‘All is well at East Palestine Lodge’

    

East Palestine Lodge photo

The brethren of East Palestine Lodge 417 in Ohio recaptured their district’s Traveling Gavel last week. They appear to be doing great despite the chemical disaster unleashed on the community due to the train derailment on February 3.

The news of the catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio the past month notwithstanding, the Masonic lodge there appears undaunted, if its social media accounts are an indication.

I contacted them twice to ask how they’re doing, and didn’t hear back, but East Palestine Lodge 417 has a “rusty brother” night planned for Wednesday. It has been through its inspection (I don’t know what that entails). The brethren captured the district’s Traveling Gavel last week. They’re mentoring candidates. The Grand Master visited. Everything looks normal great from a distance.

The lodge’s altar, as shown on Facebook less than a week after the train derailment, in a friendly bid to encourage other lodges to show their altars. Lodges across Ohio, plus Williamsburg 6 in Virginia, did so.

Good for them! I don’t know how to reconcile the apocalyptic news of the chemical disaster with the updates and tweets showing all is well, but I’m happy to take their word for it.