GREENFIELD — The Pilgrim Degree of Merit is the highest honor that can be given to a Moose Lodge member, and for Greenfield member John Andrews, receipt of the award comes from his lifelong commitment to serving the community.
The Moose Fraternity is a charity organization with key missions that involve supporting children and seniors. With more than 1 million members across all 50 states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain, the organization contributes between $75 million and $100 million worth of community service (counting monetary donations, volunteer hours worked and miles driven) annually, according to the Moose International website.
For Andrews, this lifestyle of community service and togetherness was something that was taught to him from a young age.
Growing up in the Greenfield Moose Lodge as a child, John and his four brothers and sisters were in and out of the Moose Lodge with their father Richard J. Andrews, who was a former governor of the Greenfield Moose Lodge in the 1970s. Before his death, John’s father asked him “to keep an eye on the lodge” and that has been John’s commitment ever since.
“It’s always good to give of yourself, and it’s a special feeling,” John Andrews said, encouraging others to join a fraternal organization to give back.
Andrews, who is recently retired from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and was involved with the construction of Greenfield High School, joined the Moose Lodge on Sept. 18, 2007. In addition to serving on and chairing many Moose Lodge committees, he has held the titles of trustee, treasurer, junior governor, governor, administrator and junior past governor of the Greenfield Moose Lodge. He also served as deputy supreme governor in 2020 and is currently serving as the Moose Legion Ambassador through 2027.
When asked what role has stood out for him most, Andrews mentioned the administrator position as having been particularly active. His services as administrator peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he found himself routinely working 50 to 60 hours per week.
“It’s like an executive director of a nonprofit — you’re in charge of legal, finances … pretty much everything under the sun,” Andrews said.
In addition to serving at nearly every level of the lodge, Andrews emphasized that helping organize and participate in community service and charities is a big part of being involved with the Moose. Two key initiatives are the Mooseheart Child City & School, a 1,000-acre residential child care community near Chicago, and Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community in Orange Park, Florida, for Moose Lodge members ages 65 and older who have served for at least 15 continuous years.
When Andrews became an admissions counselor for Moosehaven, he realized just how impactful the reach of the Moose Lodge can be.
“That is when I was really hooked, when I saw what we did for seniors, and being a part of helping to change somebody’s life,” he said.
Locally, the Greenfield Moose Lodge runs a recurring bingo night, the proceeds from which are routinely donated, and participates in the annual Relay For Life event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The building itself, at 20 School St., is available for use by other community groups, such as the Marine Corps League Oak Ridge Detachment and the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) weight loss support group.
“Community service is the third leg of our Moose Lodge,” he said. “We do help children in need, senior members and community service, and our community service is a big part of our operations. We do give a lot locally, and so does the Moose organization as a whole. We really explain that to our members when they join, that not only do we like you to offer and give to our fraternity, we want you to give to our local city as well.”
For his commitment to service, Andrews was awarded the Pilgrim Degree of Merit at the end of May, one of only three people from Massachusetts on the 2026 awards roster.
“Only lodge members who have served their lodge, advanced to the Moose Legion and volunteered further are considered for this degree,” the Moose International website explains. “Generally, it is attained only by devoted members who have given many years of service to and for our program. They have volunteered to cook, clean, serve as an officer, mentored others and been fraternal leaders along the way.”
Later this year, the Greenfield Moose Lodge plans to hold a celebration for Andrews on Saturday, Sept. 26, where he will receive a formal gold blazer during a robing ceremony before his family and fellow members.
“It’s quite an honor. It’s the highest degree that the fraternity gives to any individual,” Andrews said of his reaction to receiving the Pilgrim Degree of Merit. “It’s good to be rewarded for hard work, because I did dedicate myself to that lodge.”
With the local Moose Lodge experiencing membership decline, Andrews emphasized the importance of orienting and training new members to carry on the charity work.
“It’s always great to get outside of your own little piece of the world and help others,” Andrews said.
For more information about joining a local lodge, visit mooseintl.org.