As Pennsylvania Masons, we are privileged to have access to one of the leading institutions of Masonic education – the Academy of Masonic Knowledge of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Each year in March and October, the Academy hosts symposiums where scholars of Freemasonry from around the world give presentations on the history, symbolism, and philosophy of the Craft.

As we all know, we are the inheritors of 264 years of Masonic history. But that history is not limited to the ancient usages, customs, and landmarks of our Fraternity. We are all custodians of the resources that our predecessors have dedicated to this Lodge. It is our Masonic duty to wisely preserve and maintain those resources, so that Lodge No. 2 will continue to serve as a beacon of Masonic light in our Fraternity and our community.

Happy New Year! As the calendar turns to 2022, we face a great deal of uncertainty. Just as we seemed to be moving in the right direction, the Omicron variant has turned everything on its head. Fortunately, vaccination is required to attend our meetings – but as we see in the news, breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated are always a possibility. It is our responsibility as Freemasons to remain vigilant in these extraordinary circumstances, based upon our fraternal duty to care for our fellow man.

We are entering an important season of celebration in many religions, as has been the case since time immemorial. This year will be particularly special, since many of us were unable to have large family gatherings this time last year due to the pandemic.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner – this year has been yet another COVID-induced whirlwind. But fortunately, we are in a far better place than we were at this time last year. Thanks to the vaccine, all of us will hopefully be able to enjoy Thanksgiving in person once again – definitely better than last year’s virtual holidays.

The seasons are changing outside, and it feels like something similar is happening in our Lodge. Last month we voted on a petition for membership for the first time in over a year and a half, and we will likely be considering more such petitions this month.