A Grand Time, Indeed

Reflections on my time as the RW Grand Orator of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Alabama

Hello, my dear brethren,

As I write this, I have only four days remaining in my term as the Right Worshipful Grand Orator of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Alabama. To say, with pun fully intended, this has been a Grand time. Over the past twelve months, I have grown in my own Masonic journey, managed to balance a busy schedule, and deepened the fraternal bonds of brotherhood across the state.

Throughout this journey, I have been blessed to have visited and spoken in all five Masonic groups (conglomerations of districts) across the state of Alabama. And while I enjoyed the preparation and presentation of lectures, I found that, most of all, I looked forward to the post-lodge fellowship. Usually over cigars, the brethren of the lodge would bring their ideas and responses to my lecture and a lively discussion would take place. Brethren, the discussion are where our ideas are tested and refined! If we don’t engage in the great discussions that affect our Craft, then our ideas exist only in a vacuum. I have learned more from my travels in the past twelve months than years of individual study could accomplish.

The Grand Orator’s Schedule

Below is a list of events that I attended, degrees I conferred, and/or lectures I delivered.

11-20-22 - Grand Master’s Honor Day; Hartwell #101, Oxford, AL

11-21-22 - EA Degree, Gardendale #907; Gardendale, AL

11-22-22 - Lecture - “Chipping Away”, Leeds #446; Leeds, AL

11-28-22 -Lecture - “Chipping Away”, Haines City #219; Haines City, Florida (MW Grand Lodge of Florida) 

12-5-22 - Oration for the Opening of a Time Capsule, Hartwell #101; Oxford, AL

12-5-22 - FC Degree (conferral), Hartwell #101; Oxford, AL

01-09-23 - Lecture - “Robert’s Rules and Freemasonry”, Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

01-14-23 - Group 1, District 10 Conference; Hiram #42, Jacksonville, AL

01-17-23 - Official Grand Lodge Visitation - Loftin #688; Ephesus, GA (MW Grand Lodge of Georgia)

01-19-23 - Lecture - “Chipping Away”, Talladega #261, Talladega, AL 

04-10-23 - EA Degree (conferral); Saints John #931

05-04-23 - Lecture ; Ashford #493, Ashford, AL

05-17-23 - Lecture; Revival #935, Irondale, AL

05-16-23 - Lecture ; Sylvania #907, Sylvania, AL

05-22-23 - Scholarship Presentation - Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

05-29-23 - Lecture; Hartwell #101, Oxford, AL

06-24-23 - Speech; Lexington #613, Lexington, AL

07-10-23 - Installation of Officers; Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

07-17-23 - EA Degree (conferral), Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

07-18-23 - Oration, Eastaboga #155; Eastaboga, AL

08-10-23 - Lecture; Chelsea #886, Chelsea, AL

08-15-23 - Lecture - Dothan #466; Dothan, AL

8-26-23 - Speech - St. Dunstan Conclave; The Club; Birmingham, AL

09-11-23 - 9/11 Remembrance at Saints John #931

09-19-23 - Lecture, Robertsdale #821; Robertsdale, AL

10-02-23 - FC Degree (conferral); Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

11-6-23 - EA Degree (conferral); Saints John #931; Anniston, AL

11-7-23 - Lecture; “Intentional Freemasonry”; Eastaboga #155; Eastaboga, AL

11-14-23 - The Grand Oration; MWGL of Alabama; Montgomery, AL

Life as a Past Grand Orator and Future Plans

What’s next? Well, I can promise you that I don’t plan on slowing down! In fact, I am polishing my presentations for 2024 in preparation for even more lectures. It is my hope to travel outside of the borders of Alabama and share more Masonic light with my brothers in other jurisdictions. One of the greatest joys of my life, as referenced earlier, is sharing in the friendship and brotherhood of Masonry that I have come to treasure. The joy of serving as the Grand Orator wasn’t in the lectures (although that was a blast!), but it was in the post-lodge discussions. I look forward to having many more of these moments, and I hope, in time, to share them with brothers in other jurisdictions.

Another project that I’ve been toying with is the eventual publication of a book of Masonic essays. While several of them found their start on Chipping Away, I have been working on several that will be exclusive to the book. I don’t have a definite time frame, but I hope to have the first draft completed by the summer of 2024.

Gratitude

To my faithful readers of Chipping Away, I thank you. I thank you for the support, the encouragement, and the wise counsel that has been passed along. While I have not been the most consistent - or even interesting - author, you have read, shared, and commented on the work presented on this site. While my necessary vocations have occupied much of my time, it is my goal in 2024 to begin posting much more regularly. I am taking the necessary steps in these final two months to prepare for a more regular schedule in 2024.

To my dear brothers across the state of Alabama, the United States, and abroad…

Thank you!

With brotherly love,

RW Bro. Chris