December 27, 2023 • 15 mins
Join the ranks of the curious as we sit down with Alan Cox, an esteemed past district deputy grandmaster and a proud veteran of the United States Air Force, to celebrate the storied traditions of Freemasonry and its salute to our nation's servicemen and women. Feel the reverence as Alan recounts the solemn honor of accompanying the Grandmaster to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and sense the excitement that buzzes in the air with the upcoming installation of Potomac Lodge number five. Our conversation ventures into personal territory, with Alan reflecting on his own Masonic path and military service, giving us a glimpse into the fraternity's deep-seated camaraderie. And for a bit of levity, we share a laugh over a comedic mix-up between military branches that even our Masonic brethren sometimes can't escape.
Venture further into the heart of Freemasonry as we discuss the demanding and rewarding roles within the Masonic District, from Fred Packwood’s unexpected journey in an international apprentice competition to the art of guiding fellow members. Reminisce with us about the captivating moments that unfold following Grand Master Official Visits, where cigars and profound conversations create an atmosphere unlike any other. Our guest Alan shares his 12-year Masonic adventure, declaring it the wisest choice of his life, and leaves us with a cliffhanger about the time actor Richard Dreyfuss was raised—a story we promise to reveal in upcoming episodes. This is a gathering of Masonic wisdom and heartfelt tales you won't want to miss.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey, chris, yeah Fred .
Speaker 2 (00:07):
What's a Mason?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
That's a really good question, fred.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You've reached the internet's home for all things
masonry.
Join Chris and I as we plumbthe depths of our ancient craft,
from the common gavel to thetrowel.
Nothing is off the table, sograb your tools and let's get to
work.
This is On the Level.
Oh, chris, we're back, we areback and here we are.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hi, hey Fred, yeah, hey Chris, how are you?
What's a Mason?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
What's a Mason?
That's a really good question,chris, you like I pause.
I do that pause pretty well.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You did do it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I did the pause, man, I'm impressed.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
The pause is what hooks people, is what I'm told
yeah, you gotta talk a littlequietly and slowly and lean in
and listen.
Pause, yes.
And then you hit him with thehammer.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There's a nickname I just somebody has a nickname out
of it.
It's hammer.
That's right.
Whoa, I like that.
I like that.
I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Pause for effect is what I tell my kids.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Pause for effect.
Yeah, it works with kids bigtime.
So if you pause too long theystart crying.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
That's the problem, yeah, so I know you want a
PlayStation.
See how that works.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, see, that works well, yeah Right.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And then you come in with it.
It's not going to happen, sorry.
Well brother, we have a guestwith us.
Yes, we have a guest, one ofthe near founding members of
this whole shebang, that we aregoing to Washington DC.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Tell us what shebang that is, chris.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Well, we're here at.
The grandmaster is going to laythe wreath at the tomb of the
unknown soldier tomorrow yeah.
And we just did a drawing forthree random people who came up
here to Washington DC who willget the privilege of going with
the grandmaster there.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Right, we're going to go to the installation of
Potomac Lodge number five, wherewe will have the Washington
gavel present, and you, mybrother, are one of the main
guys at this.
Yeah, I would say yes.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I don't know about one of the main guys, but I have
been here five at the last sixyears, five last six years as a
retired military member, serving20 years five months of 26 days
in the United States Air Force.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Air Force.
Thank you for your service,brother.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yes, it is my proud honor to go with them to the
tomb of the unknown soldier tolay that wreath yeah.
I walked down there with them,but my heart is with them when
they go down there.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, tell us your name, tell us a little bit about
your story.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
I'm Alan Cox.
I'm a past district deputygrandmaster.
The second Masonic district.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Second.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Masonic district From 2016, one of Hudson's heroes.
I served with a great bunch ofguys and a fantastic grandmaster
man.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
what a year that must have been.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
It was fantastic.
It was probably one of the bestyears of my life, so you were
walking with legends, whichmeans you're a legend.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I don't know about all that.
You walk with them.
That means you're a walk.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Okay, so we'll go with that.
Yeah, alright.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You're from the Panhandle of Florida, right?
