September is always a busy month for Ubar Grotto. Freemasonry in Pennsylvania traditionally takes a break during the summer months, but when the trees change color and the air cools, it’s back to work for the Prophets of Ubar. This past weekend was especially busy thanks to two events.
One of the biggest shindigs in Pennsylvania Masonry is Autumn Day, held at the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. This event is essentially a big open house for Freemasonry. The community and the fraternity are invited on to the grounds to explore and learn. This provides a great opportunity for Masonic groups to get their name out there and recruit new members. For the second year in a row, Ubar had a fantastic booth, located on prime real estate. It’s estimated that several thousand visitors passed by the Ubar booth, possibly trying to avoid the silly men in black fezzes.
More than a dozen Prophets manned the booth throughout the day, handing out petitions and smiles in equal measures. There were even members of Delco Grotto, located in Broomall, PA, and Aahmes Grotto, located in Binghamton, NY, on hand at various points. The chants of “Ubar, Ubar!” could be heard through the facility while the members danced along with the bands playing nearby. Many visitors commented that they enjoyed the moves of the dancing Prophets as much as they did the music!
Another addition to the booth were the wonderful girls of Harrisburg Area Roller Derby, who came out to support the Grotto that sponsors them. They handed out information on Derby to many of the visitors and did some recruiting of their own. It was a great chance for our members to connect with the girls from the team and we certainly look forward to cheering them on next season!
While Saturday was in the bag, there was still a stated meeting to complete on Sunday. Close to 30 Prophets, representing almost half of the membership, came out to participate in the sympathy and good fellowship. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic meal, followed by a fun and riotous business meeting. After the meeting was out of the way, Pro. Scott Smeltzer shared his passion for home brewing with the crowd. He polled the Prophets present and is now in the process of brewing a batch just for the members of Ubar to sample. Thanks go out to Scott for a great program!
While September is in the bag, Ubar still has a lot of work ahead. The PA Grotto association meeting is coming up on Octber 5 & 6, which is sure to please. Later in the month, the Grotto will hold its last Ceremonial of the year, inducting several new Prophets. We look forward to seeing everyone at these events!
