Welcome to the symbolic Lodge of conversation where Consciousness and curiosity interweave into discussion this is all square podcast and I’m your host RL Franks today’s guest has been a Mason for over 10 years he is a veteran and he is on fire for masonry this is
The story of my good friend and brother from the fifth Masonic District the one the only Mrs spielman’s favorite boy Jesse Spielman Jesse thank you for being a part of this I appreciate it Robbie I’m very happy to be here I am so so glad to be seeing you here we’ve been
Talking about the opportunities to be able to do an episode together get your story out why are you fired up for masonry and speaking of masonry this is a special week for Ohio Masons because it is Grand Lodge week where all masons from all around Ohio come together for
Our jamere to talk about legislation to enjoy fellowship and to continue on the tradition of new leadership ship in Ohio Jesse how did Mr Spielman become brother Spielman yeah that’s that’s a pretty long story um you know it goes back to when I uh I was growing up in Alaska you
Know I had a I had a best friend his uh grandfather unfortunately died and I was at his house and he he was like here Jesse come here check this out I’m like what and he he he grabbed this little blue book and he opened it up and it had
These funny little symbols and words that didn’t look like words and I thought that was the coolest thing and then he showed me this big like Super Bowl looking ring it was a it had a square compass on it and I was like man that’s so cool he’s like yeah my
Grandfather was a Mason I was like man that’s pretty cool I want to be a Mason and he was like well you can’t really you know how old are you I was like 13 14 maybe maybe a little bit younger I was oh it was definitely before high
School so middle school so like 7th eighth grade in Alaska in Alaska okay so right there I was kind of I was kind of shattered you know I was pretty disappointed that I couldn’t be a Mason and then I lived across town and it took me it was about 7 to 10
Miles for me to drive to school which in Anchorage would take a half an hour because of all the traffic but every day I drove by the Masonic Center uh in Anchorage and it had this huge square and compass on the front of the building and had lights behind it so it’s always
Glowing so especially in the winter time it’s always dark there right sure so it’s just Illuminating this light and I drove by it every day thinking I would never be in that in that building because he know he told me my my my dad or grandpa had to be it and then later
Uh at towards the end of my high school career I I I I find out one of my teachers he’s amazing I see this big Square Encompass on the back of his truck and I go he was a ROTC instructor I was an r a junior RC growing up in in
My high school and I go first AR are you a Mason he’s like yeah I’m a Mason I was like man that’s so cool I want to be a Mason someday and he goes well I’m sorry to tell you he you can’t but what he really says you can’t join my fraternity
What do you mean his fraternity well I find out later down the road uh later down the road that he was a Prince Hall Mason okay and man I really wish he would expanded upon that and you know say hey my particular sect of M may not be
Right for you but I could set you up with somebody when you become of age I I wish he would have done that yeah because Prince Hall Masonry is predominantly an African-American sect of the fraternity it was created by Prince Hall I’ve talked to this in the
Past on the episodes so it’s generally focused in that doesn’t mean you can’t belong to it it’s just it’s their culture and that’s what they focus on and to promote that fell to promote that camaraderie it’s a great organization I have a lot of great friends who are
Prince halls and both of our Grand Lodge of Ohio and Prince Lodge Grand Grand Lodge of Prince Hall in Ohio once I get that out we recognize each other and we do a lot of events together and we have correspondence so I totally understand he just didn’t elaborate right about the
Different Grand lodges especially in where was this one at this was still in Alaska Alaska Okay cool so I graduated high school uh I always knew I was going to be uh in the military from the time I was six I can trace back my family’s history in America back to the 1650s
Jamest toown sir Captain Henry spilman of the British royal Army coming over there’s actually a picture of him in the library com uh Congress at Pocahontas’s wedding oh all the way from that time to now I’m talking my grandfather was in World War II Korea Vietnam my dad was in Vietnam
My mom served in the military my uh my wife serves in the military I served in the military my son’s about to go in the military so I always knew I was going to join the military well we appreciate your service definitely and for the service that your family has contributed
To keep us free Keep Us Safe yeah well I you’re welcome it’s it’s always weird to say that because that you know most mil military people they they they join to serve and and so sometimes that be hard that be it’s hard for uh a service
Member to kind of hear we’re like no problem it’s just something that we felt like we needed to do but while I was in the service I kept seeing the Masonic emblem all over the place there’s tons of masons in the military well there’s actually Lodges at army bases they are
Called Army lodges and there are members of the fraternity I believe that still goes on I’ve met in from Georgia who were who were in the military Prince Hall actually um and yeah there’s actually military lodges that they meet on base and they have a lodge meeting with members so absolutely I wouldn’t
Know because I thought I wasn’t able to join right did you ever hear about it though when you were when you were serving nobody really nobody talked about it and I I stopped asking questions really I did and I just went about my my Merry way I continued to to
Serve my country country and then and then I I I got done doing the active duty stuff and being deployed and we started to sell down more and then I I became a a recruiter and then eventually I transitioned to the National Guard realm which is uh like more part-time
Being a soldier and then I met my wife and she uh she always told me how cool it was where she grew up she grew up in Ohio right little town Eden Ohio I’m like whatever how cool can it be I grew up in Alaska well she brought me down March
