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A New Beginning For A Member Of The Greatest Generation

When someone mentions the ‘The Greatest Generation’ usually the first thoughts to come to mind are veterans of World War II and age. As Freemasons, our first thoughts are more likely to be that these are the Brethren that grew our Lodges into what they are today and these are the Brethren that are dying by the thousands each year. I wonder though how many would have thought, "potential candidate?"

Sixty, 50, and even as recent as 40 years ago this would have been the norm. Tens of thousands of veterans of World War II sought membership into our Fraternity as a way to continue on with the friendship and brotherly love that they had experienced during the war. Sadly, with the passage of time, this candidate pool has dwindled and perhaps until now appeared to have dried up. But, when the members of Lucasville Lodge No. 465 received a petition from a well-known local veteran it was as if we had ‘caught a fi sh out of our old favorite fishing hole that we thought had run dry .’

Brother Ora Picklesimer, of Lucasville, received the Entered Apprentice Degree on the evening of February 23, 2017. Brother Picklesimer is a 92 year ‘young’ veteran of World War II. He has long thought favorably of our institution and at last decided that he would like to become a part of it. Realizing that this would be a one-of-a-kind event, and perhaps the last of its kind, the Master, Worshipful Brother Dwayne Hood set out to make it a special one. Much of the work was conferred by Brethren who are also veterans, many of whom had served during the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars.

It was truly an historical evening and a great night for Freemasonry.

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