First and foremost, thank you to all the officers who have served our Lodge, and to the brethren who are stepping up to carry the mantle as Lodge No. 2 moves forward into the future. It has been—and continues to be—a pleasure working with each and every one of you. As I write this, the sun has yet to rise above the horizon, and I find myself filled with excitement as I think about our Lodge’s future and our role in celebrating our Nation’s 250th Birthday. Fair warning, Brethren: we will be busy! There will be much to do—both within our Lodge and throughout our community.

As I sit at my dining room table, as many have, sipping my tea,--Earl Grey and lemon, no sugar--with my crazy cats surrounding me, I ponder on the past two years, and the sacrifices many have made to ensure Lodge No. 2 progresses in a positive direction. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a success. Without your support, I would not have been able to make this happen while sitting in the East. Your tireless devotion to the Craft, has enabled Lodge No. 2 to move the needle way past the expectations of the vision that was presented back when I took office in 2024. 

This is not the usual message, so please bear with me.

On Mon., 15-Sep-2025, my mother passed away. Last year in April of 2024, my biological father passed away. These are the people that brought me into this world, ultimately making it possible for me to be of service to our lodge. Though sometimes fraught, my relationship with my parents nevertheless had a lasting impression on my life and helped shape me into the man I am today.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed their summer as we called off from labor for the months of July and August. First and foremost: Bro. Muraldy Gustave, and soon-to-be Bro. Justin A. Rodriguez will soon depart for my alma mater, Fort Benning, to serve our country in active duty service in the United States Army. All the best to them…and beware of that Georgia red clay.

A few updates as we are called off from labor. Unfortunately, we lost a pillar within Masonic District D, Bro. Norman Walsh, P.M. Norm was the epitome of what our Fraternity is and should be; he will be missed by many.

As the lights of our Lodge will dim briefly for the summer, I hope each of you will enjoy and take advantage of the time away from each other. It has been a pleasure to serve you over the past 18 months…there is still much more labor in the quarry to accomplish.

At our May Stated Meeting, we will be hosting Bro. David Canterbury from Ohio. Please RSVP as soon as possible as there is a growing interest from brethren outside of our Lodge to attend and space is limited. There will not be Extra Meetings scheduled for the months of May or June, and starting in September, our Extra Meeting dinners will be held at Iron Hill Brewery.