[00:00:00] From the new recording layer located deep beneath the Wyman Spirit Store in Epirida, Pennsylvania.
[00:00:10] Your listening to the Masonic Lite Podcast.
[00:00:15] Studio 665 presents Masonic Lite Podcast.
[00:00:21] The show's recorded by Mason's, for Mason's and is for entertainment purposes only.
[00:00:28] And please, await your end.
[00:00:32] This podcast is not endorsed by any grand launch and the ridiculous ramblings of the hoax are their own.
[00:00:42] And now here's your house.
[00:00:47] Hey everybody, it's Masonic Lite Podcast.
[00:00:51] Hello.
[00:00:52] Episode number 173.
[00:00:55] What? 173?
[00:00:57] That's a lot of episodes.
[00:00:59] That is.
[00:01:00] More than four. Larry, what are you doing?
[00:01:02] You're doing a crossword?
[00:01:03] Yeah.
[00:01:04] What? I think he's playing Sudoku.
[00:01:06] Oh.
[00:01:07] Okay. Thank you for pronouncing it correctly.
[00:01:09] Yeah, okay. I'll try.
[00:01:10] So we have a full house tonight.
[00:01:12] Yes we do.
[00:01:13] And there's just a story behind that.
[00:01:14] But we'll talk about that later.
[00:01:16] We're all shirking.
[00:01:18] We have Larry, Jack, Josh and myself Tim.
[00:01:22] And we have a guest co-host tonight, Ricky Martini.
[00:01:26] Thank you.
[00:01:27] Yeah.
[00:01:28] Harrisburg Lodge number 629.
[00:01:31] Yes.
[00:01:32] All right.
[00:01:33] In Harrisburg PA.
[00:01:34] Did you mention Jack and Jack?
[00:01:37] Are you calling John?
[00:01:38] It's a pair of jacks.
[00:01:39] I haven't introduced this cast for an hour.
[00:01:41] Oh my god.
[00:01:42] I'm feeling bad either.
[00:01:43] You just might pass them.
[00:01:44] I'm going to him next if you'll give me a minute.
[00:01:46] Oh, geez.
[00:01:47] Tell them.
[00:01:48] For the Jack Brookes, past district deputy,
[00:01:51] grandmaster and Pennsylvania of district 58.
[00:01:54] 58.
[00:01:55] I can never remember your all's numbers.
[00:01:57] 58.
[00:01:58] So welcome to the show guys.
[00:01:59] Thank you.
[00:02:00] Yay.
[00:02:01] Yay.
[00:02:02] All right.
[00:02:03] So enthusiastic.
[00:02:05] Until about two hours ago we weren't exactly sure how many people
[00:02:08] we were going to have here tonight.
[00:02:09] Nope.
[00:02:10] It was going to be greater than three, maybe,
[00:02:15] and less than like eight.
[00:02:18] So again, we're good.
[00:02:20] Glad to have everybody here.
[00:02:21] We have five six right?
[00:02:23] Six.
[00:02:24] Yeah.
[00:02:25] Six.
[00:02:26] We have six now.
[00:02:27] Look at that.
[00:02:28] I can count.
[00:02:29] You can.
[00:02:30] Very good.
[00:02:31] One more word, fire code.
[00:02:32] I didn't even take off my shoes.
[00:02:33] Yeah.
[00:02:34] It's early.
[00:02:35] You'll be for if we take off my shoes.
[00:02:38] The audit alarm is ringing.
[00:02:39] We'll talk about that later.
[00:02:41] Anyway, so what we do guys is we begin our show with talking about
[00:02:46] what we've been doing recently in our Masonic careers,
[00:02:50] lives, whatever.
[00:02:52] Larry, other than eating breakfast, what have you been doing?
[00:02:56] But that's important.
[00:02:57] It is.
[00:02:58] It's best to get the most important meal of the day.
[00:03:00] I'm estimating.
[00:03:01] We started our 18th year of Groose and Gridiron.
[00:03:04] Every Thursday morning, 18 years.
[00:03:07] There are lodges that don't last that long.
[00:03:10] I'm not going to argue with you.
[00:03:12] But here's the biggie.
[00:03:15] I went to Grotto on Sunday.
[00:03:17] He did.
[00:03:18] Yeah.
[00:03:19] And I got to carry the sword.
[00:03:21] The baritone.
[00:03:22] The baritone.
[00:03:23] He gave you a sharp object.
[00:03:25] And apparently there were wagers on what would happen if I fell with that thing.
[00:03:30] It was a point thing.
[00:03:31] He did not cut himself.
[00:03:32] He was good.
[00:03:33] You can't cut yourself with that thing.
[00:03:35] We were concerned about that.
[00:03:36] You could break bones but not cut yourself.
[00:03:38] We had a health risk going on there.
[00:03:40] The insurance was given there.
[00:03:42] That's right.
[00:03:43] So, yeah, it's right you are.
[00:03:44] That's right.
[00:03:45] It was awesome.
[00:03:46] It was awesome.
[00:03:47] It was like going back to Old Home Week.
[00:03:50] It was so many people right now.
[00:03:53] And we're there.
[00:03:55] I was able to see what you missed by not coming to Grotto.
[00:03:58] Yeah, I did.
[00:03:59] That's why I'm back.
[00:04:00] So, we had to put Larry in a chair to get him to come back.
[00:04:03] So, anyway.
[00:04:05] But that's great.
[00:04:06] It's great.
[00:04:07] Jack, how about you?
[00:04:08] Jack number one.
[00:04:09] Well, I had...
[00:04:11] Let me open my cheat sheet.
[00:04:13] Oh no.
[00:04:14] So, we had...
[00:04:15] We recorded on the 13th.
[00:04:17] So, we had Academy of Masonic Knowledge on the 16th.
[00:04:21] That is very interesting.
[00:04:24] What else did I have?
[00:04:27] Oh, on the 20th on Wednesday.
[00:04:29] We had our first official foray into the combined first and second degrees.
[00:04:38] How'd that work for you?
[00:04:40] Well...
[00:04:44] We had it.
[00:04:46] And it...
[00:04:47] Yeah.
[00:04:48] Okay.
[00:04:49] It was a thing.
[00:04:50] All right.
[00:04:51] So, I had them into the lodge on Monday night for mentoring and education.
[00:04:58] Yeah.
[00:04:59] And they're very interested.
[00:05:02] They want...
[00:05:03] They want the rest of it.
[00:05:04] They want the hard part.
[00:05:05] They want to learn the oath and obligation.
[00:05:07] Good.
[00:05:08] And they want to...
[00:05:09] They want the real deal.
[00:05:10] Good.
[00:05:11] So, they're going to get that.
[00:05:12] Good.
[00:05:13] And then tonight, I was supposed to be at the Lehigh Valley Joshua Association,
[00:05:20] named after our own Josh Lamberton, who's apparently 85 years old.
[00:05:26] Because that's the... how old that society is.
[00:05:29] But it's pouring down rain outside and driving in the dark in the rain
[00:05:33] is my second least favorite thing to do.
[00:05:36] So, I opted to come here instead and charm you all with my wit and wisdom.
[00:05:41] Oh, we're glad that you made the right decision.
[00:05:44] Great.
[00:05:45] So, Jack number two.
[00:05:46] Sound like you've been up to, Masonically recently.
[00:05:49] Jack number two has been on the road, traveling with the Grandmaster as one of his aides.
[00:05:56] Doing the officer training for the Blue Lodge revitalization committee.
[00:06:02] Last night I spent some time with Robert Burns Lodge and Harrisburg at their very nice banquet.
[00:06:09] And it's been quite busy.
[00:06:11] So, I've been out and about just about every night.
[00:06:14] When did you ever have time to be a district deputy?
[00:06:17] Oh, you find time.
[00:06:19] You do find time.
[00:06:21] My wife told me tonight she's like, you know, I miss you.
[00:06:24] I'm like, you'll see me tonight about one or two o'clock in the morning.
[00:06:27] Hey, we'll get you on the journey.
[00:06:30] Yeah, one night a month.
[00:06:31] Yeah, absolutely.
[00:06:32] Thank you, Robert.
[00:06:33] Ricky, how about you?
[00:06:34] Well, earlier this month I helped confer first and second degree for our Blue Lodge.
