Steven G. Casciola, 32°, K.C.C.H.
PO Box 2385, Beverly Hills, California 90213
steve@saloncity.com

A member's lifelong sense of the brotherhood of humankind finds fulfillment in Freemasonry.

Today, when I am sitting in Lodge or attending a Masonic event, I often reflect on our family of Freemasonry and the true depth and meaning of our brotherhood. I give thanks for the unique opportunity to be one of the current links in this great Fraternity's centuries-old lineage of outstanding Brethren. For me, contemplating these bonds opens a new world of appreciation for the term extended family.

My first recollection of a timeless bond with others occurred in the early 1950s when I was a child growing up in Phoenix. While walking through a field near my home, I recall picking up a rusty, old, blade-like, metal object. I still remember smelling the metal and instantly sensing the spirit of the Native Americans who had walked that land before me. It seemed they asked me to remember and honor their lives. Now, many years later, I look back at that personal experience as my first conscious connection to the timeless brotherhood that embraces all humankind. In the field that day, my extended family was born, suddenly enlarging itself to transcend time and space.

My bonds of brotherhood continued to grow in my adult years. After college came a singing career that took me all over the country. I learned invaluable lessons on the road. I remember "Moose," my African-American drummer, who helped me overcome shyness about black culture and lifestyle. We wound up bonding as "soul brothers." Having this connection with him and the thousands of other fine people I met traveling through America made me confident about the value of extended human relationships. I experienced firsthand how each community had long family traditions and permanent bonds. I vowed to discover the beauty of all people, regardless of their origin and type. They were all brothers and sisters to me.

Now, many years later, I give thanks for those people who helped me see the potential greatness in every person. High school teachers, neighborhood gardeners, and master citizens from all walks of life contributed to my awareness. Because of their influences, my extended family has become a diverse array of people. Still today, I try visiting all parts of a city, getting to know the young and old, affluent and poor, traditional and avant-garde. They all have a place at the timeless family table of humankind.

Masonry only came into my life 14 years ago, yet it seems the fulfillment of all I have lived before. Raised a Roman Catholic, my upbringing was of American/Italian heritage. I had no prior knowledge of the existence or purpose of our Fraternity. I was, however, seeking truth through a still stronger tie of brotherhood, and I found it in the Lodge. I was extremely fortunate to have a wonderful mentor, Brother Manly Palmer Hall, the prolific author and humanitarian who, unfortunately, passed to yet greater work above on August 7, 1990. At first, I was not aware he was a 33° Scottish Rite Mason and the recipient of our Order's highest honor, the Grand Cross. In my innocence, I asked him simply and directly, "What do you think about the Masonic Fraternity." He replied, "I cannot think of a finer organization than Freemasonry for a good man to join."

That was all I had to hear! Again making a vow, I determined to become a better man, and I petitioned Burbank Lodge No. 406, Burbank, California. Later, in 1992, I was honored to serve this Lodge as Master. When Manly Palmer Hall, who was also a minister, married my wife, Annie, and me, we were surprised to see how many Masons and their families turned up. Our extended family was indeed growing and now included many new Masonic friends.

Today, as a Freemason, I am still traveling across America, and the doors of our timeless Brotherhood are open wider than ever before. In an odd way, Masonry has brought me home to my innermost yearnings for meaningful relationships. What an exciting experience it is to sit in Lodges where George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Boone, and other great American Masons once sat. And who knows what future world leaders will be sitting in these same Lodges in this new millennium?

Freemasonry is a timeless bond like no other. For myself, the family of Freemasonry has been a Godsend, and as we enter this new century, it's good to remember we are all world citizens, marching forward together, as one beautiful universal brotherhood and extended family committed to unity, hope, and compassion.

Steven G. Casciola is a Past Wise Master in the Pasadena, Calif., Scottish Rite Valley, Jr. Past President of Chanters at Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles, Past Master of Burbank Lodge No. 406, a member of St. John's Lodge No. 9 in Seattle, Washington, and served on the California Grand Lodge Speakers Committee. He was a Scottish Rite Fellow at the 1998 Leadership Conference.