Please introduce yourself. Tell us your name, where you’re from, how long you’ve been an Ohio Mason, your home Lodge, and any leadership positions you’ve held within Ohio Freemasonry.
I am Randy Clark and I grew up in Milford, Ohio, an eastern Cincinnati suburb, where I was active in DeMolay and then joined Milford Lodge #54 in 1988. Because of my vocation, I moved around Ohio and was honored to serve Freemasonry in several of those places. I was Master of Felicity Lodge #102 in 1999 and later served as a District Deputy Grand Master in the Sixth Masonic District. I am currently a member of Dayton #147, Nova Caesarea Harmony #2, and Caliburn #785.
I have served on various Grand Lodge Committees over the years, including Education, Masonic Youth, and Membership. In 2024, Grand Master Paul A. Weglage appointed me as Grand Chaplain. I have likewise been the Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and the Grand Council, Royal and Select Masons. I have served the Ohio Council of Deliberation, AASR, NMJ, as its Prior since 2017.
What does the Grand Master’s theme of “Be Legendary” mean to you?
It is such a great rallying cry for Ohio Masons. To me, it calls to mind our past, shrouded in legend. We step into a stream of legend and tradition that flows out of a distant past and into a bright future we haven’t yet seen.
Our Grand Master’s theme is also a challenge — a call to labor personally for my own betterment and growth. It asks every lodge in Ohio to seek excellence and to take seriously and to seek what makes Freemasonry unique.
What advice would you give to younger members who might want to step up in Ohio Freemasonry, and why?
Freemasonry is a journey — it takes time to understand our culture and traditions. It takes a lifetime to grow into the Mason we can and should become. To use our Grand Master’s theme, becoming legendary requires an investment of both time and labor. Our three degrees are based on a real-world system of apprenticeship that suggests a long journey of learning, refining, and improving. It is also a journey taken in a group. We need to attend lodge, but we also need mentors. True masters of our craft who can help us as we grow. I have been at this awhile, and I still have mentors who help me on the journey. Find a mentor to labor beside you and be willing when the time comes to mentor others on their way.
We understand you’ve been a Mason for almost 50 years. What has been your motivation to come back to lodge every year?
For most of my adult life, I moved regularly for work. One of the first things I always found was the nearest lodge. Often, local Masons found me before I found them! In a world that can be challenging and isolating for all of us, there is a power and comfort for me in knowing that there are Brothers and friends waiting out there wherever I travel. My wife and I are relocating to another state in a few months – exciting but also frightening. But there are new friends and Brothers I don’t know waiting for me there.
Read more Be Legendary features with Bro. Richard Graeter, Bro. Richard Snow, and Bro. Joe Shilling!