From the Worshipful Master

Being the Master of the Lodge, I wear one hat during the meetings, but many hats throughout my term. As Master of the Lodge I am responsible for all of the activities of the lodge, but primarily to initiate, pass and raise all good men. Growing the lodge membership is essential to the sustaining of our existence, but we are not a desperate fraternity, we need to be selective in our membership, and the Master is the first line of defense. The Master is obligated to only submit petitions to the Grand Lodge of men of good character, and that meet our standards, and will reflect positively on our ancient craft. As Master, I am to delegate to my line officers, to prepare them for their progressive responsibilities, so they are prepared to lead when their time comes. I have fiscal responsibility to the lodge to endeavor to leave it better off financially that when I assumed my position. This is not an easy task, and requires developing a five year plan, with a strong progressive line to meet the goals. As Master, I take part in the deliberations, votes and duties which the Grand Lodge of Arizona has bestowed upon me. This requires working closely with the secretary and treasurer of the lodge to ensure complete, accurate and timely reports. I am obligated to give degrees to our brothers that are dignified and meaningful, so that they learn the lessons taught, and are able to apply them in their future Masonic career. Promoting peace and harmony within the lodge is another primary duty, not taking sides, but finding balance and being a friend and brother to all members. I have an obligation to enforce the Arizona Masonic Code and bylaws of the lodge, to ensure that our activities stay within the policies and guidelines that we preside under. We want to ensure that we give relief to our brothers who need it and assist the ill and infirmed. My personal obligation is to promote the Masonic Family, and support our other masonic bodies and youth that call Wayfarer’s Lodge #50 home. As Master, we endeavor to lead a group of men, all who have volunteered, that share in a common goal of becoming better men. As you can see, the Master wears many hats, and with your support and commitment, I will endeavor to achieve all of my duties.

I hope that you are able to attend our lodge. I am committed to starting on time, so that I don’t waste the gift you have given me by attending.

Fraternally,

Doug Steele
Worshipful Master

From the Senior Warden

As the Senior Warden, my responsibilities primarily revolve around being a mentor, and being mentored. Being a mentor means working with younger brethren as they pass through the degrees. This means helping with proficiencies, maintaining the quality of our ritual work, and working with younger officers as they progress through the line. The other half is being mentored. This is the year in which the majority of the learning takes place as I approach the east, and provided I get elected, the lessons learned from the currently setting Worshipful Master, and those that have come before, will be used when that day comes for me. And that day seems a lot shorter in coming with each passing day. It is a big responsibility to sit in the East and so during this year in the West I must absorb all I can in order to take the helm of leading the lodge better then how I found it.

In addition to those two very important things, my primary responsibility is to support the Worshipful Master’s initiatives and to work tirelessly on those efforts. While the Worshipful Master leads, it is the responsibility of the Senior Warden to direct the committees and execute the plans laid out by him. I see my role, not only as “second-in-command” but as a true and faithful servant to that lodge’s leader and to accept any responsibility delegated to me. It is my job to see that what needs to get done, needs to get done, and this involves working with committee chairs, line officers, the secretary, and treasurer to be sure that we have set the right course to succeed in the Master’s designs.

And this truly is a labor of love.

Yours in the Craft,

Jason Michlowitz
Senior Warden

From the Junior Warden

As the Junior Warden, it sometimes seems as though my position entails of planning dinners and making certain the vending machine is filled. The Junior Warden is the bottom of the ladder, after all.

But that’s not true.

Every meeting and degree, the officers recite their duties. I’ll forgo repeating mine here, but the duties that I speak of each time I am asked by the Worshipful Master, do not include two that I consider very important.

The second of these is simple: as Junior Warden, I act as a sort of metaphorical “outer guard.” Candidates arrive first at my station, and it is my duty to question them and their guide, and to inspect them. Yes, they will go through this twice more, and my questions seem of little import. But the farther a candidate gets, the farther they are likely to get. And so, as Junior Warden, I must take this duty seriously, lest an inappropriate candidate proceed farther than they should.

The first of these two duties is simpler, yet more complex, at once: to learn.

As Junior Warden, I hope to proceed through the line to Senior Warden, then Worshipful Master. My position as Junior Warden is essential to learn the proper management of the lodge, as in time, the requirements of the positions I hope to fill will grow greater and my responsibilities increase. It is my duty as Junior Warden to learn these lessons well. Not just so I can perform my own position better, but so that I can in the future, help those who come after me to learn their own, and continue the line of pedestal officers, and good men, into the future of Freemasonry.

Fraternally,

Bryan Bullock
Junior Warden