2012 and Alaska was going through its worst win on record okay at that time I owned a Paving Company a Paving plowing company and I was making bank with all the plowing but it was March and I still had like six feet of snow in my front
Yard I come down here March 1st and it’s 77 degrees yeah and I’m like hold on wait a minute and she’s like no no no no this isn’t normal I’m like I don’t care care if it’s normal or not you got a chance for it to be 77° had I known
Better I would have brought my fishing pole and done some fishing while I was here so we made the conscious decision of moving down here one because we had some small kids and you know even living in town you still had to worry about moose hopping fences and mauling your
Kids Bears hop yeah those Bears could hop right over no sorry those moose could hop right over those six foot fences all day long you see them just pop on over like it’s nothing and so same thing with be even though we lived in the city still bear would come in
There um and Anchorage is a a larger City kind of like the size of Fort Wayne maybe you know about 250 300,000 people not a metropolis like uh like Toledo oh come on man that’s pretty big um so we made the conscious decisions to move down here we actually her father was
Sick and we came down to take care of him and then we eventually we purchased the house off this state and we started making a life here and kind of long story short it was the first year my kids were in in school they have what they call a daddy
Daughter dance yeah and I was still in the military that time part-time National Guard here in Ohio I was in my full dress blue military uniform Staff Sergeant in the Army and I was with my daughter and this guy comes up and says hey I want to thank you for your service
And I’m like ah no problem you know like I saying still kind of weird for me and I looked down and he’s got a lapel pen right here Square in compass I’m like hey are you a Mason he’s like yeah and I’m like man I always wanted to become a Mason he’s like
Really I’m like yeah really he’s like really I’m like yeah really he’s like well I can help you with that and and you’re how old at this time I was maybe 20 so 10 years so it had been about 28 29 somewhere in there um and then short about a couple months after
That uh because it was yeah a couple months after that I got a petition our lodge is fairly small so at that time it took a little bit time to stuff to get moving yeah I got a petition the investigating committee came out they met with me and my wife um
What was your wife’s thoughts on the fraternity well she uh she’s done a lot of research on the internet at the oh boy and so buckle up you know you can trust everything on the internet I know right um but one good thing that I appreciate what uh woral brother Mills
Did the the one who initially contacted me after the petition stuff he says I know you want to go on the internet and I know you want to research it but I don’t want you to ruin any this prize a lot of stuff you’re going to find is is
Bogus but there’s still a lot of credible stuff on there and I don’t want you to ruin this prize and I took that to heart I I didn’t go on I didn’t I didn’t try to figure out what was going to happen because I wanted that mystery
To to just be unfolded that path that um just that you involvement a lot of people especially in today’s age you know if we were going into a forest one of my good friends illustrious Mike Lake uh talks about this Forest right we’re going into the forest to masry and
Everybody wants to sell you a map well this is the most scenic route this is the quickest way to get through the forest this is you know you’re go this you’ll go this way to see the mountains of M of masonry you know what I mean you
Why can’t we just enjoy the journey we don’t have to get to the destination masonry is a lifelong journey but we’re in a society where there’s so much instant gratification everything’s at my fingertips and I need it now now now now now masonry lets you Embark and enjoy
The ADV Venture of a lifetime absolutely where you’re going to meet men of all walks of life from all continents of the world and we all have the singularity that we walk through those same steps right absolutely you know you were a traditional Mason correct or you one day
No I’m I was traditional yep so you went through the same steps that I got to taking none away thing away from the one day Masons they’re we’re all Brothers in this fraternity and you and I got to experience something that so many people before got to experience you know the founding fathers
Celebrities countrymen servicemen and you and ladies and gentlemen what I’m so excited about this guy is he is a serviceman both in the military but in his community in this fraternity and he has a passion that’s infectious I can’t thank you enough for what you do because you get it you get
What brings us all here and what inspires me to tell your Mason your Masonic story you know what I mean you and I have had long conversations and we didn’t know each other from Adam no how do you even remember when we first met I do actually
Okay how did we meet it was it was just two years ago I had just I just uh joined the Scottish right and it was on the spring uh it was on the spring uh what’s the word I’m looking for reunion reunion thank you the spring reunion in Lima and
That was the first place that I met you you I was a candidate and you were in your full Scottish right regalia and you came vline over to us candidates and you shook our hands you might as well give us a big pop bear hug while we were at
It it was just you could tell that this Mason being you just oozed amazingness okay and that’s in the dictionary somewhere look it up okay um and and from then you know because I feed off at people Robbie I do and especially when I get around Masons
Such as yourself and I have I have a handful of them back in my Lodge too it just motivates me even even more to do as much as I can to help the the brothers of my fraternity the family members of my fraternity it motivates me
To be want to become a better Mason because at the end of the day I know the more I put in the masonry not only is it going to help the community around me and the individuals around me but it’s also going to make me a better father
It’s going to make me a better husband it’s going to make me a better son it’s going to make me a better citizen of this country and so everything that I’ve experienced in masonry has just expanded my mind my body and my soul and
I got to tell you when I first wanted to join Mason I just thought it was cool cool ring you know cool little emblems on the hats in the back of but I end up staying for masonry because I just gained this huge family and we met I
