Bear
Registered User
Senior DeMolay, Newly Passed Fellow Craft
Greetings Brethren. I'm a two term PMC of Hayward San Leandro Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, and a newly passed FCM of Oakland Durant Rockridge Lodge No. 188 in California.
I joined ODR Lodge because over ten years ago, a couple of it's brothers, one of whom was our Chapter Dad for a time, were very supportive of our DeMolay Chapter before it finally was dissolved due to inactivity. This occurred when I was aged 17 years, back when the minimum age for Masonry in CA was 21. Had it been lowered to 18 back then, I'm fairly certain I would have joined as soon as possible. But instead I grew away from the Order in those 4 years, rather than within it.
I reconnected with my old Chapter Dad to rent the kitchen and dining hall for an annual winter holiday feast I host that outgrew my house, and the houses of all our guests. For three years I rented the hall each winter, getting familiar with some of the other brothers, attending the occasional stated meeting dinner, volunteering for a couple events. The calling to involve myself in the fraternity grew, and the writing was on the wall.
Receiving the degrees of Masonry is proving to be one of the most enriching ritual undertakings of my life. The brothers are all quite impressed, the fellow Senior DeMolays unsurprised, at how well I'm adapted to the memorization and oration. I'm proud, and humbled, to receive such enthusiastic compliments from the brothers who are conferring the degrees upon me so beautifully, and look forward to emulating the examples of fellowship and brotherly love that they demonstrate as I begin taking up their work myself.
Fraternally
Bear
Greetings Brethren. I'm a two term PMC of Hayward San Leandro Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, and a newly passed FCM of Oakland Durant Rockridge Lodge No. 188 in California.
I joined ODR Lodge because over ten years ago, a couple of it's brothers, one of whom was our Chapter Dad for a time, were very supportive of our DeMolay Chapter before it finally was dissolved due to inactivity. This occurred when I was aged 17 years, back when the minimum age for Masonry in CA was 21. Had it been lowered to 18 back then, I'm fairly certain I would have joined as soon as possible. But instead I grew away from the Order in those 4 years, rather than within it.
I reconnected with my old Chapter Dad to rent the kitchen and dining hall for an annual winter holiday feast I host that outgrew my house, and the houses of all our guests. For three years I rented the hall each winter, getting familiar with some of the other brothers, attending the occasional stated meeting dinner, volunteering for a couple events. The calling to involve myself in the fraternity grew, and the writing was on the wall.
Receiving the degrees of Masonry is proving to be one of the most enriching ritual undertakings of my life. The brothers are all quite impressed, the fellow Senior DeMolays unsurprised, at how well I'm adapted to the memorization and oration. I'm proud, and humbled, to receive such enthusiastic compliments from the brothers who are conferring the degrees upon me so beautifully, and look forward to emulating the examples of fellowship and brotherly love that they demonstrate as I begin taking up their work myself.
Fraternally
Bear
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