Episode 122: The Company of Friends

Open mic: unscheduled guests. 

We took the show on the road to Waite Park for our Annual Communication April 17-18. Give this a listen, and thanks to all the brothers, guests, and members of the Masonic family who stopped by to chat. 

Transcript

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we are live at our annual communication in Wait Park. we're happy to be joined by Dan Harko of the Grand Lodge of Ohio. Welcome. Well, I'm glad to be here. Tell us about you. You're an author, longtime Mason, quite an influencer on the craft. Well, I'm not sure if I qualify as influencer, but I've been in Mason now for 49 years and looking forward at, uh, coming up on my 50th year pin from the Grand Lodge of Ohio. I've served as master of several different lodges, but most importantly I've been a student of the philosophy of Freemasonry. my career as a student of the philosophy of freemasonry got off to a bit of a rocky start because in the 1970s, the, uh, the lodge pretty much taught me the ritual and nothing else, and very little about what it meant. But I was curious and I stumbled upon, uh, research organizations and readings and discovered the whole world of the philosophy of free masonry, the deeper meanings of the symbols, and became an advocate for making sure that no one else needs to be a self-taught mason. Do you think that's sometimes rooted in, we're so preoccupied. With learning the words, doing a proficiency or a catechism that we forget to slow down and really absorb what it all means. I think that's pretty much an important part of it. Uh, my own Masonic career took a grand total of three months the lodge that I'm proud to be a charter master of now we have that process slowed down to nearly two years from Really, yeah. From the time a person approaches us and says, I'm interested in freemasonry to the time that they are a proficient master, Mason is typically almost two years because of a slow, deliberate, and thorough education. I think that sounds wonderful, but tell me how much pushback that may get. Sometimes we feel so rushed. To get a new member through the motions that we forget that, I know it's counterintuitive in Freemasonry, but slow. Slow is better. Well, the question is, do you wanna make members or do you wanna make masons? And the big difference is making members means going through all the right motions at minimal standards. Yes. And making a mason means that you take the admonition to be serious and to be excellent in everything you do to heart. So we demand much from our candidates. We also demand much from ourselves and our officers, which creates a lodge that people, believe it or not, there's a waiting list to join our lodge. I do believe that, and I know of other lodges across the country that have adopted that slow onboarding process that really captures who's in this for the long haul versus to your point, making that transactional connection and a brother we may never see again. Where should people go to find you? You've written some tremendous books. You're a critically acclaimed author. The first place to start is at the, uh, website of Arts and Sciences Lodge. That's www a s seven 90 two.org, and you'll find a wealth of information about our lodge, the history, the writings, and then it was the involvement with that lodge that inspired me to write the three books I've written, which can be seen and reviewed at the craft driven lodge.com, which is my website, McCoy Masonic Publishers and Supply is my publisher, and I encourage people to order the books directly for them and not go to third party people like Amazon because there's, it's just not fair to the authors. Yeah. When you have that sort of a system it's, it's exciting to hear you talk about the real path to growth is slow, slow down. Sometimes there's a worry or a concern that, well, what if we go too slow? What if this. New Mason gets impatient if we dictate the pace, the relationship building, the level of authenticity of the brotherhood. Mm-hmm. That we are trying to capture. and ultimately you have a retention rate of those new brothers staying around and getting involved. such a great plan. We also find that being honest and upfront about what to expect and what is expected with our inquirers helps a lot. When a man expresses a desire in free masonry, we invite them to dinner before our lodge meeting. How many times? Uh, at least three minimum before we even talk about a petition. And during those dinners, we spend time learning about them, their desires, their expectations.'cause we're looking for curious minds. People who are interested in making something worthwhile out of investing their time. We also inform them of what we expect. We basically say, we want an hour of your time every week for the next two years for some sort of activity with the lodge, be it an education program, a meeting, a training session, visiting another lodge. Because we study the ritual in depth. In each degree, not just the catechism with a proficiency. We go through the, with the ritual, line by line and discuss it. Lectures and related readings such as Books by Carl Claudie, It's really great to have you here and excited for your breakout session. You traveled a long distance to be with us today, really motivating that so many jurisdictions are taking the approach. The path to growth is not how big a candidate class we put through. It's how are we planting those seeds of quality relationships and brotherhood. Those guys stick around and it's a slow burn. that takes time and you, you guys are doing it. I'd love to visit you sometime. We meet year round because we don't stop being Masons during the summer. So there's no reason to not be meeting and enjoying each other's company. Right. We have many social activities such as picnics. We even have a brother's retreat where we all go camping together for a weekend in October to focus on that relationship building because true relationships are, have many facets. And if all you know about man is what happens between the opening and closing of a lodge, that's important. But the more you know, the better. So the dinners allow us to build relationships. The social relation activities allow us to build relationships. All of our charity is project based. None of our dues goes to charity. If we wanna do something charitable, we come up with a charity and event, we raise the monies. It's sweat equity. The other thing we do is we include family members in many of our activities because think of it, we promise to help each other's family. So if I'm in the hospital and