On February 3, 2026, Porter Lodge proudly hosted our traditional annual Chili Cookoff, and once again it proved to be an evening full of flavor, laughter, and fraternal fellowship. Brothers, family members, and friends gathered to enjoy a wide variety of chilies, each crafted with pride and a competitive spark.

There is an old truth, seldom spoken aloud yet quietly understood by those who labor in the quarries of life. Masonry is not learned all at once, nor is it ever truly completed. It is not bestowed in a single evening, nor confined to the walls of this Lodge. Rather, it reveals itself slowly. Sometimes in moments of solemn reflection, and sometimes, quite unexpectedly, in the ordinary passages of daily life.

On January 27, 2026, Porter Lodge conferred the Fellow Craft Degree upon Brother Casey Weems. In keeping with Lodge tradition, the Senior Warden presided over the degree, with Brother Randy Graham delivering an excellent and well-executed performance. The Obligation was presented flawlessly to Brother Casey by Acting Worshipful Master Graham.

Edgar A. Guest, often celebrated as the "People's Poet," was deeply committed to the principles of Freemasonry, which significantly colored the optimistic and fraternal themes of his writing. A member of Ashlar Lodge No. 91 in Detroit, Guest viewed the craft not just as a social club, but as a blueprint for a life well-lived.

Brethren all: As we assemble for our Annual Feast of Saint John Observance, I’d like you to stop everything that you are doing right now. Look around the room and really absorb this moment. We are going to have a small exercise before we continue. As you look around the room at all these Freemasons, perhaps you don’t know everyone. That’s ok. Perhaps this is your first Table Lodge…also ok.

I am going to share something from inside the Lodge. I do not really consider this a “Masonic Secret” as much as I do “Masonic Common Sense”. But then the majority of our lessons are very common sense. Maybe that’s why it takes a lifetime to master them?

In most academic settings, an egregore is described as a kind of collective mental formation - a shared psychological construct that comes into being when a group of people hold the same beliefs, participate in the same rituals, and commit themselves to the same ideas. From that perspective, an egregore is created when a common theme is established by a group and then reinforced through repeated actions and emotional investment over time.

Within Freemasonry, ritual is far more than memorized words and practiced movements - it is the living heartbeat of the Craft. Every degree is designed to communicate timeless lessons through symbolism, cadence, and solemn delivery. When performed with precision and sincerity, the ritual becomes a powerful teaching tool, capable of leaving a lasting impression on the candidate and shaping their Masonic journey from the very beginning.

Someone must lead the Lodge, and so it has been since time immemorial. Brothers rise to the Oriental Chair to serve as Worshipful Masters - a title they carry for the rest of their lives as Worshipful Brothers (Past Masters). They deserve the utmost respect for their dedication, service, and labor. They are the beacons of every Lodge throughout the world, the custodians of authority, and the guardians of Masonic principles and values.