9. Blood Drive

Sunday was the Red Cross blood drive. At the last business meeting, it was suggested that people come down to help. I decided to do that.

The drive was to begin at 9:00, so I arrived around then. I went into the kitchen where I found Ken, the Junior Warden. He was in charge of the drive. I asked him if I could help.

He was preparing beef stew to feed donors and everyone else. He accepted my offer. I imagine I could have done something else if I met someone else. I did not know what helping out at the blood drive entailed. I just wanted to participate.

I became Ken’s sous-chef. I peeled potatoes, chopped onions, cut and trimmed the beef, and helped sauté the beef. Ken observantly noticed my ability to cook messily. Honest, I will do better. And I will clean up after myself.

The blood drive got off to a bad start because of the furnace. It stopped working sometime overnight. Blood cannot be taken unless ambient temperature reaches 59 degrees. That is a Red Cross rule.

The Red Cross considered moving to the town hall. The logistics of that were impractical, so they waited to see if the furnace could be fixed. A furnace repair man arrived and  got it going, and the temperature eventually reached proper level. No blood was drawn till after 11:00. A handful of prospective donors left, therefore, but a decent group remained through the day.

A handful of Masons attended. Some greeted arriving donors, some I presume donated, and others, I am guessing, just came to hang out. A Boy Scout troop was on hand to help.

My own duties were anything but onerous. The cooking was not stressful like the breakfast is, it was not to order. When the stew was done, we served it to whoever wanted some. Ken made plenty because leftovers could feed attendees to the business meeting that evening.

I did some dishwashing, using the dishwasher. I used an industrial dishwasher years ago, while in high school. I barely remembered how it worked. I did some clean up then left at 2:30, feeling guilty about having left my wife on Valentine’s Day. Things were quiet, but Ken had been there since 6:00.

At 6:00 pm, I returned for Cipher Training. This time, I dressed casually. There were 4 candidates from Thomas Talbot plus 2 from the Lodge in Tewksbury. I do not know why people outside TTL venture here. Well, I understand that there is a lot of interchange and sharing among Lodges.

I really like the enveloping symbolism of Freemasonry. I am reminded of tarot cards, because every detail is meaningful. In saying that, I do not want to equate Freemasonry with tarot.

Cipher training helps explain the ritual through which we went. Andy and Chris and a past Master who is now Marshal led the training. I am getting better at reading the cipher. The cipher is basically a mnemonic to help you recall the  rituals that you have been through.

I attended  the business meeting afterwards. The Masons have a CHPs program, child identification, which I will volunteer for. I will probably also join Thomas Talbot Cooks. Other Lodges hire TTL cooks to prepare meals. Lodges pay for the service and it is, like the breakfast, a way to add to Thomas Talbot’s coffers.

This coming Monday is another Lodge of Instruction.

8. Exemplar for Second Degree

Tuesday was the regular meeting. I wasn’t sure but had a feeling that there would be more degree work. When I arrived, once again late (I guess I should aim for 6:00, not 6:15), the person in charge of floor work was explaining what would happen.

We were not allowed to attend the opening of the Lodge because we are all First Degree and the Lodge was opening on the Second Degree. The previous meeting was opened on the First Degree, but we were yet to reach that level. The next meeting will open on the Third Degree, and we will again be restricted. Once raised to the Third Degree, we are Master Masons, and can attend the opening of every Lodge. That is my best understanding right now. I think I have proven that my best knowledge is not exactly perfect.

There are no higher degrees in Freemasonry, that is in Blue Lodge. Blue Lodge is the first three degrees. I have it reliably that the derivation of Blue Lodge is unclear, and in fact, I have rarely heard the term used. If you want to press on to further degrees, you join Scottish Rites. York Rites is another path that you can take. I am pretty sure my grandfather held high degrees, so he must have been in Scottish Rites.

The Lodge was quickly opened then recessed for dinner. Once again, candidates were not allowed to pay. I welcomed the meal because I missed lunch. Meatballs, bread, salad, and soup made the meal. Andy, who was in charge of the breakfast, and who is Junior Deacon not Junior Warden (I looked it up), sat with us. As the meal was breaking up, he called me over to ask if I would be Exemplar. Shucks yeah!

I had inferred that the previous Exemplar (who was in attendance, maybe I just missed him at the other recent events) had practiced his part but a fellow Candidate sensibly said no. The Officers practice their parts, but the Candidates do not.  That is the point for Candidates, moving from darkness—ignorance—to light. I think the secrecy associated with Masonic ceremony is intended to allow Candidates to feel the essential power of the ceremony freshly.

I went upstairs with Andy, and he quickly explained what I would be doing. It was roughly what the previous Exemplar experienced. I had to change out of my suit into a pajama-like outfit. This outfit resembles a cross between a karate gee (gi?) and a hospital johnny. It featured inscrutable tie strips that I never figured out. When Andy saw what I had managed with the outfit, he performed correction.

Outside the Lodge Room door, a blindfold was put on me and more was explained as to what I would do and experience. A number of people accompanied me. They kept me informed and reassured.

At some point, before I entered the Lodge Room, hands were off of me, and I got the idea that I was supposed to kneel. I think people thought that I panicked. I didn’t, I was just confused. I did not correct the impression that I panicked because I did not want to sound defensive. In addition, I felt it right to be humble, and not let the impression others had (or thought they had) rule me.