Didn’t know you from Adam but I instantly felt that connection and here was a man that was my brother and I can trust them I could trust them with my kids I could trust them with my family and I wouldn’t think twice about it you know your dedication to providing our
Fellow members that true Masonic experience I can’t thank you enough right by the way I’ve interviewed 18 men out of 19 podcasts me been busy you guys have been busy we have been busy you’re the first to be a sitting worshipful master in your Lodge and I
Want to get into what you’re talking about about has masy made you a better father a better member of your community I also want to talk about what was that experience like going through those degrees and becoming a Master Mason and becoming an officer sure so you
Know where so you go so you petition this Lodge and then you go through your first degree you go home your wife probably has questions for you right did and I totally screwed that up by the way how so well because when you when you go
Through you know you you you take an oath or obligation and and they tell you in the beginning it’s very symbolic okay sure uh but but at the end of the day you just took this oath you put your hand on the Bible and you don’t want to
Fail I wasn’t sure what I could talk about or I or what I couldn’t talk about and so you know and this is this is I I only have a couple regrets in the masony and this is one of them okay is when I got home and my wife was very excited
Which my wife’s name is Jesse spilman by the way um that when she asked I failed and I failed big time and I I told her I can’t talk about it and that’s something that I’ve changed that as a worful master in my Lodge the moment we raise a
New brother to the degree of ENT Apprentice after everything’s said and done I give a I give a little speech to them I let them know exactly what they can’t talk about okay which is ENT essentially few things a few things they keep they keep the mystery of our
Fraternity together right but you can talk about your experiences and how it made you failed and and and you you can talk about a lot of what actually you went through and I I let them know that and I and I want them to learn from my
Mistakes and you know and it’s taken it’s taken a quite a few years for uh my wife to kind of come around because I stepped in a big puddle there in the very beginning and so I I I definitely want new brothers coming in to learn from my mistakes don’t repeat what I
Just I did did and move on because this fraternity it is a fraternal Organization for men but it it is and it can be so much more than just that and incorporate in the families yep I a th% believe that and that’s been one of my missions that my particular Lodge is to
Incorporate the families more and make it more of a family ordeal obviously there’s things that we have to do just as brothers but the more the marry I can get the family the better between the youth organizations there’s Co masonry with you your your wife uh people who
Have significant others there’s a lot of events that bring us all together cuz yeah you need your wife or significant others buying into this fraternity because it’s a part of our life you know Doug King was in the chair last week he talked about you know masonry brought a
Certain status we have a status in this fraternity I’m a past Junior past master of my Lodge you’re a current sitting Master worshipful and two time back three time three time my apologies that’s right I had a little space cuz I went to third
Shift and saw I was a few years I was away from masonry but I come back I’m like hey guys I’m ready for LOD and then worful Master yep and and it was great and I actually appreciated it because I don’t think I got everything I wanted
Done that first time around sure and I had a second crack at and I’m actually very grateful for it yes you being an officer is and becoming a master of lot is that added responsibility you’re the caretaker of this Lodge you have to make sure it runs masy provides leadership opportunities
Tools to enhance us out in the community I also take part in an organization called Toast Masters which helps me public speak and make sure I count my eyes ums butt so you knows but I’d certainly fail out that but masonry provides you great education on
How to conduct yourself how to conduct a meeting build that confidence in that and I know you’ve experienced that in your L because man when you’re the worful master you have to conduct that meeting accordingly and make sure your membership is getting taken care of but also focusing on community aspects
Education making sure you’re enhancing the ritual for the experience for the candidates coming in and it’s a fun time and you know the biggest flaw that most officers run into they don’t prepare they don’t put something together how has it been your second time around and what have you done in your
Lodge to enhance it and may enhance your membership your officer line that’s a very that’s a very good question and actually I draw a lot on my military training on this not just in my Masonic career but my professional career and my my my home career you know yeah one of
The first things I learned in join ROTC was the military’s definition leadership so the military’s definition is leadership is the process of influencing others by accomplishing the mission by providing purpose Direction and motivation while operating to improve the organization okay so taking that into account yeah that’s what anytime I
Try try to do something in the lodge I try to provide those three things purpose Direction and motivation and at the end of the day everything that we try to do tries to improve the lodge and the community around us okay and when you’re talking about one the things that
Officers can fall short of is coming prepared you’re absolutely correct you know that was one of the great things that I had in the military for the next 90 plus days we had a training schedule and I could look out the next 90 days and know exactly what we’re going to do
And that helps so much having the the foresight to plan those events ahead of time allowing the brothers and the families of the lodge to give them enough time to make time for those events because if you if you conduct a lodge meeting and go hey we want to have
A a lodge potluck next Tuesday or next Sunday or next Saturday your partip Pati level is probably going to be pretty slim because people already got stuff scheduled I don’t know about you Robbie but you know my schedule’s pretty scheduled out at least UH 60 days to 90
