There are nights in the Lodge that you know will be historic—elections, installations, and milestones. But on December 3, 2025, I was caught completely off guard by a recognition I never expected to see attached to my own name: the William “Bill” N. Wood Meritorious Achievement Award.
This isn’t just a certificate on the wall. At Unity Lodge No. 146, this award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Lodge and the community. But there is a catch: Every single Past Master must agree on the recipient. Knowing that the men I have looked up to since day one all sat in a room and reached a unanimous decision to honor me is, frankly, still hard to wrap my head around.
Meeting a Legend
I only met Bill Wood once, long before I ever petitioned to become a Mason. At the time, I didn’t understand the depth of his impact. It wasn’t until I took over managing the Lodge website and began the “tech and specs” work of digitizing our old trestleboards that I truly “met” him. Through articles and photos, I saw the man he was through the record of his work and the adoration of the brethren.
I didn’t know Bill Wood well enough to feel the sharp, personal pain that many of my senior brothers felt when he passed. I hadn’t sat in the lodge with him for decades, or shared the same deep history they’d had.
But I could feel it from them.
I have sat in on memorial services for our veterans, where Bill’s legacy was the centerpiece of the program, drawing a large turnout of supporters. I watched for many months as our Lodge Charter was shrouded in black in his honor, and I felt the tangible pain of his loss through the men I looked up to—men who were devastated by the passing of their mentor.
A Promise Kept
Because of that respect, I’ve made it a point to honor him in my own way. I’ve stood at his grave during Wreaths Across America to lay a wreath in his memory, a small gesture of thanks for the foundation he built for us.
To go from laying a wreath at his grave to having his name placed in my hands by the Past Masters is a journey I never could have scripted. It feels surreal to stand in the footsteps of the giants who came before me.
The “Mayor” and the Mission
During the presentation, the Worshipful Master shared words that resonated. He mentioned the nickname the brothers, and people in the community, have given me—“The Mayor of Front Royal”—and noted that the name doesn’t even do justice to the “efforts and goodwill” I try to bring to our community daily.
Hearing that from the man who first reached out to me from the lodge was a powerful reminder of how much my life has changed. I grew up in a tradition that discouraged public service and civic leadership. Today, thanks to this fraternity, I am a man rooted in service, charity, and community. Freemasonry didn’t just give me a hobby; it shaped me into someone I never expected to become.
To my brothers: Thank you for believing in me, guiding me, and inspiring me to keep growing. The work continues.