I was led in by Andy, Junior Deacon, and handed off to Chris, Senior Deacon. Chris took me to the various stations.  There was a lot of walking, with rectilinear turns.

At the altar the Master had me and the other Candidates recite a very long passage. Besides this, I had to speak only two other times, answering questions.

After the blindfold (or hoodwink) was removed, the Senior Deacon led to me various pictures on the walls. I do not know if these pictures have always been there. Probably so, because they all had lights on them. The Senior Deacon had extensive speeches to recite to me, explaining the pictures. These pictures, I hope I am not revealing too much, concerned the Temple of Jerusalem, and the Masonic symbolism found therein.

At one point, the Senior Deacon spoke of the various types of columns, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian, plus the two Roman ones, which I cannot recall the name of. I recall being taught about Greek columns in elementary school. I do not know why columns were important to be taught back then, but the lesson stayed with me.

I was led from the floor, and told to get back into my suit. I missed the vote but I was not eligible to vote anyway, as was the case with the other Candidates.  The ceremony finished with us lining up to receive the handshake of the Master, and another cipher book.

The meeting was recessed for ten minutes, then continued with some business. The Chaplain Emeritus was awarded a certificate from the Grand Council for his years of service, a few upcoming events were adverted, and the floor work was praised.

When the meeting closed, I made a point to thank Andy for asking me to be Exemplar. I also complimented the Master and the Senior Deacon, because they both had a lot to memorize. The Senior Deacon said that the reason that I was chosen was my participation in the breakfast. I am glad that I had the opportunity.

This ceremony touched me more than I might have predicted. The sense of being brought into the light was keenly felt.

This Sunday, the Lodge participates in a Red Cross blood drive. I will try to work that. Cipher training is possibly the same day, and the week after, Lodge of Instruction.

7. Sunday Breakfast

The Sunday breakfast is open to anyone who wants to help, so I volunteered.  I am comfortable as a cook, though I did not expect to be offered cooking chores right off, and I have professional experience: I was a dishwasher at a convent when I was in high school.

I arrived at the Lodge some time after 5:30. One person was there, the person in charge of the breakfast. He is Senior Deacon, I think. I do not know what that position is yet. Soon after, the Senior Warden arrived. I know the Senior Warden is second in command at the Lodge, but I think command is the wrong word. He led the meeting that I attended last month.

Note: I am afraid that I am proving to be out to lunch as regards the Masonic offices. I am unsure if I have identified the offices of the above people correctly. As this blog proceeds, I will try to correct my errors. And I may resort to names, just to be clear.

The Senior Warden and I diced potatoes for hash browns and corned beef hash. It was probably 10 pounds of potatoes and took a while to deal with. My sponsor arrived bearing coffee and doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts. Other people arrived as time went on. One Brother stopped by to say that an emergency at work meant that he would be unable to help till maybe later. He was sincerely troubled that he was not available as he had planned to be. The sense of community was strong, as it has been in all functions that I have attended.

We talked as we worked. Someone brought up Jeff Beck, so I felt in my element. People introduced me to new arrivals. It felt convivial.

By 7:30, we were largely ready. Most items were prepared ahead, except the eggs, which are cooked to order. Toast was continuously toasted. There were around 6 people working in the kitchen. One focused on scrambled eggs, one on other styles of egg. One focused on toast, one on pancakes, and there was someone who did clean up.

As prep wound down, the Senior Warden fried eggs, ham, peppers, and onions together and made sandwiches for us. I was getting peckish by then.

I was to work the floor once people arrived.  Newbies are sent onto the floor as a way to meet people. Two others, including the Master of the Lodge, joined me in serving. They had already set up the tables.

Nine tables were set up, with a couple others available in case of need. A group of runners, presumably Masons, had asked that the breakfast remain open for them till 11:00. They wanted to run then eat.

To order, people fill out slips indicating their choices. The menu included eggs, ham, sausages, bacon, pancakes, French toast, and beans. We offered coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and toast when people sat down.

A couple came in and I rushed to serve them. I got them coffee and juice, probably neglected to bring toast, and took their orders. No sweat.

When things got busy, there was sweat. I committed all the errors that a new waiter or waitress—or waitron, does anyone remember that non gender specific term?—commits. I gave it the college try but I am sure that I forgot some requests. Some confusion occurred because we did not have areas of concern.  I might approach a table only to discover that someone else had already covered it. I think I provided the same concern for customers as offered by others, at least.

Errors happened, as I have said, but customers always declared that it did not matter. The order slips were sometimes misread, and sometimes people filled them out improperly. Were this a real business, the tension level would be much higher.

As the morning wore on, I found myself racing about. It was fun but I knew that I was not entirely on top of the situation. But close enough. That is, while I certainly wanted to provide good service, people were willing to overlook errors that would have bothered them at a restaurant. Nobody’s a professional here, and that is taken into account.

My wife, who worked Saturday night, arrived after nine. Brothers chided me to sit with her but I did not want to give the impression of being unreliable, so I kept busy for a while. Eventually, I collected some items for breakfast and sat with her. The breakfast had wound down. We left after 10:00. The runner group that was expected arrived, I learned later, around 11:00. By then, only pancakes were available.