Okay, the Panhandle of Floridadoesn't get a whole lot of
respect, does it?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
No, we don't.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
But you deserve respect, don't you?
Yes, we do.
Yeah, you guys are on thecorner of Georgia.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Alabama, Mississippi.
You got it all going on rightthere.
We're all in that general areaand the great thing is, in 2016,
we will have a grandmaster fromthat area.
Really Right, Washwell HaskellRS Jr.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Oh, no kidding.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I didn't know he was up there.
Yes, he's our current JuniorGrand Warrior.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yes, yes, yes, and he will be the grandmaster in 2016
.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No kidding.
So what is he from your lodge?
Yes, he is from my lodge.
Seriously, and I've known thatbrother for probably over 30
years.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Oh, no kidding.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, that's awesome, Excellent.
I had the pleasure of meetinghim.
I was the president of theMaster Mason Association in our
district 23.
And there were a couple ofpeople running against him this
past year, but I'll tell youthey were all in the room.
He had the biggest smile.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
It just seemed like he was just loving everything.
I've never seen him upset aboutanything.
That's the thing that impressedme.
He's a great man and great.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Mason.
I mean he always had a smile onhis face.
I'm sure he still does have asmile on his face Daddy, does
Daddy does, and you know, you'rea past district deputy, a past
master.
You've done a lot of stuff inFreemasonry.
The more you do in Masonry, themore you see the not so good
side of the fraternity.
(04:29):
And so when I see peoplerunning for the grand line, and
they have that smile on theirface.
I know they're a special kindof person.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right, because I couldn't do it.
Yeah, it'd be tough.
It'd be tough, it's a lot ofwork.
Can you do it?
Uh, sitting here right now, I'dsay no, I'd say I wouldn't do
it.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I wouldn't do it either, but I think it's
probably just.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It becomes that love affair.
You know, the longer you're init and the more you get to know
the brothers, you know you justwant to serve.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
You, don't want to let anybody down.
Right, right.
He really loves the brothersand he loves his fraternity.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I can't say enough good about him.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
So you know, most wishful foster is ex-Air Force
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, he's ex-Navy.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I thought he was Air Force no he was Navy, he's Navy.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
He's Navy, he's Navy.
Let's cut this out of the wholebox.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We'll cut that part out.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Chris.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
That needs to be added.
Dang it.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Now I know what he's going to say he's going to say
let me tell you why you're wrong.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
That's funny, Chris.
Let me tell you why you'rewrong.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's my favorite statement he ever made in the
interview.
Let me tell you why you'rewrong.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't mind him saying that I'm wrong.
I'm wrong, but you served yourcountry either way, right?
So you deserve respect.
And here we are in the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, what do you see now Right.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I love coming up here .
My aunt still lives up here inthis general area, so when I
come up once a year or come uphave dinner with her, it's a
great night.
I said tune with the unknownsoldier and then the
installation of Potomac Lodge.
You want a phone book, Alex?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
No, I'm good, that's right, where she'll cat-sulis
busting the balls of our guesthere.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
That is his job.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I think this is official title as a matter of
fact, your balls have beenbusted, officially busted On the
live You're nobody until you'vebeen ball-busted by a cat-sulis
.
He was asking if he wanted aphone book to sit on.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
God dang it.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
That's I'm good with that.
I would expect no less from him.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
What I love about this we've got what do you got
50 guys in here, man, 45 guys inhere.
Everybody is having a greattime.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Oh yeah, we're family , we're family man, and I tell
you that's the one thing aboutMasonry that I love.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
You go anywhere in this country, anywhere in the
world, and you can just be witha room full of guys for five
minutes and you feel like you'reall brothers.
Exactly.
You're all close, you'rebrothers, you have something in
common, and that's what I loveabout our fraternity, man.
I think that's what I love mostabout it.
Johnny, what are you telling us, johnny?
There's Johnny.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
It was me.
I was taking advantage.
I saw him, I was taking acandid shot.
He's taking it I would like totalk to our guest now Okay, yes,
please do.
How long have you been a Mason?
