The Best Advice

By Brother Martin Berberian A Brother From New Jersey, USA

Before I knew what I now know about the craft, I did a little research and found
a few facts and some information on the Brotherhood as a whole. When I
petitioned the lodge, I knew little more. My presenter was my wife's boss; you
see I made the mistake of stepping with my left foot after the passing of my
father, which I will always regret.

I have since learned the presenter of my presenter was Brother Roy Rogers. I
think that is very neat.

As I approached the lodge on my first night, men I had never met warmly greeted
me, although there where some I had known but did not take to be Masons.

I, along with another candidate, where taken into a room adjacent to a regular
and duly constituted lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. To prove our manhood, we
removed all of our clothing except for our underpants, removed all metal
objects, redressed in funny clothes and were blind folded with a noose around
our necks.

As a sharp instrument was placed upon my naked left breast, I thought," What
have I gotten myself into?" Our first entry into the lodge is a strange one to
say the least! I was lead about the lodge by my right arm. A friend and brother
was my guide. Worshipful Brother Nelson Drobness, who came to my house to
examine me, who would in the coming weeks be my instructor, who I now go fishing
with and who's voice can not be masked even in a whisper, lead me around the
lodge.

At one point, the string holding my pants up broke and I asked what should I do?
He said, " hold them up and keep going." So there I was - first blind folded,
then confused and now embarrassed, holding up my pants with my left hand.

I got through a trying experience and am none the worse for wear. In fact, I
think the experience helped me. When I get nervous or apprehensive, I think of
that night and how perseverance got me through it and the cause of the
apprehension seems to pass. If we have a candidate in lodge who is a little too
nervous, I relate to him my story and it seems to calm him down.

But through all of this, the best advice I ever received and I pass it along to
other candidates every chance I get was to make sure I had on clean underpants.