[00:06:42] We did the new advanced combined degree.
[00:06:45] Combined degree and it went very well.
[00:06:48] We didn't miss a beat on it.
[00:06:50] It definitely was a little shorter on the second degree part, but I mean it's still a long evening doing two degrees on one candidate.
[00:06:56] We had two candidates so each one got two degrees.
[00:07:00] So we did a long and a short first and then we did a combined second.
[00:07:05] And I don't really like the combined second.
[00:07:08] We had two guys at the altar at once.
[00:07:10] And I'll never do that again.
[00:07:13] It's got to be a little confusing.
[00:07:15] Yeah, it just didn't want you to write no one knows who you're talking to.
[00:07:18] Right.
[00:07:19] The guy that I can't know.
[00:07:20] Oh, but it's just the second degree.
[00:07:21] That's a throwaway.
[00:07:23] And then we had cigar lodge on Sunday.
[00:07:26] We did start off the afternoon which was very nice weather.
[00:07:29] Very nice turnout.
[00:07:30] Excellent.
[00:07:31] Over 30.
[00:07:32] Over 35 people.
[00:07:33] Yeah, very nice.
[00:07:35] And then someone convinced me to join them at the Uber Grotto meeting.
[00:07:42] What a jerk who would do that?
[00:07:44] Someone in this room.
[00:07:46] You're going to get points for that.
[00:07:48] It was so easy.
[00:07:49] Ricky, what are you doing tonight?
[00:07:51] Nothing.
[00:07:52] Great. Come with me.
[00:07:53] Time to get in the car.
[00:07:54] And before we left he had a petition in.
[00:07:56] There you go.
[00:07:57] Last night again I was at Robert Burns banquet.
[00:08:02] Annual banquet, which is very nice.
[00:08:04] It was very put on great by the staff there.
[00:08:08] The officers did a great job.
[00:08:10] I got to see a lot of people I don't get to see often, which was good.
[00:08:14] And again this evening was a Lehigh Valley Joshua's association.
[00:08:19] Wait, did you cut that?
[00:08:21] Yes, I did.
[00:08:22] Man, there's three of you there.
[00:08:23] You know, but I'm sure Jack Brookes went because he's qualified to be a member of the family.
[00:08:29] No, actually, I thought this was going to be a great deal.
[00:08:31] Actually, I thought this was much more important than the Joshua.
[00:08:34] So I passed on that as well.
[00:08:37] Nice.
[00:08:38] And it was raining a lot.
[00:08:40] Night driving and rain is it?
[00:08:42] I think we should take a picture and send it to them.
[00:08:44] And maybe they'll count you as present.
[00:08:45] We can do that.
[00:08:46] I paid for dinner so I'm saying here.
[00:08:48] Yeah, yeah.
[00:08:49] Okay. Good.
[00:08:51] You good?
[00:08:52] That's ever done.
[00:08:53] All right, Josh.
[00:08:54] I did not go to Grotto.
[00:08:56] You did not.
[00:08:57] I know we looked at your house from actually.
[00:09:00] We're getting our drove past it.
[00:09:03] Really?
[00:09:04] Because we were coming from cigar lodge into...
[00:09:06] Oh, was that the house you were throwing stuff at?
[00:09:08] Yeah.
[00:09:09] All right.
[00:09:10] It's right through when I threw the cup out the window.
[00:09:12] Yeah, God, it was a front yard.
[00:09:13] I was wondering.
[00:09:14] That explains everything.
[00:09:15] Did some audit stuff?
[00:09:18] Oh, very good.
[00:09:20] But other than that.
[00:09:21] Are you on Landryville's audit committee?
[00:09:24] No, but I'm in charge of funds.
[00:09:26] So, oh, I have to do your thing.
[00:09:29] Do my thing.
[00:09:30] Cool.
[00:09:31] Very good.
[00:09:32] All right, so what have I been up to?
[00:09:34] I went to...
[00:09:35] Actually, I remotely attended the Academy.
[00:09:38] Ah!
[00:09:39] I did too.
[00:09:41] You did.
[00:09:42] And you even texted me to say it wasn't working.
[00:09:45] Stolen valid.
[00:09:46] It wasn't.
[00:09:47] So...
[00:09:48] Yeah, they got a new like.
[00:09:50] All right.
[00:09:51] Harrisburg Council number seven.
[00:09:53] We didn't have to go now.
[00:09:55] Where I was installed Thrice Illustrious Master.
[00:09:58] Congratulations, tell me.
[00:09:59] Actually, I have Pete DeBlaine for that several years ago when he was Thrice Illustrious Master.
[00:10:05] He said, you really ought to do this.
[00:10:06] And I'm like, I've been a member for whatever.
[00:10:08] I say, you know I'm in the chairs.
[00:10:10] And here I am.
[00:10:12] On Saturday, I attended the Masonic Service of our good friend Tim Settlemeyer.
[00:10:21] Many of you all know him or knew him.
[00:10:23] Yes.
[00:10:24] A Mason extraordinaire.
[00:10:26] And there was a great turnout of the brethren in Carlisle.
[00:10:33] He's in a different like area of the state than I am.
[00:10:37] And we only really overlapped at Grotto.
[00:10:39] Right.
[00:10:40] I had no idea what an involved Mason he was.
[00:10:44] His Masonic resume is really impressive and the fraternity will miss Tim.
[00:10:51] He was really excited.
[00:10:52] He was only 53 years old.
[00:10:54] Right.
[00:10:55] That's two 53 year olds in the last year.
[00:10:57] Yeah, that's not good.
[00:10:59] That's very sad.
[00:11:00] Very sad.
[00:11:01] Way too young.
[00:11:02] I also attended Cigar Lodge and we were Grotto.
[00:11:05] And I also attended the Robert Burns banquet last night.
[00:11:10] And we had our own version of Cigar Lodge afterwards.
[00:11:14] And then today, I did an interview with the Grandmaster, Larry Adir.
[00:11:20] Did he get the job?
[00:11:22] Well, it wasn't a job interview.
[00:11:24] Oh, okay.
[00:11:25] It was one for the upcoming 250th birthday of our country coming up in a couple years.
[00:11:31] So the Grand Lodge is putting together a series of videos promoting that and encouraging lodges
[00:11:37] to how they can get involved in that.
[00:11:41] What did you do?
[00:11:42] Do anything.
[00:11:43] You popped something.
[00:11:44] I know.
[00:11:45] No, I do.
[00:11:50] I always worry about you, brother.
[00:11:54] That was a big one.
[00:12:00] All right.
[00:12:01] Well, we're off to a rip-roaring start here.
[00:12:03] So let's take a break and make sure Larry's still in one piece.
[00:12:06] And we're going to come back with our guest, Jack Brooks.
[00:12:12] Thanks.
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[00:13:11] And we're back.
[00:13:23] What?
[00:13:24] Tonight's guest is Brother Jack Brooks, and our guest host is Brother Ricky Martini.
[00:13:29] So Ricky, take it away.
[00:13:33] So Jack.
[00:13:34] No pressure.
[00:13:35] Which your favorite color?
[00:13:36] My favorite color is red, but I have to say blue for blue lodge.
[00:13:41] Nice.
[00:13:42] Jack, I saw you yesterday at the Burns Bank with great sea and have a cigar with you.
[00:13:47] And we had some great talks which was great.
[00:13:50] Last time I think I saw you in lodge was at Harrisburg Snyder lodge last year.
[00:13:55] Yeah, asking the question.
[00:13:57] For the...
[00:14:00] That's an inside joke.
[00:14:02] That's an inside joke.
[00:14:03] You understand when you listen to a 40 more episode.
[00:14:06] For the Masonic Jeopardy.
[00:14:08] Which I was very...
[00:14:10] I'm a sore loser sometimes, and it was a tough battle but my group won, which is great.
[00:14:17] It's taking quite a life of its own.
[00:14:20] Actually, I'm coming back there in the beginning of May to do the same thing.
[00:14:24] So, I'll break into the Masonic Jeopardy.
[00:14:27] Is there fighting?
[00:14:30] There could be.
[00:14:31] Yeah, right.
[00:14:32] I mean it's come pretty close to Fisticus sometimes, you know, from the points get close.