some guys show up at my door, my wife shouldn't say, who are you? Yeah. What are you doing here? She should say, what took you so long? Right? Yeah. We took an obligation for that. We forget that sometimes. Yeah. And that means getting to know our brothers and their families. Yes. And their extended relationships so that it becomes part of understanding who we are, right. As ultimately a family by choice. Dan Harko, we really appreciate you being with us. Safe travels home and hope to cross paths again soon. Worshipful brother Luke Ellingson. For many Haha Lodge, welcome how has the annual communication been so far? It's been great. I've seen a lot of people that I haven't seen in quite some time it's good to catch up with people and, and run into you working as always. We are running around a lot. That is one of, I think, the most underrated aspects of the annual communication is seeing friends and brothers from across the state that you might not see on a regular basis. Very true. I'm excited to sit down with you for a few minutes because your lodge is part of our pilot program with the Face IT Foundation in 2026. Yes, we are. How can we explain that in short order? So we are with Grand Lodge and Masonic Charities partnering with the Faceit Foundation at the lodge level. For those who have not been familiar with Faceit, they are a nonprofit that specialize in men's mental health. Peer support with a lot of, with a lot of experience. A lot of experience. Why are we bringing them in? Someone asks, we're not trying, we're not changing masonry. This is not an innovation. This is adapting to our members' needs. It's going to help us as men. Let's face it. We don't communicate that well as men. They're gonna help us to break down some barriers, to have some more serious conversations in the lodge level about what's going on in our lives. Maybe some struggles that we wouldn't normally be so open about. Right. It's a big outreach. It's a big network. It's, uh, it's something that can collaborate with Freemasonry. And to your point, give guys a, an outlet that you know, when, when you're at the lodge, I think a lot of guys, they a lot of brothers think that, you know, they have to wear kind of a persona. And this, this allows you to kind of take, take the mask off and, yeah. You know, be on the level truly, and open up a hundred percent truly on the level and feeling comfortable to share if there's an aspect of life that's especially challenging. Right? And on the same token, sharing good things going on in our lives. Sometimes we get caught up in the administrative, procedural things at lodge, we show up, we're scrambling to open. Who signed the checks? Do we have the lodge set up to go? We had, to your point, we have that mask on. How are you, oh, I'm fine, I'm good, I'm good. But everybody's got something going on that they're either struggling with or preoccupied with. We need to share those things, right? That we, we, I like to say we wrote the book on brotherhood, but we have an opportunity to get better at it and connect with each other on a deeper level of friendship, brotherhood, and trust. Absolutely. And I, I think it'll also expand the fraternity because if we have. Guys that face it and face it. Um, talking to different brothers, I think that opens the door for more opportunities for membership within the lodge system. It's a good point, and I know that a lot of our existing members have expressed a desire to have a deeper level of connection. They don't want brotherhood to feel abstract or like a buzzword, but they want to feel that in their heart. And that's the goal of our partnership with Face It, that they can help us be better at conversations opening up as necessary and really enhance our existing Masonic experience. We have the framework, we have an opportunity to get better at it. Vulnerability, that's strengthen our relationships. Yep. Absolutely. Brave dude. That that is the power play in life right now. Absolutely. And Vulner it's tough. It's tough, but it's, it's something we need to do. Indeed. Appreciate you, my brother. We'll see you in the quarry sooner than later. But, uh, Luke Ellingson, thanks for stopping by. Thank you. Reid joined by Pam Rust. There's been a significant increase in the number of wives, girlfriends, and partners attending Grand Lodge. You're off to what sounds like a pretty tremendous lunch. It's like a spa lunch you're having today. What's going on for the ladies? it's great to see an increase in significant others and partners coming. We love to have more ladies at Grand Lodge and today's event is gonna be a wonderful lunch down at the Maverick's Wine Bar, which is a lovely little spot. afterwards, it's a whole day of spa education and self-care. Education. So you're gonna be, so I don't know all the details. Okay. But I know it involves, um, some simple yoga stretches and meditation and essential oils, and we'll all learn about some different things. Will you have enough energy after all of that to attend the banquet tonight? Well, the, the whole point is that it should be restorative. Okay. So we should be all great for the banquet tonight. I would think so. But that also sounds relaxing enough to where there might be a wet noodle factor. There could be. There could be. Well, thanks for joining us and I hope you ladies have a fantastic afternoon and thanks for stopping by. Thanks, Reid. Jay Moran, Minnesota River Valley number six. You're a junior Pass master now. I am. You don't feel like it has been though, do you? No, I feel like I'm just getting started. Good. That's, that's the goal In all, all seriousness. There's a thing with pass masters sometimes get a complex. Well, I have nothing to contribute to my lodge anymore. And that could not be further from the truth. There's that mentor mentee relationship. There's imparting maybe some lessons you learned the hard way when you were in the East. How has annual communication been for you so far? Oh, annual communication's great. it's really great seeing everybody together. Um, you know, some brothers, this is the one time of year I'll see them no, and it's good seeing the guys and, and I was just thinking this when I was in there looking at the brothers who are here that proceeded me in the east. Yes. And then seeing the line of brothers coming into the east. And that's really encouraging, you know what I mean? Because, you know, you, you wanna see your lodge thrive. And you wanna be there to see them develop and evolve as officers, as they learn more about some of the functionality things. But then also it's all about the