As one of my duties as a Junior Steward, I must assist in the preparation of meals and refreshment for our Lodge. Fortunately, we have open dinners only once a month (with the one exception so far of the Grand Master's visit). After one month in, I've learned a couple of things.First, and probably most importantly, is patience. Patience to prepare, patience to plan, and patience to cook. I also learned patience through the entire application process before getting my first degree. Living near Washington, D.C. is different from back home. Everything is rushed and fast paced; except for the traffic. The patience I have learned gives me pause to reflect on goals and ways of achieving them.
Second, I've improved my cooking skills. I'll admit, that even after being married for two years, I still cook like a bachelor. Improving variety and styles each month at the Lodge will probably assist back at home. And I'm sure my wife won't mind.
Third, I've had time to reflect on the jewel of a Junior Steward. The cornucopia. A symbol representing plenty, and usually seen in the U.S. around Thanksgiving, reminds me to be thankful for the many blessings I have; more especially that of nourishment.
Next time, I plan on blogging about the other duty I have. That of preparing the candidate.