[00:14:37] Actually, it was a program that I came up with as a Worshaw Master of Plasculage No. 216 in Potsville.
[00:14:45] And just for Masonic education, I was always in education and I always loved it so.
[00:14:51] I thought what better than having Masonic Jeopardy?
[00:14:55] And played like Jeopardy.
[00:14:57] So, I split the lodges up into two teams when I eat side.
[00:15:02] The Worshaw Master is the judge and the scorekeeper and I'm the quizmaster.
[00:15:08] And I have various topics from history, famous Freemasons, Masonic Law, Ritual.
[00:15:17] And we go through them.
[00:15:19] There's easy questions, one-pointers, and there's really hard questions that are three-pointers.
[00:15:23] I got one.
[00:15:24] You have a daily double?
[00:15:25] Yes, I got one.
[00:15:28] Secretaries say it every December.
[00:15:32] Pay your damn dues.
[00:15:35] What is pay your damn dues?
[00:15:37] I'm going to have to add that.
[00:15:40] I'll add that one just for you guys.
[00:15:43] But yeah, so they have buzzers.
[00:15:46] They get to buzz in and everything.
[00:15:49] And we play until we have, you know, the Worshaw Master says, okay enough.
[00:15:53] Typically, it's funny because I try to keep it to 20 minutes.
[00:15:58] And usually we go an hour because everybody is having so much fun.
[00:16:02] That is great.
[00:16:03] And then at the end we have Final Jeopardy.
[00:16:06] So they wager their points and that's when the fun begins.
[00:16:11] Yeah, it gets a little intense.
[00:16:13] And there are some trick questions in there that you're really especially in Ritual
[00:16:17] that you have to know your Ritual to get them correct.
[00:16:20] And I always said as long as somebody walks out of there learning something new, one thing,
[00:16:26] I've done my job.
[00:16:27] That's fantastic.
[00:16:28] So I've been making those rounds pretty frequently now since I have retired as deputy.
[00:16:32] Put that in a box and sell it across the Commonwealth and you could do that.
[00:16:35] I actually joke with the guys because everybody comes up to me afterwards and said,
[00:16:40] hey, can I get a copy of that?
[00:16:41] And I show them the front of my book, the binder and I have a little copyright symbol on it.
[00:16:45] No!
[00:16:46] It's not copyright but yeah.
[00:16:48] That's right.
[00:16:49] You know what you're doing?
[00:16:50] You could be okay.
[00:16:51] Now one thing that's new for me, I've never interviewed this person like this kind of person before
[00:16:55] but since you are now a past-issued deputy grandmaster now you're at eight to the grandmaster.
[00:17:00] What does that entail?
[00:17:03] Basically you assist the grand lodge with whatever they need.
[00:17:09] So we are most active at grand lodge cordless so we'll make sure things are in line
[00:17:17] at the Lancaster cordly.
[00:17:19] We had some guys selling tickets out in the hallway that I had to keep an eye on because he was kind of squirrely
[00:17:24] but definitely not a trustee.
[00:17:27] I know that guy.
[00:17:29] You make a good treasure.
[00:17:32] So you get assigned to grandmaster Der Henry Federovitch is his direct aid so Henry travels with him
[00:17:41] and does what he needs and depending on what the other right worshipers need
[00:17:45] or I help the grandtiler and whatever else I tend to look for things to do.
[00:17:52] I'm not a stand in the corner kind of person so.
[00:17:55] We had a whole herd of them when the grandmaster was here a couple of weeks ago.
[00:17:59] There was like a AIDS running around, it was like I heard a chipmunks running around just trying to make sure everything was tight.
[00:18:04] So when we go on to when we visit lodge with the grand lodge
[00:18:08] of course we take the photo of the officers hand out the pins, the grandmaster's pins
[00:18:14] and make sure that the regalia is in place and everybody is in line and everything else.
[00:18:20] But it's an interesting job.
[00:18:24] You're doing great keep it up.
[00:18:26] Yeah Ricky we're going to leave and look back in about an hour and we'll wrap it up.
[00:18:30] Well I think one thing that we were talking about earlier before we started was a topic that was brought up in discussion
[00:18:36] but we were editing it much into it was talking about the infinity lodge.
[00:18:40] Affinity. Affinity. Affinity. Affinity. Affinity with an A.
[00:18:45] Some lodges are infinity. Yeah, I know water too.
[00:18:51] So it really became more interesting with cigar lodge number one.
[00:18:58] So when grandmaster here it gave us our and I'm doing air quotes, our warrant of constitution for our lodge.
[00:19:07] It was amazing how many people contacted myself and Ed Stum are right, we're sure grand smoke about starting their own
[00:19:16] and wanting to know if we would help them charter their own and trying to explain to them that it's not really a real thing.
[00:19:26] Hello, but it can be you have a warrant and you believe it is.
[00:19:31] Absolutely. So I got us discussing Affinity lodges and it's something that you find mostly over in London in England
[00:19:42] where like mind of people, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists they formed their own lodges.
[00:19:49] Rock musicians. Yes California has a bunch of them and I heard the guy speak one time
[00:19:54] and there's a soccer lodge and there's you name it and there's a lodge that forms around it.
[00:20:00] So the speaker at the academy this past weekend with a magician is the affinity magician's lodge in Hollywood.
[00:20:09] Yeah, excellent. Cup and ball lodge that was the name of his lodge.
[00:20:13] But it for it's not it's not being it's not being warmly received by the powers to be in Pennsylvania.
[00:20:23] And that's okay. But people who want to get together are looking for a way to get together, a reason to get together under a masonic umbrella.
[00:20:33] Why do you suppose that is? I mean what is it about that?
[00:20:36] You have and you can see it from the cigar lodge where of course everybody's a cigar smoker or wants to be a cigar smoker
[00:20:45] and we're all mostly masons but it's becoming more and more frequent now that we're having non-masons join us.
[00:20:52] And you share that that love of cigars or whatever. I mean I have a lot of people asking to do Penn State alumni type lodges
[00:21:03] and we could create on the grand lodge from that. Oh absolutely.
[00:21:08] And it was funny because Jack Jack number one and I were down at Vox Lodge performing our our committee chair or committee chair
[00:21:19] or I'm sorry committee person duties with engagement and revitalization.
[00:21:25] And we decided to stop over and have a smoke together and we started talking and of course that led to some really in-depth masonic topics
[00:21:33] and one of them was affinity. So he said you know this might be a great topic to bring and then miraculously at Academy it was one of the topics with the
[00:21:43] Mdition's Lodge Cuffin Ball. So I really think it's something good provided that it's done right.
[00:21:53] I've had this discussion many times over with some of the other brethren that are interested in cigar lodges or you know
[00:22:01] right now bourbon lodges that kind of stuff but yeah or trap shooting launch or trout fishing lodge or whatever.
[00:22:10] And there's something about those things that creates a brotherhood around it. We've got the motorcycle groups right.
[00:22:17] We've got Hiram Scottish riders and Scottish raid. You've got the widow's sons and there's a couple of other masonic riders groups.
[00:22:24] Those are almost affinity lodges but they're not recognized necessarily by the grand lodge.
[00:22:30] But I think one of the things the way that we're discussing in here I think is at least for us now the appropriate way to do it where we call it up cigar lodge or whatever.
[00:22:41] And we have the quote unquote air quotes around the charter but it's kind of an organic thing that happens.
[00:22:50] And so there's nothing to stop people from doing this and whether or not the grand lodge gives you a little quasi certificate or not is different
[00:23:00] in a matter but you can still get together and do that.
[00:23:02] This is kind of a stretch. A traditional observant lodge is kind of like an affinity lodge because it's made up of men who want certain things to take place in that lodge.
[00:23:18] That generally don't happen in the blue lodge, it depends on the community.
[00:23:22] Yeah they want that formality. They want that.
[00:23:26] The big meal, what do we call it? Festive board.
[00:23:30] Thank you very much. Festive board they want all of that which is very European by the way.
[00:23:35] So to me that's kind of like it but not quite.
[00:23:39] In our jurisdiction for example though the traditional observance lodges actually are lodges.
[00:23:46] Yeah there weren't in blue lodges that just follow a slightly different path.
[00:23:51] Exactly but there are men who want that and they gravitate toward that.
