Brethren All,
A memorial service for Most Worshipful Cecil Lane Weatherbee will be held Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 2PM at Piedmont First United Methodist Church, 300 N Main St, Piedmont, AL 36272. The Grand Lodge of Alabama will be opened at the church at 1:30PM. Masonic Rites will be performed at the church at the conclusion of the memorial service.
Sincerely,
Zachary A. Holmes, Grand Secretary
By R. W. Bro. Rob Elsner
Grand Orator, 2024-2025
In a recent homily at a funeral, I mentioned that at the funeral of our brother Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Wren’s son famously inscribed on his tomb inside that very building: “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.” Wren’s legacy was in the beauty he left behind. The cathedral is an outward, visible monument to the glory of God, and is a central theme of Freemasons. We love the tales, substantiated or not, that we descended from the stonemasons who built those amazing edifices. They are among the ultimate expressions of order, of math, of piety. The greatest cathedrals are testaments to dedication and the generational perseverance of our Craft.
Our beloved Grand Master Richard Shultz asked me recently what I thought the purpose of Freemasonry was. I answered that I think the purpose is to serve humanity and improve the world to the glory of God. That is not too far off from what I expect early stonemasons were attempting to do with building cathedrals.
When I lived in France, I worked across the river from Notre Dame cathedral and saw her flying buttresses every day. Living in London I went to St. Paul’s and looked up at the square and compass in the ceiling and laughed with pride. In Cork, Ireland, our brother William Burges designed and built St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, his being the fifth building on the site since the church there was founded in AD606. I travelled to Amiens and Chartres, Armagh and Washington DC, New York and San Francisco, to Munich and Rome, to Venise and Wittenberg, to see the greatest cathedrals. Each was a masterpiece. I loved the order, the lines, the delicacy of stonework that looked like lace. To me, there was nothing that defined the beauty and artistic expression of what we do as masons more than a cathedral. These works glorify God and bring us closer to seeing heaven than anything else created by human hands.
And yet, even the most beautiful cathedral pales in comparison to the work of the Great Architect. Rounding a road on a recent autumn day, the top down on my old project car, I caught sight of a tree, leaves turning. The magnificence of the colored leaves, with the sun just right behind them, gave me insight into what Moses saw with the burning bush. Awe, wonder, and love for the hands that set the foundations of the earth and prepared the dry land overwhelmed me. I pulled over and turned off the car, the beautiful sound of a well-tuned engine falling silent, replaced by the symphonies of wind and birdsong, insects and babbling brook. God was laughing with and at me, letting me in on His jokes. His creation is more than ours. When He created humans in Eden, we were perfectly human. When we fell, we became less so. We did not need cathedrals as we were already in one. We could not confine God to a house, but He let us build temples and cathedrals to help us understand Him.
For the past 40 years, I have visited Barcelona every few years and watched the progress of the Cathedral of Sagrada Familia, Antoni Goudi’s masterpiece imitation of nature. Instead of forms of lines and angles, that building conforms to divine laws of architecture, taking inspiration from tree and flowers, from waterfalls and mountains. It is a work of submission and admitting that we cannot surpass God’s architecture. Goudi was striving to be MORE human in expressing God’s intentions above human’s ideals. Does everyone like that cathedral? No. But is the intention in the right place? Yes.
As we strive to build the greatest temples and cathedrals of our lives, let us think of the examples scripture sets out for us. Let us seek God and our relationship with him that guides us to improvement and humility. Let us consider commandments to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us try each and every day to be better men, even if we sometimes go backwards on that path, hope continues for us to advance until we come to what Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act III) called “that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.”
Outside of my door at work here in Birmingham, I have a small bible verse: Micah 6:8 (NIV): “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Let us find the cathedral of our hearts and hope that we have built them to be good work, square work, delightful in God’s sight. Such an edifice would be the greatest cathedral and the purpose of masonry.
By R. W. Bro. Rob Elsner
Grand Orator
Anniversaries, by definition, happen every year. However, there are milestones that mark special longevity, whether of a relationship or of an institution. In Marriages, we mark some anniversaries with special gifts. In a Lodge, we might mark the 25th, 50th, 75th, or other anniversary with a pin or a certificate. Our Lodges themselves we celebrate with cornerstone rededications or similar at 100, 150, and even 200 years. We are about to celebrate our country’s Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary of Independence, and will celebrate with parades, fireworks, and dedications of public works.
