The Changing Face of Washington Lodge

You might think that the title of this month’s message is rather obscure. It means several things but for this edition it means the outside of a building. That building being a lodge building, Washington Masonic Center. It sits on a corner lot on S.E. 52nd Avenue in Portland. What makes this building different is what now exists on the south side of the building. The mural recently completed by artist Joe Riso is a testament to the principals of Freemasonry. It may be a first on a masonic building in Portland and we hope to further educate the public of not only our location but also what we stand for. This a big step for the lodge as we debated for some months about its design and overall effect on the community. It will indeed be something we are so very proud of.

So now, what do we find inside? We find some 10 masonic bodies exhibiting Friendship, Morality and Brotherly Love. As we look back on the membership of this Grand Jurisdiction, we find that in 1959 there were 44,542 masons with 192 lodges. In 2020 there were 103 lodges and 6,591 masons. So, our change at Washington Lodge has been rather slow but with the pandemic and other restrictions, rebuilding our membership base has meant less prospective members coming forth. We want those members that haven’t been attending lodge for some time to start returning. Don’t forget that our meetings for the months of June, July, August & September begin at 7PM. Please refer to our monthly Journal or our WEB site for the most updated information.

Brethren, my best to all of you for a very safe and enjoyable summer.

 

Respectively submitted,

Don Stapleton
Secretary