Days absolutely I totally agree um my schedule gets jam-packed I mean there’s sometimes where masing is light through the week and then there’s sometimes I have something every day I could be going to and I totally get it because you know I have I have a relatively young family I’ve got two 17-year-olds
That are about ready to graduate high school I have got a 11-year-old and I’ve got a six-year-old and so they’ve got Sports they’ve got school functions uh my wife has her function and it’s a it’s a it’s crazy to balance it all sometimes I feel like I’m playing playing was it
Jenga right you’re pulling that that little block out there watching it Teeter a little bit and it’s it’s very difficult and for me I try to communicate with my wife as much as possible and again there’s I fail at that sometimes I’m like oh Babe by the
Way I forgot to tell you yeah when we got this she’s like oh man keeping that door open of communication with your significant other is so key in being on the same page constantly blindsiding constantly bringing up all these events that’s coming on yeah it can be a little
Overbearing and I can see why sometimes significant others have an issue with the fraternity but we are taught that the fraternity shouldn’t rule your life you got to find balance it’s like a double-edged sword y absolutely but we make it work and we’re getting better as men with our time and
Time management is a key focus in masonry we only have so much time here and to be a part of all these appendant bodies which we are a part of matter of fact we actually just came came from a grotto meeting which is another appendant body he’s all decked out in his Grotto
Gear and it’s a great place where Masons dwell to be together with fun and fellowship yes there’s a business meeting but there’s also a dinner beforehand there’s Great Fellowship after we headed out a little early so we could record this episode but it’s The Grotto is the place
Where Mason’s well and it’s the Masonic playground so there’s a lot of themed events there’s a lot of events where we go out and enjoy Fellowship Pub cross cigar socials and then themed events we’ve also done uh dinners at great restaurants we’re actually working on an event Jesse and I where we’re taking
This multi-tiered building and each level is going to be a different theme and we’re going to open that up to the significant others and have a great time but Jesse mhm why are you so fired up in this fraternity what brings you here day in because I know it’s not the business
Meetings no I mean this is going to be this is going to sound weird but or is it the business meetings I I actually do like the business meetings um because I learn from them uh I learn because I kind of look at a lodge as it’s like a
Corporation you know you got your CEOs you got your your uh CFOs and cosos and and then for different people people get bunch of different stuff from masonry right sure um but for a lot of people they can get a lot of leadership experience out of it um but so I do
Enjoy the business meetings but I enjoy the entire Brotherhood and I I get so fired up about it because I like to help people you know that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to serve my country is I wanted to serve my family serve my country
Serve my community and now that I’m not in the military I can’t really do that on the level that I wanted to do anymore and masonry kind of gives me that platform to still be able to serve I still am able to serve my family I’m
Still able to serve my brothers and I’m still able to serve our community and my Lodge Eden Lodge 474 um you know we’ve been doing some really good stuff in our community we just a few weeks ago we got done uh assisting another organization um I think it’s called the
FFA right the Future Farmers of America yeah that’s the one uh I don’t know them all but they they pretty much do the the sausage patty sales at the football games and they needed some additional help and one of our brothers and this is is what I love one of our brothers was
Told this information and he sent it out on a text message to large majority of us and goes hey this this group needs help and uh we want I want to try to help him out within 30 minutes there was like seven to 10 Brothers going I’ll be
There and so we went and we helped we helped raise thousands of dollars for this organization which helps the the kids program at the school and that’s so amazing to see that and that’s a way that we’re able to give back to the community absolutely it’s a call to
Action right I mean we masonry does not have a pendant body into the FFA the Future Farmers of America that’s its own entity but they needed help and we answer the call yeah absolutely his lodge answer the call and Masons will do that for any kind of Civic organization
That truly needs help absolutely and it’s not just that you know we had that that like that Windstorm well we’ve had a bunch of wind storms which that’s something I’m not used to by the way cuz where I lived in last we didn’t have the windstorms okay
Um but when that happened there was messages going out to all the brothers in Lodge hey are you guys okay you guys need anything it was like that phone tree just kind of spidering out making sure everybody was okay and if if and if anybody needed help we would have been
There in a moment’s notice that is so amazing and it’s hard to see that and today’s age where where we’re so busy that kind of community that doesn’t happen all all the time or in all the all the communities anymore it doesn’t happen in all lodges either unfortunately right
Yeah if we can focus on as young men in this fraternity well I don’t know about how young you are but well you we are young men compared to our the average age of a Mason which is 65 if we can work on the art of connecting to our communities as
Lodges and show the good works because Society not Society internet influences social media paint us in a bad picture because they fear for what they do not understand if we can develop the art of connecting with our communities and showing the service that we have to volunteer our communities will be a lot
Better you’re absolutely right you are absolutely right um I mean you hit the nail on the head any any any chance where we can go out and just do good for no other purpose than doing good yep that speaks volumes there’s so much right now and I’ve talked about this a
Lot how social media isolates Us and how we’re kind of as individuals in America we’ve kind of isolated ourselves out of our own Community I don’t I remember times where you know you would talk to your neighbor next to her maybe your neighbor would invite you over for a
