plans to attend PrattInstitute majoring in industrial design.

Leslyn Shaw is the daughter of Rev. Gary and MelanieShaw and the granddaughter of Bro. Don Shaw of HowardLodge. Leslyn is a graduate of Seekonk High School,where she had an outstanding Spanish teacher. She hasused her Spanish in a mission trip to Nicaragua. She will bea senior at Virginia Wesleyan College where she has beenactive in Habitat for Humanity and Invisible Children. Sheis majoring in elementary education.

Ian Stone is the son of Glenn and Paula Stone and thegrandson of Bro. Herbert Stone of Quittacus Lodge. Iangraduates this year from New Bedford High School wherehe has been active in the music program and OperationBackpack which acquired school supplies for needy chil-dren. He plans to attend U. Mass, Dartmouth in the fall,majoring in nursing.

Those receiving continuing scholarships from the foun-dation are:

Alyzza Callahan—senior, Guilford CollegeBarbara-Ann Cheetham—sophomore, UMass, AmherstAlexis Cochran—sophomore, Bridgewater State College

Robert Fahey—sophomore, U. of HartfordBryan Haworth—sophomore, U. of PennsylvaniaJennifer Hebner—senior, Fitchburg State College

Andrew Hoy—senior, MITJayson Joyce—sophomore, Boston College

Matthew Kelly—senior, Boston U.Andrea Mark—junior, Northeastern U.

Christopher Nichols—junior, U. of ConnecticutMark Prew—senior, Bryant University

Lindsey Seaman—junior, U. of ConnecticutStafford Sheehan—junior, Boston College

Benjamin Sisskind—sophomore, Lyndon State College

Tessa Taylor—senior, Northeastern U.Jeremy Therrien—senior, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.

Kelsie Turner—sophomore, Endicott CollegeAndrew Walker—sophomore, U. of Rhode Island

Kevin Walters—sophomore,Wentworth Institute of Technology ■

Rt. Wor. Robert H. Hartley and M.W. Roger W. Pageau, GrandMaster, with recipients of renewal scholarships in 2009.

Griwshaw-Gudewicz scholarship recipients. (L) Mr. Andrew Sheb-shelowitz, trustee of the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation.

The Grand Lecturers are back andhopefully ready to answer any ques-tions that you may have on customs andprotocol. We are overseeing one-dayclasses this year when there are morethan six candidates. We hope that youwill have some questions for us onthese days or that you will send ques-

tions to the Grand Secretary’s office to my attention oremail to [email protected].

Q When the Chaplain is giving a prayer, I have seensome brethren holding their hands over their hearts whileothers do not. Which is correct?

A In Blue Lodge, it is not proper to place your handover your heart.

Q What is the correct position of the hand of an officerwhen standing?

A Right hand at waist; thumb closed.

Q How should my apron be worn at lodge meetings?A Aprons should be worn over the tuxedo or jacket, not

under the coat.

Q How many lapel pins may I wear on my tuxedo ormorning coat when attending a Masonic meeting?

A The Grand Master has stated that it is improper forany pins to be worn on the lapel of a tuxedo or morningcoat at any Masonic function.

Q Should the lodge ritualist have an open cipher inlodge meetings?

A No. The official cipher states, “Not to be consulted inany lodge or exemplification while in session nor by anycandidate for the degrees.”

A S K T H E G RA N D L E C T U R E R SRt. Wor. Robert Johnston, Chairman of Grand Lecturers

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 21

Rt. Wor. Walter H. Hunt is a PastMaster of Norumbega FraternityLodge, Newtonville, and MountHollis Lodge, Holliston, and is GrandRepresentative of the Grand Lodge ofGermany near the Grand Lodge ofMassachusetts. He is a professionalauthor, most recently of A Song InStone, a novel of the Templars. Moreinformation about his work is avail-

able at http://www.walterhunt.com.

We are often nostalgic about Masonry’s past, when ourlodges worked two meetings a month to handle the

flood of degree work, had packed sidelines to attend meet-ings, and there was competition to have a chance to servein an officer line with the hope of climbing all the way tothe Oriental chair.

It turns out that it wasn’t always like that, at least not allof the time, and certainly not everywhere; but previousgenerations attracted men to Masonic bodies who wereworking in business, and understood some of the essentialprinciples needed to organize and execute plans. As weregrow and get younger, these skills are sometimes absent—and the times themselves have changed: leaders mustlearn leadership (and altogether too quickly) and organiza-tions must quickly form effective teams to deal withresponsibilities and commitments. This is an essential partof making a lodge or other Masonic body functional andproductive. It can sometimes make the difference in thatbody’s long-term survival.

Over the past ten to fifteen years, our Grand Lodge hastaken great strides in recognizing and addressing the needto train today’s leaders to deal with these responsibilities.Educational programs at district and state level such as atLodge of Instruction, the Master’s Path workshops, and theMasonic Leadership Institute have all been put in place toteach such skills. But once these men are trained, thenwhat? Every master says these words: “he can’t do italone.” Any sort of plan in any Masonic body requiresgroup effort. While individual training is essential, team-building is critical. A team exists to assist the master in car-rying out his plan, the master’s leadership helps the team,and the team members help each other. Each person bringsskills and perspectives, making the team more capable thanany single member or set of members could be.

Team Building In Business OrganizationsStephen Balzac of 7 Steps Ahead, a consulting firm locat-ed in Stow, Massachusetts, writes and lectures extensivelyon team-building. His experience working with individualsand businesses has given him insights into the way inwhich teams are built, grow, and how they adjust (or fail toadjust) to the needs of the organization. These essentialsare highly applicable to our Masonic bodies.

Mr. Balzac points out the traditional management rubricof the four stages of team development: Forming,Storming, Norming and Performing. In the Forming stage,the team is created, usually centering on a strong leader; inthe Storming stage, team members learn to deal with con-flict, making it productive and creative; Norming establish-es hierarchy and helps team members become establishedin the roles that fit them the best; and Performing, when thegoal and the effort to achieve it are clear and the partici-pants are working hard and productively. Most manage-ment training identifies these stages, with the fourth stagebeing the ultimate objective. All too often, teams never getthere, but work gets done anyway (sometimes leading to aperception that the team is stronger than it is); in fact, workcan get done at each stage, but as the team progresses theamount of effort required is lower in proportion to the out-put achieved. Teams can move either forward or backwardon this path—there are events and circumstances that candrop a team back to the Storming stage when the goals arewell established, or even back to the Forming stage if thereis a crisis the team cannot overcome.

