"WE SHOWED UP"

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

It came out of the blue and with little notice: A Masonic widow needed help moving.

On a Thursday evening, the notice came to me initially via messenger and later as an email. One of our Masonic widows needed assistance. Not only did she need assistance, but it was also for Saturday morning, and for several of us, it was over an hour away. I have nothing but pride and honor of being with the brethren as we pitched in to complete the mission.

It began as a single last-minute message out to another few individuals, asking if they in turn might help get the word out to the Brothers. A query we are seeing more and more--help for a widow, yet we can be so immersed into our own lives we forget that a few hours can make such a big difference. My part in this was small. I copied the text and sent it out to a few dozen close Brothers via my own text message. I suppose that's our current version of the Masonic phone tree of the '70s and '80s. There really wasn't time to do much more than coordinate with our Brother who remained in communication with the widow, but I did discuss it during the Friday Masonic Happy Hour, garnering another volunteer. How many of us could clear a morning and early afternoon on one day's notice? I had so many Brothers reach out to me saying, "not Saturday, but I can help - tell me how?", and how cool was that? How awesome to know that even if they couldn't make it to the event, they still had our backs by offering other assistance. The Brothers responded.

The weather was just this side of abysmal. We had a full day of slow soaking rain in the upper 30's, and we were blessed with very little wind. Yet we showed up. We pushed through. We didn't let a little weather or distance stop us from being the Masons we all want to be.

Saturday morning a Mason and a couple of DeMolays met at my house having no idea if we were the only ones, or who might have responded separately. To my delight, we had over a dozen respond and had great fellowship as we made quick work of loading a U-Haul and a couple of our trucks. Cold, wet, and tired, we were all back home by early afternoon with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

I'm always pleasantly surprised at the dedication and fortitude of the Brethren, and I want to give a quick shout out to Brother DeMolays Darien and Landon Beck (I'm a senior DeMolay and proud to be their Brother), Brother Masons Glenn Parker, and Jess Botterbush, to Brother Terry Coppotelli for coordinating this, and Brothers Bret Akers, Ken Harper, and Robbie Bowles for making sure the information was propagated. There were more, and they also took time and made effort. Effort and time, something which is precious against our own 24-inch gauges. It takes showing up, being there for each other, being there - for our widows and orphans. You gentlemen and the whole of the moving crew - you humble me and make me proud.

~RS

Bro. Randy and his wife Elyana live in O'Fallon, MO just outside of St. Louis. Randy earned a
Bachelors in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in telecom IT. He volunteers his time as a professional and personal mentor, is an NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol. He has a 30+ year background teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy's Masonic bio includes lodge education officer of two blue lodges, running the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, active in York Rite AMD, Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis co-librarian, Clerk of the Academy Of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, a trained facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. As a pre-COVID-19 pioneer in Masonic virtual education, Randy is an administrator of Refracted Light and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy enjoys facilitating and presenting Masonic esoteric education, and he hosts an open, weekly Masonic virtual Friday Happy Hour. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

Affiliate Locally

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Erik Marks

Disambiguation: there are many lodges named Beacon, I’m not writing about a specific lodge with that name. I write about the way some lodges come to be bright centers of light, referred to herein as “beacons.”

It is an odd statement to make, I admit. Traveling in pouring rain on Sunday, I had been thinking about some brothers’ I’ve recently met who either belong to Ezekiel Bates Lodge in Attleboro, MA, (EBL) or present there for Masonic Con. One brother urged me to make it a point to be present for the 2020 events. We could meet in person for the first time, and I would see brothers with whom I labor alongside. It will be wonderful: April 18, 2020. I’ll go. If you are nearby, or able to travel, I hear its worth our while.

On my rainy-day reflective drive, it seemed exciting to affiliate with EBL in the coming year. I would be part of the lodge. And, both by association and being able attend regularly, I would expand my masonic education and experience. What a boon I live so close to such a beacon of light, I thought. Listening to podcasts, reading post on line, talking brothers who I admire and now call friends, I’ve learned about a handful of lodges I think of as beacons of masonic light. They do their part to keep us, Freemasonry, off that deadly area of shore we learned about, that part with the tide… Further, they guide us toward greater knowledge and inspiration to work on ourselves more effectively. They shine as examples of what lodge can, and I suggest, needs to be—for me anyway. Though not bright in the same way as EBL, I know Alpha (my home) is a place where education is honored, valued, and implemented. Brothers care deeply for one another and offer educational experience I want and need. But I digress.

The moment I decided I would join EBL, the brake lights in front of me flared and burst my reverie. I did my best not to sail into the person before me and not slam my breaks too fast so the person behind me had time to stop as well. We were all fine, no bumps. In that moment, however, my mind went inexplicably and directly to the local lodge that is struggling; guys there had apologized to me on the open house day and lamented there wasn’t much education happening. Who needs me more? EBL or local lodge?

