A story of Brotherhood

This story comes from the actual experience of our newest Master Mason, Brother Scott Uhls, and involves a special thianks to one of his lodge brothers.

On April 20th, 2013, the lodge was opened and warmed and the brothers had begun to prepare themselves for the days' activities. They were gathering at the lodge on a saturday, early in the morning, to initiate their younger brother into the mysteries of the 3rd degree of freemasonry. The candidate had arrived fairly early on with his grandfather, a man of his 70s, a 32 degree Scottish Rite mason, and past master of two lodges in Califonia. They were greeted by Brother Tony Beckett and Worshipful Brother Larry Philbrick of Waverly Lodge whilethe waited for the other members to arrive. One by one the brothers began to arrive and found the candidate ready to greet them all.

Brother Uhls stood waiting for the degree to begin in his suit, a single button missing on the jacket between the top an bottom buttons, the neck of his dress shirt just a little too big as he had begun losing weight recently, his pants a little too tight from the weight he's gained in past months, and his shoes simple black and white copies of the infamous converse hightops.

It was his grandfather who's first noticed them before they'd left that morning, but as he stood in the entry to the lodge, Brother Uhls was asked by several members as they entered about his shoes. He told them all about how his dress shoes had been damaged and despite all attempts to polish and give basic repairs, they were still too unsightly to wear to this event.

After hearing the story, Worshipful Brother Robert Beers asked Brother Uhls what size of shoe he wore. When he responded with 12, Brother Beers removed his shoes and invited Brother Uhls to try them. Upon placing the shoe on his foot, Brother Uhls responded that they fit. At that point, Brother Beers said that they were now Brother Uhls's and that he would briefly return home and get his own shoes, after which he promptly left to get himself new shoes before the lodge was opened.


The lesson of this story is one of deep meaning to freemasons everywhere and should remind us that Brotherly Love and Relief, or Charity in other terms, is one of our guiding concepts and that Charity is one of the three rungs of the ladder to heaven from Jacob's dream. It is upon Charity that Brotherly Love is built and it is upon Brotherly Love that fraternity exists.

We're greatful to the lessons of freemasonry being enacted here in the lodge and to all the brothers who remember that even a simple act of caring enough to ask the size of a person's shoe, could be more than enough to teach a powerful lesson to younger brother just beginning his path.