Jack Brings Honour to His Father's Choice
An initiation ceremony marks an individual’s entrance into freemasonry. It’s said to represent the birth of such a person into their masonic family.
The members of Baines Lodge were very excited about the impending initiation of Jack Lee. Jack is the eldest son of John Lee who is the senior member of the lodge, save for a brother now resident in Wales.
John is well known far and wide and brethren from all over the province, including other provinces, flocked into The Palace at St Anne’s with an expectation that they were about to witness something extraordinary, whilst also supporting their friend and his son.
Jack, aged 21 years, and a graduate of Lancaster University, is accurately referred to as a Lewis. Such a term relates to the son of a mason who was born after their father was himself initiated into the organisation. This undoubtedly added a furtherance of meaning to the occasion which was about to unfold before them.
It’s true that many members have sons, whom for a variety of reasons, don’t follow in their footsteps. The bond between father and son is a special one, but that relationship is tangibly enhanced during what is a beautiful and inspiring ceremony.
With approval from the membership, John carefully handpicked all the individuals who would partake in the ceremony. They were to be masons who Jack had known for much of his life or whom John felt would inspire Jack in the future.
Jack needed no introduction to the membership having attended many social events in the past. His knowledge didn’t start on the night of his initiation, but rather as a toddler, young boy and then as a man. Baines Lodge is regarded as being a family lodge. Jack’s initiation was further proof that such a lodge identity was now starting to pay dividends.
Between 160 to 170 people crammed into the Masonic Hall in St Anne’s. It was an attendance unlike any other before it. Alongside the brethren were wives, partners, siblings and other candidates for membership. This included Jack’s mother Kathryn, his grandparents Michael and Diane and his brother Luke. The atmosphere was electric, and the anticipation was infectious.
The occasion was truly mesmerising from start to end. All the participants in the ceremony were flawless with their words and outstanding in their delivery. Jack felt he was the centre of something quite remarkable and he was likewise the perfect example of a candidate throughout. John, who led his son from the get-go, was himself the proudest person in the room. He saw his lodge perform admirably in front of a large and expectant audience, felt the love and support of so many friends and witnessed Jack adding considerable honour to his choice. It really was an example of freemasonry at its finest.
The subsequent festive board was buzzing with conversation and laughter. John managed to fight back the emotion of proposing a toast to his son and now brother. Then came the speech from Jack that nobody had prepared themselves for. Jack thanked those brethren who had assisted him during his ceremony, and he also paid tribute to his seconder and those junior brethren whom he hoped to emulate. After wiping a tear from his eye and then taking a deep breath, Jack ignored his father’s advice and commenced the emotive subject of dealing with him as his proposer. He said as follows: -
“My final thanks, and the most important, goes to my dad. I want to thank you, not only for your contribution in this evening’s ceremony, not just for your role in guiding me into this world of freemasonry, but for every day of my life.
Dad you sometimes reflect on your journey as a father questioning decisions made under the weight and wonder of new parenthood. I want to say this clearly and without hesitation that from my perspective you have been nothing short of the perfect father. You have always put my mum, my brothers and sisters and me above all else. You’ve shown true selflessness. I know there are sacrifices you’ve made that I may never fully understand, or even be aware of, but I carry the weight of your love with me every day.
You are my anchor in difficult times and my steadying hand in moments of joy. In any crisis you are the first person I would call and in everything I do you’re the last person I would want to let down.
In preparing this speech I realised how rarely I’ve said this out loud with our love often being lived rather than spoken. So let me say it now, I love you dad. Thanks for everything.
Now as I look ahead I do so with humility, excitement and a deep sense of purpose. Today is not only the continuation of a legacy but the beginning of a journey I hope to share. I hope in time to be seen as my own freemason, stepping respectively out from the shadow of my father’s remarkable contribution to freemasonry, and growing into a brother in my own right”.
After Jack made his concluding remarks and thanked his dad for the proposition of the toast to his health, it was apparent that his comments had hit the heart of almost everybody in the room. Most cried, and some were even left speechless, but everyone, including John, gave Jack a standing ovation that lasted for over 30 seconds.
It was the cherry on the cake of a quite spectacular evening for the lodge and for freemasonry universal. So, what was Jack’s concluding thoughts? He sent a text to his dad. It read: -
“I’m looking forward to it Dad. I’m pleased to have made you proud. It was one of the best nights of my life to date. A totally new and unique experience”.
