The “Traveling Trowel”

On November 13^th 2023, 8 members of Charles W. Moore lodge and the District Deputy Grand Master of the 22nd Masonic District traveled to Corinthian lodge to claim their “Traveling Trowel”. The Presiding Master Anthony Rooney and his officers welcomed us with open arms and a feast.

During the meeting we witnessed a presentation of the George Washington medal to all the present military veterans of Corinthian lodge, a spectacular esoteric discussion of the 1st degree in Freemasonry, and finally the capture of their traveling trowel!

The Trowel itself has a special history that embodies deep masonic significance.  It was crafted by Brother Kenneth Stephen Gendall (a past master of Corinthian Lodge and a Past District Deputy Grand Master of the Old Lowell 12^th District) in the early 1990’s.

The purpose of the traveling trowel is to encourage fraternal bonds and masonic pilgrimages within Freemasonry.  When Brother Gendall retired and moved south, he gave charge of the trowel to Brother Douglas J. Ellis (also a Past Master and Past District Deputy Grand Master) in the summer of 2015.

Brother Gendal sadly passed away shortly after his retirement.  In honor of him and his legacy, Corinthian Lodge has issued the challenge of a pilgrimage to lodges seeking fellowship,  Charles W. Moore lodge proudly met the call.

Now it’s up to Corinthian lodge to send a delegation of 8 members to our lodge to take it back!

When Corinthian lodge reclaims their trowel, all other Masonic lodges within the New England jurisdiction may travel for the honor of taking it (for a time)!

Here’s how you can do it!


Rules:

1. To capture the trowel, a lodge within a New England jurisdiction must bring at least 3 members to a regular communication of Corinthian Lodge.
2. In the event that multiple lodges visit on the same communication, the lodge with the largest product of brothers times distance to their lodge will be the winner. For example, if lodge one has 5 members traveling 20 miles, their product is 100.  To beat that lodge a lodge of 4 brothers needs to travel at least 25 miles from their lodge. If there is a tie in products, the lodge that traveled further will win the trowel.
3. Any lodge that captures the trowel must send an email to trowel@concordmasons.org with the name, address, and meeting day of the lodge so we can update our website and attempt to retrieve it.
4. Any lodge that captures the trowel can only relinquish it to Corinthian Lodge. 
5. To retrieve the trowel Corinthian Lodge will need to send a delegation of at least equal size to the winning lodge. 
6. There will also be a notebook that travels with the trowel as a log of where it has been.
7. A copy of these rules will travel with the trowel.