“It’s not summer without a snow cone from the Masons!”, the woman exclaimed as Bro. Zach Rubenfeld handed her a heaping portion of ice with a variety of rainbow colors. This reaction and excitement happened 815 additional times (even once for the Mayor!), as Officers, Brethren, and friends of William R. Singleton-Hope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7 (Singleton Lodge) volunteered at the 30th Annual Glover Park Day last Saturday. Glover Park Day is an annual festival that brings together thousands of people from across Washington. For eight of the past nine years, Singleton Lodge has staffed and volunteered a table at this festival to connect with the local community. For the past four years, the lodge sponsored a bouncy house and served free snow cones to all commers.
But the best visit of the day came from the Mayor of DC, herself – Muriel Bowser. Though she didn’t partake in a snow cone, she thanked the members of the Lodge for their service and dedication to the community. Throughout the day, members also had conversations about the Fraternity. Quite a few people shared how their grandfather or father was a Mason back home. Others asked questions about what we do and how they could join the fraternity. It takes a lot to make Glover Park Day successful. This year the Lodge made 816 snow cones, requiring 7 gallons of snow cone mix, 48 bags of ice, and a whole lot of help from a number of brothers, including: Bro. Graham Keithley, Bro. James Brock, RW Bro. Adam Tager, Bro. Zach Rubenfeld, Bro. Jeff Hawn, Bro. Bilal Sleiman, W. Bro. Jason Lebowtiz, Bro. Luke Hertzel, Bro. Sam Johannes, Bro. Mike Rudolph (All the way from Boston!), Bro. Andrew Uhlman and Bro. Fred Edwards (of The Patriot Lodge No. 1956 in Virginia), and M.W. Bro. Jeff Russell, our Grand Secretary.
Singleton Lodge stared their involvement in the festival in 2010, when the Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge at the time, RW Bro. Jeffrey D. Russell, brought the opportunity to the attention of Worshipful Brother James W. Mitchell. Given the lodge’s proximity to Glover Park and their In addition to Glover Park long-standing tradition Day, Singleton Lodge of community service, also participated in an it seemed like a natural “all shift” meal for first partnership. In addition, responders in the District. Glover Park was named Brethren from Singleton and several other Lodges came by Glover Park Each year the Citizens for Charles Glover, the to man the snow cone machine Advisory Council for the first Master of William R. Second District of the Metropolitan Police Department hosts an Singleton Lodge and a very engaged and involved civic leader of “all shift” meal for police, emergency medical service, and fire Washington in the 19th century. personnel. This annual event helps to provide a delicious meal for While this was only the fourth year the Lodge has served snow these first responders throughout the course of the day, as well as cones, it has become an informal tradition for Glover Park Day snacks that they can pop in for and to enjoy. It is a small way that attendees. For many festival goers, this would be their first snow the community uses to thank them for the often-dangerous work cone. But most surprising was the couple in their 40’s, who hadn’t they do for them. Companies, community organizations, and even heard of the delicious frozen treats before. concerned citizens cook, bake, donate, and volunteer to make this annual event a success.
30 The Voice of Freemasonry ISSUE 2, 2019
