3 minute read
Ingrained in Masonic Culture
Masonic Village at Elizabethtown is rich with Masonic symbolism, from street and building names to statues to etchings in the windows of the Goose and Gridiron Tavern.
It’s also abundant in talent among its more than 2,080 residents. Using their woodworking skills, a group of residents recently found another way to showcase the Masonic fraternity’s influence on campus culture.
Above the desk at the Visitors Center, in the Freemasons Cultural Center, a circular wooden overhang features 22 Masonic symbols representing groups and appendant bodies which either meet at Masonic Village or to which residents belong. The carvings are the work of members of the Rooster Woodshop, Ben Hoenich (shown above, right), Past Master and member of Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682, Elizabethtown, and John Lewis (shown above, left), Past Master and member of Carlisle Lodge No. 260.
The symbols include a square and compasses in the center, and to the right Past Master, Scottish Rite, Shriners, Knights of the York Cross of Honor, Holy Royal Arch Chapter, Cryptic Masonry, Knights Templar, York Rite Cottage, International Order of Rainbow for Girls, Job’s Daughters, DeMolay, National Sojourners and Heroes of ’76. To the left of the center are Order of the Eastern Star, Order of Amaranth, Social Order of Beauceant, Red Cross of Constantine, High Twelve, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, Grotto and Daughters of the Nile.
It took up to seven days to complete one symbol. Individual pieces of each were put together like a puzzle. The process included sketching the symbol, cutting out pieces with a scroll saw (they were not laser cut), sanding, staining, applying two-sided tape to the back and installation. Among the arduous parts of the project was finding a stain to match the wooden overhang. Ben and John went through 85 stain samples before blending a perfect match.
It was an ideal job for John and Ben. John taught middle school wood shop for 32 years and has an eye for art, and Ben worked in graphic design and is an avid photographer.
“The Masonic fraternity is important to many residents, and we hope they will be proud to see a representation of something that was a major part of their lives displayed for all to see,” John said. “We also hope the symbols will spark an interest in non-members to investigate why these organizations are important to so many.”
“Although not all residents are members of the fraternity, this project is a reminder to those who may not be aware of the breadth of it,” Ben said. “Each one of the appendant bodies support, through their efforts and donations, many nonprofit organizations, while providing guidelines for making each member better.
“The project also gives the Rooster Woodshop broad visibility and demonstrates the high level of woodworking skills that exist in its membership, as well as the time commitment to supporting it.”
John and Ben also created the sign for the new Franklin’s Press coffee shop at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, which will open this spring. At the entrance to the Freemasons Cultural Center parking lot sits a statue of young Benjamin Franklin working on his press. Franklin’s Press carries that theme into the building while playing off the word “press” (signifying a printing press and a coffee press). The intarsia design of the sign uses varied shapes, sizes and species of wood fitted together to create a mosaic-like picture.
Past Master, Scottish Rite and Shriners symbols
Knights of the York Cross of Honor symbol
Social Order of Beauceant, Order of Amaranth and Order of the Eastern Star symbols
“It is rewarding and humbling to be a part of something of this lasting magnitude, while working with another woodworker who is a fellow Mason, neighbor and friend,” Ben said. “The recognition from residents, fellow shop members, staff and visitors is also heartwarming.”
