LITTLE CURRENT—Freemasonry enjoys a storied and mysterious reputation, thanks in large part to the private nature of the fraternal organization, but on Tuesday, September 11 the Doric Lodge in Little Current opened its doors to The Expositor in order to celebrate the accomplishment of one of its own.
Blair Sullivan of Providence Bay was being honoured with a 70-year pin and being presented with a plaque noting his singular accomplishment as a Masonic member whose service spans seven decades.
John Hodder, whose duty that night was as “Tyler,” the individual who sits guard upon the door, a drawn sword near to hand in symbolic nod to his charge of guarding the inner sanctum of the temple, as the initial business of the Doric Lodge and its members was dealt with prior to admitting a non-member to help record the historic occasion.
A series of distinct knocks alerted the Tyler (sometimes spelled Tiler) that the members of the Lodge were ready for the ceremony and ritual of the presentation of the pin.
Mr. Sullivan, a decorated war veteran and long-time education administrator who retired to the Island in the early 1980s, was led to the western side of the central altar in the Lodge, facing east and toward the Worshipful Master of the Doric Lodge (worshipful in the archaic sense of very respected, not literally worshipped), Dan Clarke, where the citation of his membership was read out in solemn ritual.
Moving to stand in front of the eastern wall, Mr. Sullivan was duly pinned with the insignia of his 70 years as a member of the Masonic Order by Sudbury Manitoulin District Deputy Grand Master Paavo Liukko.
member of the Freemasons.
photo by Michael Erskine
Following the presentation, Mr. Sullivan was invited to address the assembly of the Lodge. Mr. Sullivan expressed his gratitude for the recognition and spoke about his experiences serving in the military during the Second World War. Following the completion of the business of the Lodge, the membership and friends gathered in fellowship downstairs at the Lodge.
“He is a very kind and gracious man,” said Doric Lodge member Keith Legge. “He is very special to me.” Mr. Legge recalled that when he held the position of Worshipful Grand Master of the Doric Lodge back in 1980, both Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Sullivan’s father Gerald joined the Lodge.
“They became affiliated with the Doric Lodge,” recalled Mr. Legge. “They had joined in Indiana and when they moved here they became affiliated with our lodge.”