On October 1st, W. Bro. Jason Gonce and I headed to my Mother Lodge back in Ireland for the 300th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. We were overwhelmed by the honor of representing you and our Most Worshipful Brother Richard Schultz. Even though we were paying our own way, it was a bargain to be so honored ourselves to be part of history. We flew into Dublin, the capitol of the Republic. We got to visit the Grand Lodge Museum and were given a private tour of the rooms for the various Bodies, immersing ourselves in the History of the place and our forebearers. We dined in restaurants with Masonic history and visited exhibitions about Masonic brothers in the National Gallery and National Library. The white and red saltire cross of St. Patrick was flying, and that flag of the Church of Ireland made us feel at home, since it is what we adopted as the Flag of the State of Alabama.
We took a train to Belfast, in Northern Ireland, for the Tercentenary Meeting. Grand Lodge there meets quarterly, not annually, so that all areas of both countries represented in the Grand Lodge of Ireland get visits and voices, and issues do not escalate. In a Grand Ballroom of an enormous hotel we were seated upon the dais in the front, next to the Grand Master of Greece. He actually preceded us in the march to the front, since we are an older Grand Lodge than they are. We were given Grand Honors, and then I was asked to give the Response. We were given gifts and literally hundreds of photos were taken of us in our spectacular attire. The gold vests and ties, along with our beautiful aprons, were quite popular and made up for the concern that we did not wear sleeve gauntlets as most other Grand Lines do in Europe and elsewhere. Irish Constitution brothers from several countries were in attendance, including a group from the Philippines. Although the Banquet had been sold out for over a year, the Grand Master, M. W. Bro. Richard Ensor, found two tickets for us to attended in the Great Hall of Belfast City Hall. In spite of the beauty of the place, professionalism of the staff, and quality of the food, it was the congeniality and warmth of the brothers that was most memorable. The next day we headed to Cork, all the way in the South. We arrived in time to go to Evensong at St. Finbarre’s Cathedral, which recently (2006) celebrated the 1400th anniversary of its founding in AD606. W. Bro. Jason had never seen the red and green marble from Ireland, and the spectacular beauty of my old home church was overwhelming, as was the choir’s performance. They sang “Locus iste” by Anton Bruckner as the anthem, the notes echoing gracefully in that space, with lyrics that should resound in every Lodge:
Locus iste a Deo factus est, Inaestimabile sacramentum, irreprehensibilis est.
This place was made by God, a priceless sacrament; it is without reproach.
The First Lodge of Ireland building on Tuckey Street is being renovated to meet city code at a cost of over $1.5 million, so we were not able to meet in the hall we have owned since 1726, the fifth building of First Lodge. I was sad that Jason could not see my Mother Lodge: the place where I was initiated, passed, and raised all those years ago. Instead, First Lodge met in the Lodge at Kinsale, a nearby town voted the culinary capitol of Ireland and one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. Dinner at a local hotel was moved up an extra half hour so that we had time to chat beforehand, even though dinner is normally a festive board after the meeting. Again, the brotherly love and welcome was phenomenal. The meeting was filled with beauty and work that reminded us where Alabama ritual came from. W. Bro. Jason was able to follow along with most of the work word for word, although there were a lot of extra words that we have taken out over the centuries here. There were many jokes about my being there, since I do not get back to Ireland very often and some of the younger brothers only know me from my monthly apologies for not being in Lodge. The reunion was lovely, and showed again and again that we are brothers of a world-wide organization who all value the same principles.
While we were in Ireland for the 300th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, just as in 2017 we celebrated the 300th of the United Grand Lodge of England, it is important that you see this as YOUR anniversary. A celebration of where we came from masonically in our ritual and in our passion for the basic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth. Each time I travel, I remind brothers that to travel and visit lodges helps us to connect to the wider world and to see that each jurisdiction as another piece of the puzzle that makes up the image of Freemasonry. What a beautiful image it is!
Celebrate and love your Mother Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Alabama. Revel in the glorious history that we have, descending from those European Lodges and creating ourselves in our own way. Happy Anniversary to us all, whether 300 or 3.