relationships and unsolicited, so many brothers have stopped by to share the same thing, seeing all these friends and brothers that you don't get the opportunity throughout the year to see until you're here. This is true. This is true. I mean, you can join independent bodies and you'll see a lot of the same brothers there in those places, but it's the unique combination of masons from the four corners of the state Yes. At the same time. And, and then finding out what's working for them. And where they've had headaches and seeing where you can help your lodge thrive. It's all about that information sharing and there's not a better place to do it than to be here at the annual communication each year. Absolutely. Jay, I appreciate all that you're doing for the craft, Thank you Reed. Past Grand Master John GaN stopping by. I just heard a brother say, what has he done? Yeah. Where's he been? What's what, uh, where does he cash in his Masonic wages? Hey, first things first. Congratulations on the nuptials. You and Kim as, uh, yeah, thank you. I, uh, I've been telling people it's 18, 19 years, uh, bachelorhood, uh, very thankfully in the rear view mirror. Yes, it's been a great experience, but as she's just a tremendous woman and so healthy for me to be in a relationship with, and she has, uh, embraced, very much embraced the Masonic family, and, um, she's gonna be a wonderful addition to me and to the Masonic family. Absolutely. And we're so glad she's embraced us and we couldn't love her more, and it's, it's so tremendous. Now, John, you are also involved in. The Board of Minnesota Masonic Charities. You're a busy guy. Yeah. I mean, we don't have time to get into all that you have done or are doing, but tell us a bit more about charities and your involvement. Yeah, and there's, and I want to add on to that is also I'm serving on the Shrine Board of Governors and I, it's a really unique opportunity for both of those, and especially to be on both boards in the idea that. That someday there may be, there's some, you know, some synergy or some opportunities for the two groups to know each other better and, and work together. But specifically to the Masonic Charities board, this is my second time on it, and this is a superb, a superb time to be on that body. I am just thrilled with the leadership of John Schwetz and, uh, we are taking a hard look at a lot of elements of charities. The biggest one is the Masonic Home and the future of the home. And, you know, we're gonna be Reid, we're gonna be making decisions that's going to impact, uh, senior care in Minnesota for a generation. And it's, it's really an interesting and, um, humbling experience to be part of that. It's exciting to be planning the future with some big things on the, on the radar. Before we go, what's your favorite memory of an annual communication in the past? You know the, of course, there've been so many, I would say it's, it's the sort of aggregation of just the wonderful. Um, ambiance. You know, I see these guys and there's just the, the genuineness of the brotherhood and the comradery and the friendship and the laughter. It's just, it's, it just aggregate that together. Every time I walk into this, it's just such a, a warming and fulfilling experience. Maybe one of the most unheralded gifts of freemasonry are the friendships forged in the brotherhood that lasts a lifetime. Yeah. You know, you, you mentioned about me being a busy guy, and that is absolutely true, but it's one of those things that if, if you're gonna engage in life, it's gonna pay dividends to you and I, I've said it a hundred times, I feel bad for all the men out there who have no idea that we exist as, uh, as a resource in their lives, that they're missing something, um, that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. We have a lot of listeners that are not Freemason. we don't go out and invite those to, to join. We don't rush like a, a college fraternity would. But to your point, if there's a man out there interested in purpose, direction in life, in taking the tangible steps to become a better version of himself, check us out. Yeah. You know, and it's a read one, one of those things that I hear frequently from individuals who do finally become freemasons often, And the most common thing that you'll hear them say is, I wish I had done this 20 years ago. Yes. Or 30 years ago. So it's true. It's an easy sell when you recognize, uh, what a wonderful institution this is. Absolutely. John GaN, thank you so much for stopping by. You're welcome. Thank you. Mike St. John? Yes, sir. How's life in Duluth? Uh, life in Duluth is good. It's uh, it was a temperature difference of 35 degrees from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill. Yesterday. It was 72 up on the hill and 39 by the lake. Seriously? Yeah. Dead seriously. It's a common thing, isn't it? We, it is very common this time here. We, we think it's a punchline, but it's a reality. It's a real thing. The weather guys definitely earn their money up there. Oh, I bet. Yeah. It's, it's not just a short weather forecast. There's a lot of craziness that can happen, but Okay. Now as good Minnesotans, we have the weather talk out of the way. You are going to be a district deputy? Yes, sir. The year ahead. Welcome to the team. Thank you. What section of the state will you be traveling, visiting, working with? Um, from Moro Rush City, up to Duluth, so the 35 corridor. Excellent. We're glad to have you on board. It's a really fun position to be in, What are your thoughts going into that? Um, it's, uh, slightly intimidating, uh, to take on such a role, but, uh, I'm excited to be part of the, the new wave of, uh, you know, district deputies, it'll be a good time. Uh, I'm looking forward to really working with lodges, seeing how they do things and really kind of taking best practices from one lodge and bringing'em other lodges. and I think in the new paradigm, the district deputies, our shared services with Grand Lodge and Charities, your position is to help your lodges. I think there's some outdated, I don't know if it's paranoia or a mindset of uhoh, the district deputies here. Are we in trouble or why is he here? Your position in all of your counterparts are there to help lodges succeed and thrive. Give them the resources that they need. help cultivate that everyone's kind of, for lack of a better term, rowing in the same direction. Yes, that's exactly our role. It was, uh, ironic. I was outside last night talking to a brother and I said I was gonna be an incoming district deputy. He's like, oh, so you're a cop. I said, actually, that's what