Forming, he says, is critical to team development.During this phase, team members determine whether or notthey feel emotionally and intellectually safe working withone another; they can either develop a sense of group iden-tity, or remain a collection of individuals. What’s more, thefirst stage of team development is guided by the personali-ty of the leader; he ‘calls the tune’ and directs the work,often in lieu of objection or argument from other membersof the team. In this stage, leaders with the ability to imposesuch authority are valuable; we see this in our own lodges,when a new master takes charge and has followed the tra-ditional adage—plan your work, then work your plan. Inorganizations where dynamism has been lacking, this oftenleads to one of two results: the new master’s efforts are abreath of fresh air, or inertia and stubbornness cause hisplans to be opposed or ignored. This is where team-build-

MASONIC TEAM-BUILDINGA Group Dynamics Approach

by Rt. Wor. Walter H. Hunt


Most active Masons can usuallytrace their high level of involve-

ment to one or two Masons they’vecome across during their early years inthe fraternity. Rt. Wor. Stuart E. Glass

the fraternity and the work that it does on behalf ofmankind. Bro. Glass recovered and became even moreactive and involved. In 1986, Bro. Glass was chosen byM.W. Albert T. Ames to be the district deputy grand masterfor the Worcester 22nd Masonic District. He was only thesecond district deputy to come from his lodge. He says oneof the highlights was presenting the Joseph WarrenDistinguished Service Medal to various recipients through-out his district. Bro. Glass was himself presented with theJoseph Warren Medal in June, 1995. He also worked close-ly with Rt. Wor. Richard E. Johnson for several years craft-ing the rigorous curriculum for incoming district deputies.

In the mid 1990’s Bro. Glass was asked by the then sec-retary of the lodge, Bro. Abraham Palley,if he would be able to lend some assis-tance with the secretary’s duties. Bro.Glass learned to use the Trestleboard com-puter program. When Bro. Palley retired,Glass was installed as Secretary andserved as such for almost eight years. Henow acts as a consultant to the current sec-retary, helping him learn about the require-ments and demands of the office, especial-ly as a new database program is introducedby Grand Lodge. Bro. Glass says,“Demands made on current secretaries aremuch greater than those made on Bro.Palley and myself.” He was an active par-ticipant on the Grand Lodge committeeassessing the needs of Massachusettslodges for using computers.

Rt. Wor. Bro. Glass has accomplishedmany things in his Masonic career. One of his most recentand one of his proudest, was single-handedly raising morethan $6,000 from the members and lodges of the 23rdDistrict for a 7-year old girl who is deaf and becomingblind. She needed special equipment to be able to commu-nicate with her family and while in school. He was verypleased to have been able to provide this much-neededassistance. His charitable endeavors carry on to LevelLodge’s Hour Glass Foundation, where he has been a direc-tor and secretary for more than 15 years.

Bro. Glass has been involved in many other Masonicorganizations over the years. He was a member of AlethiaGrotto in Worcester and participated in

of Level Lodge in Shrewsbury is no exception.Brother Glass had been working long hours in the super-

market business and was looking for something else in hislife. His lifelong friend, Bro. Robert Perlman of LevelLodge (then located in Worcester) was a Mason. Glassasked a few questions about Masonry, and shortly after-wards asked Bro. Perlman to sponsor him into the lodge.After his initiation in May of 1961, Bro. Glass discoveredthat more of his friends and businessacquaintances belonged to the lodge.

He attended lodge meetings frequentlyand watched many of his new-foundbrothers ascend through the chairs andbecome master of the lodge. One, Wor.Jerome Sigel, was also one of his cus-tomers and asked him to accept a positionas a line officer in 1968. This was not aneasy decision, but after being prodded byanother customer, Rt. Wor. Leonard Rawn,a past D.D.G.M., Bro. Glass consentedand joined the line as inside sentinel. Bro.Rawn became his mentor and a valuablesource of information and guidance overthe years. Another special man to have aprofound impact on his Masonic careerwas Wor. Albert Biller, a student ofMasonry. Bro. Glass says he was soknowledgeable that he held Master Mason classes for thelodge’s newly raised members that were mandatory andextremely beneficial. He continues to emulate both men tothis day.

Bro. Glass was installed Master of Level Lodge in 1973,the same year he opened a new supermarket in Worcester.He found the time to serve his lodge then, despite workingexceptionally long hours, and sometimes chides today’smembers when they claim they don’t have the time.

In 1982, Bro. Glass developed a serious medical condi-tion which necessitated a fairly lengthy convalescence peri-od. During his recuperation, he had many opportunities forreflection and study, and became even more enamored with

Rt. Wor. Stuart E. Glass

Living Freemasonry by Rt. Wor. Steve Cohn

Meet an Active Massachusetts Mason



their clown unit for many years. He is also a member of theScottish Rite Valley of Worcester and the BostonConsistory as well as Aleppo Temple Shrine. Bro. Glasswas also an active member on the committee to procure aTorah for the Chapel at the Masonic Home in 2000.Currently, he serves the Jewish community of Worcester asa volunteer driver for the elderly and as an usher at TempleEmanuel in Worcester.

Despite his mixed feelings about current recruitmentpolicies, he says his lodge has benefited from them and hasraised several men who have become valuable assets. Healso says the reverse is true of those who have been raisedand never step foot in lodge again; that bothers him. Hesays that overall, Masonry is making a comeback andattracting younger men, but he is not sure that the messageand teachings of Masonry are viewed as relevant in today’ssociety. He would like to see what he calls “sales meetings”held throughout the various districts where knowledgeablespeakers espouse the fraternity, explain the origins and his-tory of the Craft, and answer questions. He feels that theproper speakers with the right attitudes would makeMasonry relevant to today’s society.

Right Wor. Stuart E. Glass has certainly embodiedeverything a Mason should, and has endeavored to help asmany as he possibly can. He is very proud of his Masonicmembership and of what he has accomplished, and looksforward to continuing to serve in any way to improve hislodge and the fraternity. ■

Wor. Richard J. Thompson is a past master of Merrimack ValleyDaylight Lodge.

The Prodigal Mason

I’m sure that for some, the offi-cial visit of a district deputy

grand master is something todread. There’s the inspection ofthe lodge’s books, the ceremonyof the visit and finally, the exem-plification of a portion of the rit-ual. It can be nerve-wracking.My lodge’s official visit wasSeptember fifteenth, and it was abrutal day for me. The official

visits went well, but it was a brutal day. You will note Isaid visits—not visit. I had two that day.

At that time, I was the master of Merrimack ValleyDaylight Lodge. (We had our installation last October, soI have once again joined the ranks of a past master of alodge.) At 11 a.m., the district deputy grand master walkedthrough the door of my lodge and I stood in the East togreet him.

And I was, and still am, the secretary for AcaciaChapter No. 80, Order of the Eastern Star. As luck wouldhave it, the official visit for the deputy grand matron was,that’s right, September fifteenth. At 3 p.m., the deputygrand matron walked into our chapter room to inspect mybooks. For Eastern Star, the inspection of the books andthe ceremonial visit are on the same day. For the lodge, theinspection can take place weeks ahead of the ceremonialvisit. For Daylight Lodge this year, the inspection wasabout a week ahead of the visit. So, you want to talk abouta brutal day, I left my house at 8 a.m. on September fif-teenth. I finally got home after midnight. Two days later,as I wrote this column, I was still feeling the effects of onevery long day.

Both inspections went well and the ceremonial visitswent well. But there was really something special for meabout the visit of the district deputy grand master. I’ll for-get the long day, but I will never forget the moment I stoodin the East with the district deputy grand master.

