Grand Lodge Officers

Grand Master’s Message

Brethren all,

First and foremost, thank you. Thank you for the high honor of allowing me to serve as your Grand Master for the coming year. It is a responsibility I once promised Very Worshipful Brother Ted Shrum that I would accept, if ever called – and now that moment has come.

I count myself among the most fortunate of men to have had Grand Masters such as Al Jorgensen and Bill Miller – both my training wheels and, on occasion, my cattle prods. Their guidance has been invaluable.

To all our Past Grand Masters – men who have freely given their time, wisdom, and energy for the good of this jurisdiction – I offer my sincere gratitude. Among them, Most Worshipful Steve Martin, who has become not just a mentor, but one of my closest friends. His counsel has shaped me in ways words cannot fully express.

To Most Worshipful Jimmy Norton, Right Worshipful Brothers Chris Haynes, Bill Hubbard, and of course our “Den Mother” Clint Brown – who somehow keeps this machine oiled and running – – we are all indebted. Thank you.

And to my wife, Martha – you are the silent strength behind this journey. For the past three years, you’ve given so much of yourself without purple aprons or jeweled collars, but always with a loving smile and the quiet whisper of encouragement. You have my heart, and my deepest gratitude.

To youngest Ashe, who made the trip over this evening – of all my children, you are perhaps my closest confidant. As I’ve told you before, not everyone rolls sevens in the dice game of life, kiddo. But your support means everything.

As Grand Master, I’ve chosen to direct our collective charity efforts toward establishing a new scholarship endowment through Washington Masonic Services. But rather than looking outward alone, I ask that we also look within – to build up the future leaders of our fraternity.

Through our designated charity’s 501(c)(3), I hope to endow an annual fund awarding ten to fifteen $500 scholarships each year for attendance at our Lodge Leadership Retreat. Once the endowment reaches a sustainable level, any surplus earnings should be used to reduce the overall cost of attendance for all Masons who seek to strengthen their leadership and their Craft. This is an investment not just in individuals, but in the future of Freemasonry in this jurisdiction.

Brethren,

As I humbly assume the responsibilities of this high office, I have chosen as the guiding theme for this Masonic year the Latin phrase:

Magis Quam Verbis – “More Than Words.”

It is a simple expression, yet profound in its depth. For we, as Freemasons, understand better than most that truth, virtue, and light are not merely spoken – they are lived.

Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. But why symbols? Why have generations of Masons chosen to convey great truths through the trowel and compass, the pillars, the plumb, and the point within a circle?

Because symbols transcend the boundaries of language. They speak not only to the mind, but to the heart. They are understood across cultures and centuries. They are Magis Quam Verbis – more than words.

The obligations we take – not once, but three times – upon bended knee, are far more than ceremonial phrases. They are not empty utterances designed to gain entry into a club. They are solemn covenants of character – made before God and our Brethren – pledging the kind of lives we will strive to lead: upright, faithful, compassionate. They are Magis Quam Verbis – more than words.

So too are our actions in the world. Our behavior in civil society speaks louder than any speech or statement. In our workplaces, our communities, and our homes, we reveal the kind of men we are. The ideals we embrace. The honor we embody.

Even if we were struck mute by some cruel twist of fortune, the world would still know us – not by what we said, but by what we did. For character is Magis Quam Verbis – more than words.

And what of our ritual? Those carefully memorized phrases, once passed only from mouth to ear, preserved through generations – they are more than tradition. They are teaching tools. They are spiritual blueprints. They are the living heartbeat of our Craft. We commit them to memory not merely for the sake of preservation, but to transmit the Light to those who come after us, unimpaired. Our ritual is Magis Quam Verbis – more than words.

So let this be the year in which each of us examines how our Masonry is expressed – not just in our speech, but in our deeds. Let our lives themselves become the language of the Craft.

Let our charity, our integrity, and our Brotherly love be the living proof that Freemasonry remains not only relevant, but essential, in a weary world that needs light now more than ever.

Because we are, and must always be, Magis Quam Verbis –  more than words.

Fraternally and faithfully,

Roger Nelson, Jr.

Grand Master of Washington