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Flushing Masons install officers

Photo Provided New officers are installed at Flushing Masonic Lodge No. 298. From front left are: Mitch Slotwinski, installing marshall; John T. Morgan, lodge education officer; James Caudill, junior steward; Michael Horstman, tyler; Brian Murphy, junior deacon; Donald Jones, senior deacon and Brian Breyer, installing officer. Behind them, from left, are: William McGowan, treasurer; Rodney Kovacs, chaplain; Dustin Bower, junior warden; Rich Kidd, senior warden; Gary Edwards, worshipful master and Frank D. Ballog, secretary.

FLUSHING — Gary D. Edwards of Uniontown was elected and installed as master of Flushing Masonic Lodge No. 298.

Edwards was installed by Brian Breyer, district deputy grand master of the 23rd Masonic District. The 168th annual installation of officers was held Dec. 14 at the Flushing Masonic Lodge.

In his position as master, Edwards 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: Rich Kidd, senior warden; Dustin Bower, junior warden; William McGowan, treasurer; Frank D. Ballog, secretary; Rodney Kovacs, chaplain; Donald Jones, senior deacon; Brian Murphy, junior deacon; John T. Morgan, lodge education officer; James Caudill, junior steward; Michaael Horstman, tyler.

Installing marshall was Mitch Slotwinski, disVtrict deputy grand master of the 23rd Masonic District and installing chaplain was John T. Morgan, past master of Flushing Masonic Lodge.

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 charity giving annually, including college scholarships and free training for Ohio school teachers to recognize students at non-academic risk.

General information is available at freemason.com.

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