Angelo G. Coppola, Sr., 32°
1940 Waterside Drive, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116

Freemasonry teaches many great and important lessons, all of which are designed to make us heroes in our work, church, community, and home.

As a boy, I grew up playing sandlot baseball, and for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it means to play baseball anywhere you can put down four bases and a pitching mound. Sandlot baseball is played without umpires, without a backstop, without strikes and balls, and with lots of shouting and carrying on from both teams. I never saw a baseball field with mowed grass or a baseball with a cover until I began playing in the Babe Ruth League at the age of 13.

Like any other kid my age, I grew up with heroes. For the most part, they were ball players like Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams, "Pee Wee" Reese, and Jackie Robinson. I was also impressed with Captain America and Captain Marvel. Like the live baseball heroes, my cartoon characters always represented good over evil. Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier in major league baseball. "Pee Wee" Reese proved a little guy could play in the majors with big guys. Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, and Ted Williams were home-run sluggers with Dimaggio still holding the record of 57 straight games with at least one hit.

Recently, I was watching an interview with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals. A few years back, Mark broke Roger Maris's home-run record of 62, which held up for more than 30 years, by hitting 70 home runs in one season. He did it with poise and dignity similar to the heroes I mentioned above.

He also did his contract extension the same way. The Arkansas Democrat/Gazette noted: "McGwire negotiated the extension to his contract himself with the Cardinals. . . . With an average salary of 15 million dollars, McGwire ranks about eighth in baseball. He could command far more money if he became a free agent after this season, perhaps even topping the average record of $25.2 million a year set by Alex Rodriguez. McGwire has never been interested in receiving top dollar and wants to remain in St. Louis." McGwire went on to say that if an individual could not live on 15 million dollars a year, he had a real problem.

Just when you think athletes no longer have any kind of loyalty and are only motivated by greed, along comes a Mark McGwire. Men and boys alike can look up to him as a role model. Although Mark McGwire began his baseball career in Oakland, he will go into the Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Cardinal uniform. Maybe, just maybe, a second statue will be in front of Bush Stadium in St. Louis.

In Freemasonry, we can also become a Mark McGwire. It will not be by hitting home runs in a major league ballpark. Our home runs will come with what we do in Lodge and for our fellowmen. Masonry teaches many great and important lessons, all designed to make us heroes in our work, church, community, and home. We will not be represented in bronze in front of Bush Stadium, but we will be heroes among those we love and serve.

Angelo G. Coppola, Sr. is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a doctorate in public school administration. He has served as a teacher, principal, superintendent of school, Arkansas State Department of Education employee, and presently is the Deputy Director for the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. A retired Naval Officer and a member of the Executive Board for the Quapaw Council Boy Scouts of America, Dr. Coppola is also a Past Master and presently the Secretary of Albert Pike Lodge No. 714 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a member of the York Rite and began serving as the Grand Chaplain for the Grand Lodge of Arkansas in February 2001.