[00:23:57] Yes so are we kind of sort of sliding into affinity lodges sideways because we've now got a day lodge in what you've got one up in in Alentown, you've got now one in Elizabeth town.
[00:24:11] Those are kind of sort of affinity lodges.
[00:24:15] Are we getting there accidentally?
[00:24:19] I think we're slowly getting there. You know between the traditional observance lodges and the day lodges because really what better mechanism would you have to not only get people out the lodge but also bring new people into lodge.
[00:24:36] Yeah because those guys are going to bring their friends to events of course they're not going to bring them all they could really bring them to the meeting if they're not a formal meeting.
[00:24:45] And say hey we're all free masons. What better way to get more members and get interested in?
[00:24:52] I would love to see how many people joined free masonery through cigar lodge.
[00:24:58] I don't think there's any way to track that but other than asking people but I'm sure there have been go ahead.
[00:25:04] No I'm just going to say I know of one person in particular when I can't remember who all it was but we were at I want to say I think we were at DNS over in Lancaster and me and J Lay's laser and a couple of others were sitting around talking after an academy meeting one day.
[00:25:23] And then the guy came up and says are you guys masons? And we're like yeah he goes well you know that's something that's always been of interest to me.
[00:25:31] And so we began a conversation in long story short I ended up inviting him to a cigar lodge event.
[00:25:38] That wasn't Carlos? No.
[00:25:41] Okay no.
[00:25:43] But we got him connected with the lodge and he joined.
[00:25:47] Yeah and so I think there's been a lot of them. I'd love to track how many people have joined.
[00:25:53] It's interesting when we first started Goose and Gridiron years ago we had three people come we just invited men and three of the people that would show up out of the first seven or eight of us that would meet were not masons.
[00:26:08] And are they now? Yeah they are now.
[00:26:10] There you go.
[00:26:11] Yeah typically we have two or three non masons at cigar lodge.
[00:26:17] We have pull I know one that in fact I just went to his third degree in Sunbury and he's actually cigar store owner.
[00:26:25] And there's a bunch of even bunch of masons that went to his store.
[00:26:30] He's seated on his store like like locust and the the higherman Solomon cigar rep was there doing a presentation.
[00:26:39] And then you know of course we're all talking to chatting about cigars and free masonry and everything else.
[00:26:44] And he looks over at this gentleman and he goes yeah why aren't you petition nice.
[00:26:51] So he just got his third degree two weeks ago.
[00:26:54] Bam.
[00:26:55] Then we all went up there and visited him.
[00:26:57] So one of the things though if you look at the affinity lodges in Europe especially in England Great Britain UK whatever they're called this week.
[00:27:06] But the and I apologize so all my British friends that's insulting and I apologize.
[00:27:15] But they have lodges open and close all the time like they're into the thousands of you know numbers of lodges because they open their their alive for a couple of years 10 15 whatever.
[00:27:28] And then they close again and no then there's no gnashing of teeth and whaling and oh my god a lodge close it just it just closed because that lodge had run its course.
[00:27:40] In our world that's a that's a nathema I mean we we don't want to close a lot well I mean we're not going to close any lodges this year right for the next two.
[00:27:51] Well we're not allowed mergers well we're not going to allow mergers but all right so if anyway not with standing.
[00:27:56] But the point is that it's a horrible thing when a lodge closes in Pennsylvania it's the end of the world as we know it.
[00:28:05] But for them it's not so much because they've got lodges opening and closing all the time.
[00:28:11] We had a friend Dan Madrigal who was on the show who was trying to start a Spanish speaking lodge in Pennsylvania.
[00:28:19] And they couldn't they couldn't make the hurdle in Pennsylvania because the requirement was so high.
[00:28:28] So they went across the river to Camden and they had a lodge in in three months.
[00:28:35] The grand lodge in New Jersey chartered chartered their lodge and now there that's where that's where they're at and I just you know it shouldn't be that hard.
[00:28:43] I think there's a lot of value to be derived from it.
[00:28:46] I think I think it was interesting with the brother that spoke at the academy where you know California is trying one and it was a California floor California.
[00:28:57] So they started one and now they're seeing how that works and then you know moving out from that but you know I thought about this quite a bit after talking with a lot of folks for many years about doing things like this.
[00:29:11] And again this is just my opinion that I think if we start small and sort of like we have with the lodge research where you have to be a pencil in Mason in a warranted lodge and then you can have an affinity to lodge.
[00:29:31] You can have a cigar lodge where you're not conferring degrees but and you're not you know someone has to go through a regularly warranted lodge but then you can join this as a secondary lodge.
[00:29:44] And then what better way to get members in because they want to belong to cigar lodge but the only way they can do that is by joining a local lodge in their area and start small like that and you move forward.
[00:29:58] Yeah and then eventually you know it might it might go out to being bigger and better things where they can actually confer degrees or you know depending on what the ground law it says.
[00:30:09] I don't know I'm just right now in my head Ed Stum is conferring a degree yes he's always conferring a degree of some kind.
[00:30:19] He's the best he's he's the pinnacle of masonry I love Jack I definitely agree with you on that with the affinity.
[00:30:26] You look at how many members join blue lodge and they go through their degrees they might go to a meeting or two and then you never see him again.
[00:30:34] Yeah it's like because I know the meetings are exciting and it brings a lot of joy to them and you know it makes them like gritty.
[00:30:40] Get him out of here.
[00:30:41] Get him out of here. Get him out right now.
[00:30:43] Yeah.
[00:30:44] And look the the the worst of masters do a great job on doing programs and for their lodges to make it fun exciting educational but you're going to have those amount of people that.
[00:30:55] That doesn't do it for them and if you bring it to something personal that they like whether it's smoking cigars whether it's having bourbon together with some friends whether it's going fishing or hunting or whatever they want to do.
[00:31:11] It'll make them show up to blue lodge because that's where they're now friends are that they hang out with every day and like you said then they may go you know what it's not that bad maybe I will go through the chairs maybe I will learn to work.
[00:31:25] So you're getting those percentage of members that normally would just walk away instantly now you're giving a second chance to do something else in masonry with the group with brethren and in a long run potential for them to even move through the line.
[00:31:40] Learn to agree work and be successful in blue lodge and another members of the.
[00:31:47] Yeah I don't know what that what the tenor is in grand lodge because obviously it grand lodge has to has to be in favor of such a thing and it has to be a program that comes from
[00:31:58] I don't know what grandline thinks other than it isn't it isn't actively moving forward so I don't know whether they object to it or they're just waiting for it to happen I don't know but it I think there's a he like like Ricky like you were just saying guys come in they get involved in something that their friends are involved in and that that tends to draw them in and I I think that's more likely than not and why we don't do it.
[00:32:27] I'm not sure that I understand I don't think it's I don't think it's ever been overlooked by grand lodge because the tell you truth I mean I you know with all the exposure that I've had to grand lodge they are constantly trying to look at ways to better the fraternity and to bring members in and to bring you know valued members into the lodges and stuff like that and I think it's just might be something that that has to.
[00:32:55] Gain traction and has to gain interest for its right moment yes, yeah better to listen to the Masonic light podcast to get those educational chances there.
[00:33:08] Larry's hard to do.
[00:33:10] Those of you that were wondering what that ring noise was it's Larry's pacemaker so before we go get the AED unit.
[00:33:20] I don't know.
[00:33:21] Third floor Larry go get it.
[00:33:24] We're going to take a break here in a minute but we want to thank our sponsors we failed to mention this early.
[00:33:31] Oh geez Tim you had one no you had a lot of jobs but anyway our sponsors tonight who one of whom you've already heard from George J grove and sons
[00:33:41] who's been around for how long over 60 years.
[00:33:46] And you might you might hear a new George doesn't look that old he doesn't look that old no no nice teeth to Herman Solomon cigars
[00:33:55] that we were talking about a moment ago right so we're hitting all these people in our matt so by Stephanie which is on the table in front of us right now.
[00:34:04] Yes, we have a new sponsor.
[00:34:14] Yes yes we do two pillars apparel Josh say that real quick without popping up he Josh is going tell us about two pillars apparel Josh oh no he's going to do it later this is where he drops in the ad that he's going to drop it in a few minutes.
