Meet RWB James “Chip” Smith, Junior Grand Deacon
On Masonic Inquiry nights at his home Lodge, Right Worshipful Brother James “Chip” Smith is usually the first Brother a prospective candidate meets. He shakes each hand, makes eye contact, and finds a way to ask the same underlying question: why are you here? If the answer is “to learn your secrets,” Brother Smith has a gentle response ready: save your time, and save your money.
That's not because he's guarding anything. It's because forty-seven years into his own journey through fraternalism, from DeMolay at 15 to Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. today, Brother Smith has come to believe the real value of Freemasonry has nothing to do with passwords or handshakes. It's the quieter work of becoming a better man alongside Brothers who are doing the same.
We sat down with Brother Smith to talk about his Masonic journey, his first year on the Grand Line, and what he wishes every new Mason understood on his first night in the Lodge.
The Power of Fraternalism
Brother Smith’s Masonic journey began early. “The reason I’m a Mason today is that I was a DeMolay when I was 15,” he said. He was active enough in the organization to serve as a state leader in Indiana, and the fraternal experience left its mark.
College brought another version of the same thing. He joined Sigma Phi Epsilon and, later, served in the United States Navy — two more brotherhoods built on shared experience. But after leaving the Navy, he found himself missing the fraternal spirit he’d known since he was a teenager. Petitioning a Masonic Lodge was the natural next step.
Twenty-six years later, Chip is a member of Hesperia Lodge No. 411, where he served as Worshipful Master in 2022 and 2023, and Poseidon Lodge No. 1184, where he served as Worshipful Master in 2024 and now serves as Treasurer. He is also part of Jacques DeMolay Lodge No. 1919, where he also serves as Treasurer. His appendant body affiliations include the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Grottoes International, Shriners International, Allied Masonic Degrees, and Red Cross of Constantine.
When asked what makes brotherhood in the Craft feel different from the other fraternal groups he’s known, Brother Smith’s answer was simple. “It’s that common experience that we have, more than anything,” he said. “We all go through the same initiation. It creates a bond, for lack of a better word. If you know, you know.”
Brother Smith’s Grand Line Journey
Brother Smith was installed as Junior Grand Deacon last fall, taking on the most junior position in Illinois’ progressive Grand Line. His motivation for seeking the role was straightforward. “I really want to see Freemasonry continue to exist, and I’d like to see it thrive,” he said. “The best place to do that within the structure of Freemasonry is to be involved in the Grand Lodge.”
In his first year in the role, he and the Senior Grand Deacon, RWB Christopher Both, have partnered on several new initiatives. Chief among them is an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) rollout to Masonic buildings across the state — a life-saving addition that had not previously been standardized statewide. The Grand Lodge is also beginning work on a Masonic War Memorial in Illinois to honor Masons who serve or have served as veterans, active-duty military, and first responders, including paramedics, firefighters, and police officers.
For his own part in the room, Brother Smith described the Junior Grand Deacon role as an apprenticeship. “Being in the room when we’re talking about membership objectives, talking about how we want to implement and deliver our charitable efforts within Illinois… I’ve had a great opportunity to be part of that conversation and, when asked, to provide some input.”
If everything goes well, in about ten years, he will be Grand Master.
The Best Part of the Junior Grand Deacon Role
Brother Smith didn’t hesitate to answer. “Getting out and traveling to parts of the state that I normally would not have gone to, and meeting Brothers that I have not met before. That is absolutely my favorite part.”
The answer flows from something he said repeatedly during our conversation: “I love being a Mason, and I love being a Mason because I love spending time with my Brothers.”
How the Grand Line Can Challenge You
Brother Smith has always considered himself a strong time manager, but this past year has tested that reputation. He owns a consulting firm that provides financial and accounting services to Chicago-area nonprofits and currently serves as the outsourced Chief Financial Officer for roughly 60 organizations. He is winding the business down to focus more fully on his Masonic work, though he acknowledged with a laugh that he is behind schedule. In the meantime, he is essentially juggling two full-time jobs.
The other challenge is less about hours and more about heart. As part of Grand Lodge leadership, Brother Smith is involved in some of the more difficult conversations that come with any large fraternity — the moments when Brothers fall short of expectations, and the Grand Lodge serves as, in his words, the “court of last resort.” Navigating those situations with fairness and care, he said, has been one of the harder parts of the year.