In 1975, I affiliated with Wamesit Lodge in Tewksbury.Four years earlier, I joined St. Paul Lodge, then in Ayer but

now in Ashby. That was my father’s lodge. I was an advi-sor for Wamesit DeMolay in those days and since thechapter was sponsored by Wamesit Lodge, I thought itwould do well if I was affiliated with that lodge. I stayedactive with Wamesit DeMolay, where I served as chapteradvisor for some nine years, but I also got involved withthe lodge.

While I was affiliating with Wamesit Lodge, there wasa young man (we were all young men at that time) takinghis degrees—Dana MacAllister. Dana was one of maybe adozen men who joined the lodge that year. When you con-sider there were dozens of men who joined the lodge in theyears before 1975, and dozens who joined in the years fol-lowing, Dana was just someone in the crowd. But there issomething about Dana that makes him stand out. To beginwith, he’s quite a bit taller than I am. When you considerthat I am just five feet, seven inches tall, there are manyMasons who are taller than I am. But he is quite person-able and easy to like. We quickly became friends.

We were closely tied in our Masonic journey. WhenDana was master of Wamesit Lodge, I was his senior dea-con. When he was district deputy grand marshal, I was dis-trict deputy grand secretary. And now, as I am sure youhave guessed, when he became the district deputy grandmaster for the 12th District, I was the master of one of hislodges.

My friendship with Rt. Wor. Dana MacAllister is now34 years old, making it the most enduring friendship in mylife. (It’s actually the most enduring friendship with some-one not a relative. I have a life-long friendship with Wor.David Hicks, but he is my cousin as well.)

I often say a part of the ritual that really speaks to mecomes in the Entered Apprentice degree, when the mastertells a candidate that one of the things Masonry does isprovide a way to foster true friendships among men whowould never know each other were it not for the fraternity.For me, Rt. Wor. Dana MacAllister is a classic example ofthe truth contained in that part of the ritual.

So, I stood in the East, waiting for one of my closestfriends to be escorted to me. It was a thrilling moment Iwill remember long after the details of the day fade in mymemory. It was a happy moment for me—a dear friendwas coming to visit. ■

by Wor. Richard Thompson

ing is critically important. In the first case, the new masterhas to strongly lead by directing the work and finding theright people to do the job (since he can’t do everythinghimself); in the second case, he may have to advancedirectly into the second stage, allowing conflict to takeplace and harnessing this energy to promote interest in hisprojects, which might not turn out the way he envisionedthem.

Teams that progress to the second stage, regardless ofthe length of time they spend in the first, can often be par-alyzed by avoidance (not enough argument) or conflict (toomuch). Avoidance is particularly a problem when a teamprogresses into the second stage too quickly; team mem-bers who are uncomfortable with any sort of conflict maydo anything to prevent it, leaving them “on the cusp ofStorming.” Neither the Master’s Path, nor mentoring fromwise old past masters, can provide a remedy for every situ-ation. Often the solution to the problem is closely tied tothe individuals in the group. Are they being used effective-ly? Do they have previous experience as leaders or as con-tributors? Are they frustrated with the effort, opposed orindifferent to the goal, unmotivated, or fearful of failure?

Team Building in a Voluntary OrganizationLeaders of teams—even the biggest team in our jurisdic-tion, the Grand Lodge—have to decide when to direct andwhen to conciliate. As Mr. Balzac says, “There’s an oldsaying that a couple isn’t really married until they’ve hadtheir first fight. The same is true of teams.” It is critical tounderstand that in an organization of strong personalities,conflict is inevitable. Leaders must be ready for it, and beready to make it work for them. Indeed, for an organizationto get things done conflict is necessary. If no one will ques-tion or argue, errors may not be caught early enough to beremedied. For any team to have a good chance of survivingthe Storming phase, members, including the leader, mustbe comfortable with the idea of questioning and beingquestioned. It’s also important to note that some leadershave difficulty giving up power. All through Forming, theleader has enjoyed unquestioned control. Suddenly, thehoneymoon is over. As a result, when the team does enterStorming, the leader is sometimes taken by surprise andcan react badly.

“The good news,” he says, “is that while taking the rightsteps early in the formation of a team can save headacheslater, it’s rarely too late to create a functional group dynam-ic.” We have the disadvantage that, unlike in business, ourorganization is a volunteer one; it’s often difficult for amaster or any team leader to exclude a willing participant,even if that man’s involvement creates problems with thedynamic. The opposite is also true; we have all heard thetruism that Masonry is a volunteer organization. As an oldfriend and past district deputy grand master used to say,

however, “it’s a volunteer organization until you volun-teer.” Part of a successful group dynamic involves puttingthe right people in the right positions, and then making surethat they can effectively accomplish their tasks. It is partic-ularly important for a volunteer organization such as oursto be able to articulate a clear and inspiring vision in orderto build commitment and excitement, and to remember thatappreciation is a powerful coin. In the end, it’s being partof something bigger than any one person that can keep peo-ple motivated.

Every organization wants to get to the latter two stagesof team development: Norming and especially Performing.Those that are already there want to stay there. Time,entropy, changing circumstances, and the constant changein leadership all work to disrupt these processes. By under-standing group dynamics and recognizing the patterns thatall teams follow, we have a better chance of achievingthose laudable goals. Remember what masters always say:“I can’t do it alone.” ■

Mr. Stephen A. Balzac is president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC,providing consulting and coaching services to individualsand businesses. For more information about his work, seehis website at www.7stepsahead.com.

Living Freemasonry continued from page 20

Masonic Teambuilding continued from previous page


Years after her passing, Mrs. Howe helps to provide aholiday dinner for residents of Overlook Masonic

Health Center. Although he is no longer with us, Mr. Perryhelps to provide special programs for residents. A pizzaparty is held in Enhanced Living at Overlook, thanks to thegenerosity of the late Mrs. Hinckley. All of these individu-als made gifts of will to the Overlook Masonic HealthCenter, and all of them are making a difference in the livesof elders long after they themselves have passed on.

Since the opening of the Masonic Home in 1911,Masonic Health System has benefited greatly from gifts ofwill left by generous individuals who wanted to support themission of caring for future generations of elders. Thatgreat Masonic tradition continues today. Overlook MasonicHealth Center is frequently the recipient of generousbequests made by individuals who could never have envi-sioned the beautiful buildings and wide range of servicesthat are provided for elders today, but who had faith andconviction that the high quality of care would continue. Inorder to recognize those with the foresight and compassionto remember those that come after them, Masonic HealthSystem announces the Overlook Heritage Society.

Most Worshipful Albert T. Ames, Past Grand Master,founded the society to emphasize the importance of caring

for generations that will follow ours.“As we approach the 100th anniver-sary of our Masonic Home, which hasnow morphed into the MasonicHealth System, I cannot help butreflect on the many sacrifices andcontributions that our forefathershave endured to enable us to have thewonderful facilities and organizationthat we have today. I also realize that

we, the Masons of today, must endeavor to make our com-mitment to MHS so that the next 100 years will be even bet-ter than the previous.”

