2025 in review
It is at this time of year, when the cold is settling in and the trees turn bare, that we gather with our friends and families to celebrate and cherish another year of life. Thanksgiving is just past and soon Christmas will see us come together again. For many, there is no better season. We are blessed to live here in Hendersonville, Tennessee; neighbors do for one another, and we are kept safe by our first responders, whom we hold in the very highest regard.
There are those among us, however, who do not have the benefit of nearby kin and loved ones. For many, a phone or video call will have to do. Technology has been invented to bridge the miles, but there is no substitute, no smartphone or webcam or technological wonder, that can replicate the benefits of an embrace, or a handshake between friends.
Again, we here are fortunate. Hendersonville Lodge #359 has a reputation for producing some of the finest Masons in the state. If, by some happenstance, any of us find ourselves alone this season, I encourage you to reach out. Each and every Brother is welcome now and always at my table, as I am confident I would be at theirs.
In addition to our gatherings and festivities, this is also a time to look back and take stock of the year. Brother Benjamin Franklin was fond of this annual activity, as he believed a man should not seek perfection, but rather should improve himself by assessing, correcting and addressing his own weaknesses. He is said to have begun each morning by saying “What good shall I do this day?” and in the evening would ask “What good have I done this day?”
Brother Franklin set a fine example, and as I look back on 2025, I can’t help but take pride in our Lodge and our Brothers. This year has been one of many trials, and just as many victories. For a time, we seemed to experience one setback after another, but in each instance, volunteers immediately took on the task. We have run the gauntlet with attorneys and contractors, fought wind and floods, scraped, cleaned, polished and replaced. We have battled insurance companies and code compliance inspectors, made deals to enhance our property, and even got our official name change taken care of after a minor 60-year delay.
The officers that I have had the privilege to lead this year are of the finest quality, and I will be forever grateful for their hard work and dedication. If not for them, this year would not have been the great success that I believe it to be. I would especially like to thank Treasurer Dustin Jones PM and Chaplain David Butler PM, who both agreed to take on daunting jobs at difficult times.
We lost three cornerstone Masons this year with the passing of Brothers Don Woodard, Tommy Henly and Randy Williams, past masters all. Let us honor their memories by living as just and upright men and Masons.
Finally, I would like to thank Secretary Jeff Phillips PM for guiding me through the year and for being the backbone of the Lodge. His invaluable contributions have made a great difference in all our lives.
Jason Gerock
