Companions,
As we move further into this year, I find myself reflecting not just on what we are doing—but how we are doing it. There is a quiet but powerful shift taking place within our Council, and it is something worth recognizing.
What gives me the greatest sense of pride is this: I am surrounded by men who are willing to do the hard, often unseen, and certainly uncelebrated work. The kind of work that is not glamorous, not always enjoyable, and rarely recognized—but absolutely necessary. The work of reviewing finances, correcting processes, making difficult decisions, and ensuring that what we are building today will stand long after we are gone.
In the lessons of the Royal and Select Master degrees, we are taught about preservation—about safeguarding that which is most valuable so that it may endure. The Companions who labored in the secret vault did not do so for recognition. They worked in silence, in darkness, and with purpose, knowing that their efforts would benefit generations yet to come.
That lesson is not symbolic alone—it is practical.
Right now, we are doing that same work. We are strengthening our foundation. We are ensuring that the next generation of leaders who come after us inherit a Council that is stable, functional, and prepared—not one burdened with unresolved issues or neglected responsibilities. A Council where future leaders can focus on what truly matters: teaching, mentoring, and conferring our beautiful ritual with excellence.
And as a natural result of that work—not as a goal, but as a byproduct—we find ourselves in a position where, should the Council choose, we could pursue the Zabud Award. Not because we set out chasing recognition, but because we have simply done the work: conferring degrees, educating our Companions, and strengthening the body as it ought to be done.
There is something important in that distinction. Honors mean more when they are earned through faithful labor, not pursued for their own sake.
There is something deeply meaningful about knowing that the work we are doing today may never be fully seen or appreciated—but will be felt in the strength and longevity of this body. That is true Masonic labor.
I am grateful—truly grateful—to stand among Companions who understand this and who are willing to carry that responsibility.
Let us continue this work together, quietly, steadily, and with purpose.
Fraternally,
James A. Clark
Thrice Illustrious Master
Vernon I. Bartlett Council No. 183