Fayette Lodge #107 of the Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Ohio installed officers on Saturday during a meeting open to friends and family.
Beginning at 2 p.m., the Freemasons began the officer installation ceremony. Past master, Mike Flynn, announced and installed each officer beginning with the new master, David Carr. Carr was read his duties and responsibilities as the new master. It was impressed on him the severity of the position, which began with a small speech by Flynn. Flynn said that the lodge is not only rich in tradition, but also is “blessed” by having a dozen or more candidates. He continued by saying that it is Carr’s responsibility, and his line of officers, to make all of the candidates aware that besides the bonding and appreciation, Freemasonry is a personal journey to better a man’s life.
“That journey begins by practicing Freemasonry properly,” Flynn said. “When the craft is practiced poorly it, more often than not, results in widespread loss of interest and eventual membership retention problems. When that occurs you can bring candidates in the door by the dozens, but unrealized expectations won’t convince them to stay. David, the answer is to improve the product and practice Freemasonry to the point that it sells itself. You can’t talk with others about how great Freemasonry is, until you do a good job at practicing it.”
A total of 13 officers were installed Saturday. The full name, order in which they were installed and title of each new officer included: Worshipful Master: WB David Carr, Senior Warden: WB Scott Mullen, Junior Warden: WB Matt Rumor, Secretary: WB Charlie Crutcher, Treasurer: WB Paul Sands, Chaplin: WB Wesley Montgomery, Senior Deacon: Bro. Jack Carr, Junior Deacon: Bro. Brent Garringer, Senior Steward: Bro. Rodger Sedlmeyer, Junior Steward: Bro. Carl Mullen, Tyler: Bro. Leonard Sines, Trustee: Bro. Marvin Carr and Lodge Education Officer: WB Alfred Carr.
“It is a real pleasure to become the master of 2016,” Carr said following the installation. “I am real excited that my officers and I are going to be taking over. We can hopefully make the lodge grow, because we have a lot of new guys coming in. It is a real pleasure to be installed with this group of officers. Some of them are past masters before. We are starting to get a lot of younger guys and our goal is to keep some of these guys around, make them more active in the lodge’s affairs and to get some new members in.”
Past master and new Senior Warden for the lodge, Mullen, commented Monday on the installation. He said that the Fayette Lodge #107 was chartered on Oct. 22, 1840. He said that this is a great organization and that he was confident all of the other men would agree it has made them better men. After being master in 2014 and having been a member, Mullen said he is planning to help the new officers.
“Freemasonry has really given us so much thus far,” Mullen said. “We are attempting to keep it going for generations to come. A lot of influential people who helped to shape this community were Freemasons. Those who would be interested in joining should remember the old adage, ‘If you want to be one, you ask one.’ They would need to contact someone who they know is a Freemason to start the petition process. We have some rules for those trying to join, but it is a great organization where you get what you put into it.”
