West Salem Symbolic Lodge Inspection

Last night I went to West Salem for West Salem Blue Lodge inspection.   Pictures of the lodge can be seen at the Oriental Chapter Inspection posting.

The inspection was in the Master Mason degree.   Here in the 20th district the lodge is normally opened at 5:30 PM for an inspection in the Master Mason degree.   The first section of the degree is done and we go to dinner at 6:15.   West Salem Lodge can not do this because 3 of its officers work in Cleveland and can not get to the lodge by 5:30 so they opened at 6:00 PM and everything moved by 1/2 hour.  The work in the first section was done in an fine manner.

There were 80 Brothers in attendance for the inspection and the reason for that large number occurred at 6:45.   At West Salem the dinner is prepared by Garfield Chapter O.E.S. which meets in the building.  The dinner is a family style swiss steak dinner with homemade bread.  Dessert is assorted pies.  Ten dollars for all you can eat and homemade bread.   There is not a Mason in Ohio who can pass up a chance for a meal like this.  It is one of the best, and in my opinion the best, meals in the 20th District.    Now for my confession.   I go to this dinner so that I can eat gravy bread.   I was raised eating bread with gravy poured over it and the swiss steak gravy over homemade bread is just too much for me to pass up.  The pie after the dinner, I had butterscotch, doesn't  hurt either.  After dinner the lodge is called from refreshment.   Introductions are made and the second second portrayed.  This section was done in just as fine a manner as the first section.   The candidate was from Sullivan lodge and received a fine degree.

The inspecting officer was Right Worshipful Brother Dennis Chapman, DDGM of the 20th District.   This was RWB Chapmans's last inspection.   He has served 3 years as District Deputy and will leave the office at this years Grand Lodge.   He is a member of Harrisville Lodge #137 of which I am a member.

All in all this was a very nice evening.   Good fellowship, good ritual and absolutely wonderful food.   Not much more a Mason can ask for.    

"til the next time.