The Starlight Fellowcraft Degree

And Emeth BBQ Contest 2026

Just a few short months from now, you will have the opportunity to witness the ‘The Greatest Fellowcraft Degree Experience In The History Of The World!’

That’s right, the absolute best of the best; the Starlight Fellowcraft Degree!

Photo by Ryan Hutton on Unsplash

We’ve been doing this Degree for a lot of years now, and it just keeps on getting better and better.

This year it will take place:

Saturday, September 26, 2026

At Quilcene-Jefferson Lodge, in beautiful Quilcene, Washington.

What is it?

I’m glad you asked!

The Starlight Degree is a Fellowcraft Degree performed at night, in the dark, under towering trees in Quilcene’s wonderful outdoor Lodge Room.

Now, before you ask, every year people get in touch with me, asking the same question:

‘What time does the Degree start?’

I’m sorry, but I don’t know. It’s impossible to know. It’s not that I’m ornery, I just can’t know.

The Degree begins as soon as it is dark outside. If it’s cloudy, it gets dark earlier, if it’s clear, it gets dark later. I don’t know, we start when it’s dark.

That said, you don’t really need to worry about that, because you should come for the whole darn day!

Yep, that’s the trick!

And you can do that because we have the Emeth Annual BBQ contest that very same day!

If you want to compete in the contest, come as early as you need to come in order to set up your gear and get cooking. We don’t really have any rules for this contest, just cook what you are great at cooking, and a lot of it so that everyone can eat! After everyone does, we vote on what we like best, and we award trophies to the winners!

It’s easy, it’s fun, and it tastes great!

But everyone should feel free to spend the day at the Lodge.

We’ll cook a simple little lunch while the contest entries are doing their thing low and slow. That gives us the whole day for some of the most amazing Masonic fellowship.

Then around dinner time, the BBQ contest entries will be served.

After that, it’ll be dark, and the Degree will begin.

We’ve got a worthy candidate from Damascus Lodge this year. He came to the BBQ contest last year and had so much fun that he decided to Petition a Lodge so that he could participate in everything.

Bring the family, bring a friend or two who you think might make a good Mason.

It’s always amazing fun!

More details will come as the event grows closer.

(And no, if BBQ’ing isn’t your thing, you don’t have to come and cook. We need lots of people eating too!)

Plus, something new this year, we’ll have Starlight Degree challenge coins! All proceeds from the sale of these coins will go to support Quilcene-Jefferson Lodge.

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Looking for more from me? Everything I wrote last week can be found over on my LinkTree.