My Year In The Grand West

A trip up the Niagara Escarpment with RWBro Mark Kapitan, GJW, on this Thursday, March 12, to visit Copestone Lodge 373 in Fonthill turned out to be our last - sadly - before all Masonic meetings were cancelled the next day due to the Corona Virus (COVID19) which has effectively shut down most of the world's public activities. On this evening, in fact the OV of RWBro John Newton, DDGM Niagara 'B', I was able to present the short article written by RWBro Wallace McLeod, when he chaired the Education Committee, titled The Banner of Grand Lodge. Joining us, much to my surprise, in lodge was one of my early mentors and inspirations, RWBro Alan Donovan. As an EA about 15 years ago, while he was DDGM, I had the pleasure of golfing one fine day with him - without knowing what titles really were - and he explained so many things of relevance over those 18 holes, and I went on to meet with him again and produce a promotional and informative video for the York Rite called Fervancy...

On Friday, Jan 24, I travelled down the 403 to St Catharines to participate in the amalgamation of three lodges that were prepared to form Reunion Lodge 103, and they were assisted in doing so by many Grand Lodge officers, who were treated to a sold-out Robert Burns Dinner beforehand. The three lodges in Niagara A amalgamating were Temple Lodge, Maple Lodge and St Andrews Lodge. The ceremony was solemn and short, in fact, and I was happy to see the many brethren cast their votes for the new slate of officers eagerly and begin their work together. According to the District's website: Maple Leaf Lodge No. 103 owes its existence to the efforts of the brethren of St. George's Lodge No. 15, who sponsored its establishment with the purpose of promoting the expansion of Freemasonry in the Niagara area. As a result, Maple Leaf was instituted on July 28th, 1858. Among its Charter Members was a Brother James Seymour, who served as the first Junior Warden, and who was destined to rise...

On this Wednesday evening, Jan 15, I drove down to Grimsby to meet RWBro Mark Kapitan at his home, and then together we travelled down the road to visit the brethren of Niagara Lodge No. 2 to watch a happy young man enjoy receiving his First Degree and become an Entered Apprentice - joining the other two EAs in the lodge on this evening. Prior to the lodge opening, being gratefully received and watching the ceremony, and as the members gathered, we took the time for a tour of the museum in the building, adorned with a lot of mementos and displaying the historic impact of its members over the 200+ years of activity in the community. The members of the lodge were well-practiced for the ceremony and certainly well-prepared for the evening, and deserved the accolades accorded them by the visiting DDGM and his District Secretary, and the Festive Board afterwards (downstairs in the Art Gallery) featured a wonderful pot of meatballs, accompanying friendly and informative conversat...