Brethren All,
It is my sad duty to inform of the passing of Most Worshipful Brother Delton Earl Havard, Past Grand Master of Masons in Alabama for the years 1996-1997. Brother Havard passed away Sunday, September 21st, 2025 after a short but hard fought battle against cancer. Services are scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025, at Mobile Memorial Gardens, 6040 Three Notch Rd, Mobile, AL 36619. The family will receive visitors from 9AM-10AM with the funeral service to begin at 10AM. The Grand Lodge of Alabama will be opened at the funeral home at 9:30AM. MWPGM Billy Jackson will perform the Masonic Funeral Rites at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Pine Crest Cemetery, 1939 Dauphin Island Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36605.
Respectfully,
Zachary A. Holmes
Grand Secretary
From the office of the MW Grand Master:
To the Worshipful Masters, Wardens, Secretaries, and Brethren of Alabama Freemasonry
Each year, it is the duty of the Grand Master to appoint a Membership Committee to assist our Lodges in matters of growth and retention. This year, I have renamed that committee. It is now known as the Shepherding Committee, not just in name, but in purpose.
The Shepherding Committee has been tasked with more than reviewing membership rolls. It has been charged with helping Lodges reconnect with their members, restore fellowship, and renew the bonds that define who we are as Masons. To support this mission, every Lodge will have access to a complete Shepherding Toolkit. This includes a full Shepherding Guide, printable flyers, one page summaries, a dedicated website, Masonic education materials, a public video message to share, and regularly scheduled hybrid learning sessions through Google Meet. These resources are prepared to teach, support, and strengthen the work of every Lodge in our Grand Jurisdiction.
What Is Shepherding
The Shepherding Program is a grassroots initiative designed to restore, strengthen, and rebuild the fraternal ties that bind us together. It focuses on welcoming back suspended members, reconnecting with those who have grown inactive or unadvanced, and creating Lodge environments that feel warm, engaging, and meaningful. To shepherd is to guide and care for our brethren. It means looking after each other, not because we are required to, but because we want to. This program is not about dues. It is about people. It is about saving and strengthening what we love most about Freemasonry, one brother at a time.
The Three Phases of Shepherding
Shepherding is built around three core areas of focus we designed, known as The Three R’s: Reinstatement, Retention, and Revival. These are not steps that must be followed in a strict order. Every Lodge is different. Begin where it makes sense for your Lodge. What matters most is that all three phases are eventually embraced, because each one strengthens and supports the others.
Reinstatement focuses on those we have lost. These are members who were suspended for nonpayment of dues or who never completed their Masonic journey. Reaching out does not require a formal letter. Often, it begins with a phone call, a text, or a simple conversation in town. With patience and genuine concern, we can help them find their way back to the Craft.
Retention is about those already sitting among us. Greet every brother by name. Offer a short educational or inspiring message. Make space for family. Host a meal. When a Lodge feels welcoming and alive, brothers return, and often bring others with them.
Revival is about visibility and outreach. Lodges that are active in their communities naturally draw interest. Host a barbecue. Donate to a school. Recognize a local teacher or first responder. Show the public who we are and what we stand for. Freemasonry thrives when the world sees its good works.
These three areas are not seasonal projects or temporary efforts.
They are a continuing cycle of care.
Program Successes in Alabama
Shepherding is already working. More than ninety Lodges across Alabama have formed committees and begun this journey. Many are seeing real results.Some have welcomed back suspended brothers. Others have restarted degree work and initiated new candidates. Some have seen attendance rise just from personally reaching out to men they had not seen in years.
One Lodge saw four men return in one month following a few phone calls. These are not difficult tasks. These are acts of care and attention. And they are making a difference.
Shepherding in Alabama
In 1961, Alabama had more than 76,000 Masons and 434 Lodges. Today, there are fewer than 17,000 Masons and fewer than 260 Lodges. That is a 78 % drop in membership numbers and a 41 % drop in Lodge numbers. This decline did not happen overnight, and it will not be reversed overnight. But it can be reversed. The Shepherding Program gives us a clear foundation to begin on. It reconnects us. It strengthens our lodges. It restores the purpose and heart of Freemasonry in Alabama.
What Your Lodge Can Do
If your Lodge has not yet started a Shepherding Committee, I encourage you to do so. The Worshipful Master may appoint the committee and ask for volunteers. It does not have to be large. Three to five committed brothers are more than enough. Stewards, deacons, officers, Past Masters, and the secretary are often a natural fit for this work. This program is not limited to large or well funded Lodges. It is for everyone. Every Lodge can find its own way to participate. Every brother has something to offer. Whether your Lodge is small or large, vibrant or struggling, you can be part of this movement. Make use of the resources. The Shepherding Guide contains call scripts, templates, event ideas, and practical steps for reaching brothers and strengthening your Lodge. Use the Modern Tools and Timeless Brotherhood flyer. Today, communication often happens through text messages, social media, and short video updates. Post photos of your Lodge’s activities. Share events. Use your Lodge website or Facebook page to be visible in your community.
