Good Samaritan Lodge Lives Up to Its Name

Brother Matthew R. Rancosky enjoys thinking outside the box. As Worshipful Master of Good Samaritan Lodge No. 336, Gettysburg, he has worked hard this year to “push the boundaries and get people outside of their comfort zone.” He hopes in the process to recruit new members and strengthen the commitment of existing ones.

“We’ve been doing the same thing for the last 20 to 30 years,” Matthew said. “Older members say, ‘this is the way it has always been done.’ But it’s not that world anymore. We need to advance with time.”

Matthew has led the charge to expand the lodge’s presence on social media, first with Facebook, but eventually branching out to Instagram and even TikTok to engage a younger audience. The lodge’s Facebook page currently has about 1,100 followers and continues to grow.

“One of our older members is always the first to ‘like’ everything on our Facebook page, which is great,” he said. “It’s not just the younger generation – members of other ages are getting on board, as well.”

In January, Matthew hosted a “town hall” type meeting with the brethren. His agenda was to share his ideas, solicit input and get others to share his enthusiasm.

“I said, ‘I don’t expect you to work as hard as I do as the leader, but I want you to have as much enthusiasm as I do, because mine is at 110%,’” he said. “It’s a group effort. I get the ball rolling, but these guys do all the heavy lifting.”

Matthew encourages officers and current members to get to know one new person at every lodge meeting, in the hopes of eventually building ties with everyone and forming strong bonds within the lodge.

“We kind of lost that with COVID – that connection – it was definitely hard,” he said, “but now, we’re filling chairs again. People are coming back.”

A larger sized lodge, Good Samaritan currently has 252 members, but only between 40 and 50 active ones, Matthew said. Although the number of members has not grown considerably over the past few years, it is starting to trend upwards.

Matthew and his officers personally call each lodge member, encouraging them to participate in events and activities. The lodge has increased the number of family and public events the lodge participates in, from a membership picnic to a district-wide axe throwing competition.

“We’re reaching out and doing more in the public eye,” he said. “We encourage brothers to bring family, friends and co-workers to events so they can see what we do, who we are as men and what we do for the local community.”

The lodge awards $500 merit scholarships to five high school students each year. One of the scholarships is funded exclusively by Brother Trevor Steinbach. The lodge also partners with Old Navy to donate coats and clothing to local elementary schools. This year, the lodge donated $3,500 worth of clothing to students in need.

This fall, Matthew will be walking across Pennsylvania to raise money for various Masonic youth groups and other Masonic charities. He will connect with fellow Masons from across the state. The 265-mile journey will take about 10 days, starting in Connersville, PA, and ending at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. For more information or to make a donation, visit gettysburgfreemasons.org.

“The goal is to stay with different brothers to get to know them,” he said. “We want to reach out to the public to spread the word about what our lodge is doing. We’re doing a lot of great things. As Worshipful Master, you only get one year to get things done. So, I’m trying to do things that can carry over after I’m done. I don’t want to start anything that we can’t continue.”

Matthew doesn’t mind driving over an hour and a half to lodge meetings. He said being the Worshipful Master has been a dream come true.

“When I became a member of my lodge, after my first meeting, I said, ‘I’m going to stand up there one day as Worshipful Master,’” he recalls. “Brother Darrin D. Catts, D.D.G.M.-42 and Past Master of Good Samaritan, has been a great mentor throughout my journey in Freemasonry and is the one who gave me the drive to be Worshipful Master.

“Good Samaritan Lodge could not thrive with myself alone,” Matthew said. “The officers and members are what make this lodge what it is. It’s truly a blessing to have these gentlemen, and without them, I could not have done the things we have accomplished.” After his term, Matthew plans to continue his work with social media. He would also like to get more involved with the 42nd Masonic District.

“Freemasonry … what you put into it is what you get out of it,” Matthew said. “It’s what we do for each other. I can go anywhere in the world and have a common bond with someone. You’ll never be alone again in your life.

“I don’t have brothers or sisters. My dad passed away 10 years ago, and he was my best friend.

“When I’m feeling down, I just call one of my brothers. They help me, and I help them. That’s what Freemasonry is all about.”