One of the reasons I am proud to be a Freemason is our fraternity’s great history. At St. Patrick’s Lodge 4, chartered in 1766 in Johnstown, New York, we meet inside a wonderful and storied building where we are preparing to celebrate the centenary of its cornerstone ceremony. St. Pat’s, like many lodges across the state, is blessed with an expansive significant building, and our home exudes grandeur! On approaching the façade, one beholds an impressive colonnade flanking the main entrance. Upon entering, we are transported back to the golden age of Freemasonry, when Masons were builders contriving in wisdom, strength, and beauty for the benefit of all who would come in the same way and manner in the future.

Our distinguished building was left to us by our Masonic predecessors, and one daunting question we face, as the building shows its age, is do we preserve our heritage, or do we downsize to a more modern home? Numerous lodges across our great state have had to sell to survive, and others have gone dark due to declining membership and finances. A quick search on YouTube yields multiple videos of abandoned lodge buildings left to crumble, being exploited by paranormal investigators and urban explorers.

We would be wise to undertake our own explorations to learn more about ourselves. One day before lodge, a couple brothers and I decided to look through our attic, but made it no further than the second floor. We found stacks and stacks of photographs scattered over tables everywhere; old ritual regalia and wardrobes; forgotten paperwork; neglected Bibles; yellowed certificates; and more, all just collecting dust. We ventured upstairs to the balcony, then finally to the attic, where the memories of how Freemasonry first inspired me as a child scouting in my grandparents’ Victorian attic came rushing back. I looked with wonder at all these old props and costumes, from both lodge and chapter, forgotten in the passage of time.

We must embrace our past if we are to have a future. These old lodge buildings contain our lodges’ memories, and they can be a big attraction in the eyes of those who would knock on our doors.

This is why Right Worshipful Brother Michael Millias and others are endeavoring to preserve our lodge’s history. We are documenting the inventory and figuring how best to preserve and display the treasures of our traditions. A few of these items are the original charter from the Grand Lodge of England, our original officers’ jewels, and an antique key said to have come from the lock of William Morgan’s jail cell.

Photo: “Grand Lodge of Czech Exhibition Poster”

Last year, I traveled to Prague to visit family. My father-in-law belongs to a lodge there, and he told me about an exhibition the Grand Lodge of Czech Republic was presenting to mark its own centenary. My understanding was this exhibit was meant to raise funds and increase public knowledge of Freemasonry, possibly to attract new members. It was titled “Freemasons, Freemasonry Through the Eyes of Freemasons.” I remember thinking what a great idea this is, and that it may be an activity New York lodges could emulate.

Cultures around the world and across eons have recognized the sacred nature of the honeybee. To the Cherokee, the bee represents the reward of patience, and its sting is the penalty for greed. The Celts and the Greeks alike believed bees had supernatural powers and that they could travel between worlds. The Bible mentions honey numerous times, always relating to purity or plenty. In Freemasonry, the Beehive represents the work of the Master Mason and the industry of our lodges, as it inculcates team work and dedication as means toward shared security and prosperity.

A recent incident, as I was being installed as Senior Warden of Sigma Council Princes of Jerusalem at the Valley of Schenectady, drew my attention to the industrious nature of the bee and its important message to the brothers of our great fraternity.

It was a warm evening, and Beukendaal Lodge 915’s building was buzzing with brothers and their families who gathered to celebrate the installation. Ill. David E. Barnes lined up the officers according to their line and rank. We walked out and stood at one end of the lodge as the proceedings began. I kept seeing something fluttering around the light above my head, but I ignored it, preoccupied with the importance of this moment to me and my brothers.

I wanted to be a great officer and make my fellow Sublime Princes proud, but my day job all too often makes it hard for me to be as involved as I’d like. In fact, I was exhausted, and my mind drifted back to my long day at work. Suddenly something landed on the back of my neck. I reached back and grabbed it. Ouch! I got stung by a honeybee! I was stunned for a moment, my hand throbbed in pain. I looked at the sting and thought man, what an incredibly bad time to get stung! I was glad I’m not allergic. I turned to the brother to my right and joked about it, saying I hope it wasn’t some sort of omen.