The answer was so clear. I can’t afford to apply to affiliate with two additional lodges. Therefore, if and when I am to affiliate with a place in addition to Alpha, my energy, extra time, and money, would be best spent at local. EBL doesn’t need me. I would affiliate not to be known as a member of a beacon lodge, but a local laborer. Maybe local would never become a beacon, but we could be brighter, with more members. EBL wouldn’t miss me and its not personal. I can still travel there and learn. But local would miss me, or any of us who head toward the brighter light out of ego, fomo, or just genuine excitement.

I’m not saying its problematic to join EBL or any beacon. Rather, sometimes the choice to move toward the dimmer parts have so much to offer, for everyone involved. So it is with our psyches. We avoid the darker aspects of self, leave them unexplored because its naturally harder work, more painful. But we also grow significantly when we do and in doing so become initiated to be able to handle more. We shine the light of presence and consciousness into the dark, and things change.

Because they are so brightly, nationally, internationally, Brethren will of course be drawn to our beacons, for excellent reasons. Beacon Lodges also do a great service to the profane world, showing off the best performances of what Masonry can look like. Their greater numbers and resources allow for ample In-depth education, an inspired and growing membership. The cycle continues as they expand, so do the resources, and they can offer more to more people, masons and greater community. Bravo! We need them.

Local needs me not because I have the answers. I don’t. I am just at the beginning. I’m trying to find my own way and answers. They can help. Local would have more problems than beacon, fewer men, less money, maybe aging property. I know membership is low, possibly dropping. Local needs me for the obvious reasons, but they also need me because I haven’t been raised by them. Exactly because we are unknown to one another, we have to do the intrapsychic and interpersonal work of harmoniously joining together to build. Using our universal tools and ritual makes this possible. We will all be improved by our efforts, through the common goal.

Maybe those of us who can only affiliate with one additional lodge, if any additional at all, would do the fraternity and local the greatest service by joining the least known with the fewest resources. I think it’s the right tactic in a larger strategy of education and offering to men everywhere the gift I’m so lucky and grateful to have received. And, quite selfishly, I would learn so much. If I could entice a few others to come with me to affiliate with local we would have a greater effect. It might be painful, it might be fun, it would be work. And its what we choose.

As I write, the somewhat frightening possibility that maybe I would choose to step in line with my affiliate lodge before doing so at home. I don’t think it would be taken as a betrayal if local was lacking a line to be able to operate. If a few of us could join simultaneously, we might be able to help relieve officers who have held the lodge up a long time and need some rest. I could even ask past officers from Alpha who have the time to fill in occasionally, more light.

This, brother, is my challenge to us both: When its time and if you can choose only one: don’t affiliate with the beacon lodges near you, or far from you. Avoid them not out of malice or disdain but with love and as an homage to their labors and light. Carry the inspiration they developed in you by their example. Not to compete with them, rather to build something sustainable for other locals to join—to strengthen the network. It could have possibilities of being new and different from whence you came. Or, maybe building a solid, sustaining, masonic education would be enough.

~EAM

Brother Erik Marks is a clinical social worker whose usual vocation has been in the field of human services in a wide range of settings since 1990. He was raised in 2017 by his biologically younger Brother and then Worshipful Master in Alpha Lodge in Framingham, MA. You may contact brother Marks by email: erik@StrongGrip.org

Brotherhood - A Matter of Accessibility

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RW Robert H. Johnson

"Text me, call me or email me, 24 hours a day, 365."That's what I tell every brother I know. I have made it a point to make myself accessible at all hours to my brothers. Some say, "Family first!" I agree, brothers are my family. I have found that making sure my brothers know I am willing to help anytime, is a crucial step in them understanding that this isn't a superficial relationship. In fact, there are moments when these men are shocked because of the attention and response they get when they put a call out.

We've all been there, we say, "Call me if you need anything." How many people say this, willy nilly? Openly or secretly hoping the person doesn't call on them. Of course it's human nature to want to be selfish and ignore a phone call, not respond to a text, or just outright ignore the person reaching out. We're human. But also, as a fraternity, we're above this.

How about when you're all sitting around late at night, you've all had a few drinks and everyone starts making plans to do something, and in the morning no one remembers. Conversations in which no one has any intention of doing what is proposed. Except, Freemasonry is different. What we propose, we perform. Especially when we offer assistance.

Recently, I told a brother I didn't need anything while my wife and I spent the night in the hospital with our youngest son. The next day I woke up in the hospital to a text message received at 8am. "They won't let me in, I have some breakfast for you guys." It was 9:15. I walked to the doors which lead out into the waiting area, and the brother was STILL there waiting. We shook hands, and he handed me a bag of breakfast items. We shared a few words before he took off and went about his day. It was Christmas Eve.

Emotional thoughts invaded my mind. In the current turmoil which we had just been through, my brother, who saw through my dismissal of help and reached out anyway, made me feel as if any doubts I had in this fraternity were wrongly placed. That breakfast was great, even if we was in the hospital.

Let this be a warning to those new brothers and to men thinking about joining. If we say we'll be there, we will. If you ask for assistance, we'll be there.

Oh, and one last thing. Thanks, Scott.

~RHJ