I've been a Mason for 12 years12 years, okay, so when did you
become a master?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I was a master in 14 at the three-year master.
Mark, that's quick, were you.
Did you feel ready at that time?
Yes, because I'd been insupervisory positions for
numerous years.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Right, right.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So you, just you basically took your life
experience and kind of put itright in the three-year scenario
and plus I knew the work.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, so you don't know the work.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Okay, no point in going to the East.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, no, that's from your lips to the grandmaster
and God's ears.
Well, that's right.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And there there is a.
There's a few of them out therethat probably could hear that
statement.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah, I'm not going anywhere with that statement.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I was saying that I get you, I get you, we're a big
fan of knowing the work as well,you got to do the work, you got
to know the work and you got todo the work.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But our brother here, fred Packwood's, in the
competition team for ourdistrict this year.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I don't know how this happened.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
He's doing an internet apprentice competition
with the entire.
He's representing our entiredistrict, so it's junior.
We respect the work they start.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I am the, I am the weakest link and I'm in there
with Titans.
I mean I mean we got pastgrandmasters, past DGGM, two of
them, yep, I mean I, these guys,everybody knows the work.
And then they put a two year,two and a half year Mason in
there, but mercifully they stuckme in as junior warden.
(08:29):
So I, my lines are very limitedso and I know them all, so I'm
good.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And I was fortunate because I was selected as
district deputy grandmaster formost virtual Stan Watson and
then after that I was servedthree years as a district
instructor.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Oh, three years.
Three years, not one but threeyears, wow.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So do you have a gold card?
No, I do not, blue card atleast.
Oh yeah, I had a blue card, butI said I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed serving the crowd, Ienjoyed helping them out.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, and that's really the role of an instructor
, right, you really do serve thecrowd 100%.
You're there to make sure thatthese guys know the work as the
state wants them to know it,right.
But you're not there to be ahammer, no you're just kind of
on this, you know, if you wanthelp, I'm here.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
That's kind of your job.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
And a lot of instructors need to learn that
you are support man your supportman for the district to make
sure that they have somebody intheir district that can give
them the answers.
Now it's gotten a lot easierbecause we have books.
Now we have books and you cango.
But you know you were adistrict instructor for three
(09:38):
years.
Did a lot of people show up toopen books?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Yeah, we did pretty good.
Did you do a team?
Speaker 1 (09:47):
And your job was to actually hear proficiency give
backs as well when you were adistrict instructor.
So you had to actually givesome proficiency cards out over
those three years.
Yes, I did.
Oh, our co-host here has spreadhis water all over the table
we're broadcasting on.
It's going out onto our legs.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But that's OK, I'm going to slap you All right.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So in that case, we'll just go ahead and bring
our interview time to a closewith a splash, with an absolute
splash.
I'm going to go find somethingto clean that up while you cover
my sorry ass.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yes, yes, goodbye, fred Packwood.
Messer, destroyer of tables,you're stuck with me now.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Oh, it's OK, this is going to get deep.
Oh, I don't know how deep wecan go.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Well, I'm curious to hear about how you got started
in this Washington DC trip cycle.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Oh, it was the Hudson heroes.
Hudson heroes.
We came up here and I said,being a district deputy for most
social stand and the brothers Iserved with was fantastic and
the things we did that firstyear were memorable, Things that
I'll never forget and I'lltreasure for the rest of my life
(11:10):
.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
What do you think you made it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's why I make the journey every year.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, and I can tell that you guys have a special
connection, all of you guys thatserved that year.
Together seem to have a specialconnection.
Now I see every year there's anew group right, New district
deputies, new grandmaster, andI'm sure that they all bond
together.
But you guys seem to be onanother level.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
What was that about?
I would say so.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Why is that.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I mean help me understand what happened that
year.
Why was it so special?
Was it, the grandmaster, was itjust?
Speaker 3 (11:43):
like it was the grandmaster and the brothers
that he picked to be in DC's jam, the combination of those
brothers.
It was just a special.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's kind of like the ointment upon the head that
rained down upon the beard.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
It's all of you special people that kind of
mixed together made a magicalthing happen After his GMOVs.
