Photo provided Flushing Masonic Lodge No. 298 officers installed during a recent ceremony are, from left, Greg Starcher; Tyler, Dave Rutan; Senior Deacon, William McGowan; Treasurer, Richard Bradley; Senior Warden, Jason Tubaugh; Chaplain, Theodore “Doug” Trice, Worshipful Master, Gary Edwards; Junior Warden, John Lovejoy; Secretary, Dustin Bower; Junior Deacon, Alan Wilson; Senior Steward, Roy Malone, Junior Steward.

FLUSHING — Theodore Trice of Scio has been elected and installed as Master of Flushing Masonic Lodge No. 298.

Trice was installed by David Williams, District Deputy Grand Master of the 23rd Masonic District. This 163rd annual installation of officers was held Dec. 4 at the Flushing Masonic Lodge.

In his position as Master, Trice is the presiding officer and head of the Lodge.

The title of “Master,” instead of “President,” reflects the Masonic tradition of using ceremonies and titles from the stonemasons of the Middle Ages. When the great cathedrals of Europe were being built, the Mason in charge of a building site was referred to as a “master of the work.”

Other officers installed during the ceremony were Greg Starcher; Tyler, Dave Rutan; Senior Deacon, William McGowan; Treasurer, Richard Bradley; Senior Warden, Jason Tubaugh; Chaplain, Theodore “Doug” Trice, Worshipful Master, Gary Edwards; Junior Warden, John Lovejoy; Secretary, Dustin Bower; Junior Deacon, Alan Wilson; Senior Steward, Roy Malone, Junior Steward.Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely recognized fraternal organization in the world. Today, there are more than 2 million Freemasons in North America alone.

Charity is an important tenet of the Masonic fraternity. The 90,000 Freemasons in Ohio provide approximately $15 million in charitable giving annually, including college scholarships, and free training for Ohio school teachers to recognize students at non-academic risk. General information is available at www.freemason.com.