Piece of pie we have neighbors I know right it’s very true I don’t even I’m ashamed to say I don’t really know my neighbors in my own neighborhood and I’ve been there for almost nine years right right no you’re you’re you’re right and we need to get back to
Basics here in America cuz we got to be here for our fellow Americans cuz there’s men who need this kind of Brotherhood absolutely so many men and women are losing their lives cuz they feel isolated they feel like they’re not being heard they’re getting Cyber Bullied and that was one of the big
Proponents of all square podcast because we want to make sure you’re all square we want to make sure we’re telling our story that we’re not letting some organization or hate group say the Masons are evil this is what all square in the Mas is all about is being here for our
Community if we can get that message out I truly believe we can change the narrative in society where it feels like everybody’s at each other’s throats absolutely Robbie I say this all the time in a world where it feels like everything’s tearing you down Freemasonry build you back up it does it
Does I want that to be on my gravestone I want that to be their RL Franks quote we can make that happen because men need to know that and we need to educate our men in the fraternity to that responsibility absolutely God our neighbor and our country absolutely yep
You I mean you’re hitting it all on the head Robbie I mean what’s the old adage you know actions speak louder than words yeah okay the internet that’s words the deeds and the things that we do as men and Masons will speak volumes in those communities that it will drown out any
Of the noise that the internet will try to spread yeah and that starts at the lowest level and that’s the lowest that’s this The Lodges my Lodge is about 84 members now we boast about 10% of our population and that’s pretty impressive Eden in Eden yes 10% of our population is members of
The Lodge that’s crazy and we have we have a phenomenal participation rate and kind of to go back uh just where you know actions speak louder than words when we did that that event uh for the FFA right uh just helping out no other
Purpose uh we had a a uh we had a man approach us and he had seen the good works that we have done in the community and he knew a couple of the new brothers and he goes I like what you guys have been doing how do I help that’s where it
Starts isn’t it it does you know we can’t solicit membership as Masons to non-masons we’re not a cult no we don’t believe in that men have to come in on their own free will and and Accord and knock on that door but by showing your works and
Showing that hey it isn’t some secret society just a society with secret and be able to help your community and Inspire others be like you know what I’m going home 9 to 5 I’m working and but then I’m going home and being with my family I’m not doing anything else in my
Life I wouldn’t mind helping out you know an organization that needs help with their sales for their fundraiser and masonry offers that offers you an opportunity to give back to your community it’s the service I mean that’s the theme of this episode is service
Yeah I guess it is isn’t it it is it is but it rings so true though it really does um you know cuz you you were talking about earlier this week it is Grand Lodge week right I to tomorrow it starts I can’t wait to go tomorrow and
And see these people and here’s another place where I’m I’m going to go help tomorrow I’m going to go help the rest of the brothers from LGE there’s I remember the first time I went to Grand Lodge I was nervous I was like what is going on all these people so I’m going
To go I’m going to go try to help and maybe I can help some of these brothers coming in that never been there before you know ease them into it a little bit and and and help them have a better time all they need to do all people Masons at
Grand Lodge need to do is just look and see who’s talking to MH you see somebody by themselves talk to them yeah they’re not going to come back if they’re not having fun sure it’s basic you know the way of life for humans we need to be connected with our membership embracing
The fun time being there yes we got some business we have to do some legislative work we have a whole new set of grand line officers uh moving up into their new ranks and having a new grandmas of Ohio it’s a fun exciting time it’s where we build Brotherhood which most worful
Stephen and grindle has talked about this year and we are doing just that but this is building Brotherhood working together at a event like you are lodged in is building Brotherhood having great education and events for your family is building that Brotherhood absolutely I mean just like just tonight you know it
Was it was a different appendant body but guess what ladies and gentlemen we were all Masons there yep and we were having a great time we had a great meal our business means didn’t last that long but we still got to hang out with a lot
Of great Brothers I bet people are still there right now they probably are playing cards having a cigar relaxing yeah but that’s what it is to unwind from The Real World and enjoy this world of masonry this metaphysical World of Fun and fellowship what is your input or Outlook
I should say of the future of the fraternity right now well if I’m I am right now just kind of spreading my wings uh within the last couple years I’ve joined just about every pendent body uh for me that’s I want to try to learn from those pendent
Bodies and bring back to my Lodge to try to help improve my Lodge and and not just that but it help improve myself too sure but over the last you know three four years my Lodge has seen a a very good expansion and that didn’t start with me
That started with the Brothers previous to me um whereas there was a kind of a great contraction right but we’ve been seeing gains in our membership gains in our participation gains in family participation um I would like to give a big shout out to our most worthful brother the
Grandmas this year when he made it a uh made it mandatory for us to do open houses that was that was such a great event and like for us we uh at Eden Lodge we share another Lodge we actually rent from the Brian Lodge in Bri Ohio in Brian Ohio
Because our lodge the roof kind of collapsed and we didn’t own the building so we we’re over there we rent from them we’re very grateful for their Hospitality so me and the worful master of their Lodge said hey why don’t we do a joint uh open uh open house and he’s