As the evening progressed, I continued to think about the sting. My friend, Paul Meher, Jr., 32° and Deputy Master of Sigma Lodge of Perfection, joked that maybe it followed me home from my work as a pest control service manager. The more I think about it, the more I believe it was a message from the Great Architect reminding me how Freemasons should be industrious, never sitting down while those around us are in need, especially when it is in our power to do so without injury to ourselves.

Photo: Bee hive at Masters Lodge 5 in Albany NY

I am often asked what happened during the twenty years between my being made an Entered Apprentice and being raised a Master Mason. A more interesting story is why I joined and what brought me back. It was as simple as one brother reaching out to another.

It was a brisk October evening in 2002. I nervously put on my Sears & Roebuck suit and kissed my wife goodbye. She told me she was proud of me as I closed the door to our little Verplank apartment and drove off. A little while later, I parked in front of this beautiful old building. It was Collabergh-Radium Lodge 859. I barely knew a soul inside and wondered what was going to happen within, as I looked at the Square and Compasses on its façade. I walked up the front steps as a cool wind bristled through the trees and a few leaves spiraled down the sidewalk. I opened the door and entered and was immediately greeted by warm smiling faces that put my mind at ease. Then I was seated in the room adjoining the lodge room, was prepared in the manner of an Entered Apprentice, and was about to go forward as all brethren who have gone this way before.

But I never thought it would take twenty years to complete my journey from Entered Apprentice to Master Mason.

I grew up hearing about the legacy of Freemasonry in my family history. My mother is a very proud Eastern Star, as was my grandmother. I was told my grandfather was a Mason, although he never spoke about it (maybe because I was too young to join before he died). Then there was Uncle Walter, who also was a Mason. I often heard stories about what a good man he was.
He was in a “secret society” of great men, I was told. I often wondered what kind of magical things these men were up to in their lodges. My grandparents owned a beautiful old Victorian home in Bedford Hills, New York, where I’d spent a lot of time growing up. My grandfather was a structural engineer retired from the New York Central Railroad. I loved to explore my grandparents’ property.

My favorite place was their attic with all the magical items within. One day, something caught my eye. A beam of light shining through a pane of wavy glass in the attic window illuminating a wood box in the corner. It was like something out of The Chronicles of Narnia. I walked over and blew the dust off the lid, revealing a Square and Compasses. When I opened it, I found my great grandfather’s constable badge, some arrow heads, a hat, a white apron, a Masonic Bible, and an old poster. Across the top was written “The Steps of Freemasonry.” I was awestruck! What were the degrees listed on this poster? Who were these great people? I had to join them one day. Years later, while studying at the University at Albany, the Craft called to me again. I spent some time studying famous Freemasons, like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other Founding Fathers.

I graduated UAlbany in 1999; married my beautiful girlfriend, Hana; and we had our son, William. I admired my father-in-law, he was a Freemason in the Czech Republic, so I decided to give it a try. I printed out a petition, mailed it, and waited for a response. A short time later I completed my first degree.

After my initiation, I entered the dining room and was warmly received by my new brothers. They gave me a Bible, which they all signed, and my apron. The Three Tenets of Freemasonry, they explained, are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. It would take me twenty years to fully understand this. Soon after receiving the degree, the realities of life began to hit hard. I was a first-time father and a husband eager to make my way in the world. My wife couldn’t work because she didn’t have a Green Card, and my son was a toddler. They were dependent on me for everything. I had to do something drastic to improve our situation, so we moved upstate to Johnstown in hope of a better life. I took a job to have a steady income between writing gigs, and the years rolled on.

I thought about Freemasonry often. The impact of leaving the brotherhood weighed heavy on my mind. I longed to return, but didn’t know how, didn’t know whom to ask, didn’t know how they would respond to me. My life was good, and I wasn’t working so many hours anymore. My son is now grown. I put him and my wife through college. They are both very successful now. Something was missing though.

It appears the Great Architect wasn’t done with me, as fate and circumstance intervened in 2021.
Why did I come back after twenty years? Because of one brother reaching out to another. Bro. Paul Meher is a member at St Patrick’s Lodge 4. Serendipitously, our kids were dating and that led to us meeting. He invited my family to dine with his, and the rest is history.

We began to talk. I told him my situation and he convinced me to give Freemasonry another shot. It was then that I met the greatest bunch of guys I’ve ever known, and they all worked together to bring me into the fold.