Like any fraternal organization, meetings among brothers are held in confidence, behind closed doors and the inner workings of the organization is not revealed to anyone on the outside.
However, there is one night when all are invited to join together in brotherhood, visit, “eat, drink and be merry,” said Master John Covell of Skaneateles Lodge 522 located at 13 E. Genesee St.
Called “Table Lodge,” the evening is not a closed Masonic meeting but steeped rich in traditions begun more than 200 years ago in Europe.
“It’s a left over from something the Masons used to do hundreds of years ago,” Covell said, adding that a lot of Masonic lodges owned taverns and would hold their meetings above the bar.
On Wednesday Nov. 18, Masons from across Onondaga County were joined by District Deputy Grand Master Kevin J. Parker at the Skaneateles Masonic Lodge for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres followed by a formal dinner. Then Table Lodge began and the evening was filled with toasts, drinks and songs.
“This is actually our most fun meeting of the year,” Covell said.
Brother Tim Gannon gave the first of seven toasts. According to Gannon, toasts are restricted to those listed in the program. For this year’s program, he scoured the Internet to find programs he liked and the cut and pasted them into an overall pleasing program.
Following each toast, the Masons each exuberantly cheered three times saying, “Vivat, vivat, vivat!” before consuming a shot of wine or grape juice.
In response to each toast, certain members of the brotherhood were asked to speak. Following the third toast, Past Grand Master of New York Bruce Widger spoke to the group regarding the health of current Grand Master Edward G. Gilbert, who has spent many months in hospitals battling bad health which started due to problems with his heart.
According to Widger, Gilbert is no longer on a respirator and doing well.
“He is now at our Masonic Home in Utica,” he said.
Gilbert has been receiving therapy and has begun walking again.
“He seemed pleased to have visitors, especially Masons,” Widger said. “I think he’s in the best place he could be. People who go there have nothing but good things to say.”
Several of the Masons in attendance at Table Lodge showed interest in organizing a bus trip for the district to visit Gilbert at the home in Utica.
A little later in the evening, Master Emeritus Jack Howard, who has served twice as the lodge’s master, spoke about how the lodge has evolved during his time as a member.
“In 1995 [or] ‘96 our lodge was in great need of rehabilitation,” Howard said.
Soon after the need to rehabilitation was realized, the village went through a revitalization period, of which the lodge became a focal point.
The Masons filed for 501(c)3 not-for-profit exemption and also rented the offices on the ground floor of the building, which is owned by the Masons, to taxable entities. The rent money collected helped begin needed rehabilitation.
According to Gannon, Howard received the Masons’ Distinguished Service Award for the work he did to rehabilitate the Skaneateles Lodge 522 building.
At this time, the Skaneateles Lodge has annual expenses of between $30,000 and $35,000 and an annual income of between $60,000 and $65,000.
“Now we can put money into the community,” Howard said, adding that last year the Masons donated approximately $23,000 to SAVES and also have donated to the Skaneateles Fire Department to aid their equipment purchases.
“We run our lodge as a business,” he said. “I’d be happy to work with anybody who wants to try to do it with their lodge.”