Like yeah that’s a great great idea but let’s not just stop there let’s let’s invite the other appendant bodies that meet there so the the Eastern Star the York right chapter Council Commander uh we had some Shrine members there we had some members from gr and we had all
These different bodies there at this event and I told our Brethren I said bring your families bring your loved ones you know you talk about being passionate about masonry part of the reason I’m passionate about masonry cuz I want to bring this to the people that I love and the people in
Your families those are the people you love your friends and your family bring them in you know if nothing else we’re going to have a great day of fellowship and fun and hanging out okay and and when we had this open house that afforded us that opportunity to do that
And we did and we had a great time and and it just it went really well that’s awesome that is incredible I’m glad that had a great great effect for your Lodge what do your kids think about this you know Dad’s away right you got to be
The father but you also got practices coming on with your kids as they continue to be more involved in stuff what did your kids think about this organization so at first uh my wife used to tease me say dad’s going to this boy scout Mee that’s hilarious and so my
Kids used to go dad’s going to his Boy Scout meeting um but really in the last year because I’ve join these other pendent bodies and I’ve been exposed to more events I’ve been bringing my family with us and like we we went to the the Shriners night at the mud henss game and
My kids had a blast we ate ballpark hot dogs for the first time which I got to tell you are amazing okay nobody told me about those Franks uh I think they were Nathan’s Nathan I’m just saying I’m just saying they were amazing but they had such a
Great time and the more that I’m I’ve been able to incorporate them like again this is uh Grand Lodge weekend it’s at Kalahari what is that Kalahari big old water park right so we’re using this as a family vacation and so the kids are out of school right now we’re going to
Take them to Kalahari and while while Dad is out doing his Mason stuff they’re going to be out playing and having fun and then I’ll get to come back and have fun with them and then I’ll dad will go back out and have do more Mesa stuff and come back have fun
Uh but I’ve been getting them more involved I talked about getting the families more involved and so at first I think I think the kids thought was kind of funny that Dad was you know going to his Boy Scout meeting but now that they’ve been going to the vents these
Barbecues and we we just did a parade for the town of Eden my kids were marching in with a hand and out candy which I got to tell you if you ever do a parade don’t buy chocolate don’t buy chocolate Okay especially in the summertime because it melts oh first
Parade didn’t know that I’m just putting that out there for everybody if you’re doing a parade any cic organization don’t buy chocolate Okay um but they had a great time and so you know I think more and more now my kids are are kind of getting more excited about the maon
Stuff um you’ve talked about de mole a few times y I’ve talked to my son my son is entertaining the idea of joining deay now how old is he he’s 17 okay and now not just him but some of the friends in our area that he’s friends with they may
Be a little bit younger there’s another three or four individuals because they’ve seen what masonry’s kind of done for me and my family they have like hey I kind of want to do that demolle thing too so I’m in the works right now trying to help help get three or four guys uh
Or young men from our area to do the debone light thing so I I guess the the answer to your question is I think they’re coming around to it and seeing the benefits of what it’s doing and and I hope because I know it is hard because
I am away but I I hope that it balances itself out and even though I am away that when I am home I’m being a better dad to him well do you feel like the tenants and principles and teachings of our fraternity is it is improving you
As a father as a man as a member of your community I I I’ll tell you yes but you know there’s times I doubt myself just like every man does um but then I’ll use I’ll use just family days just a measurement of that
How well I’m doing you know I was I was very fortunate just a few days days ago to have a just a day with the kids cuz my wife went out of town and I don’t get too many of those just me and the kids and I got to tell
You it was probably one of the best days I’ve had in my life and in a very long time we were just bowling playing board games that kind of silly stuff but I like to think that it is and I know that sometimes I do miss some some
Things but I I do try to balance it out as best I can cuz there’s there’s a lot of masonic stuff that I do miss sure because I don’t want to miss out on the family stuff and that was one of the negative things that I had when I was in
The military is you know I deployed to Iraq when my son was four weeks old wow and I missed the first 18 months of his life and that’s tough and that was kind of one of the reasons why we started going away from the military and one of
The reasons why we moved down here is cuz I wanted to have more family time with them and that’s one one reasons why I work where I work now and we’ve sold a lot of our businesses that we’ve had is so that way we can’t afford that time
And I’m still able to do some of that masonry stuff and fish can’t forget fish fishing you’re into fishing I love fishing man yeah this has really become a hobby but it’s also like a dream for you too isn’t it fish F or masonry fishing no it is
I you know I would love to be the next Pro Bass fisherman but there’s a lot of steps that have to happen before I get there and I will before that happens you know I got to make sure our our family is all squared away nice you like that
Uh it’s they’re taken care of and and that’s where where we sold some of our businesses my uh my wife and I uh my wife’s been running a carry out restaurant for the last 10 years she’s you know she’s 40 years old I’m sorry I’m not supposed to say that sorry babe
Um but she’s now retired and so she’s she’s able to go back to school and she’s going back to school and that’s amazing so we’re we’re getting there we’re getting close to be able to do that stuff and eventually I would love to start my my career to be a probass