I'm trying to get away from that exact viewpoint. Exactly. No, we're here to, to help you to really help you grow to where your struggles are. How can I get you the resources that you need to be a successful launch? David Camp Grand Orator. How did the oration go today? we had thrills, we had spills, we had some humor prearranged. Uh, we had a telephone call that, that got in there for someone. Oh. Way. Uh, they did admit it, but I'll have to check with the grand secretary to see if, uh, the$50 was due. Paid. Yes. I was gonna ask what's the fine. 50 bucks. Okay. What was the theme of your oration this year? Uh, the theme was actually, uh, grown over the last year. The idea of, uh, one's individual journey in masonry, the idea of one's individual destination in Masonry, and at the end, an age old question, which is more important, the journey or the destination. And I reach back a hundred years. Wow. Uh, to Winnie the Pooh to come up with an answer. Now, do you want me to tell you the answer? Well, I was outside of the lodge tending to all of these administrative things, so please tell our listeners the answer. Uh, the answer. When Poo and piglet are walking along together, poo ask piglet, which is more important? Is it the journey or is it the destination? And Piglet's answer is neither. It is the company, the company of Mason's, uh, company of brothers and friends of family, uh, that enlighten us on our journey and prepare us for our destination, uh, is what I have found to be the most important part of our, uh, our, our belonging in this gentle craft. What's your favorite memory, Mason? What came to mind when I asked you that? I actually quoted, uh, or didn't quote. I actually referenced, um, a friend of mine that worked on the railroad. Uh, he, they made him retire at 70 years of age. Imagine how brutal that would be. How dare that? And he lived to be 109, my friend, my brother. Don Fanning. Donald Fanning Fanning. Uh, I worked with him when I was a young man in college. He was a baggage man on Amtrak. his name was mentioned in there. Read. I'm sorry you weren't there.'cause I think, I think that one would've gotten to you also. Don Fanning was such a legend of a mason and of a man and a life story So you knew him when you I did not know that I worked when I was in college, uh, at the U of MI worked at the railroad in South St. Paul. Don Fanning was one of the most senior guys at the time. old enough. Seniority, high enough seniority. He got one of the pick of the crop jobs as being a baggage man on Amtrak means he didn't really have to work much. You just looked after baggage. But that was Don Fanning's last. Gig, so to speak, at the, at the Milwaukee Road. What I love about Freemasonry is that you and I have known each other for years, decades actually. And that is a story I have never heard before. We both had Don Fanning as a mutual friend and brother. Dave Camp. Thank you for stopping by and thank you for all that you do for our gentle craft, both at the Blue Lodge level, Scottish rite, and beyond. Thank you Reed. A great, a great pleasure to be with you today. Colin Colby, welcome. You are the sitting master at Hector Lodge, number 1 58 in St. Paul. How has the annual communication been so far? Uh, it's been great. I get to, uh, meet a number of brothers from other lodges around the state that I don't normally see, and unsolicited. Almost everyone who stopped by today has said the same thing. Seeing friends and brothers, you don't have the chance to see on a regular basis. That is one of the, perhaps unarticulated aspects of the annual communication that makes it so special year after year. Yeah. Yeah. It's really great. it's always better to see someone in person than talk to'em on the phone. So, so true. Tell us about Hector Lodge. You do a segment during your stated meeting called The Beehive. Yeah. What's that all about? Yeah. The beehive is a a time where, um, brothers feel welcome to share big events in their life, big struggles, ask for advice about things. Um. Basically, uh, bring it, it is a time to bring each other closer together, um, on a, on a level that on day-today life with, colleagues or other friends you might not feel comfortable about. Um, speaking about those. Yeah. Those kinds of things. And you share good news too. It's kind of an open floor, right? Always good. Yeah. Good news is always welcome. Yeah. It, it's just knowing what's going on in each other's lives. And in full disclosure, the partnership that we're doing with Face It Foundation, the pilot program, we have one lodge in the north, one in the central, one in the south. Ultimately in the next five years, that will be across our state. Oh, great. In all, we have over a hundred lodges, currently active in Minnesota. The pilot program is going to be called the Beehive, coincidentally. Oh, excellent.'cause obviously the Masonic symbolism, but is that industrious aspect and also. To be working together. We're not just showing up at lodge to say, hi, how are you? I'm fine, I'm great. And then go home and deal with life by ourselves. Right? We're dialing into that peer support taking our connection as friends and brothers to a, a, a different level because as we've talked about on this podcast so many times, the Masonic Lodge was always intended to be a men's support system. men in today's world are really craving that. Some purpose, some support. It feels like we're all a little bit alone on our own digital islands. Scrolling, doom, scrolling and bed rotting. We want to get back to lodge. Yeah. And spend time face to face, right? Yeah. You can only share so many memes and political comments online. Let, let's, let's lose the politics, right? Yeah. if we wanna be united in our efforts of friendship adding more signal than static to the world. Could we please just lose the politics? Yeah, yeah. The heart to heart in person. Yeah. In a place where you can feel safe to share and Right. You know, people will hear the, the intents of your words. So it's just a remarkable thing before we let you go. How was married life? Excellent. Almost exactly the same as before. Married life. Yeah. But it's, it's, it's been great. yeah, there's definitely an aspect of, uh, permanence and sort of trust that, although it wasn't lacking before, has been enhanced or augmented. So that's, that's been great. Yeah. Well said. My brother Colin Colby, thanks for stopping by. Yeah, thank you. We are currently in wait park at our annual Communication Stopping Random Brothers as they go by in the hustle and bustle of this event. Joined by Hunter Petit from Newport Lodge and