Brotherly Love Keeps Lodge Moving Forward
About 15 years ago, McVeytown Lodge No. 376 experienced one of its darkest periods. Members were faced with severe financial hardships, as well as a dilapidated building.
“We had no money, our membership had started to dwindle and there was no community involvement,” said Brother Mick Abrashoff, P.M. “The building was in really bad shape. A realtor said it was worth more torn down than standing.”
Lodge members explored various options, such as closing the lodge, merging with another lodge and renting out the space. After much deliberation, they agreed to try and save the building, a monumental task considering the state of affairs at the lodge.
In 2016 – 17, repairs began on the building. With little to no budget to work with, renovation on the building continued through generous donations and in-kind services from brothers, their families and the community at large, Mick said.
Floors and ceilings were repaired; painting was done with help from a community work program; a new roof, gutters and spouting were donated; the rear parking lot was redone to assist with water runoff; electrical upgrades were made; various furniture and décor was purchased; and much needed brick and mortar work was also completed.
The lodge was situated in an old house built in 1844 and converted to a Masonic lodge in 1892. There were a lot of rooms still left uninhabited even after much of the initial work was done, Mick said. It was then decided to complete the entire lodge building, making it more of a living history museum to Freemasonry, rather than just a Masonic Hall.
In 2020, the last five rooms were completed. These rooms include The Room of the Presidents, The Room of the Founders, the Room of the Templars, a Secretary Room and a Mentoring Room.
“There are [historical] displays in each room – except the main lodge room – explaining the history of Freemasonry and the appendant bodies in Pennsylvania,” Mick said.
“We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback about our lodge from visitors and brethren,” added James Kauffman, Lodge Secretary. “Past Masters and the Right Worshipful Grand Master have all come here to visit.”
During the restoration phase of the lodge, members discussed a three-prong approach to being successful, the first of which was restoring the building. The second was getting the lodge finances in order through successful fundraisers that established a steady flow of income. And the third was engaging the community and becoming part of it.
“Most community members at the time didn’t know much about the old building,” Mick said. “It was never open. It looked dark and gloomy. We went to churches and community groups to tell them we’re here and we’re here to serve.”
Today, the lodge has become a staple in the community, Mick said. Among its many activities, it funds a Christmas tree lighting ceremony and opens its building to give out gifts. It sponsors a street fair during Memorial Day weekend, where the building is open for food and tours. The lodge has a float in the town’s Halloween parade. Members help provide non-perishable food items to children in need from local schools.
“For the past five to seven years, we’ve opened the doors and let the community know where we are and what we do,” James said. “This outreach has allowed us to engage new, perspective members.”
The lodge currently has about 170 members, taking in approximately eight to 10 new candidates each year, many of them younger members.
“Many of our newer members are seeing us in action and seeking us out,” James said.
The lodge is active on social media, and that is a major conduit to communicating with its members and the community at large.
“Like so many other organizations, the lodge has seen its ups and downs over the years, but we always had brethren showing up at the right time to keep the lodge going,” Mick said. “I wish I could offer a secret recipe to our success, but I think it boils down to just hard work, engagement and good old fashioned brotherly love.”