Fisherman but in order for me to do that I got to practice more sure absolutely that means more fishing I hey I’m all about fishing I never went bass fishing I’m always been a walleye and a perch Fisher man in a boat never did the standing and the whole you know special
Pants and whatever that’s called waiters right oh yeah we’ll have to go to Alaska and I’ll show you some River fish and you you’ll have fun oh okay well I am 100% down to travel as a Mason um one thing I wanted to talk about was this podcast we’re getting the message out
For what this fraternity is involved in and you’ve actually shared this podcast to people correct oh yeah absolutely um I’ve shared it multiple times on our our lodge Facebook uh account I I’ve shared it on my personal Facebook account in fact I just had
A a um oh man I’m going to forget what I’m I’m saying here but we we just had an interview with a candidate okay I was part of the investigating committee and I actually recommended this podcast as you know don’t take my word from it for um don’t take my word but
Here’s a plethora of good men and you can listen to what they have to say about it this is a fantastic Tool uh for not just the brothers but for people who have who have thought about masonry for people who feel like there’s something missing in their
Life and I I’m going to support you in any way I can you what you guys are doing here is is absolutely amazing and in fact this was something that I I I didn’t really see a whole lot and it was it was tugging at my heart to do
Something very similar but Robbie I got to tell you man I’m not very articulate like you are and you’re doing a fantastic fantastic job and I’m very grateful for what you guys are doing here it’s it’s me it’s brother Mike Lou out there our executive producer his work and dedication us
Brainstorming on things he makes me look good and that’s how it like any good producer should right exactly exactly you know we man we always laugh because we manifested this and you know what one thing I would love for people to know and I hope Mike makes this to a short is
One thing that Masons must know that in this fraternity you can do what you want if you have ideas you will find men who will help support you absolutely show them the plan tell them what we need to do to accomplish it and we can make anything happen whether it’s serving the
Community starting a podcast hosting an event masonry gives you the that sandbox to make whatever you want happen and that’s been one of my duties as a Mason for now 11 years last Friday on October 13th is I’m trying to leave this fraternity better off cuz I don’t know how much time I’m
Going to have left I just had co uh and I’m negative don’t worry but masonry provides you the opportunity to build whatever you want cultivate that culture right here in this symbolic four walls mhm and this podcast is a testament to that and I want more Masons
To know you have the opportunity The Willpower to control your destiny in this fraternity because it’s a lifelong fraternity it never ends there’s so many appendant bodies in this fraternity and this studio this symbolic Lodge of conversation and what we are showing and telling your story that’s what it’s all
About yeah you know I get emotional thinking about it because you inspire me the members of your District inspire me the members of the state which we’re going to meet this weekend members from all around the state men who are going to come in from out of states to come
Support us being together and being Freemasons and if there’s some man out there who is looking for this kind of organization to be a part of our craft to work on yourself so that you can do better for others that’s what masonry is about yeah and I can’t thank you enough for your
Call to action in this fraternity you’re now an officer in the Scottish right which we’ve talked about that appendant body and all the degrees that a part of it being an officer that added responsibility you also have a very deep appreciation for one of the other appendant bodies commandry yes and night
Templarism correct absolutely Templar Templar masonry yeah so it’s commandry which is the some would argues the Pinnacle of the York right which is another Branch right uh within York right you have chapter Council and commandry in particular for me I think I have an affinity for Commander because you wear a
Uniform you you have a sword you get a sword which is awesome I love that um and they have competitions within commandry which I love because I love to compete I do you know now competitions what do you mean when you say com because it’s a very for our non-masons
It’s a very militaristic order it can be yes um so York right is you’ve mentioned before it’s very much the like the Christian wing of sh masonry yeah so in order for you to be a a a night Templar I mean you take a vow to uphold the the
Christian values in that sect of masonry yes yes and so in in commandry it’s not degrees it’s orders you go through different orders and it’s beautiful the the the order of the temple is oh yes is absolutely gorgeous I haven’t been through every single degree out of all the stuff but I
I it’s breathtaken and if it’s done well it’ll be a memory you’ll have for a lifetime um but just like um just like how Grand Lodge for for the blue Masonic Lodge has a State Convention so does commandry and at that State Convention commanderies from around the state will
Send drill teams and they will March in formations based on a set a a set of pre um decided guidelines of what you need to do and will compete against the other commanderies and this year we had we had I I don’t know for sure but it was 20
Plus teams that com competed and I got I gotta tell you that Brian commandry number 74 one we got for the second row for the second time in two 2 years first place but besides that it’s amazing it is and it’s it’s just another aspect of
Masonry that kind of makes you whole all these little pieces kind for me it does it just adds a little part of the puzzle that that is me and a portion of that is is certainly commandry and and and I I do I do really enjoy it um and it’s more
On the local levels for uh for the York right like uh I go to York right in Brian which is where they have the chapter Council Commander for my area but there’s also chapters and councils as some of the other lodges in my fifth district um whereas like Scottish right
Is a much larger area and you would go to you know like Toledo to the go go to the the reunion and kind of stuff like that well you know what’s interesting about commandry right it’s um heavily Christian focused you know they always think masonry doesn’t is a religion and
