I enjoy reading history, especially primary documents such as Lodge minutes and Grand Lodge Proceedings. They are filled with Masonic lessons. Here’s an example.
In fall of 1888 a leak was noticed in southwest corner of the Lodge roof. The WM appointed a committee to study this leak. In December the committee was not ready to report. In January, 1889 the committee reported in open Lodge to the newly installed WM and confirmed that, yes, there was a leak. The new WM thanked them for their service and appointed a new committee.
In February the new committee was not ready to report and requested more time.
In March, the committee reported that the leak should be repaired and had obtained two bids. The first bid was for $300. The committee reported that the original roof had not been correctly installed. As a result, the existing roof needed to be stripped down to the boards, some of which possibly would need to be replaced, new flashing installed correctly and the asphalt roofing reapplied.
The second cheaper bid called for a man with a bucket of tar to patch the leaks.
Of course the lodge chose the low bid.
Reading further in the minutes I found that every five to ten years a leak would be discovered in the Southwest corner of the Lodge room. Similar committees would be appointed and after similar deliberations a similar repair would be made. Meanwhile, water damage accumulated in both the upstairs and downstairs rooms.
Around 1996 the Lodge sold the building. The upstairs remained unoccupied.
This spring, 2020, I drove past the building and saw a work crew shoveling old roofing from the second floor. The next day I saw them hoist rolls of flashing to the top.
My wife didn’t even have to ask why I stopped in the middle of the road to watch while I laughed.
I’m sure there are other lessons to be learned from this but there are three I think stand out most obviously.
First, in this example we have a do-nothing committee. The Master, recognized this and quickly appointed a new committee. That committee addressed the problem and made two recommendations to the Lodge.
Now we get to the other two major lessons.
Second, the Lodge chose the cheap fix instead of the definitive repair. As a result, the leak returned and had to be re-addressed. How many times have we as Masons and as Lodges chosen to do this with similar results?
Third, in true Masonic fashion, in later years the Lodge chose to “do it the way we’ve always done it” and encountered the same result.
I’ll leave that third lesson as it is.
Ricky Stevens, PM
Ebenezer Lodge #76
Senatobia, MS