Membership in the society is available to any individualthat has remembered Masonic Health System in his or herwill, no matter the amount. Gifts may be made in manyforms—a percentage of the remainder of an estate, a per-centage of life insurance, or gifts of stock or property. Bro.Ames encourages anyone with questions about tax benefitsto consult a financial planner when considering a gift.Members who join the society in this inaugural year will berecognized on a commemorative plaque. For more informa-tion about the Overlook Heritage Society, contact Albert T.Ames, Vice President, Masonic Health System Foundation,at 508-434-2344, or by email at [email protected]. ■

The melodic tones of “Sweet Aloha” gently drifted downthe halls on a recent afternoon at Overlook Masonic

Health Center. One of the dining rooms was packed withrevelers of all ages wearing leis, grass skirts, Hawaiianshirts, and carrying punch cups decorated with littleumbrellas. It was the second annual Resident Luau and itbrought smiles all around.

For the first time, the Resident Luau was incorporatedinto “Intergenerational Days,” which is held three times ayear: in the summer, winter, and spring. Overlook employ-ees are invited to bring their children to the event to social-ize with residents andenjoy special activities.The children swam inthe pool at theOverlook Fitness Cen-ter and enjoyed a pizzaparty while the resi-dents enjoyed gamesand contests in themorning.

Children and resi-dents joined with resi-dents’ family membersin the afternoon for theLuau. Recreation staffmade a fresh fruit saladof pineapple, cherrieswatermelon, and man-darin oranges. Eachresident was presentedwith a grass skirt and traditional lei. Live musical entertain-ment provided by Big Smile Entertainment got everyone inthe Luau spirit by leading the children in the limbo, a twistcontest, and hula hoop contest.

“Having the kids there made a huge difference to the res-idents,” said Stephanie Nikopoulos, Recreation Director.“They love laughing and playing along with the kids so

Elaine Stephens Hired toLead Overlook Visiting

Nurse Association

Overlook Visiting Nurse Association recently hiredElaine Stephens as executive vice president. Stephens,

who previously held the position of President and CEO ofVisiting Nurse Service of Greater Rhode Island, will over-

see all operations, development andpartnering opportunities.

“Our state and country desperate-ly needs non-profit, mission-drivenhealth care providers if we are goingto successfully address the healthcare requirements of the multitudesand truly serve those who needcare,” said Stephens. “I feel so very

fortunate to join the leadership team of Masonic HealthSystem that has continually shown a passion and excellencefor providing the complete continuum of senior care inMassachusetts.”

Masonic Health System established Overlook VisitingNurse Association in 2000 to insure an ability to care forthose it serves in the communities in which they live. Today,Overlook Visiting Nurse Association geographically reach-es nearly 70% of the Commonwealth through seven branchoffices. Overlook carries out its mission with the belief that,when possible, individuals are happier and will heal fasterin the familiar surroundings of home.

“The remarkable growth of home care and hospice ser-vices throughout our industry never came as a surprise tome,” said Stephens. “This service gives people the opportu-nity they value most: to live in their homes for as long aspossible, to age, recover, and deal with illness.”

“We were immediately drawn to Elaine for a number ofreasons,” said David Turner, President and CEO of MasonicHealth System. “She has a tremendous record of involve-ment as a staunch industry advocate on both state and fed-eral levels. Elaine does not simply react to policy and pro-cedure changes—she is a visionary and an innovator.Overlook Visiting Nurse Association is in extremely capa-ble hands to continue to assist individuals and their familiesto make the best choices for their health and wellness, in alocation where they want to be – home.”

Stephens has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursingfrom Boston College and a Master of Science degree inPublic Health from Boston University. Along with her posi-tion at Visiting Nurse Service of Greater Rhode Island, shealso served as the immediate past chairman and is a currentmember of the Board of Directors of the NationalAssociation for Home Care and Hospice. ➤

NEWS FROM OVERLOOKmuch. The looks on our resident’s faces were absolutelypriceless.”

Long time resident Sally Yates agrees. “I loved the day!Everybody loved it.” Sally’s favorite part was “watching thekids do everything—the kids were great. I got a grass skirtand I had my picture taken—it was a lot of fun!”

“The response from the residents and their family mem-

bers was overwhelming—there were twice as many partic-ipants this year as there were the first year.” Nikopoulosplans to move the next party to a larger venue on campus toaccommodate the popularity of the themed party. “Our res-

idents just lit up whenthey each got theirgrass skirt and lei—likethey were kids againthemselves. They reallylove the theme parties.”

In fact, the Luau wassuch a success amongthe residents and fami-lies that Nikopoulos ishard pressed to decidewhat to do next. “Allthe residents could talkabout the next day wasthe Luau and howmuch fun they had. Thechallenge is to top itwith the next event.”

As history has pro-ven over and over, no

matter how great the challenge, the Overlook always findsa way to do it bigger, better and everyone has a great timein the process. ■

Intergenerational Luau at the Overlook Masonic Health Center

Overlook Visiting Nurse Association, a not-for-profithome health care agency sponsored by Masonic HealthSystem of Massachusetts, is available 24 hours a day, 365days a year offering home health care services that allowpatients to maintain independence in the home. Overlook isdevoted to making a difference in the lives we touch by pro-viding the highest quality of care for our patients; ouroffices can be contacted by calling 508-755-5550. ■

Overlook HeritageSociety is Launched

26 G R A N D L O D G E O F M A S S AC H U S E T T S T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9

bership records and those of our lodge secretaries. OurGrand Treasurer and his employees have been workingwith lodge treasurers to improve their ability to meet newFederal IRS reporting requirements that apply to all lodges.This is important because if your lodge fails to file, it couldbe subject to very expensive penalties.

“Two of our education and training programs are cur-rently undergoing evaluation with a goal of improvement.These are the Masonic Leadership Institute and the Lodgesof Instruction. While we recognize the success of theseprograms in the past, we also realize that we must contin-ue to evaluate and improve our programs to ensure thatthey are the best programs that we can provide to our mem-bers. Our goal is to enhance and update our programs tomeet our current needs.

“Finally, let me assure you that your Grand Lodge offi-cers take their responsibility to preserve and improve thisGrand Lodge very seriously. They work an incredible num-ber of hours and travel thousands of miles to represent youand this Grand Lodge. They are always willing to offeradvice and counsel to me and any Mason and I am veryproud to be associated with them. May God bless and pro-tect you, Freemasonry and our great country.” ■

Grand Master continued from page 14

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involved. Find out what he wants to do and let him do it!Maybe the key is to make sure that the sponsors are actu-ally doing their jobs as sponsors. How many of you havehad classes where one brother sponsored everybody? I amnot going to claim that doing so is necessarily bad, but it iscertainly a lot easier to build a fraternal relationship with afew people than with a lot all at once. Maybe the key ismaking sure that members feel comfortable bringing newideas to the table. One does not have to be an officer to beactive, and the officers do not necessarily have to do every-thing in the lodge all by themselves. Furthermore, the mas-ter does not have to do everything himself either—this iswhy we have committees.