[00:34:30] But anyway and we also most importantly want to thank all of our patreon subscribers Larry turn your phone off for the love of God Larry we've been doing this for eight years.
[00:34:44] Eight years Larry Larry I've been doing this for about 20 minutes and I got the gits of it all kind of noises coming over that side of the world.
[00:34:55] And I'm going to tell you what I need is the ESPN notice that you do thank goodness nobody and fillies playing sports tonight but we also want to thank our patreon our patrons on patreon for as little as $1 a month just $1 just a dollar.
[00:35:16] You can be a contributing sponsor of this show and we will love you long time we will love you long time so thank you very much for that we encourage you to visit all of our social media sites or you can give us a phone call at Larry what's our phone number.
[00:35:35] One three one five five nine six what is that a later some make it easy to fix five nine Mason three one five five nine Mason three one five five nine Mason all right we're going to take a quick break and somebody please grab Larry's phone and put it on silence.
[00:35:57] Can I put it outside and we'll be right back.
[00:36:07] As far back as the mid 1800s records exist describing the pre-meaning tradition of brethren smoking cigars during and after gatherings to this day the practice of smoking cigars remains very much alive in many lodges.
[00:36:23] This custom is considered a time for brethren to relax exchange ideas and enjoy the simplicity and fellowship it is the very essence of our brotherhood.
[00:36:34] This is what higher men Solomon cigars is all about are starting principles are to bring Masonic brethren together in the harmony of a good cigar pull up a chair sit back light up any of our premium cigars and enjoy the history.
[00:36:49] Higher men Solomon cigars can be found at find cigar retailers for a complete list visit higher men Solomon cigars dot com or check them out on social media to find out when they'll be at a live event near you.
[00:37:04] Higher men Solomon cigars is pleased to be the official cigar of the Masonic light podcast.
[00:37:15] And we're back tonight's guest is brother Jack Brookes past district deputy of Masonic district number 58 got it.
[00:37:25] Oh yes. Let him have an often but ask him tomorrow. Ask him tomorrow.
[00:37:30] So Jack you completed your term as district deputy last year. How long did you serve? 10 years.
[00:37:41] So what did you think the job was when you started?
[00:37:46] I did a pretty good handle on it because brother Carl burger Larry had he was coming up on the end of his fifth on his fifth year and he was planning on retiring.
[00:37:58] So we had the talk and at the same time the districts were murdered. We had the talk.
[00:38:08] We had to talk. So I let that go. I'm sorry.
[00:38:12] So I was I was very active in the district primarily with the school of instruction as an assistant principal and I regularly traveled and did programs throughout the district.
[00:38:24] So I guess I caught his attention and you know he pulled me aside the one day and he said I'm planning on retiring as in my fifth year at the end of my fifth year.
[00:38:34] And I would really be interested to see if you would be interested in becoming a district deputy.
[00:38:40] And at that time I was still you know working some swing shifts at work and everything else and I thought you know.
[00:38:49] I stay active in the lodge. I stay active in the other bodies and everything else. This is something that I would be interested in doing.
[00:38:57] And we had to talk about you know what the requirements were and what the responsibilities were and you know coming from what I do for employment it sort of fell hand in hand and he was putting my name in but then the grand lodge merged.
[00:39:18] The district. Oh that's right so we had five lodges and when he retired they said okay we're going to split you up.
[00:39:25] So then that put me on basically a sabbatical for a couple of years until the district was re merged two more times over.
[00:39:36] Wow.
[00:39:37] And we ended up in district 58 brother Bob Briggs was planning on retiring and his fifth or sixth year.
[00:39:47] And the other past district deputies in the district got together and you know told him that told him that they wanted me as district deputy.
[00:39:57] So I was offered the job went through the.
[00:40:02] Did they not know you did they not know you very well is that whether actually they did because I.
[00:40:06] I traveled I traveled regularly in and out of the district you're pretty busy district deputy.
[00:40:11] I mean I saw you a lot of places and I don't go very much.
[00:40:14] It's a scary huh.
[00:40:16] I met Jack at scar and different ways that he's kind of rigid.
[00:40:21] I've been amazing for 50 years but he's still frightened.
[00:40:26] It's kind of a tightest until until I saw him dance in front of his lodge.
[00:40:32] No yeah when he did baby shark.
[00:40:35] Oh okay.
[00:40:37] If you're listening go to YouTube and look up Jack broached baby shark.
[00:40:41] Yes.
[00:40:42] Yeah I forgot about that.
[00:40:43] That was a plus it was a plus it.
[00:40:45] That was a challenge that I put forward on my lodges that maybe one of the answers to a question coming up but continue.
[00:40:53] So I grandmaster her it's project was to digitize all the ground law records.
[00:40:59] And I put the challenge out to the lodges that if they raise $2,000 I would do the baby shark dance in full regalia.
[00:41:09] Of course as free mason's they stepped up to the challenge absolutely I did baby shark and every now and then I get a little notice from YouTube and Facebook saying hey you know you somebody looked at this again.
[00:41:23] I think the last time I looked it was like 20,000 plus so you're about to get about 4 million listeners on six planets.
[00:41:33] Yeah so it was fun.
[00:41:35] I did it in about three takes and yeah.
[00:41:39] It was brilliant.
[00:41:40] It was Madonna worthy.
[00:41:41] Oh was it?
[00:41:42] Yeah I'm glad I'm glad to hear that.
[00:41:43] I absolutely lived out loud.
[00:41:45] Yeah.
[00:41:46] Josh I'll have to link that on the show notes.
[00:41:50] I mean it was you know we had a lot of fun and we made our we made the money in toward a worthy project and I was happy with them.
[00:41:59] So what was your greatest learning over the 10 years about either being a deputy or your lodges in general or any of that?
[00:42:10] I think my I don't want to say my leadership skills improved but I had a better understanding of how the minds of mason's worked and especially in a pure volunteer organization because we all hear that.
[00:42:25] You know this is a volunteer organization.
[00:42:27] But there's more to that and you know reminding folks reminding the brethren that they took an obligation especially as officers to make do what they need to do to help their lodges out
[00:42:39] and lead their lodges.
[00:42:40] And I think that was that was the thing I grew with them.
[00:42:44] I learned a lot that not all lodges are the same.
[00:42:49] They all have their own idiosyncrasies and even traveling around the state.
[00:42:53] I really learned that every lodge truly is different that they although we have ritual rituals different.
[00:43:05] No, ritual is a ritual doesn't it well ritual does not account for culture.
[00:43:10] This is true and every lodge has its own culture absolutely and that's important to understand.
[00:43:18] I heard it when I first came in as deputy and I started making the rounds.
[00:43:23] I heard many times where this is the our way of doing things.
[00:43:30] I'm like as long as you're away meets with my way I'm okay.
[00:43:35] If it doesn't then we're gonna have to have a chat but you know fortunately most of the times it was just little odds and ends.
[00:43:41] But yeah I think that was the biggest thing is learning how to work with people different ages too.
[00:43:48] I mean I had worshipal masters that were in the 20s and I had worshipal masters that were in their 60s.
[00:43:54] And they all have different skills and skillsets and people skills.
[00:43:59] People skills are the big thing and I tried to get that into the lodges and especially the new lodge officers said,
[00:44:06] you know you need their help.
[00:44:09] You are supporting them even though you're leading them that you need to treat everybody with respect and move forward with it.
[00:44:18] What and this is what I was mentioning earlier do you have any regrets.
[00:44:24] I think I would have changed. Initially when I went in knowing all the players, knowing the lodges,
[00:44:33] knowing how they worked and everything else.
[00:44:36] I went in, I introduced myself and basically I step back.
[00:44:40] I don't want to say I didn't get engaged but I step back just to get a better insight into the backgrounds of the lodges.
[00:44:47] How the secretaries were working, how the treasures, the trustees and everything.
[00:44:51] And I honestly think and I tell some of the deputies that I mentored over the past and even the new deputies now
[00:44:59] that they have to come up with goals and objectives for their district themselves and their officers and their lodges
[00:45:06] and to move forward with it right away because if you don't, you set a precedent where what we're doing is okay
[00:45:15] but don't go in there with being a hammer and a nail either.
[00:45:20] You got to work with them and I think I would have just changed that a little bit.
