Masters Message Summer 2023
Greetings My Brothers,
I need to begin my first Master’s Message by thanking you for your confidence and trust in electing me Master of St Johns No. 1 Providence. As I shared in my speech at the Annual, I accept this honor with a deep sense of humility and an overwhelming feeling of pride given the rich history of this Lodge and the legacy of the men who have led it. It is beyond humbling to consider that the responsibility for our Lodge established 266 years ago (predating the founding of our country in 1776) rests on me. Please know that I will carry out the duties as Master of this Lodge to the very best of my abilities in hopes of contributing to our shared legacy as well as the forward progress of our much-admired institution.
As I write this message, I am astonished that the St Johns No. 1 Providence Annual Installation of Officers was nearly a month ago. I have often been told how quickly the time passes in the East and I can say that I feel that truth. Perhaps it’s because we kick off the new Masonic year with a number of special events. Since the Installation, we held our annual Steak Fry at East Greenwich Yacht Club attended by 100+ members and esteemed guests. In typical SJ1P fashion, it was a tremendous event, we enjoyed great food, a much-needed moment of relaxation, and most importantly, the fellowship of our Brothers at a beautiful, waterside location. Did I mention the perfect weather? A huge round of applause and hearty thanks needs to be given to the committee of volunteers who make the Steak Fry happen flawlessly each year. During the Steak Fry I also had the honor of personally handing out service award pins to several members of our Lodge accompanied by M:.W:. Doug Grant, R:.W:. Eric Grist and Junior Past Master John Paliotta. Following tradition, Junior Past Master Paliotta and I also drank from the quaich (pronounced quake) as a symbol of authority passing from the outgoing Master to the incoming Master. It was truly a remarkable and enjoyable evening.
The SJ1P Organizational Meeting took place on 7/6 where I had the opportunity to share and articulate my plans for the year with the Officers. My overarching theme is focused on two words: Excellence and Experience. First, I want us to identify and explore the sources of our excellence at St Johns No. 1 Providence and to consider potential opportunities to push the boundaries of our capabilities. Secondly, in regard to experience, I want us to consider how we, as members, can realize the experiences we want (or need) from Masonry. Moreover, since we have a fairly large cohort of candidates this fall (tentatively nine) how do we meet their expectations (aka Experience) of Masonry? I harken back to our Master Mason degree this past March when Brother Leonard Cambra unabashedly spoke up at the end of the degree because he needed to share that he just experienced a “WOW” moment. This had a profound impact on me and I want us all to consider how we can each get to excellence and WOW on our individual journeys. I have lined up a series of presenters for this upcoming year who will help us with this introspection and discussion.
On 7/19, I also had the opportunity to share and socialize my theme for the year during the St Johns No. 1 Providence Past Masters
meeting held at Iron Works.
The Officers and I have also recently started a book discussion using Bro. Andrew Hammer’s book, Observing the Craft, as the read. We are only a few chapters in but, based on the interactions to date, I am certain this will be a thought-provoking exercise for us and that perhaps we might also get to think about the paths to Excellence and Experience.
A couple of miscellaneous items to note:
The St Johns No. 1 Providence Picnic will be held on Sunday, August 6th at Buttonwoods Park. Please mark this date in your calendars and be on the lookout for the flyer containing the specific details of the event and RSVP information. I look forward to seeing you and spending time with you and your family at the picnic.
And lastly, we will be placing an order for our popular SJ1P polos and baseball hats (different colors this time.) More information
will be forthcoming shortly.
My Brothers, thank you again for the opportunity to serve as Master of this wonderful and amazing Lodge. I am looking forward to sharing a great year filled with Excellence and Experiences but in the meantime, enjoy the beautiful summer weather and spending time with your family and loved ones!
Fraternally,
W:. Joseph J. Bernier
Joseph J. Bernier
Worshipful Master