WESTFIELD-Heaping piles of French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage awaited area residents who enjoyed a community breakfast at the Masonic Lodge on Easter Sunday.
Melvyn Hook, Christopher “Chico” Colon, Neal Liptak, Dale Williams and Dave Masters Jr. work behind the scenes at the monthly community breakfasts at the Masonic Lodge.
Throughout the year, members of the Mount Moriah Lodge serve up hearty breakfasts on the first Sunday of the month and members of Mount Orthodox Masonic Lodge AF & AM serve up their homestyle breakfasts on the third Sunday. Breakfasts are conducted from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 72 Broad St.
Dave Masters Jr. coordinates the logistics for the breakfasts and has kitchen helpers including Melvyn Hook, Joe McGavin, Christopher “Chico” Colon, Neal Liptak and Dale Williams.
Masters noted that the Mount Moriah breakfasts have been conducted for 11 years and feature a cooked-to-order (served at your table) menu including biscuits with gravy, home fries, omelets (cheese, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions), eggs (scrambled, sunny side up, over easy, over hard), French toast, pancakes, white or wheat toast, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and orange juice.
Joe McGavin chats with Sandy and Jon Flagg during the Mount Orthodox Masonic Lodge AF & AM community breakfast on Easter Sunday.
“We enjoy offering these breakfasts to the community,” said Masters, adding it is a “great value for all you can eat.” The cost for the Mount Moriah breakfast is $7 for adults and $6 for seniors and kids (children under age eight are free).
Hook noted that the Mount Orthodox Lodge started a community buffet breakfast four months ago. The cost for its breakfast is $6.
“Since our organization is always looking for ways to get involved with the community, the breakfast is reasonably priced and it is also a nice way to meet people,” said Hook.
Both lodges are committed to community service and are always looking for ways to help the Greater Westfield area.
“As masons we are builders,” said Hook, adding that raising awareness of their organizations and seeking to build relationships with others in the community is important to their mission.
During a quiet moment Sunday morning, Mount Moriah Lodge Past Master Jon Flagg and his wife Sandy were chatting with Joe McGavin over coffee.
“Since I am having Easter dinner I only had the French toast and eggs,” said Sandy Flagg while Jon Flagg admitted with a big smile, “I had a little bit of everything.”
Jon Flagg added that he was also there to support members of the Mount Orthodox Lodge.
“We attend each other’s monthly breakfasts because it is a great value and we have to support each other,” said Jon Flagg.
Breakfasts by both lodges are planned in May and June and then will take a summer hiatus. The Mount Orthodox Lodge will start its fall breakfasts in September and then in October, both lodges will be back in full swing for the year.
On a related note, the lodges are participating in the Westfield Earth Day clean-up on April 22, starting at 8 a.m. Later in the day, a family style meatloaf dinner is also planned from 6 to 9 p.m. which is open to the public. The menu includes meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, salad, roll, broccoli florets and dessert. Tickets are $10 at the door.
