Springfield Masonic Center

July 31, 1923: Harry Houdini was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft in St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 in New York.

Portrait by Travis Simpkins

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Sometimes You Need to Remember...

Not everybody was raised like you.

Not everyone shares your culture.

Your faith.

Your traditions.

Your life experiences.

And that's not a weakness.

It's one of Freemasonry's greatest strengths.

Walk into Lodges around the world and you'll find men from every walk of life.

Different languages.

Different careers.

Different customs.

Different stories.

Yet somehow, the Square teaches us all the same lesson.

The Compasses remind us all of the same restraint.

The Working Tools call every one of us to become better than we were yesterday.

Freemasonry has never asked us to become copies of one another.

It asks us to become Brothers.

To listen before we judge.

To learn before we dismiss.

To recognize that another man's perspective may teach us something we've never considered.

An open mind doesn't weaken your convictions.

It strengthens your understanding.

The world is full of possibilities if we're humble enough to learn from one another.

And perhaps that's one of the greatest gifts Freemasonry offers:

Not just a Brotherhood of men...

But a Brotherhood of ideas.

Different paths.

Different stories.

One Craft.

One Brotherhood.

# # The Broken Column: A Life Interrupted, A Legacy Remembered

Among the many symbols found in Freemasonry, few are as moving as the **Broken Column**.

At first glance, it appears to represent loss—and it does. The broken column symbolizes a life cut short, a Brother whose earthly labor ended before his work was complete. It reminds us that even the strongest pillars can fall unexpectedly.

But like so much in Freemasonry, there is a deeper lesson.

In the familiar Masonic illustration, we find several powerful symbols surrounding the Broken Column.

🌿 **The Broken Column** reminds us that no man knows the length of his days. We all leave work unfinished. The question is not whether our work will end—but whether we spent our time building something worthy of being remembered.

🌿 **The Weeping Virgin** mourns the loss of the Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, and represents the sorrow felt when a faithful laborer is taken from among us. Her grief reflects the love and respect shared between Brothers.

🌿 **The Sprig of Acacia**, held in her hand, is one of the Craft's greatest symbols of immortality. While the body may perish, virtue, character, and the influence we leave upon others continue long after we are gone.

🌿 **Father Time** stands quietly behind her, reminding us that while grief never truly disappears, time teaches us to carry it differently. We remember, we heal, and we continue the work.

🌿 **The Open Book** resting upon the column represents the record of a Mason's life—not his wealth, titles, or accomplishments, but the good he did, the promises he kept, and the example he left behind.

The Broken Column is also found in the emblem presented to many Masonic widows. Surrounded by a laurel wreath, it reminds us that while a Brother's earthly work has ended, our duty to his family has not. The care of widows and orphans has never been merely a tradition—it is one of Freemasonry's oldest obligations.

Perhaps the Broken Column asks each of us a question.

**If your column were broken today... what would your Brothers remember?**

Would they speak of your kindness?

Your integrity?

Your willingness to mentor a new Mason?

The way you quietly served your Lodge without seeking recognition?

Every one of us is building our own column, one stone at a time. None of us knows when our labor will end. But all of us have the opportunity to leave behind a structure built upon honor, compassion, and Brotherly Love.

Build well, Brother.

Someone will one day read the story your life has written.

Somewhere in your lineage, an ancestor survived something that should have killed them.
A war. A famine. A storm. A single decision made in seconds.
You exist because of a moment you will never know.
The same is true of your Lodge.
At some point in its history, things nearly ended.
A charter almost denied.
A building almost lost.
A handful of Brethren who showed up when it would’ve been easier to walk away.
You’ll never know the quiet conversations, the hard votes, the long nights, or the sacrifices that held it together.
But you are standing in the results of those choices.
That didn’t happen by accident.
It was orchestrated by men who understood duty, responsibility, and time.
So respect what brought you here.
Honor the work that came before you.
And don’t waste the moment you’ve been given.
Because one day, someone will inherit the Lodge you leave behind.