A Fanfare for the Common Man
Diligence and the Common Gavel
Today I am proud to bring you a Guest Post from Brother Dustin Phelan.
Dustin was raised in Verity Lodge here in Kent, Washington back in 2023 where he is currently serving as Senior Warden. He also serves on the Grand Lodge of Washington’s Photography Committee, which keeps him very busy visiting Lodges and events around the Jurisdiction.
I’ve been honored to get to know Dustin these past years, and am pleased to bring you his essay today.
You can find him here on Substack here.
A Fanfare for the Common Man
Diligence and the Common Gavel
Aaron Copland composed the musical score “Fanfare for the Common Man” not to celebrate kings, generals, or heroes, but to honor ordinary individuals who perform essential work. The music expresses dignity without boastfulness and power without spectacle. This spirit reflects a core aspect of Freemasonry. The Craft is rarely shaped by extraordinary men performing remarkable feats. Instead, it has been built over time by ordinary men who choose to do ordinary tasks with care and attention.
One of the simplest symbols in Masonry is the common gavel. It is not ornate, nor does it measure or decorate. The purpose of the gavel is humble: to remove roughness from the stone. This is not accomplished in a single blow; rather, the work must be done through repeated, patient effort-stroke after stroke, each one small, each one necessary. Constant, diligent work is what leads to real improvement.
In an age that prioritizes speed, visibility, and instant gratification, diligence is often overlooked. Diligence lacks drama and draws little attention, yet without diligence, nothing lasting is formed without it. A stone struck once may crack; a stone shaped patiently endures. The same holds true for character. No single meeting, lesson, or moment defines a Mason. He is sculpted by quiet preparation, by repeated effort when unobserved, and the willingness to return to the work again. Most of this labor receives no applause. It happens before or after meetings, or far from the lodge entirely, yet this unseen work gives the lodge its strength.
Diligence does not require brilliance or exceptional talent. It requires faithfulness. One small effort, repeated consistently, will accomplish more than occasional bursts of enthusiasm. The Mason who improves himself a little at a time is performing work of lasting value, even if it goes unnoticed.
Freemasonry does not ask its members to be extraordinary or perfect. It asks them to be sincere. To show up prepared. To take their obligations seriously. To improve steadily rather than dramatically. In this sense, the common Mason-the man who labors quietly in the quarry, who practices patiently, who returns to the work without complaint-is worthy of honor. There may be no trumpet announcing his effort, no public recognition of his preparation, but Masonry itself is his monument.
Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” reminds us that dignity does not come from applause, but from purpose. The common gavel teaches the same lesson; stroke by stroke, effort by effort, it shapes something fit for the builder’s use. There may be no fanfare for the man who works quietly, but Freemasonry was built by him and for him.
Work Cited
“Fanfare for the Common Man - “The Presidents Own®” U.S. Marine Band.” YouTube, 21 September 2014,
Accessed 17 January 2026.
Thank you for sharing Brother Dustins post! He provides some excellent points for consideration in his article. Ultimately our ability to continually show up and put in the work is what turns the tides. Being consistent matters.
Thank you MW Cameron for sharing this.