There’s another important aspect—committees! Do yourcommittees meet and do work, or are they honorary posi-tions? Are your committees fulfilling the lodge’s needs?They are not set in stone, and just because you had aGaslamp Maintenance Committee in 1879 does not meanyou need to maintain it in 2009. Having a strong backboneof support is another key for making the lodge successful.

Individual ResponsibilityLastly, we cannot forget the power of the individual. Wehave all heard how important it is to support one another,but how many of us really take the time to make a call orvisit to a brother in need? How many of us take the time tobe friendly with our new candidates and get to know them?If you as an individual can put a favorable impression ofthe fraternity in the mind of the new brother, and can givehim the beginnings of that connection to the lodge and hisbrothers that makes him want to come back, that candidateis much more likely to do so. Sometimes it takes just a lit-

tle reminder—I sent out a lodge survey as part of my MLIproject a few years ago and, for a while, people got a littlemore involved. I think this was because getting the surveyflipped a switch somewhere in their minds and made themhave to think about the lodge.

Environmentally Friendly LodgesWhen it really comes down to it, a successful lodge is anenvironmentally friendly lodge. Brethren want to come tomeetings and events because they have fun there! A lodgethat drags has members who drag, and that does communi-cate itself to new candidates and other members. If yourlodge is not active, how many times do you hear someonecomplaining about the master or some other officer?Probably quite a few, and if you think you were the onlyone that heard that particular complaint, you are most like-ly wrong. Things can often carry in the wrong direction,and it is for that reason we are reminded to be harmoniousin lodge; there is nothing more detrimental to the function-ing of a lodge than disgruntled murmurings.

In this article, I have not attempted to give anyone a step-by-step instruction manual to fix their lodge. In fact, I hopeI have managed to show that there is no one way to do so.A plan needs to be tailored to the personality and needs ofthe lodge, and it needs to cover many different areas,because there is no key issue that will resolve all the oth-ers. What I hope I have given you is some food for thoughtregarding what to be mindful of when trying to make yourlodge successful and environmentally friendly. ■

Don’t Recycle! continued from page 9

In our great Masonic fraternities, members share a bondof brotherly love and affection with each other and have

been doing this for over 275 years here in Massachusetts.Not only is this aspiration written in the ritual books, but itis practiced in the daily lives of the brethren. Men fromevery country, sect, and opinion are united. These men aid,support, and protect each other and they become truefriends with those who might otherwise have remained at aperpetual distance.

All of our Masonic brethren are linked together by anindissoluble chain of sincere affection. They soothe theunhappy, sympathize with their misfortunes, and they showcompassion for their miseries. Ultimately, they restorepeace to troubled minds, promote each other’s welfare, andrejoice in each other’s prosperity.

These words are familiar to every Mason near and far.Yet, in today’s busy world, it has unfortunately becomeeasy to forget some of these important pledges. There aresimply so many things that keep us busier than ever. It hasbecome commonplace for each of us to say, “I don’t haveenough time to get things done.” And, “I don’t even haveenough time for myself.”

Many of us have noticed that our lodge rooms have moreempty seats than we used to have. Our membership inMasonry, like memberships in other fraternities, has highpoints and low points. These ebbs and flows are due to avariety of reasons. For our purposes here, let’s focus on themembership at hand. While we will always need to attractnew members and perform impressive degrees on new can-didates, we should always remember to maintain our focuson the current membership. How many of us have come toa lodge meeting and wondered to ourselves, “Where isBrother Smith tonight?” How many of us have looked atthe back of our lodge’s monthly notice and wondered,

Rt. Wor. Brother Newcomb is currently theDistrict Deputy Grand Master of the SecondMasonic District. In addition to his Blue Lodgeresponsibilities, he is a degree worker withMassachusetts Consistory and is also active inthe Aleppo Shrine Center. Known as “Do-No theClown,” he has entertained children of all ages

since 1989. He is a Past Boss Clown and has recently finishedhis fifth year as Dean of the Northeast Clown Institute. He isretired and resides in Natick with his wife, Diane.

“Who is Worshipful Brother Jones and why don’t I knowhim?” How often do we come to a meeting and think aboutthe others in the room or the brethren at other dinner tables,never really knowing much about them at all?

In the Second Masonic District, there is an initiativeunderway called “Remember Your Brother.” It’s a positiveway to address these questions and initiate communicationamong members. It allows us to connect with brethrenwho, for some reason, haven’t been around for a while.Additionally, it allows for us to re-connect with thosewe’ve likely met before but didn’t have the opportunity toreally get to know.

Our program is inexpensive and easy to accomplish.Here’s how it works.

Step One—A short discussion between the master, sec-retary or any group of lodge members can easily decide onwho might be chosen to be remembered. This brothermight be someone who was known for exemplary ritualwork, his contributions to lodge programs, or as a mentorto young officers. Perhaps he might have simply been agood friend to everyone. And since he hasn’t been aroundfor a while, he’s an excellent candidate to be remembered.

Step Two—After identifying the member, contact infor-mation must be gathered from the lodge secretary includ-ing the brother’s name, address, city, state, zip, and a phonenumber. If your brother is computer savvy, include his e-mail address. This information needs to be printed on oneside of an index card.

Step Three—Some personal or fraternal details on thisbrother need to be gathered. These details might include hispositions or titles which may be listed on the monthlynotice. Or, a few questions to some current lodge membersshould steer you in the right direction. These details can beprinted on the back side of the index card and should bemore than enough to inspire members to have a great phoneconversation or to send a friendly card, letter, or e-mail totheir brother.

Step Four—Make copies of these cards and distributethem to every member present at the meeting. Then, askyour lodge to “Remember Your Brother.” For the small costof a greeting card, a personal letter, an e-mail or a phonecall, every member now has an opportunity to connect orre-connect with a brother. Every member has an opportu-nity to make someone’s day by remembering them.

Remember Your Brotherby Rt. Wor. David P. Newcomb

Step Five—Relax. You’re done. You have now takenadvantage of your opportunity to do something for some-one you might not even know. You might put a smile on abrother’s face. You might inspire a brother to come to lodgeagain. Perhaps you might make a new friend or be instru-mental in renewing or creating friendships within yourlodge. The rewards are real and they are valuable.

The simple process to remember your brother bringseach of us a sense of accomplishment and warmth. It servesthe very purpose of our obligations as Masons. Each andevery one of us expressed a sincere desire to be serviceableto our fellow creatures. In these busy and difficult times, itis easy to understand why we feel like there isn’t enoughtime to get everything done. With the “Remember YourBrother” program, we have an opportunity to accomplish alot in a very short time. It’s affordable, easy, and definitelyworthwhile.

“Remember Your Brother.” Afterwards, you’ll be gladyou did. ■

While many lodges go dark in the sum-mer, the Boylston Lodge, located inWest Boylston, revived the time-hon-ored game of horseshoe pitching. EachFriday evening throughout the summerthe lodge was open for brethren fromall over the 23rd District and their fam-ilies so they could come and "pitchsome shoes." The two horseshoe pitswere either battle grounds for fiercecompetition or friendly play, but mostoften both.

There was a gas grill available tothose who would make the eveninginto a barbecue. During the rainy por-tion of this year's wet summer, thelodge building was open with tablesavailable for a friendly game of cards.

