# New 32



## Andy Fracica (Nov 12, 2017)

Hello my name is Andy Fracica. My son and I started on our journey to the east back in April (2017) when we petitioned our local lodge. We received our Entered Apprentice degrees in May, Fellow Craft in September and Master Mason in October. Yesterday we received our 32nd degree along with 6 other degrees at the Scottish Rite Convocation in Fort Wayne, IN. It was a very moving experience.

I am actively pursuing an officer's position in my Blue Lodge and I plan to become active in Scottish Rite as well. I am thinking about joining the Knights of St. Andrew as a way to serve.


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## Brother JC (Nov 12, 2017)

Greetings, and welcome! Sharing this experience with your son, how awesome is that?


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 12, 2017)

Brother JC said:


> Greetings, and welcome! Sharing this experience with your son, how awesome is that?


Thank you. 

My son and I never really did anything together when he was growing up because I traveled for my job and I was gone a lot, so now we have this time and this experience to share.

I am very proud of him, at 28 he is fine outstanding young man and I am proud to see him take his journey to the east and watch him grow as an upright mason. He had a good start with a background as an Eagle Scout, so he has the basics.


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 12, 2017)

Andy Fracica said:


> I am actively pursuing an officer's position in my Blue Lodge and I plan to become active in Scottish Rite as well. I am thinking about joining the Knights of St. Andrew as a way to serve.


Congratulations Brother and welcome to the forum. I highly recommend the Knights of St. Andrew and joining the officers line of your lodge. Be as active as your schedule and free time permit.


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## Bloke (Nov 12, 2017)

Greetings Brother Andy and Fraternal Regards to your son from Australia.

I still remember a WM in the East addressing his SW as "Brother Father Senior Warden".  Fathers in son's in lodge is a great thing - we have three sets of them in my mother Lodge.


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 12, 2017)

Bloke said:


> Greetings Brother Andy and Fraternal Regards to your son from Australia.
> 
> I still remember a WM in the East addressing his SW as "Brother Father Senior Warden".  Fathers in son's in lodge is a great thing - we have three sets of them in my mother Lodge.


G'day Brother and I will pass the word to my son (James). That is a great story. We are the second set of father and sons currently active in our lodge. The other set is our Secretary (son) and our Junior Warden (father).

A couple of months ago we went on an official lodge visit to watch a fellow craft degree and the WM was grandfather of of the fellow craft, his son, was a past master of the lodge. That was a very special ritual.


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## Bloke (Nov 13, 2017)

Andy Fracica said:


> G'day Brother and I will pass the word to my son (James). That is a great story. We are the second set of father and sons currently active in our lodge. The other set is our Secretary (son) and our Junior Warden (father).
> 
> A couple of months ago we went on an official lodge visit to watch a fellow craft degree and the WM was grandfather of of the fellow craft, his son, was a past master of the lodge. That was a very special ritual.


We had the same a few years ago - a Grandfather flew over from interstate giving us three generations. It is indeed very special, please do pass my best wishes along.

We recently raised a brother in the presence of his Grandfather. The Elder rose to say how he thought he would be the last Freemason in the family and how happy he was that his worthy Grandson became a Freemason. The Younger rose to say how wonderful it was to be a Brother of his Grandfather and sit in lodge with him. The aged Grandfather in his 80's slowly rose again using his walking stick, and comment how indeed it was good, but he with great cheek said to his Grandson "It is great to be brothers, but I would remind you, I'm the * elder brother*". It was priceless- cracked us all up.


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 13, 2017)

Bloke, that is a great story! I'll have to tell James that! . Our lodge is giving us the Lewis Award next month for Father and Son Masons. 

I wish my Dad had been a Mason. He is 92 and I don't think he could do it. If he lived in the same state as I do, I would invite him to dinner at our lodge.


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## Bloke (Nov 13, 2017)

Andy Fracica said:


> Bloke, that is a great story! I'll have to tell James that! . Our lodge is giving us the Lewis Award next month for Father and Son Masons.
> 
> I wish my Dad had been a Mason. He is 92 and I don't think he could do it. If he lived in the same state as I do, I would invite him to dinner at our lodge.


Awesome - James was the name of the candidate  

I share the same wish with my Dad, he's 84, but he will not leave my mum of a night, but I am sure she'd be happy to see him go. It would have been do good for him, and it would have been good for Freemasonry to have him among our ranks - he is a true and rare gentleman. 

