Masters Message January 2025

Greetings My Brothers,

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holiday season, and that the break from the hustle and bustle was pleasant for you and your families. December was certainly full of hustle and bustle for St Johns 1P. We had a fantastic turnout for our annual Holiday Baskets charity event, where we built and delivered 75 food baskets to needy families in our communities. Thanks to the committee who tirelessly put this program together each year, in particular Brothers Hugo Adames II, Thom Kumes, Bill Mott, and Ken Norman. Thanks as well to our brothers at Daylight Lodge who fed us breakfast, as is their tradition at this event. It was an excellent morning of service to others, which is my favorite kind of Freemasonry.

The program in December was particularly seasonal. The officers gave a rendition of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.” While it was a little rough around the edges, the performance was great fun for the officers. The brothers in the lodge were genuinely delighted by our efforts to bring them this classic tale of charity and redemption. Thanks to our officers for their willingness to go along with this crazy idea! Particular thanks also goes to our District Deputy RW Stephan Saraidarian, who joined the cast just an hour before the performance. A cast member needed to deal with an emergent situation, and RW Stephan agreed to fill in with no rehearsal or notice. I must say, he was the loveliest “Mrs Cratchet” that I’ve ever seen.

Of course, this time of year wouldn’t be complete without the annual St Johns 1P holiday party. What a holiday party it was! We gathered at the Quidnessett Country Club, with live music from a string quartet during cocktail hour, and dueling pianos for the remainder of the evening. We enjoyed caroling, dancing, and most importantly, we brought back the great SJ1P tradition of singing of the 12 Days of Christmas together. It truly was a wonderful, joyous experience to share with the lodge. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wife Betsy Shealy, who began planning the event over the summer. The centerpieces, the place settings, the several decorations throughout the room, were a result of her commitment to hosting a fantastic event. This party would not have been half as enjoyable were it not for her hard work these last few months. Thanks honey!

Looking to January, we will be conducting the Fellowcraft degree for our several EA brothers. Please plan to attend if you are able. We will observe the proficiency examinations of our EA brothers, and Bro SD Scott Alexander will deliver a spectacular Middle Chamber lecture. Please come to support our brother and observe the fruitfulness of his labors in learning this most valuable of Masonic lectures.

As we come upon the New Year, we enter the season of change and new resolutions. I’m always struck by the societal tendency to create new goals at this specific time of year. Maybe it works for some folks, but I never found it particularly useful. A New Year’s resolution better serves us when it is reflective of our current condition, the trajectory we are on, and the goal we wish to achieve. Being realistic in this way, we are more likely to improve ourselves and our communities than by going big or going home. Sometimes setting a big goal makes sense, but generally, the change and improvements which last are the small incremental steps we take along the way. My father has frequently said to me, “Jay, you know the difference between anoak tree and a pine tree? One of them is a tree, and the other is a weed.” Allow growth to take the time it needs, is what I think he’s saying. Southern colloquialisms are always fun to unpack.

Happy New Year to you, and may the blessings of Heaven continue to rest upon you and your families,

W∴Charles Jason Shealy
Worshipful Master, St Johns No 1 Providence