My Year In The Grand West

After a rather hectic day, filled with surprises, I ended up in the East - coming in before the DDGM, per protocol at an Official Visit, for the first time - at Doric Lodge on Thursday. The Beaches Lodge won the Travelling Gavel, and that was a long time coming. The day had started with a meeting in the morning downtown with a group of researchers who require a business plan for their AI app in the Healthcare industry, and leaving there, 90 minutes later, I went to visit an old colleague to discuss some of his opportunities peeping up over the horizon, and from there I walked up the road on a now-blustery fall day to see my doctor. A few days prior, during Thanksgiving, I was felled by a great pain, an abdominal cramping in the stomach, which rotated to a pain in my lower back, and returning to my front - for several days - and on Holiday Monday, I told family members I would see a doctor to ascertain the cause. So, on Tuesday I duly called the doctor's office only to find out h...

It was a short ride down Kingston Road last night to easily arrive in time for the presentation of his new regalia to the DDGM for Toronto East District, RWBro Gil Carreiro, at the renovated Doric Temple - after saying hello to many brethren I have known since being initiated in 2005, and who I've had the pleasure of knowing over the years, and meeting a few new members as well. The WM, RWBro Dean Bergerson, opened Canada Lodge, and then presented two PGMs, MWBro Ron Groshaw and MWBro Terry Shand, and introduced the current Grand Lodge Officers, led by yours truly and immediately followed by RWBro Mark Kapitan, our GJW. We were both offered our respective chairs, which were politely declined and upon being given Grand Honours, and then seated in the East, the DD was escorted y RWBro Keith Jones to the altar to also receive his Grand Honours appropriately.  RWBro Robert Kliaman guided the ceremony with respect and integrity. After tributes, the lodge was closed and many friends...