Larry Stelmach of Northeast Winslow Lewis Brothers, welcome and thank you both. You are going to be district deputies in the year ahead. How are we feeling about that? Thanks for having us, Reed. Uh, I can't speak for Larry, but I can speak for myself and I can say I'm very excited. um, the new, the new shift in management that they're really looking forward to and having some guys with boots on the ground. Yeah. I'm very much looking forward to it. This will be my, my second year, And what I'm looking forward to is the streamlining of the communication because our job is to serve our lodges carry water back and forth. communication is key in this. So the ability to reach out regardless of the issue and know there's an entire team there which can support us supporting our lodges. I'm, I'm pretty excited about it. Pardon me for momentarily forgetting this will be a second year for you, Larry, as a district rep before, how important is it for us to reiterate to lodges that you guys, as district deputies are there to bring the resources they need to succeed? We still deal with sometimes that stigma of uhoh, the district deputies here, who's in trouble? What do we do wrong? How can we get beyond that antiquated mindset? I, I think what we're really talking about here is trust the foundation of all of our relationships and how do you build trust? A lot of that is built through time and experience. and that removes the stigma. We appreciate all that you are doing, both of you for the craft thank you for attending the annual communication. Each year, there's just this recurring theme of seeing friends and brothers and how special it is to gather once a year. You know, Reid, this is my favorite event I come to all year. it's an absolute riot. Uh, we get so many brothers from so many different lodges all over the state, brothers that come in from outside of the country. Brothers that, you know, we only see, get to see maybe once or twice a year. And getting to see all these guys put like all of their efforts together for one event, one common goal to talk about the charities that we're supporting and, uh, to really organize our leadership. I think it's something really cool that we get to do. and on top of that, I get to see all my buddies for a whole weekend. So I can't, I can't complain too much there. We are thrilled to have brothers and bonds on site at our annual communication this year. And welcome Worshipful brother, Bert Tellier. Thank you. You hail from Rising Sun Lodge in Ontario and you sell some tremendous Masonic merchandise. Thank you brother. We, uh, we're thrilled to be here. As you know, we've been wanting to be in Minnesota for the last several years now. I think four, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, I think so. We've talked about it. it just made it very difficult to get here. Of course, during the COVID times. Yes. And, and everything else. But, my partner Gino and I are here today and we did the Long Trek from Toronto. We did you road trips. Yeah. Stopped in Rockford, Illinois. Illinois, LA Yeah. We were in Illinois and we had, uh. A tornado warning and we had flood warnings and we had everything in between. Right. So getting here was like a, a, an accomplishment. The Midwestern weather, especially at this, we're obsessed with the weather on a good day, and then you add that element to it and it's, it's never, is it a double negative to say it's never not an adventure? it's a bit shocking.'cause yesterday it was, it was very warm, very sunny, and we're like, wow, this is great. We're finally getting a break from our very long Canadian winter that we have to live through. Yes. And then today we were reminded that we're also in the north. What's new on your lodge front these days? What do you guys have going as far as community engagement or any other exciting events? we've been very active and busy. Both Gino and I are, are active in our lodge. We're past masters of our lodge. Uh, we've spent the last several years really building I, I would say, and we've put a lot of effort into our strategic planning, which has led us to be out in the community more. Uh, building awareness. We're participating in our street festival, which is a big event for us in Aurora, where we're located in Aurora, Ontario, right across from us is the town park. Oh. And there's a farmer's market there every Saturday. So we've been taking advantage of that opportunity to open our doors. We have a booth at the farmer's market as well, and we're just inviting the community in to come see our lodge. Our building's very old. It was, uh, erected in 1860. Wow. So it's one of these very old masonic lodges that we, uh, put a lot of love into for many years. Well said. And, and all the brethren who come before us and put a lot of time and effort into it. So we're proud of it and we'd like to show it off, and that's proven to be really successful for us. We're a healthy lodge. We have a lot of, um, new members that have joined us in the past, uh, recent couple years. we're having a lot of fun. Is it safe to say that the. Men of today that seek out free masonry are looking for purpose. They're looking for that connection that may be missing in that digital isolation that we all live in at some point during our day and week. Yeah, I think that's a great point, Reid. The, uh, we have found, we invite, uh, potential candidates to join us for dinner before our lodge nights. We have our, um, our repas before we have our lodge, and we have found that having them come to spend time with us, have dinner with us, has proven to be really effective for them to get to know us and us to get to know them. and it's been an observation of mine, I think Gino's as well, is that a lot of younger men are looking for something much more deep than a digital relationship or social media. Yes. They're looking for, you know, we have often we'll have like a proper banquet and we'll be doing the to the Grand Lodge and we'll be doing. Uh, the junior wardens toast and these are things that young men have never seen before. Mm-hmm. Sort of like decorum and a way to operate. I find that there's been a lot of interest from that. It's different. It's unique. Yes. And it's not different and unique. It's been around for hundreds of years, but it's just been sort of, um, buried in society a little bit. It's a new generation. We keep meeting young men who have discovered their grandfather, their uncle, their great-grandfather were Freemasons, and they really want an old school experience to put their phone away for a little while to wear a suit to a table lodge or a