[00:45:24] I would have set up better goals and objectives for the lodges and the district
[00:45:28] and then went in there from day one and said, guys here's my expectations.
[00:45:34] I want to know what your expectations are of me and will work and we'll get it done.
[00:45:39] I think that's the one thing I would change.
[00:45:42] Ricky has a question.
[00:45:43] Yeah, I got two questions actually.
[00:45:45] So 10 years as district deputy.
[00:45:47] So is that like the automatic retirement?
[00:45:51] Yes.
[00:45:52] 10 years.
[00:45:53] So in order to be considered past district deputy you have to serve at least five years.
[00:45:57] At 10 years you automatically time out.
[00:46:00] So I reached full term and that was it.
[00:46:04] So out of those 10 years I know it's tons of accomplishments that you've made.
[00:46:10] Is there any time that stands out that would be like something that you look back at
[00:46:16] as like the most proudest moment of being a district deputy?
[00:46:20] Great question.
[00:46:21] There's a lot.
[00:46:23] I mean there were officers that I mentored from the time they came in to the lodge
[00:46:31] as newly made master mason's all the way up to that even one or two that I actually
[00:46:37] even gave all the degrees to.
[00:46:39] And then they ended up being a worse master to their lodge.
[00:46:43] Now thinking about that you have so I'm a district deputy grandmaster with 10 years
[00:46:51] and I'm conferring degrees and then that that guy is becoming an officer within my term.
[00:46:59] So impressive.
[00:47:00] You know, but it's not the way it should be but it was very impressive and any other thing too
[00:47:08] is I think another great thing was is I was give the deputies mentor new deputies.
[00:47:15] And I had two great mentees that I really had a good time with and it was interesting to see
[00:47:24] you know five or six years in to see being a new deputy through their eyes and go oh I remember doing that.
[00:47:31] And here's some I never ever told them that unless it was a masonic law question
[00:47:36] but I never told them how to do something.
[00:47:40] It's like here's what I did here's some ideas you know your district, you know your lodges,
[00:47:45] go forth and prosper.
[00:47:48] And I think that's you know that was some of my and then of course you know the odds and ends helping
[00:47:53] helping the lodges out with different problems that they've had and anniversaries and things like that.
[00:47:58] That was always fun.
[00:47:59] Is there anything that you would have liked to have done that you didn't do?
[00:48:05] Yeah I think you know throughout that whole term I really try to get the lodges more involved
[00:48:15] with social activities, traveling and visiting each other, traveling outside the district.
[00:48:21] We tried quite a few different events some worked some different didn't where we you know we had
[00:48:28] a day at the shooting range we had a Halloween dance we had socials and stuff like that.
[00:48:34] You'd get the same group of people out at each one of them.
[00:48:38] And I think I really should have personally I think I should have tried harder but yeah I think that was one of the things I want to get these guys out and move on.
[00:48:49] It's tough to get social events together because the 12 guys that are involved that are going to come out to your social event
[00:48:56] are the 12 guys that are in chapter that are the same 12 guys that are in commandery that are the same 12 guys that are in the sky.
[00:49:03] That's right.
[00:49:04] Okay, yeah absolutely.
[00:49:05] I want to see those guys anymore.
[00:49:08] Oh my god.
[00:49:09] So that's social part of it that we all join for.
[00:49:13] I think most of us joined because we're excited about the fraternity part of it and being a part of something
[00:49:20] and then it's really tough.
[00:49:24] We've tried innumerable times.
[00:49:26] We were upstairs I gave you the tour of the lodge about the pool room.
[00:49:30] We have these two giant bronzewick pool tables that are over 100 years old and it's the most underutilized room in the building.
[00:49:39] It's been 90 years since someone used one.
[00:49:41] Well no there were up there once in a while but it's just such a shame because we're also involved in our own lives
[00:49:49] and it's just tough to get people out on a consistent basis.
[00:49:55] That's why I love grotto because grotto there's no overhead to grotto right?
[00:50:01] You just show up and have dinner.
[00:50:02] Oh is that the dinner I went to the other night?
[00:50:04] Yeah exactly everyone was like why are you so happy here?
[00:50:08] Yeah, we're the only guys smiling in the pictures.
[00:50:12] But it's the one event that you can just kick back and relax
[00:50:17] and I know every month there's going to be a grotto meeting and it's going to be fun
[00:50:20] and we can throw stuff at the speaker and whatever.
[00:50:25] But yeah it's tough trying to get those things started.
[00:50:29] There was a lot of people in the lodges that never saw lodges in the other sides of the district.
[00:50:36] So we have a traveling school so at least those brethren got out.
[00:50:42] You know it changed the lodge.
[00:50:44] I love that.
[00:50:45] So they got to see what the lodges look like and before the meetings
[00:50:49] and even during the meetings I would always say okay who has what going on
[00:50:54] and then say okay you gotta go
[00:50:57] and outside the district and so yeah I think we don't play that up enough
[00:51:04] and I think that's another important thing that we need to do is
[00:51:08] have like a master Masonic calendar because you know I know just scheduling some our lodges.
[00:51:15] I get 20,000 emails saying oh that's this or that's that that day and I mean fortunately it's on a Sunday
[00:51:22] but it would be so nice for guys to be able to brethren to go and look and say hey
[00:51:28] you know lodge number one two three is meeting on this night
[00:51:31] and I'm going to be in that area why not and this is the program
[00:51:35] so why not go and check it out.
[00:51:39] So I think that's important too.
[00:51:42] So Larry gets one question per show.
[00:51:44] Larry what's your question?
[00:51:46] No I'm going to save it.
[00:51:48] I'm thinking about something else.
[00:51:50] I'm thinking about the Robert Burns dinner you guys went to.
[00:51:53] I want to talk to you about that before but I want to interrupt the flow.
[00:51:57] He's going to bank his question for the next time.
[00:52:02] Larry's slowing.
[00:52:05] So being from the POSFIL lodge, I heard rumor that they would actually after lodges sometimes go to
[00:52:15] Yingling Brewery and have private tours.
[00:52:19] So for many years, so Polaski Lodge number 216 my home lodge and at the time there was
[00:52:25] POSFIL lodge number 730 which we merged together.
[00:52:29] After our officer installation, election installation we would retire up to the
[00:52:37] Yingling Rascalar and Dick Yingling was not amazing his father was however.
[00:52:45] And have a nice event there unfortunately at some point in time not the
[00:52:52] Masonic fraternity but other organizations sort of messed the area up and that put
[00:52:58] it into that.
[00:53:01] It was awesome to go up there.
[00:53:05] I went to school with Dick Yingling, great school.
[00:53:09] He was a long time ago.
[00:53:10] He was a year ahead of me and actually I scared me to death.
[00:53:13] He was a school bully.
[00:53:15] He sure wasn't his father.
[00:53:17] Years later and went to the tour and actually I didn't go down to the
[00:53:22] basement or the tunnel.
[00:53:25] And I said to the one lady it was just Mr. Yingling come in a lot.
[00:53:29] No, he said tell him that Larry Mariss who used to be a Garfield square school with him said he was a
[00:53:34] school bully and he scared me to death.
[00:53:38] You walked up to the old school.
[00:53:40] And now his daughter is on the place.
[00:53:42] Oh yes.
[00:53:43] They're doing a bang of job without telling.
[00:53:46] They were really phenomenal.
[00:53:49] Sorry about that.
[00:53:50] Oh, that's great.
[00:53:51] Look at this.
[00:53:52] So Jack has been great to have you here tonight.
[00:53:55] Thank you.
[00:53:56] Thank you very much.
[00:53:57] Oh no wait.
[00:53:58] Other jams are here.
[00:53:59] Yeah, you have to be here but you didn't have to be here tonight.
[00:54:03] He could have been at the Joshua's.
[00:54:05] So we got three Joshua's and a Josh.
[00:54:08] And two jacks.
[00:54:10] That's a full house.
[00:54:11] And I know we're Josh lives because Timmy threw a cup out of the house.
[00:54:15] So we're through a traction as he are.
[00:54:17] We're going to take one more break.
[00:54:19] When we come back, we're going to hear from our brother Walter with the news and we will
[00:54:25] play Copious News with our guest.
[00:54:27] All right.