Horseshoes Liven up theSummer at Boylston Lodge

Recognizing 63 Years in Masonry

The measuring snow broom is out as Bro.Don Lagasse, RW Bro Papagni and Bro.Dave Carlson try to determine a victor.

Rt. Wor. Theodore E. Cooledge, ofWilbraham Lodge presented Bro. Jesse L.Rice with a personalized certificate fromM.W. Roger Pageau honoring his 63years in Masonry during his 90th birth-day celebration. —Bro. Dave Miles


country during the 19th century; nowthere are only three: Bethesda inValparaiso, Huelen in Santiago, andSt.John’s in Concepcion. It’s alsoworth noting that there is a ChileDistrict, whose DDGM is Rt. Wor.Daniel A. Cerda, who conducts theannual installation of officers at thethree lodges in impressive ceremonies.

The Grand Lodge of Massachusettsand the Grand Lodge of Chile havekept warm fraternal relations since thecreation of Grand Lodge Chile in 1862.Massachusetts was the first GrandLodge to recognize the legitimacy ofthe new Grand Lodge.

Members are mainly attracted by theuse of English in the ritual; most ofthem have studied or worked in theU.S., Canada, or the U.K. Currently,Huelen Lodge has 28 members com-prised of two senior members over 90years old who cannot attend, twoAmerican members who live in theU.S., two Fellow Crafts, three EnteredApprentices, and the other 19 memberswho occupy the officers’ positions andattend communications that are heldevery month between March andDecember; the summer blackout isbetween January and February.

More information about HuelenLodge can be found at their websitewww.geocities.com/huelenlodge.

—Wor. Jorge Cifuentes

then presented wreaths at the general’sgrave. As has been our annual custom,Henry Knox Lodge Master, Wor.Wayne H. Livermore, gave a shortspeech that presented an innovativeviewpoint concerning recently writtenhistories of the general’s life.

Following the ceremonies, the KnoxMansion conducted tours and presenta-

Henry Knox Lodge, continued

Huelen Lodge, continued

N E W SLodge & Districtcontinued from page 3

tions. During the tour, an ornate circa1785 travel case believed to have beena gift to Knox from his RevolutionaryWar friend, Masonic brother, and fel-low major general, the Marquis deLafayette, was highlighted.

In the late afternoon, the “KnoxNavy” was launched. Thirty visitingMasons were evenly split between theschooner Jenny Norman and the ketchMorning in Maine for a two-hour plusWindjammer cruise in Penobscot Bay.Both going out and coming back in, the“Navy” passed the United States CoastGuard Academy training vessel Eagle.Many of the brothers toured the shipwhile she laid tied up at the CoastGuard Pier in Rockland.

The weekend’s scheduled eventsconcluded with much fraternal hospi-tality. A really good time, as the sayinggoes, was had by all. So passed thisyear’s commemoration of our worthybrother, Major General Henry Knox,by members of the lodge that bears hisname. —Wor. Harry G. Orcutt

T ROW E L ■ W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 29

The call from the doctor came to our brother onMonday. His mother was hospitalized and seriously ill.

He had to work that week and couldn’t come immediately,but the doctor said it should be all right. On Friday night,he flew out to Ohio. Four days later, his mother passed.

Our brother was grateful that he was able to be therewhen his mother died. Sitting there by her side made herpassing impact him in a way he could not have expected.Her death hit him hard. He still thought he could see hismother breathing as he sat close by her bedside in that hos-pital room. In his heart, she would always be alive.

Even before being able to understand her passing, thedifficult logistics of his mother’s death nearly over-whelmed our brother. As he unlocked the door to her home,he realized how large her life had been. Every corner, everyhorizontal surface in her home was filled with tangiblememories of the life she led.

Over there was the bowl that always held candies, overhere was the chair she always sat in, over there was thesmall wooden box that he never opened, but always saw.

There was the sofa, his grandfather’s pipe stand, the cher-ry wood desk, not to mention the storage sheds: stuffeverywhere. The problem was what to do with all of thisstuff? It seemed overwhelming.

Then a knock came at the door. Our brother opened tofind his uncle and his uncle's employer. They had comewith a van and two reasonably strong backs. His uncle'sboss is also a brother in Ohio. After exchanging the appro-priate pleasantries, they started discussing the handling ofthe contents of the home. The Ohio brother said that hecould help fill the truck, that our brother could use it, andthat he could return it when he was done. But, our brotherexclaimed, “You don't know me, the drive is over 600 milesto Massachusetts, I can't return it immediately, and whatabout an accident?” “Don't worry,” said the Ohio brother ,“I lent it to you; I'll take the risk.” The contents of the housewere moved and the van returned.

Some time later, our brother returned to Ohio to presenta plaque commemorating the kindness that his Ohio broth-er had exhibited in our brother's time of need. ■

WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF YOUR CABLE-TOW?Help for a Distressed Brother

So on Friday nights at BoylstonLodge, in the dark Masonic summer,you could hear the all too rare sound ofhorseshoe against stake as someonethrows a ringer and others cheer ingood fellowship.

— Rt. Wor. Lou Papagni

Masons Ride for Alzheimer’sIn the lessons of our three degrees, weare constantly reminded of the impor-tance of charity in our lives. In the cur-rent economic climate, giving mone-tarily to help others has become harder,and charitable contributions havedeclined with the rest of the economy,but the need is still present. Last sum-mer, several Massachusetts Masonsfound a way to help others by partici-pating in the 2009 Memory Ride.

Now in its 13th year, the MemoryRide is an annual bike ride to raisefunds and spread awareness forAlzheimer’s Research. Bro. JeffreyFowler, of St. John’s Lodge of Boston,volunteered as the chairman of theplanning for the 2009 Memory Ride,and was one of several Masons inMassachusetts who participated in the

ride. This was Bro. Fowler’s third yearwith the charity as a rider, and his sec-ond with the planning committee.

Other Masons participating in theevent were Wor. Geoffrey Kromer andBro. Michael Boucher of Caleb ButlerLodge in Ayer; Bro. Ralph J. Reed ofAncient York Lodge, Lowell, Wor.John Ritchie of Corinthian Lodge,Concord, and Wor. Roger Appell ofGarden City Lodge, Newtonville. Bro.Reed commented: “As a person thathas several family members afflictedwith this horrible disease, it was mypleasure to support the Memory Ridein any way possible.”

The 2009 Memory Ride took placeSaturday, July 25 and began in Devens.The participants chose to ride 25, 62,100, or 124 mile options. Bro. Fowlerwas able to collect over 60% of histotal contribution from his brotherMasons. One of his goals for nextyear’s ride is to have a group ofMassachusetts Masons sponsor andstaff one of the pit stops along theroute, letting the riders and all present

know that their local Masonic lodgessupport the Memory Ride.

The 14th Memory Ride will takeplace on Saturday, July 24, 2010.Those interested in helping may con-tact Bro. Jeffrey Fowler at [email protected]. —Bro. Michael K. Worrell

Norfolk’s Master for a MomentBro. Charles Taylor was presented aplaque commemorating his “Masterfor a Moment” in Norfolk Lodge byRW David P. Newcomb, DDGM of theSecond Masonic District.. He wasgiven the opportunity to wield thegavel, raise, and seat the lodge, andwitness the perspective from the East.Bro. Taylor was raised in NorfolkLodge 60 years ago this year.

