ALBANY — For centuries, conspiracy theorists spun crazed tales of Masonic lodges ruling the world alongside such powerful as the Knights Templar, a medieval military order, to Osiris, Egypt's green god of the underworld. Yet the day before Albany's Masters Lodge No. 5 celebrates its 250th anniversary, member James Best had a less cosmic obsession.
"Tablecloths — I'm worried I won't find enough nice white tablecloths for Saturday's banquet," said Best, who serves as junior warden, an office akin to vice president. "We didn't hire a caterer. The Masons wanted to make the feast themselves."
Two lodges that share the beautiful Renaissance Revival downtown building will hit their 250-year mark this weekend — the Ineffable and Sublime Lodge of Perfection along with Masters' Lodge No. 5. The latter has more than a milestone to celebrate; it counts many millennials among its culturally diverse membership. Its current worshipful faster (similar to a club's president), Pablo Hiram Rivera Jr., is Puerto Rican. The senior warden, or second in command, is attorney Joel Pierre-Louis, a Haitian American.
"After World War II the Masons lost members because people perceived them as too focused on old-fashioned ceremony," said Michael Hernandez, 28, the historian for No. 5 and other lodges. "But hit movies like 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'National Treasure' awakened a lot of interest among millennials in joining the Masons. And we've prized diversity for centuries so we fit in fine with current times."
As far as religion is concerned, Hernandez says members must believe there is a higher spiritual power in the universe. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists meet that requirement. But atheists do not.
"We have nothing against atheists and joining the Masons is not like joining a religion," said Hernandez, who works for the state Senate. "You don't even have to give a name to your faith because we leave it up to the Mason to define the higher power. But Masons see belief in a spiritual power higher than ourselves as part of being a responsible man."
George Washington, Winston Churchill, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Chief Justice Earl Warren, Jesse Jackson, Oscar Wilde and Shaquille O'Neal all became Masons. No. 5 proudly displays a photo of FDR (with New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia a few steps away) visiting the lodge.
The headquarters at 67 Corning Place was designed by the Albany architects Fuller & Wheeler and has grace notes like ionic columns, pillars, orbs, and stained-glass windows. The interior has changed over the years with the card-playing-and-smoking room becoming the billiards room in the smoke-free building. No. 5's website photo shows young members with their cue sticks in the room on a game night.
Hernandez says Masons ordinarily don't discuss religion at meetings which they regard as a time for fellowship rather than worship. They call each other "Brother" even in casual conversation and seem to cherish spiritual nourishment through friendship. Lodge Secretary Alex Dalis is an example of how precious the Masonic experience, especially the 250th anniversary, can be.
"I am very excited about it and have delayed chemo treatment a week so I can attend this historic event," Dalis said. "I'm very proud of our long history as well as a resurgence in interest and membership not only in Masters Lodge but also across New York state and the country."