Fellow Craft Degree – September 11, 2025

Some meals aren’t just about the food. They’re about the ritual of gathering, the unspoken bond of sitting down shoulder-to-shoulder with people you trust.

On September 11th, we gathered at King Lodge No. 461. Dinner was simple, hearty, and honest: shepherd’s beef pie straight from the oven, hot rolls, green beans, a sharp cilantro salad, and the kind of banana pudding that only comes from someone’s kitchen not a store shelf. It was the kind of meal that doesn’t ask for applause, but quietly tells you you’re at home.

Then came the work the Fellow Craft Degree. Twenty-three Masons filled the lodge room, six lodges represented, voices and footsteps echoing off walls that have heard generations pass through.

Our brothers from Shelby Lodge No. 350 in Ohio were with us again. Every year, race week brings them here. They set up camp, watch the races, and pull up a chair at our table. No pretense. Just men who understand fellowship in its truest form.

The candidate who received his degree wasn’t just another name on the roll. He’s been there  showing up for practices, sharing meals, listening, learning. Dedicated, attentive, the kind of man who reminds you why the Craft matters.

This night wasn’t about pomp or speeches. It was about tradition, about food that warms you, and about men strangers, brothers, friends bound together by something older and deeper than themselves.

Article by

Bro. Wes Leonard

Secretary