How fortunate are we to meet on one of the four most auspicious days of the year? To on that same night say goodbye to a beloved Brother? And that we got to say hello to him one more time?
Very.
On September 22, Friendship Masonic Lodge opened for one reason, but the Brethren assembled for two.
Before moving across the country with his fiancé, Brother Blake Praharaj wanted to prove himself a proficient Fellowcraft Mason. This being his final task as a Fellowcraft before he can be Raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. He (and we with him) had hoped to Raise him before his departure. But due to rising cases and risks of COVID, he opted to wait for another time.
So the officers and Brethren of Friendship Masonic Lodge opened a special communication on the auspicious evening of the Autumnal Equinox to examine Brother Blake in his proficiency in the Fellowcraft Degree. Examined by his coach and mentor, Brother Haase, Brother Blake’s delivery was impeccable.
Before rendering his verdict on the matter, the Worshipful Master descended from the East and had a personal moment with Brother Blake in which he handed him our challenge coin, assured him he had met the challenge, and asked the Lodge, “Brethren! What say you?”
Everyone applauded. Worshipful Brother Smith shook Bro. Blake’s hand, returned to the East, and with a rap of the gavel proclaimed him proficient.
You say goodbye, I say hello
After closing Lodge, the Brothers moved upstairs to the dining hall to enjoy a casual meal of pizza, soda, and the odd can of beer. How else do you end summer?
Since we’d usually be dining after conferring a degree, Worshipful Brother Smith called on the Brethren to speak their minds about what we’d just witnessed, and our thoughts on the Masonic fraternity. In keeping with tradition, he instructed Bro. Blake to go first. He spoke of the love he feels for us all, and the gratitude he had for what Freemasonry has given him – teaching him skills he didn’t know he lacked, and awakened a desire to put down roots, build a family, and the courage to propose to his fiancé and undertake the journey to a new life in Tennessee.
Several other Brothers spoke as well, though a theme of how nice it was to be able to come together again (after missing so much time last year) and how many hidden blessings there were to 2020.
One Past Master, before heading home for the night riffed on that theme, remarking how 2020 had been a year of so many “good byes” for so many people and in so many ways, yet many of the men present could relate how they’d been blessed to get to say “hello” to their best lives in all that turmoil, and commented, “you know, I came here tonight expecting to say ‘good bye’ and leave just a little sad, but now I’m just glad we got to say ‘hello’ one more time.
