Canton man installed as Master of Blue Hill Lodge

Jonathan Arata finds that being a Freemason is very rewarding. In the six years since he joined the Blue Hill Masonic Lodge, he has developed strong relationships with his fellow Freemasons, or “brothers,” as he says, and has risen in the ranks all the way up to Master, the top position. His inauguration to the elected position took place during a ceremony on October 5 in Stoughton.

Jonathan Arata is installed as the Master of Blue Hill Lodge, A.F. & A.M.

Blue Hill Masonic Lodge, A.F. & A.M. was originally formed in Canton in 1863, but realizing that it could no longer afford the upkeep of its building on Church Street, the lodge sold it in 2018 to a Haitian church group. That building is now known as the Rehoboth Baptist Church of Boston, and Blue Hill shares space with Stoughton’s Rising Star Lodge.

This means that Blue Hill Lodge has returned to its roots, as it had originally grown out of the Stoughton group, which was founded in 1775. It currently numbers about 70 members, all men. Arata, a New Jersey native and Canton resident for almost 25 years, noted that the lodge is very diverse in other respects these days, having evolved from its previous white, upper middle-class identity. There is a wide range of ages (23-98), religions, professions, and cultural backgrounds, which Arata described as a “wonderful thing.”

Arata said that members tend to share interests (besides the lodge itself) in golfing and gaming — activities that help bring them together. He also shares those interests, which contributed to the quick growth of his involvement.

Already interested in Freemasonry at the time of the release of National Treasure, the 2004 movie starring Nicolas Cage, Arata learned more from the movie. (He noted that the movie’s depiction of the organization is “mostly accurate.”) His interest grew, and once his kids were grown and out of the house, he thought more about joining when he realized he had no real male friends. The lodge’s move to Stoughton seemed like a good time to join.

Arata soon knew it was a good fit. “It’s a band of brothers who are trying to lift each other up,” he said.

As a former military man, he had missed the camaraderie and structure that are often mentioned as rewarding by-products of being in the service. Arata noted that Blue Hill’s membership includes a good number of former members of the military as well as former members of Scouting and current first responders.

Arata himself is a mechanical engineer, not someone who works with stone. He explained that while Freemasonry grew out of the stone-cutting guilds of medieval England and Europe, there is no connection with the profession of masonry today, other than some vocabulary and the use of the architect square and compass tools as symbols.

Blue Hill Lodge supports a variety of charitable causes in the area. It sponsors scholarship programs at Canton High School and Blue Hills Regional Technical School and maintains contacts at the schools in case a student needs something that the lodge can fulfill. The group also supports Cotting School in Lexington, which serves children with disabilities and which Arata’s autistic son attends. Through the Aleppo Shriners, a Freemasonry “appendant body,” or affiliate, the lodge supports Shriners Children’s Boston, a burn care specialty hospital.

Next spring, on April 18, the lodge will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Stoughton group at a big event planned partly as a fundraiser. Open to the public, the event will take place at the Canton Town Club and will highlight the achievements of Paul Revere, who was an active Freemason. Arata said the lodge hopes to involve the Canton Historical Society and Paul Revere Heritage Site in the planning.

Arata said it’s a misconception that Freemasonry is a secretive organization. There are rituals that can seem mysterious to outsiders, but those, he said, have more to do with the long history and established traditions that help bind members together than a desire to self-isolate. Furthermore, the organization is not a religion as is sometimes claimed. It strongly encourages a belief in a Supreme Being, and the buildings sometimes have the old name of “temple,” but Freemasonry has no theology or sacraments.

The installation ceremony, which was open to the public, was a formal, solemn event, with the traditional rituals conducted by a visiting group, the kilt-wearing Kilwinning Club, another appendant body. Arata said the formality of the event served to remind him of the “serious obligation to do his job well.” He noted that the brothers expect wise leadership from the Master, who functions as the all-powerful boss of the lodge.

For his own part, Arata has every intention of restraining any impulse he might have toward exercising his power inappropriately. He plans to rely on his senior warden, fellow Canton resident Bill Kerr, to call him out if needed. He generally sees his role as a “servant leader” who will abide by the lodge tradition of avoiding any divisiveness and instead focus on uniting and uplifting his brothers.

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Posted by Candace Paris on Nov 1 2024. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.