Afterwards we would go at thehotel.
We'd have cigars, cigars.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Cigars.
We're going to be doing that ina little while, aren't we?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Discuss things.
I mean, it was a learning and ajoll-bull experience.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
It sounds pretty magical and when you see it now,
because it's been how manyyears?
Six years now.
Since Seven years, almost Sevenyears since then, and there's
been seven different groups ofpeople that have formed together
in the same way.
You guys did Right, but itfeels like something was
different with your group to me.
(12:38):
I'm an outsider looking in.
You know I'm not one of youEvery district deputy
grandmaster's going to tell youthat his group is special, but
time and time, and as he should.
As they should exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I have a special bond with all the guys that I serve
with that, if they call metomorrow and said, hey, I need
to help with this, boom, I'm onthe road.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
That's right.
That's awesome.
That's what Freednasonry isabout.
It really is.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
You have brothers that are there for you.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Where else are you going to get that in this world?
Hey, I'm back.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for your.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I won't be spilling any more drinks tonight, I
promise.
Anyway this is a great night,all right, so I think we got one
more interview before we packit up.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Is there anything you'd like to say before you go
about the fraternity?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
this event your career.
I've enjoyed my 12 years as aMason.
It was the smartest decision Iever made.
Smartest decision I ever made.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
We hear that all the time and I would agree.
Same with me, same with me.
I wish I would have done itearlier.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Me too.
I wish I would have done it 30years earlier.
Things might have been a littlebit different.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, me too.
Things happen the way they haveto right.
Exactly, Things happen for areason.
Would you have been ready 30years ago for this?
I wouldn't have been ready.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We talked about that a lot.
Yeah, no, probably not, but Isaid, it happened when it
happened.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, brother, it's been a pleasure having you on
the show.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And we will see you at the reef.
Thank you, oh yeah, yes, sir,all right.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
My brother.
What happened with the water?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
there.
Sorry, man, I figured I'd getit out of the way now.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Did you start waving your hands around like I do?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
No, I almost never do that.
I think we got one moreinterview to do and then we're
moving up.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Brother Barnes to sleep.
I see him yawning over here,right next to us.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, what's going on there, jeremy?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Hop on that mic, it's hot.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It's hot right now.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Did I tell you that I actually raised Richard Dreyfus
?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Is this true?
It's true, come on now.
I thought it was a rumor.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Richard Dreyfus is the actor probably best known
for close encounters of thethird kinds, possibly Jaws.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
We're going to need a bigger boat.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
There you go All right Now.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
how did you raise Richard Dreyfus?
That's a story for another time.
You have somebody waiting here.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
All right, I think we're done.
You let me hang it, we're done.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Ooh wait, Voice Demi.
Hey, chris, yeah Fred .
Speaker 2 (00:07):
What's a Mason?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
That's a really good question, fred.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You've reached the internet's home for all things
masonry.
Join Chris and I as we plumbthe depths of our ancient craft,
from the common gavel to thetrowel.
Nothing is off the table, sograb your tools and let's get to
work.
This is On the Level.
Oh, chris, we're back, we areback and here we are.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hi, hey Fred, yeah, hey Chris, how are you?
What's a Mason?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
What's a Mason?
That's a really good question,chris, you like I pause.
I do that pause pretty well.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You did do it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I did the pause, man, I'm impressed.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
The pause is what hooks people, is what I'm told
yeah, you gotta talk a littlequietly and slowly and lean in
and listen.
Pause, yes.
And then you hit him with thehammer.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There's a nickname I just somebody has a nickname out
of it.
It's hammer.
That's right.
Whoa, I like that.
I like that.
I like that.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Pause for effect is what I tell my kids.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Pause for effect.
Yeah, it works with kids bigtime.
So if you pause too long theystart crying.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
That's the problem, yeah, so I know you want a
PlayStation.
See how that works.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, see, that works well, yeah Right.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And then you come in with it.
It's not going to happen, sorry.
Well brother, we have a guestwith us.
Yes, we have a guest, one ofthe near founding members of
this whole shebang, that we aregoing to Washington DC.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Tell us what shebang that is, chris.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Well, we're here at.
