California Freemason: How did you first get involved with Redlands № 300?
John Weitzel: Back in the early 2000s, someone at work mentioned Freemasonry to me, so for almost 20 years, it had been in the back of my mind. Then, much later, another guy from work said he belonged to a lodge, and so I found my way into Redlands. I walked in cold to a stated meeting dinner. I didn’t know anybody, but I went home that night and told my wife, “I just met all my new best friends.”

CFM: What was it that struck you about that group?
JW: Everybody had the same goals. When you’re making new friends, having the same goals just makes that process so much easier and faster.

CFM: That feeling of brotherhood must have registered with you.
JW: At that point in time, I was looking at my life, and my career was on track, my family was on track, my kids and my wife were good. But I didn’t have anything for myself. So I was wondering, What am I doing for me? And what am I doing for my community? So initially, I was looking for more of a social hangout. But as I started learning the ritual and the lessons, that part really took hold of me. Now it’s my favorite part of Freemasonry. I find myself reading the ritual all the time, just trying to reinterpret it. Every time you learn something new, it changes what you know about something else. So it’s like a never-ending cycle of learning.

CFM: You’ve just been installed as lodge master. What are your goals for this year?
JW: I’ve set my sights on having activities. Lodge can get boring if you’re just showing up and listening to the secretary read the minutes of the last meeting. So we’re trying to implement some education during lodge events and also putting on social activities—a camping trip, some baseball games, a deep-sea fishing trip, and maybe even going to the demolition derby. If you build those friendships first, then the rest follows.