Thanks MM, I knew there was some good reason. I was sitting beside one of the brothers’ wives, and I asked her the same question, but she offered no
explanation (of course). She did tell me that in OES (she is a Past Worthy Matron) that the seat in the North is occupied, but not in Blue Lodge.
It really was a great ceremony. Once the installation was over, they called up the family of the newly made Past Master, and thanked them for their
support throughout the year. I guess his family chipped in a lot with cookouts and various events throughout the last year. They gave his wife a
certificate of appreciation. It was very much heartfelt and you could tell it meant a lot to his family. When they brought the outgoing Master up to
receive his recognition, they gave him a plaque with the lodge number, etc. engraved on it, and it also had a gavel attached to the plaque. The man
was literally almost in tears as he spoke to the brothers, telling them how much it meant to him to be given the honor of being Worshipful Master of
their lodge for the last year. There were many chuckles when someone asked him if he was glad that it was over and he answered with a resounding
“YES!” (smiling and laughing all the while, of course ). You could just feel in the air the kind of relationship these men have with each other. They
also gave him a pocket knife (this is Arkansas, remember

) with the S&C engraved on it, and a Past Master’s apron. The whole thing was really
touching, and I just had a really good feeling in my heart having witnessed it.