Masters Message September 2025
My Worthy Brothers,
Just a few short weeks ago, filled with humbleness, (and a bit of uncertainty about what to say) I embraced the task of creating my 1st Master’s Message, which of course was accomplished and published. Now, although the humbleness remains in place, and always will, my feeling is a bit more of an obligation to begin this edition, ever striving for timeliness. Thank you Brother Secretary! Don’t ever refrain from that advice, it’s well received by this WM.
Inevitably, the calendar pages turn, so here we are in mid-August and with it the requisite uptick of SJ1P Lodge duties to facilitate along with an abundance of Masonic obligations to fulfill. For all of us.
No summer could ever be complete without fond memories and 2025’s version exemplified that tenet in the most remarkable way on July 19th for Lady Jane and I with the birth of our first (until December
that is) granddaughter. That would be Hannah Faith Clunan, all 6 pounds of her. Mom Lisa and hubby Scott and the little peanut are doing well. We’re all beyond proud. Plus, having 2-weeks-old little Hannah in attendance with my family at the picnic was beyond gratifying.
Speaking of the picnic, on August 3rd, as is customary for our annual Family Picnic, SJ1P received notably more than a hundred of our cherished members, their families, their guests along with most of
SJ1P’s ’25-26 candidates for Freemasonry by Degrees. Perfect weather? ☑ Delicious food professionally prepared and served? ☑ Dessert? ☑ Good fellowship and comradery? ☑ Given the performance of recent years this event can be a tough act to follow but I think we nailed it. The planning and assistance that I received from this Officer Line to create this memorable experience was crucial and exemplary. Thank you!
Not to be overlooked was the effort put into the 50/50 raffle to support my adopted charity, the Jimmy Fund. The winning ticket was drawn by our Most Worshipful Grand Master, Rick Baccus. Several hundred dollars were awarded to both WPM:. John B. Paliotta, the fortuitous winner, and the Jimmy Fund. Kudos to Brother Knightsville who then portioned out some of his largesse to the Jimmy Fund as well. My sincere gratitude goes out to all who made those generous donations.
Please note, I’m actively in discussions with the Jimmy Fund and they have already created a web-based portal page (secure HTTPS protocol) for the purpose of receiving donations for this now in progress Masonic year. In due time, upon completion of my review, I will publish the link on our SJ1P website and various social pages to accept ongoing donations to their worthy cause, the origins of which date back to Sidney Farber in 1948. Details will be announced very soon and I tentatively have their commitment to present real time at SJ1P in November. Stay tuned. Dig deep. Please and thank you. Ahh, September, what to do, what to do? Well, aside from officially opening Lodge for the 1st time, the Rainbow Girls Warwick Assembly, under the guidance of Andrea Barrigan, will grace us with their presence to perform their “Fun” degree. Which is as it reads: a very fun degree, a ceremony to spoof their ritualistic degree to (in their words as stated to me at the 2025 Grand Assembly) ‘make girls
out of Masons’ just like them! Please do come and witness this classic performance and if you have young daughters and/or granddaughters kindly bring them along as well, as it may influence them to join IORG.
Looking further ahead, October 15, 2025 will present the SJ1P Officer Line with their first major initiative of 2025-26, the Entered Apprentice degree. I’m looking forward to that challenge as I know
all the Officers are. Dinner for October 2025’s stated meeting will commence at 5:30 PM.
For this Masonic year, 2025-2026, the agenda for monthly meetings to be implemented at SJ1P is starkly different than what has been done in recent years. Much of this adaptation is a direct result of counsel provided to me at this past June’s Past Masters dinner. The primary purpose of these changes is to explicitly shorten the duration of our meetings. To wit:
- Dinner will now precede the opening of the 2025-26 stated meetings, the time to be determined by the work of the evening, either 5:30 PM or 6:00 PM and will be published in advance. The September 2025
dinner will begin at 6:00 PM. Dinner reservations (required) can be made by calling 401-861-1757 or by email at
- Commercials will now be required to be provided, in writing, in advance, to the WM no later than the day preceding the stated meeting. Collectively, they will be consolidated into one document and provided to all in attendance at the Tiler’s station. For recurring month to month messages simply notify the WM in the corresponding month to republish the original verbiage or to provide any necessary edit(s). Messaging can be emailed to
All of these protocol changes will be monitored for efficacy and acceptance by those impacted by them.As always, your objective and constructive feedback is always welcomed.
As a very famous song (from back in my day, 1966 that is) so melodically says,“See you, in September, See you when the summer’s through.”
Yours in the Craft,
W∴Robert James Larrabee
Robert James Larrabee
Master, St. Johns No. 1 Providence