My Grand Lodge Shepherds have been visiting Lodges across this Grand Jurisdiction to share this message and assist brethren in understanding the program. Please welcome them when they visit and give them an opportunity to speak. This is a message that benefits us all.
The Shepherding Committee also holds monthly educational sessions, in person and virtually. These are open to all Master Masons. If you have questions, these classes are the place to ask them and receive helpful answers. Please attend if you are able.
All program materials can be found at the link below or under the Master Mason – Resources Tabs of The Grandview Membership Portal. (For smartphone users, scan the code below)
https://sites.google.com/view/shepherding101/home
If your Lodge needs help, do not hesitate to ask. Each Group has Grand Lodge Shepherding Representatives who are available and ready to assist.
Group 1: Zach Griffith (256-926-8202)
Group 2: Mike Brewer (502-542-2580)
Group 3: Ron Forrest (205-304-1009) *Chairman
Group 4: Zach Grizzard (256-239-5269)
Group 5: Randy Smith (251-923-7767)
This is not just another committee.
This is our opportunity to restore what has been lost.
This is the work that will shape the future of Freemasonry in Alabama.
Shepherding is how we save brothers, Saving brothers is how we save Lodges, and Saving Lodges is how we save Freemasonry.
Richard A. Schultz
Most Worshipful Grand Master
Grand Lodge of Alabama F. & A.M.
I found myself in a lodge
one ordinary evening
on an unremarkable street
No grand gates, no secret passage
Just a simple door
Opened by a man who knew my name
before I said it
That’s how it begins,
Not with ceremony
but with welcome
I found myself in a lodge
and nothing felt forced
The room wasn’t cold or mysterious
It was warm with conversation,
hands shaking hands,
nods between men who had
known each other for years
and others who had just arrived.
The kind of place
where your presence matters
before your story is known
I found myself in a lodge
where I stood in darkness once
Not out of shame, but preparation
To understand that light
has to be earned to be valued
I found myself in a lodge
where mistakes weren’t punished,
they were corrected–
gently, firmly,
with a hand on the arm,
Not a finger pointed in blame
Because no one here was finished,
and no one ever would be.
Each of us a rough ashlar
being shaped, slowly, together
I found myself in a lodge
and when I stepped outside,
The stars were the same
The streets were the same
But I was not
Not because I had been changed
by magic or myth,
but because I had found
the version of myself
who had been waiting
all along
I found myself in a lodge
and I stayed.
Not for the ceremony, or the mystery
But for the men
The way they stood for each other
The way they welcomed the new
with the same steady warmth
as they honored the old
I found myself in a lodge
where I understood what it means to belong
To be needed,
To be missed,
To be called Brother,
By men who mean it
I found myself in a lodge
where I wasn’t alone
Not because I found all the answers
But because I found people
willing to ask the questions with me
– Anthony Ruse –
After years of tyrannical abuse of an overreaching government imposing its dominance on the rights of all men given to them by God at birth, farmers and businessmen stood shoulder to shoulder with the wealthy and the poor to say NO MORE and drew a line in the sand. Just weeks before, those Heroes stood on the fields of Lexington Green and at Concord Bridge and faced the most powerful professional army on the planet at the time and fired “The Shot Heard Around the World.” Citizens had spoken: we demanded to take government into our own hands where it would be made up of and answerable to We the People.
Representatives of small towns and big cities from all over the colonies met and drafted a letter to the tyrant king Declaring to the world that we would not be ruled by anyone. God made us Free and together they and we as an Independent Nation would pledge our Lives, Fortune, and Sacred Honor to secure that Freedom or Die trying. America would face years of intense war to achieve that goal but on this day a Nation set apart from anything else the world has ever seen was born. Over the years we have grown and improved. We have saved the world multiple times and made it a better, safer place to live. We have room to improve but there is still nothing that even comes close to the United States of America.
Happy 249th! May God Continue to Bless and Protect US.