festive board, and to really immerse themselves into the Masonic experience all the way. tell us where to find you online to check out your merchandise. yeah, absolutely. You can find us online. We're at brothers and bonds.com. Very simple. we have many items that we sell. We're here at the Grand Lodge. Of course, we brought a sort of a spattering of some of our apparel and our custom coins and tablets, but you'll find everything that we carry there. Uh, we have literally hundreds of items that we're really proud of. We put a lot of time and effort into designing. Oh, it shows Masonic relevant products. Uh, not just items that have a square compass on it. Right. You know, something that is actually meaningful. And we had a, we had a good laugh with a lot of the brethren here in Minnesota.'cause we have our Hiram Towing t-shirt and Hiram Auto Body and the king of tires. And, and, and I think that's the little nuance that Yes. That brothers are looking for something that helps a Mason recognize me. It's unique. I know it's special. Uh, so we try and create items that are like that because we, we love free masonry and we love being part of the craft, so we're proud of it. Gino Sco the other half of Brothers and Bonds. Yeah. Welcome to Minnesota. What a honor and pleasure it is to finally be out here. I know. We've, uh, been trying to make it out here. I think two, three years ago. Bert beat me out here a couple years ago though. He did. Bert stopped out for the Johnny Royal Yes. Presentation. Yes. Johnny, our friend brother Johnny Royal from California, the writer, producer and creator of 33 and beyond. God, he's done so many, he's done, he's done so many films. Oh, I think we had just talked to him on our podcast as well. Yes. And then that's how we kind of all got to know each other. That's right. we are thrilled to have you guys on site. Oh, we are thrilled to be here. Finally. Again, you know, it was, I think three years in the making. Yeah. As I said, Burke came earlier, got to meet you in person. We've had a great relationship, giving us great ideas. I've already made some phone calls back home, said we gotta start doing these things, so that's great to hear. We're finally here. It was a fun ride. Yeah. I think about 13 and a half hour over two days. it's always an adventure. No doubt about that. So you're very active in Freemasonry in Ontario. Yes. immediately I jumped all in. I've always been an all in kind of guy and everything I've done, masonry has just been another layer to enjoy in that respect. I was asked to be on the communications committee for the York District So I did have the opportunity to be on the Grand Lodge of Ontario's social media committee. And I helped create the original policies for which we should follow. it's a reminder of how to act, but on social media sometimes we can separate our personal from Masonic ways, and so we just help guide our brothers to make sure that everything was done to a very positive manner in the outward facing world. I think that's such a crucial thing to be addressing, and that comes up a lot in our travels and in our conversations you're stifling my right to free speech. No, not at all. You can post whatever you want. Yeah. On social media. Yeah. But the question becomes, why would you wanna risk alienating 50% of your Masonic brothers and your family and your friends when you're just shouting into an echo chamber of social media? Is we as Masons doing our best to embrace. Tolerance adding more signal to the world and less static. Absolutely. and be the example setter. Yeah. That if you have a square encompass or any sort of concordant body in your profile photo or at an event, you are a representative. For the craft. Yeah. We're always an ambassador Yes. Of the craft and all those bodies, and it all starts here, so, yep. It just, again, it's just a gentle reminder Yes. To make sure that we're doing right and we're always being better than we can. Our volunteer workforce at annual communication is vital, especially for the brothers who are tiling and overseeing the scanning of brothers. Coming and going from the business session, brother Oleg Anakin, this is your second annual communication? That's correct. You've never been on the inside of the lodge room though? Nope. I, I was inside during the break, uh, just to see, uh, the stance and whatnot, but, uh, no, not during the communication itself. Well, we appreciate your volunteer time and you guys do a really nice job with the tiling, but perhaps next year we could ensure. That you get inside and take part or be able to witness some of the lodge business happening? Well, sounds like a plan, but, uh, I, I don't mind. I mean, I, I'm glad, uh, to help brothers and it's, it's a nice informal way to meet people, see everyone. So, yeah. How has your Masonic journey been so far? You've been a Mason now for what, A couple years? Year and a half-ish? Yeah. Yeah, so far so good. I mean, I, I'm enjoying the brotherhood, um, meet a lot of people, and it's just getting better, What's your favorite part so far, if you had to pick one? It's a very, very good question. It's, it's hard to choose, right? I guess this feeling of belonging, feeling of brotherhood, And how, how open everyone, you know what I mean? Yeah. Like, yeah. This connection brother Oleg Anakin from Minneapolis 19, thanks to you and all of the volunteers helping with the tiling and the organized chaos that we are managing throughout this process. Well, thank you for managing this chaos. I feel like we're getting the band back together. Past Grand Master Rolf Woods friend. Thank you for stopping by. A pleasure. Thank you. How many years have you played piano? Uh, I can, I can say that, uh, I'm not sure, but I would say this, I actually started on a read organ with the pedals. And I could pump the pedals and reach over the keyboard to play, but I couldn't see what I was doing. So that young, you played piano at your dad's grandmaster installation, is that correct? I played the organ. The organ for his in installation? Yes. Was that 71? What year was that? Correct. 71. then all those years later, you're a grandma. How many, do you know how many father son? Both having been grand masters we've had in Minnesota. I think there are th I thought there were three. I'm not positive. Okay. I wanna look up. Look, look that up. But I can, I can tell you this, that we were 50 years apart. Exactly. 