[00:54:33] In Masonic News today popular Masonic Secretary Tim Deadman has been seized by federal authorities
[00:54:41] threatening bodily harm to lodge audit committees across the Commonwealth.
[00:54:46] Said Deadman, come on people.
[00:54:49] What the hell?
[00:54:51] That's the Masonic News so moat it was.
[00:54:56] That is very plausible.
[00:54:59] I have to admit that.
[00:55:00] Timmy, I think you should get an active valor for all the lodge audits that you had to endure
[00:55:07] over the last couple months here.
[00:55:09] He had caused while we're sitting here recording.
[00:55:11] Yeah.
[00:55:12] I'm going to call from a district deputy and I know what it's about.
[00:55:17] Oh, gas please get your audits done.
[00:55:22] Come on people.
[00:55:23] Trustees please share your reports with your students.
[00:55:26] Just add them together.
[00:55:27] It balances out.
[00:55:28] Everybody's happy at springtime except for Tim.
[00:55:31] Oh my gosh.
[00:55:33] I may have to check myself into rehab before this is done.
[00:55:38] Nobody likes the quitter.
[00:55:40] I know.
[00:55:41] All right, that's been a great episode tonight.
[00:55:45] We have one more thing to do.
[00:55:48] Check what time is it?
[00:55:50] It's time for Copious Doos.
[00:55:56] Tonight's a special episode of Copious Doos.
[00:55:59] Tell us Tim why is it so special?
[00:56:02] Well because we have two doos carrying members.
[00:56:06] It's a double-eyed Gonzo.
[00:56:08] It's a double header.
[00:56:10] So tonight we have with us past district deputy Jack Burst
[00:56:16] and Jack is an occasional listener to the show
[00:56:20] and knows that we're going to do this to him.
[00:56:23] So when I said Jack, write down how much you paid.
[00:56:27] He was like bang right there with his number.
[00:56:30] So Jack, we're going to guess how much you pay in Copious Doos.
[00:56:35] Tim Deidman, what do you think Jack Bayes for Copious Doos?
[00:56:40] I'm going to say $913.
[00:56:45] That's $913.
[00:56:50] Larry, what do you think Jack Bayes and Copious Doos?
[00:56:54] 680.
[00:56:56] Wow, you are so out of it.
[00:56:58] He's going for the under.
[00:57:00] 1970 that was right.
[00:57:03] Josh, what do you think our friend Jack Bayes for Copious Doos?
[00:57:07] 1,400.
[00:57:09] Who?
[00:57:11] It's his and Seth Anthony.
[00:57:14] Wait, was that a decimal point?
[00:57:16] Wait, comma.
[00:57:18] It's about $1,000.
[00:57:21] $1,000.
[00:57:23] $1,000.
[00:57:25] And I think Jack Bayes 1,001.
[00:57:32] It's like a price is right.
[00:57:35] We're slicing this one thin.
[00:57:38] So Jack, should we do Ricky next?
[00:57:41] Well let's do an individual.
[00:57:43] That's what I thought.
[00:57:44] Jack, tell us how much do you get hosed for Copious Doos?
[00:57:50] I pay about $778.
[00:57:53] Oh my gosh.
[00:57:55] Larry wins.
[00:57:58] I don't know.
[00:58:00] Took me under it.
[00:58:02] He took me under it.
[00:58:04] He took me under it.
[00:58:06] Well done Larry.
[00:58:08] All right, all right.
[00:58:10] Now Ricky Martini.
[00:58:12] Ricky Martini.
[00:58:13] How much do you?
[00:58:15] No, don't tell us how much we're going to guess.
[00:58:18] Josh, how much do you think Ricky Pays for Copious Doos?
[00:58:22] Oh man.
[00:58:24] $800.
[00:58:27] I'm not retired for Mason or Ace.
[00:58:30] It's not your careful calculation that was.
[00:58:34] Tim, I'm going to say $801.
[00:58:42] Larry Maritz, what do you think Ricky Pays for $470?
[00:58:48] That's my blue lodge doos.
[00:58:51] All right, $400.
[00:58:53] Jack picks $477.
[00:58:57] So Ricky, tell us what do you pay for Copious Doos?
[00:59:03] $760.
[00:59:06] Who's that Tim?
[00:59:09] Wow, wow, wow.
[00:59:11] That's me.
[00:59:12] Larry again.
[00:59:13] No, I was a dollar over Larry.
[00:59:16] Did it, did it.
[00:59:19] I got your system.
[00:59:22] Yeah, just.
[00:59:24] The doos only increase from here.
[00:59:26] That's right.
[00:59:27] Awesome.
[00:59:28] Well thank you for playing Copious Doos.
[00:59:33] All right, great night tonight.
[00:59:35] So Larry, what you got coming up?
[00:59:38] Ghost and Gridiron.
[00:59:40] No way, really.
[00:59:41] Not really.
[00:59:42] Not really diner, 9 o'clock.
[00:59:43] What do you all do there?
[00:59:44] What do we all do?
[00:59:45] We just eat breakfast and chat.
[00:59:47] Okay.
[00:59:48] And lodge in April, first Tuesday in April.
[00:59:54] What's the date?
[00:59:55] What's the program?
[00:59:57] No, I don't know.
[00:59:58] I'll just be there.
[00:59:59] Okay, good.
[01:00:00] Josh will be there too, I think.
[01:00:02] Josh coming.
[01:00:03] Oh yeah, it's my Masonic birthday.
[01:00:05] Oh you get candy, right?
[01:00:07] Congratulations.
[01:00:08] They did it away with the candy.
[01:00:09] They did it away with the candy.
[01:00:11] Why?
[01:00:12] I have executive board meeting for tall seaters.
[01:00:15] Okay, well, why did it be good?
[01:00:17] Tell them I know somebody who makes candies.
[01:00:20] We used our candy when it was gone.
[01:00:25] They didn't know or anything anywhere.
[01:00:28] How about that?
[01:00:30] Well we gave the last of the mad hatter away.
[01:00:35] Jack number one.
[01:00:37] I have coming up my AMD since an annus council meets on Friday night.
[01:00:45] We're being visited by our, I don't know what he is, district guy.
[01:00:51] Puba is coming to visit us to see how crazy we are.
[01:00:58] Yes, you know, you know, yeah.
[01:01:00] I have a ritual training.
[01:01:03] I meet with my candidates every Monday night to teach them the dialogue,
[01:01:08] the oath and obligations, and then we also dissect and digest the work that they've seen.
[01:01:15] I do that Monday nights.
[01:01:17] I am also committed now to helping our large officers learn their work.
[01:01:24] And that's a huge, huge commitment.
[01:01:27] I sort of asked them to let me please help them learn their work.
[01:01:33] And that's going really well.
[01:01:35] They're all very excited.
[01:01:36] And we had a scenario and I don't know if this is widespread or not,
[01:01:41] but we had an officer in the line who learned the third degree
[01:01:46] and he became the third degree guy.
[01:01:50] And nobody else felt obligated to learn the third degree.
[01:01:54] So now we've got the whole line is missing the third degree.
[01:01:59] And we just, we can't have that.
[01:02:02] So we have to go back and we have to work on backfilling that.
[01:02:05] So the guys are set up.
[01:02:07] They're very excited.
[01:02:08] They want to commit to it.
[01:02:10] So I'm helping our guys do that.
[01:02:13] And that's like, you know, one hour, once a week.
[01:02:18] What do you have?
[01:02:19] What do you need?
[01:02:20] Let's keep it moving forward.
[01:02:22] So that's exciting.
[01:02:23] And I think we'll be able to get the lodge on really solid footing
[01:02:28] in about a year and a half or two years.
[01:02:33] Great.
[01:02:34] Jack number two, Jack Broves.
[01:02:36] I have two grandmaster visitations coming up.
[01:02:40] One to Eureka Wesher Lodge.
[01:02:42] Yes you do.
[01:02:43] And one to Mount Olive at Lodge.
[01:02:45] So yeah, looking forward to those.
[01:02:47] What's the night of the Mount Olive at Lodge?
[01:02:49] The following Monday.
[01:02:50] So the eighth.
[01:02:51] Yeah, that's right.
[01:02:52] I know.
[01:02:53] Yeah, I can't go to that.
[01:02:54] Go to chapter.