Brother Heath Fant
Past Master, Birmala 836
Marshal, Shades Valley 829
Chairman, Veterans’ Program
This week is one of the most important weeks of a Christians life. The last hours of Jesus in the form of a physical man. As you go back to Luke’s Gospel, You need to start at Lk 13:32 “A 3 Day Journey” Read this Study and share with others.
3 day Journey
Luke13:32 to Luke chapter 22 is 3 days before the Cross at Jerusalem
Jesus cries over Jerusalem
Teaches Humility to his disciples
Parable of Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and the Lost Son
Rich man and Lazarus
Healing of 10 Lepers
Children brought to Him
Salvation of Zacchaeus
Healing blind Bartimaues
Foretelling destruction of. Temple
Triumphant entry to Jerusalem
Last supper with Disciples
Washing Disciples feet
Praying in the Garden
Betrayal by Judas
The next 3 day journey will be after His Death. JMF
Richard Allen Schultz, GM 2024-2025
Brother Richard Allen Schultz was born December 15th, 1969 and was raised in Jasper, Alabama. He graduated from Walker High School in 1988 and Virgina College in 2000. He also earned degrees from Bevill State Community College.
He was initiated in Cordova Masonic Lodge #559 located in Cordova, Alabama on July 17th, 2008. He was Passed to the Degree of Fellowcraft on September 4th, 2008, and Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on October 4th, 2008. He progressed through the Chairs of Cordova Lodge #559 and was elected to serve as Worshipful Master during 2013-2014 and was elected to serve a second term as Worshipful Master during 2015-2016.
His service to the Grand Lodge of Alabama began when he was appointed to serve as District Lecturer for the 26th Masonic District in November 2016 and served in that capacity until his election as Junior Grand Warden in November 2021. He was appointed Right Worshipful Grand Marshal of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Alabama in November 2019 by Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Jon Michael Taylor.
He was initiated into the York Rite bodies in Birmingham Chapter #76, Birmingham Council #43, and Birmingham Commandery #10 in 2017, Valley of Birmingham Scottish Rite in 2017, Sipsey Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star #565 in 2018, and Dinar Grotto in 2022.
He is a current member of the Sipsey Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star #565, Birmingham-Metro York Rite Bodies, Valley of Birmingham Scottish Rite, Dinar Grotto, Widows Sons Masonic Riders Association Wayfarers Chapter and Revival Masonic Lodge #935.
He enlisted into the United States Army in January 1989 and served in various assignments in the 2nd Battalion 3rd Air Defense Artillery of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley Kansas before being deployed overseas in the first Gulf War for Operations Desert Shield/Storm. He received three Bronze Combat Stars and two Presidential Campaign ribbons.
Veteran’s Committee review of 1st quarter.
The Veteran’s Committee has been busy.
1. The first quarter we have developed and implemented a plan for a Memorial Stone to be laid in Honor of our Brothers and Veteran’s at the National Cemetery in Montevallo. This is well on the way thanks to the generous response from Brothers across the state we have raised right at $11K. This will cover the cost of the stone and allow for funding future Veteran’s projects.
2. The extra funds raised will help fund a planned portrait to be commissioned as an ongoing source of income for the committee that will allow funding of projects without begging Lodges or Brothers to contribute.
3. The National Sojourners and several Lodges across the State have been presenting medals and scholarships to outstanding JROTC Cadets. If your Lodge would like to participate with your local JROTC the GL would like to join you in your efforts, please contact us.
4. The Veteran’s Committee has been pleased to visit several Blue Lodge and Appendant Body fundraising Dinners and events to represent our Veterans.
5. The Committee is working to establish a uniformed color guard to serve at GL formal functions.
These are just some of the things that we are working on this quarter.
Besides continuing the above-mentioned projects some things to look forward to in the coming months. We will be contacting the City of Bham. Veteran’s Day Parade Committee and inquiring about participating with a float representing Mason’s service to our Nation. We are also exploring possibilities of a cross-state motorcycle ride from Huntsville to Mobile along with American Legion and VFW Riders to support our Gold Star Kids.
A few 1st quarter dates to remember
National Vietnam Veteran’s Day
National Medal of Honor Month
The 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima
Ceasefire in Vietnam 1973
The Liberations of Manila and Guadalcanal WWII
Founding of the US Merchant Marines 1938
May God Bless our Nation and our Veterans and may He watch over and protect those who protect us.
Fraternally B.H. Fant, Chairman, Grand Lodge Veterans Committee