50. And, and I looked at, went to one of the, uh, celebrations where they had the hundred and 50th. Mm-hmm. And I said, oh, my father did the hundredth, so this is the second installment. I said, I don't know if I'm gonna make a third one. That is really neat though, to have that 50 year to have both of you. Mm-hmm. Do you have a favorite memory of an annual communication at any point in all the years you've been a Mason? I don't think so. I mean, I've been to a number of different ones in different buildings, but I, I think the memory I have more was when we had the, the one down in St. Paul at the Oh Temple. Yes. And of course then it wasn't too many years after that they tore on the building. Yeah. Eminent domain is not nice. Yeah. That was not, So I assume you're playing piano doing something this weekend. I believe you're helping the Joby at the installation? I will be doing the installation and then I will play piano for the past Grand Masters Lunche. I've attended that once as the, that's where they have the sing-along, you know? Exactly. That was a really fun experience to have been. Yeah. So I played for that. Yeah. I was in, in an appointed position that year. I had no idea of the piano and the songs, and that was, it's very cool. Well, it's, it's essentially the old glee clubs type of songs, so it's, it's really old stuff. And we just sing them. We got song sheets and they just pick out songs and we're going, I hope I've got it. Or we'll fake it way through it. Let's not go old. Let's call it vintage. Let's call it old school. Timeless. Rolf Tand, thank you for stopping by and thank you for all that you've done for so many years for Minnesota Freemasons. Ah, pleasure. Glad I could be here. We could not do what we do as Freemasons without the support of our spouses Christ. Christie went over. Have you been given some sort of award for Masonic wife or supporter of the year? Of the decade Of the decade? No, I'm saying that somewhat facetiously, but you deserve it. Right? Definitely not of the decade, even though that should be a thing. but no, I just enjoy supporting my husband in his Masonic journey and I definitely enjoy meeting wives along the way and families.'cause we have two kids of our own too. How old are the kids now? You have one driving now, right? Oh my goodness. Um, Anabel is 16. Oh my gosh. Yep. And, uh, she is driving, has her job. Um, she will graduate next year. Oh my gosh. So we're in the throes of graduation planning and then Benjamin is 14 and so he's gonna be a freshman this fall, so I cannot believe that. Mm-hmm. for your daughter? Are you in college tour mode already? Not quite. She's still trying to figure out what she wants. I'm kind of pushing her just with my experience, pushing her towards, um, community college. Just to get the generals. Yeah. Until she decides what I mean, it was forensics and now it's an EMT. So we're still deciding what, what the path is. We recently had that conversation on the podcast with Mark Campbell. Okay. And saying the, we just sort of asked the question, are we doing an injustice in life? Asking a 17-year-old to decide what you wanna do for the rest of your life? That has been my complaint for the past two years. Yes. She's just a baby on this earth. Yeah. And you're asking her what she wants to do for the rest of her life. There's nothing wrong with taking some time off. Mm-hmm. Or some young people do the military to get some experience and just gain some more perspective the path will reveal itself as to what to do long term. What has been one of your favorite aspects of weekends like this when the family can go to, you know, your husband is deep in the business meeting today, beyond meeting other wives and other families, what, what are some fun memories you have of annual communication or maybe York Wright weekends? Well, definitely, besides the family aspect, it's getting the day off. Um, I used to bring work and work remotely and so it's been nice to just take that day for yourself. I unfortunately haven't done the wives events for Grand Lodge. Um, but eventually, like this weekend we have the dog, so he's ah, yes. Tiny little thing. And what kind of dog? Um, miniature Yorkie. And he's four pounds and almost three years old. so he's kind of my little friend here. But, um, just the weekend in general of the getting dressed up, getting to sit with the wives at the table, getting to know, know new people at the tables.'cause you get split up. You're not really in your cliques of people, you know, unless it just happens to work out that way. so you get to know different people in walks of life and where they are in the state, and sometimes they're from outta state. And it's just about getting to know people. And I think that's my, one of my favorite things. You hit on something important that we all tend to gather together with the people we know. Mm-hmm. But in a banquet or a lunch setting or just any social setting and it's hard to do, but. So vital to break away from those we know and go to someone you don't know and strike up a conversation. Yeah. And then suddenly you've made a new friend for life. Yeah. The men have a really hard time with that. Sometimes we'll say, okay, everybody stand up now, move tables or get with someone you don't know their name or don't know much about them and, and they all hated it first, and then by the end we can't get them to stop talking or to go on to the next breakout session or what have you. Right. Well, I just wanna say thank you on behalf of really the Masons of Minnesota for the support you've given our organization and especially your husband. I, I can't fathom, I know Chris works some really busy hours. You work your kids, the teenagers. It, I, I can't, I can't relate. I can only say thank you from the bottom of our heart for the support you give him and for attending and for being here. Well, I am happy to do it and I appreciate you all as well. Aaron, Brenda, What has been a favorite Masonic memory for you, just in general? I think probably my favorite memory is, is the, the earliest years, uh, you know, I, I was 18. I'm originally, uh, from Iowa, so I'm an Iowa Mason as well as a Minnesota Mason. And the, the lodge I joined at 18, Was made up of a lot of Senior de Malays. Uh, and a lot of the advisors that I had when I was in Demal A were members of that lodge. Uh, and when I went through the degrees, my third degree was put on by all senior de Malays. How often do you get back to Iowa to visit? Not as much as, uh, my mother would like, I suppose, but, uh, on occasion. And, you know, I'm rarely there during the week, so I rarely get to like a stated meeting or anything like that. But, um, you know, if they're doing a pancake breakfast or they're doing a, you know, something, I, I try to try to