At left: Memory Riders Bros. MichaelBoucher, Wor, Geoffey Kromer, Bro.Jeffrey Fowler and Wor. Roger Appell.

Moses Michael Hayes LodgeHonors 50-Year Member

On the occasion of one of MosesMichael Hayes Lodge's popularSunday breakfast events in Needham, aVeteran's Medal was presented to Bro.Nathan Aronson. He was raised inBrotherhood Lodge on May 26, 1959.That lodge merged with MosesMichael Hayes Lodge in 1986.

About 80 Masons, family members,and friends came out for some greatfood and warm fellowship and to wit-ness Bro. Aronson’s milestone.

The Golden Putter Challenge is a fam-ily event that brings players from threedistricts together to enjoy mini golf and

Inaugural meeting of The Independence Lodge held on September 10Front row L to R seated: Bro. Paulo de Tarso de Oliveira, Junior Warden; Wor.Leone Brandao, Senior Warden; Wor. Luiz Carlos Rodrigues dos Santos, Master;RW David P. Newcomb, District Deputy Grand Master; and RW Richard Burgess,Past Senior Grand Warden. Second row: Wor. Edward Ambuter, District DeputyGrand Marshal, with the officers and members of The Independence Lodge.

I faced a decision recently that we allseem to face. There is an importantlodge meeting tonight, but it’s mywife’s birthday. What do I do? TheIndependence Lodge, Massachusettsonly bilingual lodge, was holding itsfirst meeting in English. It was alsoDiane’s birthday. After a brief discus-sion with Wor. Luiz dos Santos, weinvited the ladies to dinner after themeeting. The lodge presented Dianewith a beautiful bouquet of flowers andwe all went out for a late dinner at theJacob Wirth Restaurant. Dilemmasolved!. —Rt. Wor. David P. Newcomb


The recently renovated Rose of Sharon Lodge Room at theMasonic Home complex in Charlton is now the permanentsite for some historical pictures of George Washington andRobert Burns, two distinguished and well known Masonsduring the last quarter of the 18th Century.

The George Washington picture was bought at auction inJuly, 2007 along with some lodge furniture from Jerusalem

My journey to Masonry and the Grottobegan when my son Marty was notquite four months old. He developedinfantile spasms, a type of seizure. Wespent a week at Massachusetts GeneralHospital and learned that Marty hadsuffered some sort of injury akin to astroke, most likely during gestation. Asa result, Marty has hemiplegia, a formof cerebral palsy most often caused bypediatric stroke.

After the initial shock of the diagno-sis, I became active with Children'sHemiplegia and Stroke Association(CHASA), www.chasa.org, an internetbased support group that sponsorsPediatric Stroke Awareness Day. I alsofound that the Grottoes of North

Rose of Sharon Lodge Room

aged me to become involved with theGrotto. He has since been a consistentsupporter of my efforts to bring theGrottoes’ Humanitarian Foundation tothe children of CHASA. To that end, Iorganized a toothbrush campaignthrough Taleb Grotto as part of theCHASA fundraising walk.

What impressed me most during thelast walk was the selflessness and ded-ication shown by so many Masons.Bro. Steven Coan and Wor. RobertStanley arranged a MYCHIP event andRt. Wor. Mark H. Norton brought theequipment. At the event, Bros. TobyThompson and Daniel Daley of St.John’s Lodge were able to work withthe children. Fayzo, one of the Shrineclowns, did a terrific job entertainingthe children and made sure that every-one was smiling.

My son Marty changed my life.After spending 15 years in the technol-ogy industry, I am now a special needsteacher at Everett High School to bet-ter serve the needs of my son and chil-dren like him. But Marty has alsobrought me closer to Masonry and theGrotto. He makes my being in lodge,working with the Grotto, and livingeach day carry a layer of meaning Iwould never have experienced other-wise. —Bro. Neil Plotnick

A Mason’s Dilemma

Below, L-R: Wor. Luiz Carlos Rodriguesdos Santos, Marcia Aparecida Alves dosSantos, Diane Newcomb and RW DavidP. Newcomb, DDGM.

Rt. Wor. Bro Anderson (L) receives theGolden Putter on behalf of his wifeShirley “the Ringer” Dempsey-Ander-son, and the 24th District, from Rt. Wor.Bro. Andrews.

America's Humanitarian Foundationhas a long history of supporting UnitedCerebral Palsy, which includes hemi-plegia. Their Enchanted Lantern Cam-paign helps children with special needsobtain dental care, which can bepainful and extensive. The two groups,CHASA and the Grotto, had little or noconnection.

Before being raised in January of2007 at St. John’s Lodge, Boston, Rt.Wor. Richard Faust, Past GrandMonarch of the Mystic Order of VeiledProphets of the Enchanted Realm(Grottoes) of North America, encour-

Bro. Paul F. Bowler, V.P. of Operations at the Overlook, nearthe Washington portrait, and Rt. Wor. H. Richard Cornwell onthe right near the Burns portrait.

Lodge, Keene, New Hampshire. On the back of the pictureframe is a newspaper “The Springfield Republican” ofSpringfield, Massachusetts dated Friday, January 17, 1890.

The Robert Burns picture was produced from a paintingby Stewart Watson showing Burns in full regalia as thedeputy master of his lodge. He was also the poet laureate ofCanongate Kilwinning Lodge No.2 in Edinburgh, Scotland.The engraver was Charles Ewart and J.W. Watt publishedthe picture. Reproduction of the etching on paper was doneat the National Heritage Museum in Lexington. H. RichardCornwell obtained a copy of the etching for the RobertBurns party at the Overlook and donated the picture to Roseof Sharon Lodge. —Bro. Charles C. Buchannan

Grotto Helps Special Needs Children: One Mason’s StorySome of the families gathered at the MakeWay for Ducklings statue in Boston PublicGarden before the fundraising walk forPediatric Stroke Awareness Day.

(Left to right): Bros. Daniel Daley, NeilPlotnick (in Taleb fez), and Tobias Thomp-son of St. John’s Lodge Boston; Fayzo theAleppo Shrine Clown (Bro. Steven R. Fay ofNorumbega Fraternity Lodge); and Rt. Wor.Mark H. Norton of Mount Olivet Lodge andthe Aleppo Shriners Transportation Unit.

RW David P. Newcomb, DDGM, Bro.Nathan Aronson and Wor. Herbert Elsner,Master of Moses Michael Hays Lodge.

a barbecue. The contest was at theminiature golf course run by CrystalCaves next to the Masonic building inAuburn. (Crystal Caves contributes aportion of the greens fees back to thelodge for charitable giving.)

This 5th annual Golden PutterChallenge went national, at least interms of spectators. Three brothersfrom Alabama and their wives weredriving by the Masonic building look-

ing for U.S. Route 20. They saw theMasonic sign and brothers standing inthe parking lot and decided to pull in.

