John T. Brobst Jr. of Tamaqua was installed as a District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at Pulaski Lodge #216 in Pottsville and will preside over seven lodges in the 58th Masonic District for a minimum of five years. The 112,000 Freemasons and 430 lodges in the commonwealth are organized into 52 Districts, each lead by a District Deputy Grand Master.

As a District Deputy Grand Master, Brobst is appointed by the Grand Master to serve as his personal representative to the lodges in the district. The Grand Master is the presiding officer in the state. Jay W. Smith of Lancaster is the 119th Right Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania for 2012-2013.A Grand Lodge is the governing body that ensures the activities of the lodges and members comply with its constitutions and regulations; it also maintains the uniformity of the centuries-old initiation ceremony candidates experience when they become members. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest Grand Lodges in the Western Hemisphere having celebrated its 275th anniversary in 2006.The 58th Masonic District is comprised of the following lodges: Schuylkill Lodge 138, Orwigsburg; Pulaski Lodge 216, Pottsville; Cressona Lodge 222, Cressona; Swatara Lodge 267, Tremont; Ashland Lodge 294, Ashland; Frackville Lodge 737, Frackville; and Valley Lodge 797, Valley View.Raised in Tamaqua, Brobst attended Tamaqua Area High School. He is the emergency management coordinator for the Schuylkill Health System in Pottsville. He and his wife Sabrina, have one child, Derick.In 1996, he began his Masonic career by joining Pulaski Lodge #216 in Pottsville. He served as the Worshipful Master, or presiding officer, in 2002, 2003, and later in 2005. Masons use the original definition of "worshipful," meaning "honorable;" English mayors and judges are still addressed as "Worshipful".Freemasonry seeks to bring together men of every country, religion, race, level of education, income, and opinion and develop the bonds of friendship between them. Its members are encouraged to value principles, ethics, and morality and to live their lives accordingly. By "making good men better," the goal of Freemasonry is to positively benefit its members, families and communities.For more information, call (800) 462-0430, or visit

www.pagrandlodge.org.