Another Year As Junior Warden

Maybe the most trying job in Masonry.

I am a Freemason, and have been since 2015. I’m pretty active, and a member of two Lodges. For the past two years, I have been the Secretary of my main Lodge. This year, though, I took on the office of being what we call the Junior Warden at the second one.

What Is A Junior Warden?

The Junior Warden is the Number Three Guy in a Mason Lodge, and is responsible for feeding the members when we meet. At this particular Lodge, we feed up to 30 or so guys on the second Wednesday of each month, and up to 40 members and their wives on the fourth Wednesday.

The Junior Warden doesn’t have to cook every dish in every meal—he just has to make sure the people get fed. I’ve seen some guys just put out cold cuts for every meal, some just do pizzas. But the good ones try to have some kind of hot meal that can appeal to most folks—and that is not an easy task. Imagine any group of that many people, and you will have different tastes and even medical needs.

In addition, the way Masonic Lodges work is we have what we call a “progressive line.” That means each year the officers generally move up one spot in the rotation. In other words, as the Number Three Guy, next year I will be the Number Two Guy, and then eventually Number One. Each has different responsibilities, and each office is geared towards preparing you to being that Number One Guy who runs the Lodge. So this is a commitment to holding those higher offices, not just this one.

I Didn’t Plan to Be Junior Warden Again, But…

I’ve been Junior Warden before, so I’ve had my turn. Being Secretary at my home Lodge takes up a lot of my time. So I wasn’t looking for this… but then the guys said the magic words: “Marc, the Lodge needs you…”

I’m not arrogant enough to think that I’m the only one who can do the job—far from it. But I also looked around and saw who was available, and the pickings were not plentiful.

Most of the members at this particular Lodge are older. The _average_ age of Masons in Oklahoma is over 65 years old. Yes, we have some younger guys as members, but they, you know, have jobs and work. I’m kind of in that sweet spot of being retired, but still physically able-bodied. It didn’t take long to make the decision to say yes.

And it is an honor. Being elected to office in a Masonic Lodge is not a popularity contest, but a decision by an organization that you have the skills and personality to be a leader. It just so happens that being Junior Warden is one of those jobs where you pay your dues before moving up.

What’s My Plan?

Like anything, being Junior Warden takes some planning. It also takes flexibility and humility. So I’ve started my list of meals I’m going to make or provide. I’ve also started a spreadsheet to track expenses—standard stuff.

We have a decent budget for each meal, so I should be able to feed the folks some nice meals. We do have a couple larger events that I want to cater (more on why later).

I bought some heavy totes and supplies to help with the logistics. I live close enough to the Lodge to do the majority of the cooking at home, so if I can prepare things beforehand, that will help as well. I just throw the totes in the car along with the food and I’m set. (We share the Lodge building with another Lodge, so we have to keep some things separate. Some I can keep there, some I’ll keep with me).

One thing I do want to do is hire a couple cleaning ladies to come in and do a deep clean on the kitchen and dining area. That may take a couple trips, but I think it will be well worth the money I’ll donate to that cause!

The biggest issue is it is just me. The last few years, the Lodge had a crew of guys who helped cook and serve the meals. Well, they got tired of it and are not doing it anymore. That just leaves—me. There are two Lodge officers who are supposed to be helping me—the Stewards—but that has not been the case.

This is not a world-ending thing, but it just means that I need to take that into account when planning my meals. I have to take into account that I can’t be cooking something at the last minute—I need to have everything ready so I can then put it out for people to eat.

We’ll see how this goes. If folks complain, well, I’ll ask them to help—part of the solution, not the problem. Like anything, I will just keep trying to do the best I can. That is all anyone can ask, right?

Marc