My Story: Worshipful Brother Brad Lankford, K.Y.H.

During World War II, my grandfather became friends with several Masons. Their behavior made my grandfather decide that he, too, wanted to be a Mason when the war was over. The WW2 generation is generally regarded as “The greatest generation”.

About twenty years ago I was taken by how divided we were as a nation. I felt as though there had to be things that I could do to make my family better, to make my church better, to make my community and state better. In short, I wanted to make America great again. At the time this wasn’t a controversial phrase. I looked to what my grandfather, and men like him, did. They went to church. They went to work. They joined civic organizations that helped people. The phrase “God, Family, Country” was written in everyone’s hearts.

I was doing “some” of that. I went to work. I went to church. I was praying for my community, state and nation. However, I wasn’t a part of any group or civic organization dedicated to anything greater than their immediate community. I looked to the example of my grandfather and asked to become a Mason. As Robert Frost stated, “and that has made all the difference."

I became a part of a society of friends and brothers. I am a part of a group that donates over a million dollars per day to various charities. We donate to Special Olympics, to Shriner’s hospitals, and everything in between. We feed the poor, we build Alzheimer treatment and research centers. We work to help with the adoption of “hard to place” children through Adopt America. We provide scholarships. The Masonic Model Student Assistance Program (MMSAP) enables core teams of faculty and staff to effectively identify and refer at-risk youth. This three-day intensive training seminar is provided to local schools by the Freemasons of Ohio.

I am not just a man, I am a Mason.