BOSTON —
Philip A. Drouin of Marshfield, a father of two and a financial adviser at Centinel Financial Group, became the state’s third-highest-ranking elected official of the Freemasons on Monday.
“Just being given an opportunity to run is a great honor,†said Drouin, who is now the junior grand warden of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Masons. “When you win, it’s just that much more of an honor.â€
Established in 1733, the Massachusetts lodge is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
Drouin, who grew up in Weymouth and has been a Mason for 35 years, said he was drawn to “the Masonic family†in part because his father was largely absent when he was growing up.
The Masons are the world’s oldest fraternal organization, with millions of members worldwide and 38,000 in Massachusetts. The organization estimates that its affiliates across the continent donate $3 million to charity each day.
The group is often cast in a shroud of mystery and misconception, in part because of the secrecy of its rituals.
But lately, the Masons have experienced a “shift in thinking,†spokesman H. Robert Huke said.
With Massachusetts leading the way, many lodges have branched out, placing ads on TV and radio to attract younger members and revealing more details about their ceremonies.
“It’s demanded today that you have to be a little more transparent,†Huke said.
And the push appears to be working. Huke said the number of new members in the state has grown each year since 2005, doubling from 2005 to 2009 and hitting rates the group has not seen in more than 30 years.
In Massachusetts, the organization also has reached out to the growing Portuguese-speaking community. At least one lodge now holds meetings in both Portuguese and English.
Plus, there is the impact of “The Da Vinci Codeâ€â€™ and ‘‘National Treasure’’ to take into account. Huke said these pop culture references can be useful, even though they “tend to be a little sensationalistic.â€
“They’re not 100 percent accurate, but it means that men are taking a look at us, and learning more about us, and they’re liking what they’re seeing,†he said.
Hundreds of years after the organization’s founding, many men are still attracted to the Masons’ focus on community service, moral values and personal growth.
“We’re an organization that takes good men and tries to make them better,†Drouin said. “And we do it through the principles of building the house – the tools, the square, the level, the plumb. You try to make yourself better using the symbols that masons would use to build a buildig.â€
Source: http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1444027118/Marshfield-man-ups-his-Masons-rank
Philip A. Drouin of Marshfield, a father of two and a financial adviser at Centinel Financial Group, became the state’s third-highest-ranking elected official of the Freemasons on Monday.
“Just being given an opportunity to run is a great honor,†said Drouin, who is now the junior grand warden of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Masons. “When you win, it’s just that much more of an honor.â€
Established in 1733, the Massachusetts lodge is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
Drouin, who grew up in Weymouth and has been a Mason for 35 years, said he was drawn to “the Masonic family†in part because his father was largely absent when he was growing up.
The Masons are the world’s oldest fraternal organization, with millions of members worldwide and 38,000 in Massachusetts. The organization estimates that its affiliates across the continent donate $3 million to charity each day.
The group is often cast in a shroud of mystery and misconception, in part because of the secrecy of its rituals.
But lately, the Masons have experienced a “shift in thinking,†spokesman H. Robert Huke said.
With Massachusetts leading the way, many lodges have branched out, placing ads on TV and radio to attract younger members and revealing more details about their ceremonies.
“It’s demanded today that you have to be a little more transparent,†Huke said.
And the push appears to be working. Huke said the number of new members in the state has grown each year since 2005, doubling from 2005 to 2009 and hitting rates the group has not seen in more than 30 years.
In Massachusetts, the organization also has reached out to the growing Portuguese-speaking community. At least one lodge now holds meetings in both Portuguese and English.
Plus, there is the impact of “The Da Vinci Codeâ€â€™ and ‘‘National Treasure’’ to take into account. Huke said these pop culture references can be useful, even though they “tend to be a little sensationalistic.â€
“They’re not 100 percent accurate, but it means that men are taking a look at us, and learning more about us, and they’re liking what they’re seeing,†he said.
Hundreds of years after the organization’s founding, many men are still attracted to the Masons’ focus on community service, moral values and personal growth.
“We’re an organization that takes good men and tries to make them better,†Drouin said. “And we do it through the principles of building the house – the tools, the square, the level, the plumb. You try to make yourself better using the symbols that masons would use to build a buildig.â€
Source: http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x1444027118/Marshfield-man-ups-his-Masons-rank
