From the Worshipful Master

“The Year In Review, or, What I’ve Seen From the East”

It is undeniable that 2016 had been a difficult year for Wayfarers. Sometimes, I feel that as master of the lodge, I was unprepared for both the business considerations of the lodge, and the more personal aspects.
I suspect I am not the first master to ever feel that way, though sometimes, it is difficult not to feel like the worst worshipful master ever, the biggest failure. What are some of the things we’ve faced in 2016?

More than one brother has passed away, something that seems more and more common as age and disease claim older brothers. Concurrent with that, attendance is down.
The lodge lost its grand lodge vote.
And we had issues with everything from our mail service to our Quickbooks, and all that falls between.

So do we have anything to look back on in 2016 and say, “This was done, this was good,” or are we caught in a morass of problems?

I feel we need to remember all these problems we’ve had, learn from them, but we also need to look at what we’ve accomplished.

A major accomplishment: this year, we got the lodge air conditioning replaced.
We’ve talked about this for years, but it’s finally done, and I think the lodge benefits from it. The units we used to have were old when we got them, and now, the system is repaired and upgraded.
We’ve also rewritten our by laws to make them simpler, and easier to change when we need to. Soon, we will be voting on them and sending them to the grand lodge.

Those problems we seemed to have with every little thing? We’ve spent a year dealing with them. And now, our Quickbooks, our ability to take dues electronically, our postal service, our website, all of these things and more, brothers have worked to get in hand, and they are in the lodge’s name and ready for the future. All these are things we were dealing with when I became master, and this year, the brothers stepped up and dealt with them.

While we were unable to get our vote back, the legislation at Grand Lodge this year was very light, and nothing turned on a single vote. We also now have a warning for the future, a knowledge of what we have to do to prevent this in later years.

Perhaps most important, we are educating future masters of the lodge about the pitfalls and hazards that they need to watch out for, and giving them the tools and advice they need to prepare for and deal with them.

And, little by little, a new generation of brothers is coming into the lodge, men who may have grown up in a different world than the older brothers, but who are no less dedicated to being good men and good masons. Men who see the good that masonry can do and say, “Yes, let us do these things.”

I didn’t accomplish these things. The brothers of the lodge did. From the newest apprentice to the most experienced past master, the brothers of the lodge got things done. They brought skill, knowledge, and perhaps most important, willingness to do, to all these situations. And they succeeded in fixing them.

And the brothers we’ve lost… it seems no good can come of saying goodbye to them. We’ve lost more than their brotherhood, we’ve lost their wisdom, their experience, and their friendship. But we can, perhaps, assuage our grief with the knowledge they are beyond earthly pains and cares, and sit in the celestial lodge.
We can hope they heard that most yearned for statement, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter though into the peace of thy lord.”
And we can always remember them.

Thank you, my brothers, for all you’ve done this year.

Bryan Bullock
Worshipful Master

From the Senior Warden

This year has been a very eventful year. There has been a great deal I have learned while sitting as your Senior Warden.
I have had the opportunity to sit and study to recite on of our ritual lectures. To be able to do this is no small task. When I first began, it seemed like a monumental task. I would study then take a few weeks break, then study hard again, then take a break again. Little by little I was able to memorize more and then I passed off our 3rd degree lecture to our DDGM. I have a lot of respect for those of Brothers in the craft who are our mater ritualists or master lecturers. After memorizing a lecture, the other things in the ritual seem trivial by comparison.

I was able to attend our Grand Lodge Communication. Any Master Mason can attend Grand Lodge Communication, but only Past Masters or Pedestal Officers can vote. This was a unique experience to meet Masons from all over the state. I was able to sit and have conversations with very experienced and wise Masons. I felt inspired by what other Lodges were able to accomplish and desire the same for our Lodge. I would encourage any Master Mason to attend Grand Lodge at least once, if only to be able to meet new Brothers and build Masonic relationships.
I continued teaching our monthly Education Night this year. We are following the book The Great Teachings of Masonry by HL Haywood. However, I got “writer’s block,” or I suppose “teacher’s block” while follow the book and veered off into other subjects. I came to a spot where I wanted to put a good amount of time and research into a topic for the benefit of the attendees to be as accurate as possible. The turnout has been pretty stable all year and we were even able to hand out several petitions, which for me is a sign of success.

If I could sum up my year into one word, it would be preparation. Besides memorizing all the required ritual parts and lecture (no small task mind you), it is also doing my own personal reading and preparations for advancing to the role of Worshipful Master. This includes evaluating our financial situation. I have put together small budget to be presented at our November stated meeting for the you to view. I have also put together a calendar of activities and potential fundraisers. I have had to consult with many other Masons and members of the Lodge out this. We have some current candidates and perspective candidates entering the craft. I will have us prepare to present to them spectacular ritual work in order to impart to them the serious and enlightening truths that are to be gained. I will also be presenting an Officers Education night to bring our officer’s line together so we can have unity in our purpose and know each other’s duties. We have a strong line and I am very excited for it.

I look forward to us having a lot of fun and growing as men and Brothers this next year.

Christopher Huson
Senior Warden

From the Junior Warden

The Year in Review

This past year, I had the pleasure of serving as Junior Warden. The position is a rewarding one, as is all service to the lodge. We’ve had some bumpy spots in the road this year, from the air conditioning to the lodge financials and accounts. All of these challenges were handled exceptionally well by the men and officers of the lodge.

As most reading this will know, the officer’s line is progressive; though, more so than many realize. In part, the stations of the officers junior are meant to learn from the senior; to act as their assist and learn what will be needed of them in the roles going forward. In the case of the Junior Warden, to assist the Senior Warden, perform other duties around the lodge, and learn what will be needed as Senior; to assist the Worshipful Master, take care of the management and politics of the lodge, and so forth. While Masonry is an apolitical entity, put two people in the same room and there will be politics; to say nothing of the endless list of mundanities running a lodge requires. To that end, while I certainly was not shy of offering my input, as Junior Warden, I largely watched, and listened. And learn I did.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of our Secretary, Treasurer, Senior Warden, and Worshipful in particular, our lodge now has a very strong path forward. Many of the issues that have plagued us in recent years have been rectified, and the lodge has a robust line of officers to carry the progressive line forward for the next few years. I, however, will not be joining them. As many know, I am an engineering student, and due to many changes over the past year, mostly involving school, much as I want to I’m afraid I cannot give the lodge the dedication she requires as Senior Warden. If, in a few years, things have settled down and the lodge has need of me, I will hop back in the line; to support the lodge and the brothers, through to the East and beyond.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the lodge this past year as Junior Warden. May God bless this lodge and her brothers, near and far, present and passed. Here’s to a productive year, and an even better one going forward.

Cameron Smith
Junior Warden