The grandmaster is going to laythe wreath at the tomb of the
unknown soldier tomorrow yeah.
And we just did a drawing forthree random people who came up
here to Washington DC who willget the privilege of going with
the grandmaster there.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Right, we're going to go to the installation of
Potomac Lodge number five, wherewe will have the Washington
gavel present, and you, mybrother, are one of the main
guys at this.
Yeah, I would say yes.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I don't know about one of the main guys, but I have
been here five at the last sixyears, five last six years as a
retired military member, serving20 years five months of 26 days
in the United States Air Force.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Air Force.
Thank you for your service,brother.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yes, it is my proud honor to go with them to the
tomb of the unknown soldier tolay that wreath yeah.
I walked down there with them,but my heart is with them when
they go down there.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, tell us your name, tell us a little bit about
your story.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
I'm Alan Cox.
I'm a past district deputygrandmaster.
The second Masonic district.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Second.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Masonic district From 2016, one of Hudson's heroes.
I served with a great bunch ofguys and a fantastic grandmaster
man.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
what a year that must have been.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
It was fantastic.
It was probably one of the bestyears of my life, so you were
walking with legends, whichmeans you're a legend.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I don't know about all that.
You walk with them.
That means you're a walk.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Okay, so we'll go with that.
Yeah, alright.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
You're from the Panhandle of Florida, right?
Okay, the Panhandle of Floridadoesn't get a whole lot of
respect, does it?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
No, we don't.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
But you deserve respect, don't you?
Yes, we do.
Yeah, you guys are on thecorner of Georgia.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Alabama, Mississippi.
You got it all going on rightthere.
We're all in that general areaand the great thing is, in 2016,
we will have a grandmaster fromthat area.
Really Right, Washwell HaskellRS Jr.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Oh, no kidding.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I didn't know he was up there.
Yes, he's our current JuniorGrand Warrior.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yes, yes, yes, and he will be the grandmaster in 2016
.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No kidding.
So what is he from your lodge?
Yes, he is from my lodge.
Seriously, and I've known thatbrother for probably over 30
years.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Oh, no kidding.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, that's awesome, Excellent.
I had the pleasure of meetinghim.
I was the president of theMaster Mason Association in our
district 23.
And there were a couple ofpeople running against him this
past year, but I'll tell youthey were all in the room.
He had the biggest smile.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
It just seemed like he was just loving everything.
I've never seen him upset aboutanything.
That's the thing that impressedme.
He's a great man and great.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Mason.
I mean he always had a smile onhis face.
I'm sure he still does have asmile on his face Daddy, does
Daddy does, and you know, you'rea past district deputy, a past
master.
You've done a lot of stuff inFreemasonry.
The more you do in Masonry, themore you see the not so good
side of the fraternity.
(04:29):
And so when I see peoplerunning for the grand line, and
they have that smile on theirface.
I know they're a special kindof person.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right, because I couldn't do it.
Yeah, it'd be tough.
It'd be tough, it's a lot ofwork.
Can you do it?
Uh, sitting here right now, I'dsay no, I'd say I wouldn't do
it.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I wouldn't do it either, but I think it's
probably just.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It becomes that love affair.
You know, the longer you're init and the more you get to know
the brothers, you know you justwant to serve.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
You, don't want to let anybody down.
Right, right.
He really loves the brothersand he loves his fraternity.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I can't say enough good about him.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
So you know, most wishful foster is ex-Air Force
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, he's ex-Navy.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
I thought he was Air Force no he was Navy, he's Navy.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
He's Navy, he's Navy.
Let's cut this out of the wholebox.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We'll cut that part out.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Chris.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
That needs to be added.
Dang it.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Now I know what he's going to say he's going to say
let me tell you why you're wrong.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
That's funny, Chris.
Let me tell you why you'rewrong.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's my favorite statement he ever made in the
interview.
Let me tell you why you'rewrong.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't mind him saying that I'm wrong.
I'm wrong, but you served yourcountry either way, right?
So you deserve respect.
And here we are in the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, what do you see now Right.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I love coming up here .
