1932 Ridge Road, Ontario, NY 14519
GPS Longitude:-77.28773839999996 / GPS Latitude:43.2218518
Meetings 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, September through June
Master's Message: Installation Ceremony [May 27, 2026]
Brethren,
As I stand before you tonight, humbled by the trust you have placed in me, a line from a song echoes in my mind: “Everybody’s searching for a hero; people need someone to look up to.” (REF: Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston)
But in this Lodge, in this sacred space where we meet on the level, the hero
is NOT the Master in the East.
The hero is ... each one of you.
Freemasonry has never been about elevating one man above another.
It is about
calling every man to rise, to lead, to shine, and to build.
The gavel may rest
in my hand, but the true strength of this Lodge rests in yours.
Tonight, I ask each of you a question, one that only you can answer:
Why are you a Mason?
Not why you joined.
Why are you still here?
Are we here for titles, chairs, and regalia?
Or are we here because we want to change something,
In our community, in our Lodge, and most importantly, in ourselves?
Our motto has always been “making good men better.”
But improvement does not
happen by accident.
It requires honesty, courage, and the willingness to
confront our own rough edges.
It requires us to be better communicators,
better listeners, and better brothers, especially when situations test our
brotherly love.
And when we achieve this, the world will notice.
Our families will notice.
Our community will notice.
Men outside these walls will see something steady,
something noble, and they will want to know where it comes from.
That is how Masonry grows, not through slogans, but through the way we live,
the way we treat each other, and the way we carry ourselves when no one is
watching.
If we want membership to flourish, then our actions must give others
a glimpse of what is possible here.
Brethren, many men today are suffering in silence.
Men are isolated after
divorce, after a move, after loss.
They are searching for purpose, belonging,
and brotherhood.
We can be that light.
This Lodge can be the place where a man finds hope again,
where he finds purpose again, where he finds family again.
But only if we stop going through the motions.
Only if we stop treating our
meetings as obligations and start treating them as what they truly are:
opportunities to grow, to serve, and to inspire.
Brethren, this is a new season, a season of renewal and purpose.
A season where
every man in this room steps forward, not to look for a hero, but to be one.
Let us build something worthy of the men who came before us, and inspiring to
the men who will come after us.
Let us be the light that others are searching for.
Thank you, my Brothers.
May the Great Architect guide our steps in this new journey together.
Fraternally,
W∴ George M. Bauerschmidt
Master
Master's Message: Award Ceremony [June 10, 2026]
Brethren, families, friends, thank you for being here.
This annual picnic is more than a gathering.
It is a moment of gratitude, renewal, and a visual reminder of who gives Wayne Lodge #416 its heart and its purpose.
I see our newly installed Officers, families, longtime supporters, and brothers, all in the same place.
A reminder that a lodge is not built by stone or timber.
It is built by people with the determination to make something better.
By the quiet sacrifices that no one ever sees, but that many benefit from.
And look at what has already been accomplished in just the past 20 years, by brothers who are no longer with us, but whose work still stands.
There is something I didn't say during my installation, and I'm grateful to have an even wider audience here to say it now.
I want to thank Worshipful Brother Bill Martin.
Bill led this lodge through a season that demanded strength, honesty, and courage.
He made difficult decisions when they were necessary.
He brought our budget into focus.
He handled hard situations with the quiet firmness that the role of Worshipful Master demands.
And he brought something entirely new to our lodge, our first Revolutionary War themed Table Lodge.
For those who were there, you know exactly what I mean.
And today’s chicken BBQ, this incredible meal we’re sharing, is another example of the work he puts in long before anyone arrives.
Bill carried this lodge while carrying a personal grief that no parent should ever have to endure, the loss of his son.
And yet he showed up.
He led.
He served.
He kept this lodge moving forward, not for recognition, but because that is what leadership does.
Bill, I want you to hear this clearly: I am proud to stand on your shoulders.
I am honored to carry forward the work you began.
And I will do everything in my power to be worthy of what you built.
I also want to recognize our Secretary, Brother, Right Worshipful Master, Mike Cholach.
I've learned quickly that every Master has a backbone, and ours is Mike.
He is the steady hand behind the scenes for many years now: the organizer, the communicator, the technical guru, and the one who keeps the gears turning even when no one is watching.
Mike and I have been working together on our lodge website, waynelodge416.com, where you'll soon find the new trestleboard and updates on everything coming up.
We want it to be a resource every brother actually uses.
Check it out, bookmark it, and tell your family about it.
And to everyone who supports this lodge in ways large and small, whether you're elbow-deep in fish and fries, setting up tables, cleaning the kitchen, or simply showing up when your presence was needed, thank you.
I will not take it for granted.
Our 2027 Fish Fry is already on the horizon, and I'm asking now, while we're all together, to make it our most ambitious one yet.
Let's stir the pot and raise the bar.
Brothers, at my installation, I asked a question, "Why are you a Mason?", and I left it rhetorical.
In September, I'm going to ask everyone of you for an answer.
Because your reasons matter.
Your motivations matter.
Together, our vision for what this lodge can be, that matters most of all.
If we understand why we are here, then we can understand where we are going, and we can map out that journey together, instead of simply hoping we get somewhere, eventually.
That is how Wayne Lodge grows.
Not just in membership, but in meaning.
Not just in numbers, but in purpose.
Not only for the next generation, but for ourselves, right here, in the time right now that we share together.
I did not accept the role of Master to keep things exactly as they are.
I accepted it because I believe that this lodge has more to offer, mostly to ourselves but also for our community.
We have something most organizations can only dream of: a properly cared-for historic building, a brotherhood built over many generations, and a solid foundation of ideas ready to implement.
That is our strength, let's use it for a more noble and glorious purpose.
This is our chance to make Wayne Lodge #416 not just a place we attend, but a place that changes us.
Let us support one another with sincere brotherly love, not because we have to, but because we choose to.
Let us work together with purpose, humility, and strength.
And let us be the light that others are searching for and may the Great Architect guide our steps in this new journey.
Fraternally,
W∴ George M. Bauerschmidt
Master