2025
Reviewing a Masonic Year
I’ve been thinking, the past couple of days, about some highlights of my just past Masonic year. Hopefully sharing them here won’t be too awful boring for everyone!
Perhaps the largest thing is that I took over as Worshipful Master of Centralia Lodge. Not because I needed, or wanted, to be a Worshipful Master again, but simply because the Lodge needed me.
Our previous Master had served a couple of terms in a row, as had the Master prior to him. We’ve got a truly great slate of young men willing and able to take the Lodge into a very bright future, but, no one wanted to skip chairs (which I fully understand and support) and the WM really wanted some time off, so we were without anyone to serve as Master.
So, I threw my hat in the ring, and here we are. Master of Centralia for the second time, about a dozen years after my first foray into the East.
It’s actually a rather unique situation, in that my Senior Warden (who filled that chair for the same reason I stepped into the East) is also a Past Grand Master. So, Centralia Lodge has a PGM in both the East and the West. I don’t imagine that happens very often anywhere outside of certain specialty Lodges.
The primary thing I’m attempting to do this term is pull our Lodge back to a weekly meeting schedule. Not Stated Meetings, those remain once per month, but holding something on every single Monday night. Thus far it has worked out. We’ve had philosophical discussions, big dinners, a game night, Degrees, and some other stuff.
My concern has always been that strong bonds of Brotherhood just can’t build when we only see each other once a month for a Stated Meeting. This is all an attempt to bring everyone in the group a lot closer together.
The other thing I hope to accomplish is to hold at least one weekend retreat over my term. Years ago the Lodge used to hold one or two of these a year, and they were always quite successful, but for whatever reason they just slowly stopped happening. We should be able to bring them back easily enough.
One thing that is truly benefiting Centralia Lodge, and that I must mention is the energy of youth.
As I mentioned above, we’ve got some really great young men in our Lodge now. Superb guys. And they have that energy. Since becoming Master, never have I asked for help and not received it.
And that is so vitally important. If we hope to have thriving Lodges that don’t burn out their Worshipful Masters, we all need to lend a hand when needed. Of course that goes the other way too, when we are Master, we have to accept the help when it is offered.
The other big bit of 2025 personal Masonic news is that my term ended as Chairman of the Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America.
(Where on earth did they ever come up with that name?)
I spent a few years on the Commission and found it to be extremely interesting work. We met, in person, with officials from Grand Lodges around the world. Those seeking Recognition from the Grand Lodges in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We also heard from any Grand Lodges around the world who wanted to add their perspective to our deliberations on any given request we had received. Truly fascinating work.
Melinda will be happy that I will be home on Valentines Day for the first time in many years, as the Commission meetings always overlapped that holiday. And I have to admit that it will be nice to be warm, as it seemed as if we almost always held our February meetings in very cold places!
My primary Masonic labor is of course, and will remain Emeth.
Don’t get me wrong, I truly love all of the in person Masonic things that I do. There is nothing I like better than spending time with my Brothers, Masonically.
But, if I’m at a Lodge meeting, maybe I can reach 20 guys with whatever my message might be. If I’m really lucky, maybe 50 guys. If I send that same message out here on Emeth, almost 2,500 guys get it right in their email. Almost 4,000 see it in the app. This is where I can have the largest impact.
Those numbers, almost 6,500 people seem good, but to my mind it is only a very tiny fraction of the number of English speaking Masons around our big world. So I really hope that the numbers continue to grow in 2026, and that’s why I nag everyone from time to time to hit the old share button.
It is my sincere hope that I can keep Emeth going, and going strong for a great many years to come.
But, in saying that, I must also give my very sincere Thank You to everyone who supports this effort. Those who read what I write, those who subscribe, those who share, and those who provide us with their wisdom in the comments. Together we have built something truly powerful within the world of Masonry.
I also must give my profound gratitude to everyone who holds a paid Subscription to Emeth. Without you, this would not be possible, it could not continue.
Throughout the Month of December, and the early days of January, I did spent a massive amount of time thinking about my writing, and pondering its future.
The essay, just like this one that you are reading, is undoubtedly the truly native form of writing on the internet. And the internet gives us reach, potentially massive reach. Those who write online don’t get the respect of those who’s words appear on paper, but the online world absolutely crushes the paper word when it comes to reaching people.
I love books. I truly do, and I always have. Books are hands down my preferred way to read. But, I’m an online writer, and I’m good with that. Because it allows for unlimited potential.
In 2026 I’ve decided to make a stronger effort with my online writing. Increasing the frequency at which I publish. Probably no change will be seen here on Emeth, simply because I already publish on a seemingly constant schedule, but I’m going to do a bit more with my writings about Tarot, focusing on its use in meditation and as exercise for the mind, and a lot more writings touching upon our society in general. Those things will be published at The Keystone and CM Bailey respectively.
There you have it, a bit of a review of my Masonic 2025, and a hint of my year to come in 2026.
Do you have any big plans for this new year?
I can’t help but notice, when I visit Lodge, that lots and lots of Masons love Zyn. For me, it’s Fre, particularly their Lush flavor.
Unfortunately, on New Year’s Day, the price of these things more than doubled in an instant. Thanks to new taxes imposed by our Legislature and Governor.
I wrote about that yesterday, and if you’re a Zyn guy, you’ll probably like reading it.
But, what I wrote isn’t just for Zyn guys. It’s for cigarette smokers too.
If you’re interested, you can find the essay here:
I’m in the South in Occidental No. 72 in Ballard (Seattle) for similar reasons. Wonderfully talented younger brothers coming up who deserve the experience of the Deacons’ chairs before progressing through the principal chairs.
So a Past District Deputy in the South, a Past District Deputy in the West, and a dedicated Occidental Past Master doing his 4th (non consecutive) term in the East. Not sure whether the West or the East is in store for me next year, but getting our young lads ready for bigger roles is the main goal.
God’s speed my brother!
Interestingly enough, I will also be going through the chairs in my home Lodge. Same reason.
When I started my first term as Worshipful Master in 1999:
The current Worshipful Master was 3 years old. So was the Secretary. The Senior Warden was 11. The Chaplain and the Senior Deacon weren’t born yet. Aside from myself, only the Junior Deacon was an adult, being in his mid-30’s at the time. But he wouldn’t join the craft for another 6 years. It’s a sobering thought that I’m the “old man of the bunch,” but after 27 years, that’s the case. I’ve been a Past Master for more than half my life now. So I’ve been mentoring and helping this Lodge this year. Even last year’s Worshipful Master, who is a week younger than my father and has been a Mason since 1968, started getting active again 4 ½ years ago, and it was fun helping him out as well. This will put me in the East for the 2028 year. I’ve already had a few Grand Lodge Brothers ask me if I was out of my gourd. And on the surface, it’s a valid question! But the truth is the Brethren already knew my responsibilities at the Grand Lodge level, so my year in the East will be simply organizing and running the meetings, while the membership does the legwork. I warned them I won’t be able to get any more involved than I am now with events between the meetings, and they fully understand that. But they put me in the line for the same reason – as guidance for the new Brothers, and also so they don’t end up in the East prematurely.
How old was I when I was installed into the East the first time? 24. In the East prematurely. Fortunately, as I’ve mentioned before several times, my officers and mentors had known me since I was a little tyke, so it wasn’t a Trial by Fire, it was a solid, on-the-job learning experience.