My aunt still lives up here inthis general area, so when I
come up once a year or come uphave dinner with her, it's a
great night.
I said tune with the unknownsoldier and then the
installation of Potomac Lodge.
You want a phone book, Alex?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
No, I'm good, that's right, where she'll cat-sulis
busting the balls of our guesthere.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
That is his job.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I think this is official title as a matter of
fact, your balls have beenbusted, officially busted On the
live You're nobody until you'vebeen ball-busted by a cat-sulis
.
He was asking if he wanted aphone book to sit on.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
God dang it.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
That's I'm good with that.
I would expect no less from him.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
What I love about this we've got what do you got
50 guys in here, man, 45 guys inhere.
Everybody is having a greattime.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Oh yeah, we're family , we're family man, and I tell
you that's the one thing aboutMasonry that I love.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
You go anywhere in this country, anywhere in the
world, and you can just be witha room full of guys for five
minutes and you feel like you'reall brothers.
Exactly.
You're all close, you'rebrothers, you have something in
common, and that's what I loveabout our fraternity, man.
I think that's what I love mostabout it.
Johnny, what are you telling us, johnny?
There's Johnny.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
It was me.
I was taking advantage.
I saw him, I was taking acandid shot.
He's taking it I would like totalk to our guest now Okay, yes,
please do.
How long have you been a Mason?
I've been a Mason for 12 years12 years, okay, so when did you
become a master?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I was a master in 14 at the three-year master.
Mark, that's quick, were you.
Did you feel ready at that time?
Yes, because I'd been insupervisory positions for
numerous years.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Right, right.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So you, just you basically took your life
experience and kind of put itright in the three-year scenario
and plus I knew the work.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, so you don't know the work.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Okay, no point in going to the East.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Yeah, no, that's from your lips to the grandmaster
and God's ears.
Well, that's right.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And there there is a.
There's a few of them out therethat probably could hear that
statement.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Yeah, I'm not going anywhere with that statement.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I was saying that I get you, I get you, we're a big
fan of knowing the work as well,you got to do the work, you got
to know the work and you got todo the work.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But our brother here, fred Packwood's, in the
competition team for ourdistrict this year.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I don't know how this happened.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
He's doing an internet apprentice competition
with the entire.
He's representing our entiredistrict, so it's junior.
We respect the work they start.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I am the, I am the weakest link and I'm in there
with Titans.
I mean I mean we got pastgrandmasters, past DGGM, two of
them, yep, I mean I, these guys,everybody knows the work.
And then they put a two year,two and a half year Mason in
there, but mercifully they stuckme in as junior warden.
(08:29):
So I, my lines are very limitedso and I know them all, so I'm
good.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And I was fortunate because I was selected as
district deputy grandmaster formost virtual Stan Watson and
then after that I was servedthree years as a district
instructor.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Oh, three years.
Three years, not one but threeyears, wow.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So do you have a gold card?
No, I do not, blue card atleast.
Oh yeah, I had a blue card, butI said I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed serving the crowd, Ienjoyed helping them out.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, and that's really the role of an instructor
, right, you really do serve thecrowd 100%.
You're there to make sure thatthese guys know the work as the
state wants them to know it,right.
But you're not there to be ahammer, no you're just kind of
on this, you know, if you wanthelp, I'm here.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
That's kind of your job.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
And a lot of instructors need to learn that
you are support man your supportman for the district to make
sure that they have somebody intheir district that can give
them the answers.
Now it's gotten a lot easierbecause we have books.
Now we have books and you cango.
But you know you were adistrict instructor for three
(09:38):
years.
Did a lot of people show up toopen books?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Yeah, we did pretty good.
Did you do a team?
Speaker 1 (09:47):
And your job was to actually hear proficiency give
backs as well when you were adistrict instructor.
So you had to actually givesome proficiency cards out over
those three years.
Yes, I did.
Oh, our co-host here has spreadhis water all over the table
we're broadcasting on.
It's going out onto our legs.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But that's OK, I'm going to slap you All right.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So in that case, we'll just go ahead and bring
our interview time to a closewith a splash, with an absolute
splash.
