Junior Grand Warden
R∴W∴ John Elias Karroum was born in Damascus Syria. He attended and graduated from College de Peres Lazaristes and Damascus University Medical School and then graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1974.
R∴W∴ Karroum received the Three Symbolic Degrees of Freemasonry as a member of Zahle Lodge No 1047, Chartered by The Grand Lodge of Scotland in Zahle, Lebanon, in 1977. He is a life member of his mother Lodge. He then immigrated to Venezuela, where his family lived and where he worked as a General Practitioner for two years. In 1979 he moved to the United States to pursue a higher education in Medicine. He became Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and in Dermatopathology. He practices his specialty and has been the Medical Director of Broward Medical Lab in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since 1997.
R∴W∴ Karroum joined Boynton Lodge No 236, F. & A.M., in 2001 and served as Junior Steward, Senior Deacon, Senior Warden, and as Worshipful Master. He also served as Secretary of his Lodge from 2007 through 2015. He has served his District in various Committee Chairmanships from 2004 through 2014. He served as District Deputy Grand Master for M∴W∴ Jim J Harris in 2011 and as District Instructor in 2007. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Home for five years. He served as Admissions and Relief Committee Chairman for one year and Chairman of the Budget Committee of the Masonic Home for the past three years. He was elected to the Office of Junior Grand Warden on May 26, 2015 at the 186th Annual Grand Communication.
R∴W∴ Karroum is a 32° KCCH Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Lake Worth, Lake Worth, Florida, and continues to be an active supporter of the Scottish Rite. He is also a proud member of the Palm Beach York Rite Bodies, Mahi Shriners, AAONMS, and is a member of the Royal Order of Scotland. He is Gold Card Perpetual Member of Boynton Lodge No. 236 F. & A.M. and Apalachicola Lodge No. 76 F. & A.M.
Brethren,
First, my Brothers, I want to thank you for the vote of confidence you bestowed upon me at our 186th Annual Grand Communication. It is an honor and privilege to serve the Craft as Junior Grand Warden.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks and eternal love to my lady CAROL. She traveled with me on almost all of my trips to keep me company, and mostly to keep me awake and safe. She was my guardian angel. We enjoyed all of the places we encountered, and most importantly, we enjoyed the Brotherly love and friendship shown to us in every District and every Lodge we visited.
My Brothers, I divide Masonry into three parts. First, is the esoteric part which has existed from time immemorial and should never change. Remember, “Freemasonry is a system of morality vailed in allegories and illustrated by symbols.” Freemasonry is a moral institution.
Second is the social part which includes all of our social activities, festive boards, Grand Master’s Official Visits, etc...
Third, is the business part which includes running our Lodges and keeping them open to the members and new potential candidates. This is our biggest challenge, to stabilize our Lodges financially and to keep them alive into the twenty-first century.
My Brothers, we have a lot of work ahead of us to improve and build a stronger fraternal organization. The younger generation presents the biggest challenge as they bring new technology and modes of communication that we have to keep up with if we want them in our midst.
My Brothers, let’s exchange ideas and work together for the betterment of Freemasonry. I am responsive to pursue new ideas and to work with the Craft for a better future.
Fraternally yours,
John E. Karroum
Junior Grand Warden