Greetings My Brothers,
I hope your winter season has been somewhat quiet and restful. The spring thaw is right around the corner here in Rhode Island, and the warmer weather will inevitably bring more time outdoors to celebrate the Great Architect’s grand designs. For me, that means embracing the joys of yard work, putting my hands in the dirt with new plantings, and simply enjoying the longer days of spring. I had occasion to visit my family in South Carolina last month, and while it wasn’t quite spring time there, we did have a few days in the mid-60s. It gave me ample motivation to hold out a little longer for spring time here, even if it meant coming home to below freezing temps and more snow.
February’s Fellowcraft degree was an absolute success. I want to thank the SJ1P officers who continue to put in such dedicated labor to ensure our ritual remains among the finest in the jurisdiction. Their work and dedication to our lodge continues to inspire. It was the lodge’s pleasure to receive and celebrate our Brother Senior Deacon Scott Alexander, who continues forward on his road to recovery. His attendance at our communication brought joy and levity to the evening, and we are thankful for our time with him.
It was a particular joy to receive our District Deputy Grand Master, R:.W:. Stephan H Saraidarian, who came simply as a brother, to be with his brothers during our degree night. His official visitation to St Johns 1P will be in April, but it has been a delight to have him in our lodge so frequently this year. His support and encouragement of our district, and of SJ1P, has been indispensable to me.
I cannot leave out my immense gratitude for our three most recent Past Masters, Worshipful Brothers Josh Irizzary, Joe Bernier, and John Paliotta, who stepped in to support the lodge for the Fellowcraft Degree. W:. Joe gave an impeccable Middle Chamber lecture, with only five weeks notice to prepare it! Likewise, W:. Josh quickly pivoted from his usual Marshal duties to those of the Senior Deacon, and executed the floor work for the degree with exacting precision. W:. Johnnie backfilled the Marshal’s chair in W:. Josh’s stead, serving with the same steady hand he used during his term as Master. SJ1P is extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated group of Past Masters such as these.
We have a full plate ahead of us for the remainder of our Masonic year. This month we will conduct the Master Mason degree upon our candidates, with the first portion of the degree being the evening of our communication, and the remainder of the degree at a special communication on Saturday, March 22nd, at 9AM. I hope you will plan to attend both events, to support our newest brothers as well as the officers and brothers who will put on the degree.
I mentioned that we will receive RW:. Stephan Saraidarian in our April communication. I am looking forward to the program that evening very much. We will hear a presentation on the “Importance of Music in Freemasonry” from RW:. Brother Paul C Smith, Past Grand Education Officer for Grand Lodge of New Hampshire. For all the variety of programs I have tried to offer this year, I have so far not managed to host one regarding music or Masonry. Here, we will have both! I hope you will plan to attend, and be part of the celebrated St Johns 1P tradition of sending our DDGMs out of the districts and off to the Grand Council in style.
On April 3rd, there will be a Metro District Festive Board held at the Grand Lodge. This is a new kind of event, sponsored by RW Stephan, wherein we will hold a festive board (not a tiled lodge), for the sole purpose of enjoying each other’s company. It will be modeled after those described by Bro Andrew Hammer in his several Masonic writings. Please see me or Bro JW Bill Gouge if you are interested in attending. There is limited space available, and a reservation is required.
In May, we will have our annual visitation with Euclid Lodge #136 in New Jersey. This year we will travel to them, so please mark Saturday, May 03rd on your calendar for that visitation. More details and RSVP information will follow. At the end of May, we also plan to host another carwash for the RI School for the Deaf. Again, these details will be forthcoming, so that we can support that organization once more before their school year and our Masonic year come to a close.
Lastly, I have something of a PSA for the lodge. Our Brother Secretary, M:.W:. Skip Hallstrom, has requested we begin working towards a replacement for him. This is not to say Skip is quite ready to retire! Only that given the sophisticated nature of the secretary’s job, Skip rightly suggests a replacement should apprentice with him for some time before taking over the full responsibilities of the office. It is of vital importance that whoever works with Skip be committed to serving the role for the next several years. As any Master will tell you, the lodge may be under his instruction, but it’s the Secretary who keeps things moving smoothly! Skip continues to have our immense gratitude for his service to our lodge. If you are interested in serving in this manner, please reach out to myself or Bro SW Bob Larrabee. We will be happy to discuss that with you, in order that we may properly and transparently continue to support the critical functions of our lodge.
I had a conversation with our R:.W:. Past Master Tim Culhane the other day, wherein I confessed that I was having difficulty “getting my head right” with all that is happening in the world. I griped over how one could be expected to complete such an interminable list of tasks, each more sophisticated than the other, when there’s so much friction around us. In that way that he does, Tim commented that life is certainly more exciting when there’s a huge project to undertake, some major event to schedule, or perhaps a volatile and emergent situation, wherein we have to think fast and act faster. He noted that the vitality of life is actually found in the mundanity of everyday living. Waking up, making coffee, going through the routines of our day, these are the places in life where real change happens. He then reminded me of my own words, that the biggest differences we make in the world are often bound up in the smallest actions. Grand gestures have their place, Tim said, but sweeping the floor and taking out the trash every day is the stuff of contentment and peace. As much as I needed to hear it, I hate having my own good advice thrown back at me.
Take care of yourselves, my brothers. It’s getting warmer, the sun is coming out, and better days are ahead of us.
W∴Charles Jason Shealy
Worshipful Master, St Johns No 1 Providence