I'm going to go find somethingto clean that up while you cover
my sorry ass.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yes, yes, goodbye, fred Packwood.
Messer, destroyer of tables,you're stuck with me now.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Oh, it's OK, this is going to get deep.
Oh, I don't know how deep wecan go.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Well, I'm curious to hear about how you got started
in this Washington DC trip cycle.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Oh, it was the Hudson heroes.
Hudson heroes.
We came up here and I said,being a district deputy for most
social stand and the brothers Iserved with was fantastic and
the things we did that firstyear were memorable, Things that
I'll never forget and I'lltreasure for the rest of my life
(11:10):
.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
What do you think you made it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's why I make the journey every year.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, and I can tell that you guys have a special
connection, all of you guys thatserved that year.
Together seem to have a specialconnection.
Now I see every year there's anew group right, New district
deputies, new grandmaster, andI'm sure that they all bond
together.
But you guys seem to be onanother level.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
What was that about?
I would say so.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Why is that.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I mean help me understand what happened that
year.
Why was it so special?
Was it, the grandmaster, was itjust?
Speaker 3 (11:43):
like it was the grandmaster and the brothers
that he picked to be in DC's jam, the combination of those
brothers.
It was just a special.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's kind of like the ointment upon the head that
rained down upon the beard.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
It's all of you special people that kind of
mixed together made a magicalthing happen After his GMOVs.
Afterwards we would go at thehotel.
We'd have cigars, cigars.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Cigars.
We're going to be doing that ina little while, aren't we?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Discuss things.
I mean, it was a learning and ajoll-bull experience.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
It sounds pretty magical and when you see it now,
because it's been how manyyears?
Six years now.
Since Seven years, almost Sevenyears since then, and there's
been seven different groups ofpeople that have formed together
in the same way.
You guys did Right, but itfeels like something was
different with your group to me.
(12:38):
I'm an outsider looking in.
You know I'm not one of youEvery district deputy
grandmaster's going to tell youthat his group is special, but
time and time, and as he should.
As they should exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I have a special bond with all the guys that I serve
with that, if they call metomorrow and said, hey, I need
to help with this, boom, I'm onthe road.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
That's right.
That's awesome.
That's what Freednasonry isabout.
It really is.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
You have brothers that are there for you.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Where else are you going to get that in this world?
Hey, I'm back.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for your.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
I won't be spilling any more drinks tonight, I
promise.
Anyway this is a great night,all right, so I think we got one
more interview before we packit up.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Is there anything you'd like to say before you go
about the fraternity?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
this event your career.
I've enjoyed my 12 years as aMason.
It was the smartest decision Iever made.
Smartest decision I ever made.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
We hear that all the time and I would agree.
Same with me, same with me.
I wish I would have done itearlier.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Me too.
I wish I would have done it 30years earlier.
Things might have been a littlebit different.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, me too.
Things happen the way they haveto right.
Exactly, Things happen for areason.
Would you have been ready 30years ago for this?
I wouldn't have been ready.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We talked about that a lot.
Yeah, no, probably not, but Isaid, it happened when it
happened.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, brother, it's been a pleasure having you on
the show.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And we will see you at the reef.
Thank you, oh yeah, yes, sir,all right.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
My brother.
What happened with the water?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
there.
Sorry, man, I figured I'd getit out of the way now.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Did you start waving your hands around like I do?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
No, I almost never do that.
I think we got one moreinterview to do and then we're
moving up.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Brother Barnes to sleep.
I see him yawning over here,right next to us.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, what's going on there, jeremy?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Hop on that mic, it's hot.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It's hot right now.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Did I tell you that I actually raised Richard Dreyfus
?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Is this true?
It's true, come on now.
I thought it was a rumor.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Richard Dreyfus is the actor probably best known
for close encounters of thethird kinds, possibly Jaws.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
We're going to need a bigger boat.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
There you go All right Now.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
how did you raise Richard Dreyfus?
That's a story for another time.
You have somebody waiting here.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
All right, I think we're done.
You let me hang it, we're done.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Ooh wait, Voice Demi.
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