visit the lodge when I can and, uh, you know, I keep in touch my, um, the, the, uh, brother who signed my petition, uh, and he was my chapter dad when I was in DeLee, was actually my Marshall for my installation as Worship Master Oh, cool. At Noca. So, yeah, when it was kind of tradition, when, when I was in DeMay, he was always the installing Marshall really always, every single time. so when I knew I was gonna be master, I, I thought, this is fitting to good call, have him come back and, and of course, you know, be the installing Marshall for, for me as master. So yeah, that was, that was pretty special. Special memories to say the least. Aaron Brindle, I wish we had more time. When we get back to Bloomington, you should come by and we'll do a, a longer conversation. Yeah. It'd be great to thank you for all of the years you have given to the craft, to the youth organizations. Your a topnotch brother. It's a labor of love. Michael Carats. Welcome to Minnesota Masonic Histories and mysteries. what's been your favorite aspect of Dele so far? I'd have to say the brotherhood and being able to connect with people all around, not just the United States, but the world in general. I am going to go to our grand communication in June. Is that in Oklahoma every year? No, it's going to be in Chicago. Oh. This year actually. Cool. So I'm going to be able to go there and meet a whole bunch of new people that I haven't seen before. Mm-hmm. And I'm truly excited for that'cause I really like to just get to know people and make new friends. And this organization has been a great experience in that. Where do you go to school? Currently? I go to school at Anoka High School. You have plans for college? Any ideas? I know that's a big question. You're young, you maybe you haven't decided your forever plan yet, but what interests you? What do you think about going into? So I'm going to Gustavus Ado office college, I actually learned about that through DM A. Okay. That's where we have our end of year conclave. And they have a really good nursing program and I am going into nursing. That's what you wanna do. Yeah. What do you think led to you being drawn towards nursing? I really like being able to help people and my mom is also a nurse, I commend you for having such clarity on what you want to do because we were just speaking. With another, uh, Masonic wife about her teenage and it, it's hard to know sometimes when you're still in high school. Not everybody can just say, Hey, definitively, I'm going to do blank. that can be a tall ask for somebody who's young. Wanna welcome Cecilia Galatin. Tell us what you do with job's daughters. Yeah. So I'm the Minnesota Grand Bethel Honor Queen for 2026 and 2027. So my role is Grand Bethel. Honor queen is to work with the members around the state with events and meetings and to help them promote friendship How busy is that in that position now? Are you on the road a lot? Yeah, so I travel, everywhere around the state. I try to make it to as many meetings and events as possible. the next day after I became Grand Honor Queen, I was already attending meetings that quickly the next day. Now do you go to school? I go to Whiter Lake Area High School. Okay. Um, that's where I'm from and I'm originally from Bethel 76, which is in White Bear. Excellent. So, I work as a CNA at a nursing home. Okay. And I plan on going to nursing school. to get my nursing license. Excellent. You wanna be an LPN, an rn? eventually I wanna become a rn, but I think I'm gonna do an LPN program. Okay. To start out, through job's daughters you learn a lot of like helping others and supporting others, especially in times of need. So I think that's where I developed like my compassion and empathy towards others and that's led me to wanna help others throughout life and I feel like nursing is a great route for that. Absolutely. So, I mean, job's daughters is really about learning those valuable life skills, like the leadership, the public speaking, giving back to our community and the people around us, and while having fun doing it. we wish you the best in your year and college in the future. It sounds like a bright one. Thank you. We are at the annual communication in Wait Park, Minnesota, joined by our Grand Marshall this year. Clint LaFave. What's life like as a, an appointed grand lodge officer? Well, let, let me tell you. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, even though I do have a couple, uh, bits left tomorrow. Yes. Your job isn't completely finished, but a few more things on the to-do list. You did a few lodge dedications this year, this past year. Like what are some highlights for you? Yes, we were able to, uh, at least once go out to. Excelsior Lodge. Yes. And, uh, work on the rededication for that. That lodge. That was a fantastic experience. a lot of the Grand Marshall role is gathering lots of masons together and making sure they're all standing in the right place at the right time. That's not an easy gig. It's, it's worked out good. It's been a lot of fun. I got to know a lot of guys and, you know, in the, in the annual communication, I was able to introduce, dignitaries Yes. And past grand Masters. Mm-hmm. And, you know, different, uh, bodies fantastic experience. So how did the session go? Because those of us that are of organizing the whole process did, I didn't even make it into the session today, but how did it go? I mean, overall, I think that the pace of the, of the session went well. Um, timing was, was excellent. I thought. Um, the content was well, uh, well received, I believe. Good. And, uh, yeah, overall I think it was a good, it was well attended too. It seemed to be, uh, uh, a larger group than I've recently seen. I think we have record numbers this year, general attendance and then also at the, some of the banquet tallies for tonight's banquet. And then Saturday we have the Masonic Charities brunch is, man, I wanna say there's like 300. There's over 300. Okay. That will be attending that. So, which is great to see. brothers are turning out in droves. And so for those who aren't with us this weekend, they're missing out on a lot of fun. Definitely all the comradery that goes on, not only in the session, but in the, uh, the times in between. Yeah, that's, uh, some of the fantastic. Experiences that you end up having here. So a hundred percent Clint Lefay. We appreciate all you do at Nelson Lodge in Buffalo. You're very active in Scottish Rite in the Minneapolis Valley. The uh, craft is indebted to you for your selfless service, my brother. Well, thank you. It's been an honor to sit and chat with you today.