You know it’s it’s you know it makes makes you leave your religion which is a totally absurd thing actually no being guys who are on the inside it actually makes you reflect oh yeah on your faith absolutely and uphold the Christian values that we aspire to I’m converting
To Greek Orthodox right now I I know don’t know your denomination but it brings us together and another thing that people fail to realize um one of our Grand Lodge officers Bill Carter is Jewish and he is a knight’s Templar because he is able to take part in
Commander because he says hey I will uphold and defend the Christian faith doesn’t say he has to not follow his faith that is awesome but he is a big supporter of commandry and what it has to offer and he is a devout member of the Jewish religion and I love that
About the fraternity where we have this appreciation of men from all backgrounds oh I know you know and that’s that’s something that you know I didn’t know at first but I later realized of how actually inclusive masonry is and if if people really understood of how much masonry
Influenced like just the founding of this country you know the fact that all men are created equally we all meet on the level that wasn’t a popular idea back in in the in the early 1700s you know nobody was equal to the king of England right right and so when you look
Back at our our founding documents a lot of the Masonic uh ideals and principles are very much embedded in there and you know it gives me a deeper appreciation for this country and it gives me a deeper appreciation for masonry in a whole and like you were talking about gives me deeper
Appreciation for for everybody you know and it’s and it’s amazing there’s there’s stories across decades from different periods where you had you had uh in the Civil War you had had Brothers on the North and brothers on the south that would come together on the battlefield and and
Provide Aid to each other even though they were sworn enemies at P camps that they were still able to conduct themselves as Masons and whole Lodges of even in in in uh Nazi Germany and interment camps that they were able to hold lodges in these camps and and you
You hear of stories of not just stories but it’s facts that in places like Israel that they have lodges where Muslims and Jews come together as brothers and there is no Strife that is so profound and so amazing and the more that people really understood that that
Would drown more of that noise and more of that nonsense that’s out there in the internet today amen my friend Amen brother we are rounding out this episode I have two more questions before we go number one is there any Masons that have really influenced you on your journey
Over your 10 years is there anybody out there who’s really had an impact on your experience man there’s there’s too many to count there is and I I would be I’d do them disservice to I I couldn’t I couldn’t tell you how many I mean just even you
Meeting you Robbie you’ve had an impact in my life okay but yeah I’ve had some great masons in my Lodge and outside my Lodge that have certainly helped develop me and I was telling you earlier that those high-speed low drag Masons that are just those go-getters they motivate
Me um but in particular in in my Lodge I have uh uh right Russell Bruce McKibbon he’s he’s getting pretty close to becoming a 50-year member uh he was a teacher at the school where my wife went to school at okay and taught all of her
Siblings and and and and all her cousins and it’s just great history and I’ve I’ve been able to rely on him I can call him up when I’m I’m learning my ritual stuff you know I’ll be on my break at at at lunch at work and I’m like hey right
R you got a second and we’re going through ritual work uh right Ral brother uh Mt glor is another one that he’s reached out to me on numerous times and he he’s helped me help me become the Mason who I am today he pushes me constantly and he might not
Know it and I I try to tell him how much I appreciate him but I don’t think there’s words can ever put it really into into how much I appreciate the Masons that have influenced me because I mean those those are just two off off of a large iceberg that I could spend
Forever taking about we could do a whole episode on it I kid and the last one I would really say is uh the the brother that brought me in you know without him coming in right woral brother not right worsh brother I’m sorry woral brother uh Jeff Mills
You know he brought me he brought me into the fraternity and if if he didn’t if he didn’t just come up and say hi to me I may not be standing here and he’s and a lot of other Masons in my Lodge they they held the Eden Lodge uh
Together for a long time we just celebrated 150 years we just had our reconsecration which was a fabulous event and we had tons of brothers from all over the place that attended and if it wasn’t for brothers like right worship Brother Bruce McKibben right worship brother Matt glor worship
Brother Jeff Mills and among countless others my Lodge would not still be here for me to be able to attend was there to stand as a testimonial to that great day of success when you reconsecrated your Lodge building my brother last question what words of advice do you
Want to give to non-masons watching this episode it’s non Masons watching this episode I’ve got a few regrets and I’ve talked about one of them one of my regrets is not joining masonry soon okay and so I guess gu this is kind of go not to nonmon Masons watching this episode
But to Masons watching this episode that’s going to affect those people okay is talk about your experiences with the people that you love the people that you care about the good men in your life the good women in your life because maybe some of those women would be like huh
What’s this whole masonry thing about husband what’s this whole masonry thing about and that could start that journey I would talk about how it’s impacted Your Life share it with them and those non-masons might be able to find that light you know and if and if you are a a
Non Mason listening to this podcast if you feel something missing in your in your life go find a LOD go knock on it because I bet you you’re going to find it there that’s my brother Jesse Spielman I’m RL Franks and you are all Square hey RL Franks here thanks again for watching today’s episode don’t forget to like And subscribe also if you believe someone can benefit from the message that we provided on today’s podcast send it over to them you may Inspire them
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