Mount Kineo Table Lodge

What a wonderful weekend! Mount Kineo Lodge No. 109 in Guilford was hosting a Table Lodge to honor R.W. Bro. Howard C. Weymouth. Bro. Weymouth is the Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Council of Royal and Select Masters for Maine and just an all around good guy. The moment we heard of this event four Brothers from Deering Lodge ordered tickets and made plans to take the two hour drive to Dexter. Bro. Chris DiSotto, the Senior Deacon of Deering Lodge, was raised at Mount Kineo and we have felt a debt to the lodge ever since for raising up such and excellent brother. Joining them for a Table Lodge seemed like a great thing to do.

We four, Chris DiSotto, Christian Brocard, Bob Wade II and I, left Portland at 2:30pm and made for Dexter where we dropped off our gear at Bro. DiSotto's camp. The camp itself was a beautiful design with a large living room, loft and two bedrooms. The most beautiful feature must be the huge screened in porch. I can easily see spending an entire day reading on that porch. In short order we headed over to Guilford to the Table Lodge.

Now a Table Lodge is no simple dinner. It is a seven course meal with toasts between each course. The toasts are well established: President, Grand Master, Master, Wardens, Members in the Armed Forces, Visting Members and Masons Wheresoever Dispersed Over the Face of the Earth. Rather than transcribe the ritual take a look at Phoenix Masonry's Table Lodge Ritual. Does anyone know what "vivat!" means? I gather it has something to do with "life" since the root "vivo" is "to live."

As it turned out I was called on to return the toast to the Masters, as I am the Worshipful Master of Triangle Lodge No. 1, and did so with an ineptitude to great to describe accurately. At least I was able to laugh at the performance! On the other hand, Wor. Bro. Bob Wade II was requested to return the toast to the Members in the Armed Forces. He brought all of Marine skill and excellent ritual to bear and as the Installation ritual says "...acquitted himself with honor and reputation...". It was clear to all why Wor. Bro. Wade is know by the nickname "Bro. Vivat!"

Following the dinner we made for camp and sat by a roaring bonfire listening to Johnny Cash and sipping Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish. What a great weekend and a fine night!