Is the award a Jewel or Certificate ?


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 13, 2017)

Bloke said:


> Awesome - James was the name of the candidate
> 
> I share the same wish with my Dad, he's 84, but he will not leave my mum of a night, but I am sure she'd be happy to see him go. It would have been do good for him, and it would have been good for Freemasonry to have him among our ranks - he is a true and rare gentleman.
> 
> Is the award a Jewel or Certificate ?


My mom passed in February 2016 at 87 just about 6 weeks short of 88. Dad now lives with my sister and her family. We are about an 8 hour drive away. I talk to him about every other week to keep in touch. He's still pretty sharp for 92, but he notices that he's starting to forget things and lose his train of thought. I told him that's okay, he's 92 - he laughs.

The award is a jewel. Here is the image off the Indian Grand Lodge website. As I understand it, there will be two boards one with my name on it and the other with my son's name on it.


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## Bloke (Nov 13, 2017)

Andy Fracica said:


> My mom passed in February 2016 at 87 just about 6 weeks short of 88. Dad now lives with my sister and her family. We are about an 8 hour drive away. I talk to him about every other week to keep in touch. He's still pretty sharp for 92, but he notices that he's starting to forget things and lose his train of thought. I told him that's okay, he's 92 - he laughs.
> 
> The award is a jewel. Here is the image off the Indian Grand Lodge website. As I understand it, there will be two boards one with my name on it and the other with my son's name on it.


That's very typical and great it starts a tradition. If you have a nephew in the craft, or know of in the family, I wonder if you can add further bars now for them?  However father to son is always the best way to transmit these imho

We don't have an official Lewis jewel, but here is a pic of the ones I've seen here https://www.balnarringfreemasons.com/lewis-medallions .  Often the Lewis sections at the bottom are not joined but move, but I've not seen a new one like that (I guess they would wear).

Congratulations and well done getting the Lewis Jewel - may your family add many bars to it from generation to generation.


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 13, 2017)

Bloke said:


> That's very typical and great it starts a tradition. If you have a nephew in the craft, or know of in the family, I wonder if you can add further bars now for them?  However father to son is always the best way to transmit these imho
> 
> We don't have an official Lewis jewel, but here is a pic of the ones I've seen here https://www.balnarringfreemasons.com/lewis-medallions .  Often the Lewis sections at the bottom are not joined but move, but I've not seen a new one like that (I guess they would wear).
> 
> Congratulations and well done getting the Lewis Jewel - may your family add many bars to it from generation to generation.


As far as I understand at least here in the states it is only for father, son, grandson, great grandson etc. We have seen brothers wearing them that have 4 of the boards on them. 

I told my son jokingly that he wants to see me live long enough to have a grandson board, he better get started.


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## rpbrown (Nov 14, 2017)

Congratulations on you and your son's journey to the east.

I have posted on here before that a few years ago I was privileged to have played a part in the raising of a Master Mason in which his father, grand father and great grand father also worked in the degree. The great grandfather is our oldest living member and PM. They had a ring that was the Great grandfathers and had been passed down to each generation. It was an experience I will probably never see again.


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 14, 2017)

rpbrown said:


> They had a ring that was the Great grandfathers and had been passed down to each generation. It was an experience I will probably never see again.


Nice!!!


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## AndreAshlar (Nov 14, 2017)

Bloke said:


> Greetings Brother Andy and Fraternal Regards to your son from Australia.
> 
> I still remember a WM in the East addressing his SW as "Brother Father Senior Warden".  Fathers in son's in lodge is a great thing - we have three sets of them in my mother Lodge.


If love to fellowship masonically with my son. That's a beautiful thing. 

Sent from my SM-G930T using My Freemasonry mobile app


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## Andy Fracica (Nov 14, 2017)

rpbrown said:


> Congratulations on you and your son's journey to the east.
> 
> I have posted on here before that a few years ago I was privileged to have played a part in the raising of a Master Mason in which his father, grand father and great grand father also worked in the degree. The great grandfather is our oldest living member and PM. They had a ring that was the Great grandfathers and had been passed down to each generation. It was an experience I will probably never see again.


That's a great idea, maybe someday my son can pass my ring down to the next generation.


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