[01:02:55] Yeah.
[01:02:56] Ricky.
[01:02:57] Well, tomorrow I have Scottish Right Club dinner of in Macalisterville, Pennsylvania for
[01:03:05] you just made that up.
[01:03:06] Macalisterville, right?
[01:03:07] Yeah, no, no, no.
[01:03:08] It's a Calisterville town.
[01:03:09] Is that a thing?
[01:03:10] You hit the North Pole and you keep going North.
[01:03:12] Okay.
[01:03:13] It's North of the wall.
[01:03:14] Macalisterville town bird.
[01:03:16] Yep, for.
[01:03:17] I'm going to represent the apprentices of Jerusalem for the Harrisburg Consistory and then
[01:03:22] I have chapter meeting April 1st.
[01:03:25] Go to chapter.
[01:03:26] Chapter is fantastic.
[01:03:28] We make it a lot of fun.
[01:03:29] What chapter are you in?
[01:03:31] Perseverance chapter number 21.
[01:03:33] Wow.
[01:03:34] They're very old.
[01:03:35] And when is that first Monday?
[01:03:37] Yep, April 1st.
[01:03:38] First Monday.
[01:03:39] So I could be lying and saying, say for a second, how would you know?
[01:03:42] It's April 1st.
[01:03:43] I see what you did there.
[01:03:47] Also, I have our Harrisburg Snyder Lodge number 629 Blue Lodge, stated meeting on April 2nd
[01:03:55] where we have Bobby Snyder giving the program for how many masons does it take to screw
[01:04:03] in a light bulb?
[01:04:04] That's a great problem.
[01:04:05] Now, I told them they would take one but he told me just not to go in.
[01:04:11] So I'm sure I'm in for a deed of weakening there.
[01:04:15] That's great.
[01:04:16] I got April 4th, the Thursday I have Commandery at program number 11 and Harrisburg for their
[01:04:25] stated meeting.
[01:04:26] And I have our extra meeting where we're doing a third degree for how to Snyder Lodge
[01:04:30] on the 10th and of course, Consistory on the 12th of April for their stated meeting.
[01:04:40] It's been a couple of full weeks here.
[01:04:42] I've had a hard time fitting stuff in to my busy schedule outside of Masonic events but
[01:04:48] I've been able to do that.
[01:04:49] It's one night a month.
[01:04:50] Great.
[01:04:51] I'll tell you one thing, Jack 1.
[01:04:54] If you if I am able to use your pool tables in cigar area, I will be your Tyler for
[01:05:00] an effort.
[01:05:01] Well, I'm the Tyler right now.
[01:05:06] So absolutely.
[01:05:07] You could be the assistant Tyler.
[01:05:08] Assistant Tyler.
[01:05:09] I can let you.
[01:05:10] Yeah, we need an assistant Tyler.
[01:05:11] Ricky, I just want you to know I'm impressed.
[01:05:13] You went through all of those activities and Larry did not grow once.
[01:05:18] When I try to do that he grows every time.
[01:05:22] Well you know, he's a busy guy.
[01:05:26] He has a lot of stuff going on.
[01:05:27] I commend him for that.
[01:05:29] Yep.
[01:05:30] I mean, you've done 100 shows.
[01:05:31] You're getting tired of it.
[01:05:33] Josh, how about you?
[01:05:36] As Larry mentioned, we have Blue Lodge coming up.
[01:05:41] I've got some other stuff going on.
[01:05:45] Got the episode of course.
[01:05:47] Thanks for that detailed analysis Josh.
[01:05:49] You seem very busy.
[01:05:50] Very busy.
[01:05:51] Very busy.
[01:05:52] So as Jack number two mentioned on April 1st and this actually got a letter going, are
[01:05:57] you really kidding us?
[01:05:58] Is this for real?
[01:06:00] Eureka West Shore Lodge number 302 will have its April stated meaning and prior to that
[01:06:03] we will host the district three oyster feed which is a great night and especially if
[01:06:11] you like oysters.
[01:06:12] And we have expanded for those who don't.
[01:06:14] We offer a stake option.
[01:06:16] That's great option.
[01:06:17] Great option.
[01:06:18] Jack, I believe you will be at this one and didn't mention it on the sixth.
[01:06:22] We will be at the operatives meeting in Lancaster.
[01:06:25] I think you're getting a degree right?
[01:06:28] I am getting my fourth degree in opera.
[01:06:30] Yeah, I've heard.
[01:06:31] Congratulations.
[01:06:32] Congrats.
[01:06:33] On the eighth Samuel C. Perkins Royal Arts chapter, I'll be at that.
[01:06:38] I will also be at the Harrisburg Scottish right stated meeting where we will be joined by
[01:06:45] Oh gosh, what's his title?
[01:06:49] Walt.
[01:06:50] No, not his name.
[01:06:51] Oh, our out of supreme supreme commander.
[01:06:55] Our out of the electronic forces.
[01:07:01] Our rather than a Masonic jurisdiction Darth Vader's father.
[01:07:06] The guy from Boston, Walter.
[01:07:10] He's actually from one of the I's or Michigan.
[01:07:13] Michigan, yes, he is.
[01:07:14] He's actually very nice and man.
[01:07:16] And then the next day he will be at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Lancaster
[01:07:23] Logic Perfection.
[01:07:24] Are you going to be there?
[01:07:26] No.
[01:07:27] You remember that group?
[01:07:28] Yep.
[01:07:29] Not going.
[01:07:30] Oh, Larry, I will drive you.
[01:07:33] And then the last thing I'm going to give you all fair warning on the day of our next
[01:07:38] episode is going to be recorded on April the 10th.
[01:07:42] And earlier that day, I'm going to have a colonoscopy.
[01:07:49] So I should be in real good shape by the time I get to the episode.
[01:07:53] You'll look very clearly by then.
[01:07:55] Yes, the good news is this is the worst part will be over.
[01:07:58] It will be the first time in years that you are not full of shit.
[01:08:01] That's right.
[01:08:02] There is only one chair in the waiting room.
[01:08:04] Don't sit at it.
[01:08:05] Right.
[01:08:06] Exactly.
[01:08:07] You will have an appetite.
[01:08:08] I'll tell you why I'm having to have that on this date after we're done tonight.
[01:08:13] But anyway, we're all going to be sitting on the edge of our seat.
[01:08:17] I'm sure.
[01:08:18] Are we going to give you hugs if we're done?
[01:08:22] All right.
[01:08:26] So Josh, open that gate.
[01:08:29] Oh jeez, no wait, come on.
[01:08:30] Let the chickens out.
[01:08:32] And Rick, are you a turtle?
[01:08:34] Ooh, good question Jack.
[01:08:37] Are you a turtle?
[01:08:38] Jack, are you a turtle?
[01:08:39] That's your sweet ass I am.
[01:08:41] There you go.
[01:08:42] All right.
[01:08:43] Ricki, we may have to take care of something later.
[01:08:45] We can take care of that right now.
[01:08:47] Sounds great.
[01:08:48] Sounds great.
[01:08:49] Absolutely.
[01:08:50] Yeah.
[01:08:52] Larry, this is Larry.
[01:08:56] Wait for 10 to do what he's going to do.
[01:08:58] There you go.
[01:09:00] Special thanks to having a log 665 for allowing us to continue to meet here.
[01:09:07] Larry!
[01:09:08] I knew what was going on down here.
[01:09:10] That could change anyway.
[01:09:11] To Josh Lambert.
[01:09:12] To Josh Lambert and our producer and director Jack Harley, our news director, Tim Deadman
[01:09:19] and our director, to Michelle Snyder and Doug Maidenford and Austin Schiffran, Masonic
[01:09:24] like contributors.
[01:09:25] They do great job by the way.
[01:09:28] And two are listeners who always make doing this show worthwhile.
[01:09:32] This is Larry Merrick saying thanks for listening and remember have fun and do good.
[01:09:38] Good night or good day wherever you are.
[01:09:42] Good day.
[01:09:43] Hey we forgot to mention help promote scouting out there.
[01:09:47] One of our patrons suggested we say that so we just did.
[01:09:51] Thank you.
[01:09:52] Good night everybody.
[01:09:53] Bye everybody.
[01:09:54] Nice.
[01:10:47] You