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.
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