The challenge pits the districtdeputies from the 23rd, 24th, and 25thDistricts, and their wives, in a battle forthe control of the prestigious GoldenPutter. It is rumored that the contest isreally more of a battle between thevery skilled wives; basically, the dis-trict deputies could have stayed home.This year Rt. Wor. Bro. Anderson’sdevastatingly accurate wife Shirleytook control of the Golden Putter fromRt. Wor. Bro. Andrews’ strong-playingwife Lynn and returned it to its “right-ful” owners, the proud 24th District.

The event was organized by thejunior steward of Guiding LightsLodge, Bro. Brian Besse, a recentrecipient of the Master Mason RookieAward (see cover story), who says helooks forward to delegating next year’sGolden Putter Challenge to a newlodge brother. —Bro. Michael Parent

24th District Victorious in 3-District Golden Putter Challenge

December 5 Rainbow & DeMolay Grand Master’s Class BostonDecember 7 Scottish Rite, Valley of Worcester WorcesterDecember 8 John Warren Lodge HopkintonDecember 9 Grand Lodge Quarterly (Elections) BostonDecember 9 St. Bernard Commandery #10, K.T. BostonDecember 11 Winslow Lewis Lodge BostonDecember 15 Frank W. Thompson Lodge BedfordDecember 16 MHS Board Meetings CharltonDecember 16 The Masters Lodge NeedhamDecember 19 Rose of Sharon Lodge CharltonDecember 27 Grand Master’s Banquet (out-of-state guests) NewtonDecember 28 Grand Lodge Installation and Feast of St. John Boston

January 6 Grand Lodge Board of Directors BostonJanuary 8 Winslow Lewis Lodge BostonJanuary 9 Grand Master’s DDGM Workshop BostonJanuary 9 Deputy Grand Masters’ Dinner LexingtonJanuary 10 John Warren Lodge HopkintonJanuary 11 St. Bernard Commandery #10, K.T. BostonJanuary 16 Rose of Sharon Lodge CharltonJanuary 20 MHS Board Meetings CharltonJanuary 20 The Masters Lodge NeedhamJanuary 22 The Twenty Fourth Lodge of Instruction Auburn

February 1 Scottish Rite, Valley of Worcester WorcesterFebruary 3 Grand Lodge Board of Directors BostonFebruary 9 John Warren Lodge HopkintonFebruary 10 St. Bernard Commandery #10, K.T. BostonFebruary 12 Winslow Lewis Lodge BostonFebruary 13–17 Grand Master’s Conference of North America Arlington, VirginiaFebruary 17 MHS Board Meetings CharltonFebruary 17 The Masters Lodge NeedhamFebruary 20 Grand Lecturers’ Ritual Workshops Various LocationsFebruary 20 Rose of Sharon Lodge CharltonFebruary 20 Winslow Lewis Lodge (Washington tribute) Boston

March 1 Scottish Rite, Valley of Worcester WorcesterMarch 3 Grand Lodge Board of Directors BostonMarch 6 Massachusetts DeMolay State Congress WorcesterMarch 10 Grand Lodge Quarterly BostonMarch 10 St. Bernard Commandery #10, K.T. BostonMarch 12 Winslow Lewis Lodge BostonMarch 17 MHS Board Meetings CharltonMarch 17 The Masters Lodge Needham

The Grand Master’s schedule was accurate at press time but is subject to change.

The Grand Master’s Calendar • 2009–2010

Wor. Keith Hirst and Rt. Wor. Ted Noble Morang, DDGMof the 13th District catch a few rays in front of the Children'sHospital Bloodmobile. In addition to collecting “Pints forHalf-Pints” of blood for Children’s Hospital, Mt. HorebLodge, Mt. Hermon Lodge, and William Parkman Lodgeentertained the children with a bounce house, while allenjoyed fresh popcorn and steamed hot dogs. Tours of theWoburn Masonic building included a stop downstairs for anEastern Star craft fair where the ladies served fresh clamchowder and chili.

13th District Collects Blood for Children’s Hospital

William Parkman Lodge Sponsors CHIP event

Three more satisfied CHIP customers: Audrey, Edward (Boomer),and Faye Fitzgerald at Winchester's Town Day CHIP event spon-sored by William Parkman Lodge.

LODGE NEWS DEADLINEsubmissions for the next issue

are due by January 10.

Send to Lodge News Editor Lee Fenn [email protected]

For help see the Author's Guidelineson the Grand Lodge web site

in the Member Center under Trowel Online.


When a photograph goes from any camera to the printedpage there is some loss in quality. If we start with a picturefrom a cell phone, the final product is a guaranteed failure.Most of these little phone cameras do not have enough res-olution—pixels. They can produce an adequate image onyour computer screen, but they can’t make a decent printedpicture. When making pictures for Trowel, use a real camera,and most importantly, set it for highest quality or resolution.

Just like in the old days of film cameras, remember to takepictures in a bright area or use flash. Don’t stand too faraway. When photographiing people especially, don't sparethe “film;” shoot a ton and a couple may work out. It’s hard forthree people to blink all at the same time!

The photo makes the story and you make the photo,so give us a great photo, and your story the look itdeserves.

This past August, over 250 DeMolays and their advisorsdescended on the campus of Nichols College for the annualDeMolay Conclave Weekend. The DeMolays elected andinstalled new state officers, participated in athletic and ritu-al competitions, attended classes in traditional DeMolaysubjects, and experienced a new group of classes in “LifeSkills.”

Who would think that any teenage boy would go to classon Saturday morning in August? But the titles in the LifeSkill classes included intriguing topics such as, “I’ve Got aflat!—Basic Car Skills”, “I’m hungry and don’t want to burnthe house down—Simple Cooking,” and the most popular,“You’re going to a formal dinner—etiquette.” All of theclasses were taught by the young men of DeMolay assistedby an advisor knowledgeable in the subject.

The schedule at Conclave is packed with exciting eventsfor the young men. While athletic competitions are under-way, the annual ritual competition is also going on. This isan opportunity for individuals to exemplify the more impor-tant parts of the DeMolay lessons. Another highlight of theweekend was the video games competition shown on a 20foot screen. Conclave is certainly a weekend when theyoung men go home charged with the enthusiasm ofDeMolay and the advisors go home to take a nap, but proudof the contribution they have made to our nation’s youth.

On Sunday, the Conclave played host to M.W. Roger W.Pageau, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, andover 40 members of his suite. The Sunday morning programincluded a worship service, awards ceremony, and the annu-

al installation of state officers.Christopher D. Rooney was electedState Master Councilor for 2009–2010. Chris is 20 years old and livesin Quincy. He is a member of OldColony Chapter in Quincy and anew member of Rural Lodge. The350 attendees included parents, paststate master councilors, visitingstate master councilors from as faraway as Delaware, and DeMolayleadership from all over NewEngland. —Rt. Wor. Brian S. Noble

DeMolay Conclave Promotes Brotherhood

State Master CouncilorChristopher D. Rooney

TROWEL Magazine—Masonic Building186 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111

the master mason rookie award: six stories

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