The Porter Lodge Traveling Gavel stands as a distinguished emblem of the Fraternity’s unity - a symbol of brotherly love, mutual affection, and the enduring spirit of Masonic fellowship throughout Northwest Indiana. Originating at Porter Lodge No. 137, it was conceived as a traveling token, passing from lodge to lodge as a living testament to the bonds that unite Freemasons across the region.

Every Masonic Lodge brings together all kinds of men. Some are confident speakers, comfortable in conversation and naturally able to read the room around them. Others are more quiet, more reserved, or simply different in how they interact with people. Being in the Lodge room doesn’t change these characteristics, and at times it may even highlight that we are all rough ashlars in different stages of being shaped.

To the Resilient Brothers Born in April:
You didn’t just witness the start of spring—you are the season in full bloom. While the March brothers were busy breaking the ice, you April brothers arrived to prove that what follows the thaw is something truly spectacular. You own the month where the earth finally commits to its colors, proving that patience and persistence always lead to a masterpiece.

On March 7th, Porter Lodge #137 in Valparaiso, Indiana, opened its doors for a warm and memorable Family Movie Night, bringing together brothers, loved ones, and friends in a spirit of true fellowship. The evening was filled with laughter, shared moments, and the simple joy of being together, reminding everyone that Freemasonry is not just a fraternity—it is a family. In that space we call our home away from home, the bonds of brotherhood extended naturally to our families, creating an atmosphere of unity, comfort, and genuine connection. It was a night that beautifully reflected the heart of Masonry: where community, care, and togetherness come to life.

See the photo gallery of the movie night

A Masonic Lodge is a symbol of the world as it was thought to be in the olden times. Our ancient Brethren had a profound insight when they saw that the world is a Temple, over-hung by a starry canopy at night, lighted by the journeying sun by day, wherein man goes forth to his labor on a checker-board of lights and shadows, joy and sorrows, seeking to reproduce on earth the law and order of heaven.

The origin of the term Widow’s Son is quite old and deep in Masonic Lore. Why does the orphan hero play such a prominent role in movies, mythology, and Masonry?

Perhaps most well known as a Masonic motorcycle club, the origin of the term Widow’s Son is actually quite old and deep in Masonic Lore. What is the significance of this term, why is every Mason considered to be a Widow’s Son? As with so many other aspects of Freemasonry, the mystery of the Widow’s Son is part of a multi-layered living tapestry of myth which is both investigated, discovered, passed on, and reconstructed over time by each Mason individually, and all Masons collectively.

As the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana approaches its Annual Communication, the sense of tradition and transition becomes central to our collective experience. The change of leadership in the Grand East is a moment of both reflection on our past and anticipation for our future. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with Right Worshipful Brother John Bridegroom, Deputy Grand Master, as he stands upon the threshold of his upcoming term.

In the Mystery traditions of the world, vesture is never a decoration; it is an investiture. The apron, the girdle, and the sash are not merely worn, they are conferred; and what is conferred is a visible covenant, a public sign that the inward man has accepted discipline, purification, and service. The ancient Schools understood what the modern world forgets, that the soul is trained not only by doctrines heard, but by symbols carried upon the body; for the body is the outer temple, and every sacred garment is a reminder at the threshold of action.

The March edition of the Chronicles, as it appears in your email client:

The new year is around the corner, and with that comes renewal. Renewal of things both old and maybe not so old. Another beginning. As humans, we see the world and time in an odd way; we see things linearly. That is, we need a beginning, a middle, and an end. From death springs new life. Life is, after all, an amazing cycle. In Masonic philosophy, this cycle mirrors the doctrine of regeneration or “eternal becoming,” where the soul undergoes perpetual renewal through trials, self-conquest, and initiation—transforming the profane into the spiritual, much like the serpent shedding its skin or the sun’s daily rebirth symbolized by Harpocrates.