Advice for Brothers Just Starting Their Masonic Journey
Because Brother Smith is often the first Brother a prospective member meets on Inquiry night, he has spent a lot of time correcting misconceptions.
“If you’re here tonight, and your whole motivation for being a Freemason is that you want to learn our secrets, I’m going to tell you right now: save your money,” he said. “It’s not worth the time investment or the money if you’re only interested in learning our passwords and a couple of handshakes — because while we have that stuff, that has nothing to do with the heart of being a Mason.”
His actual advice starts on the other side of that misconception. “Come into Freemasonry with an open mind. Spend time with your Brothers. Listen to the Masonic education. Try to take some of that stuff into your own daily life,” he said. “That’s the secret. That’s what’s going to be impactful on your life, your family’s life, your community. It’s going to make you a better man, and it’s going to make you a better Mason.”
A Moment that Changed Everything
When asked what has impacted him the most on his journey, Brother Smith paused, his voice shifting. The most profound experience of his 47 years in fraternal life is not one he wanted, but it is one that has changed the way he shows up in Lodge.
A young Fellowcraft in his Lodge, a man who had come to Freemasonry through the online Masonic inquiry system, took his own life. He was 27 years old.
“We missed it,” Brother Smith said. “All of us missed what was going on behind the smile, what was going on behind the eyes.”
For Brother Smith, that loss became a personal turning point. Now, when he shakes a Brother’s hand at Lodge, he doesn’t let go until he has had a real moment of eye contact. If something tugs at the back of his mind, he doesn’t ignore it. He stops, listens, and follows up. Since then, he has personally identified two Brothers in crisis and helped connect them with the resources they needed.
The experience also fueled his commitment to the Grand Lodge’s push to provide suicide prevention resources. The Senior Grand Deacon has been the champion of that effort, and Brother Smith shared his own story with him to underscore why it matters.
“It’s so easy when we show up, and there are 30 guys, and your goal is to get through the room and say hi to everybody,” Brother said. “But maybe spend a little bit longer with them, to see if there’s a tug at the back. It’s visceral. You feel it.”
If you or a Brother is struggling, help is available.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 — call or text 988. For more, visit our Illinois Freemasonry suicide prevention resource page.
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RWB James “Chip” Smith is just at the beginning of his Grand Line journey. In ten years, if everything goes well, he will be Grand Master. In the meantime, he will be somewhere on the road — showing up at a Lodge he has never been to before, shaking every hand, and taking a little bit longer to look each Brother in the eye.
Interested in learning more about Illinois Freemasonry leadership? Read our profiles on Grand Master Joseph B. Ferrell, Deputy Grand Master Jim Williams, and more.
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Right Worshipful Brother James "Chip" Smith serves as Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. He has been a Freemason for 26 years and is a member of Hesperia Lodge No. 411, Poseidon Lodge No. 1184, and Jacques DeMolay Lodge No. 1919, along with several other Illinois Lodges. Outside the Craft, he owns a consulting firm that serves as outsourced Chief Financial Officer for roughly 60 Chicago-area nonprofits.
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The Grand Line is the progressive line of Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. officers who advance year by year toward the office of Grand Master. Junior Grand Deacon is the most junior position on that progressive line. A Brother installed as Junior Grand Deacon can expect to serve as Grand Master roughly ten years later, taking on broader responsibility at each step along the way.
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Under current leadership, the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. is rolling out Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to Masonic buildings across the state — a life-saving addition that had not previously been standardized across the jurisdiction. The Grand Lodge is also beginning work on an Illinois Masonic War Memorial to honor Illinois Masons who have served as veterans, active-duty military, and first responders, including paramedics, firefighters, and police officers.
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The Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. is actively promoting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — a free, confidential resource available 24/7 by call or text. The push has been championed by members of the Grand Line, informed by personal losses within the fraternity, and is supported by a suicide prevention resource page.
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According to Brother Smith, the real value of Freemasonry has nothing to do with passwords or handshakes. New Masons who come in with an open mind, spend time with their Brothers, take Masonic education seriously, and gradually bring its lessons into daily life get the most out of the fraternity — becoming, in Brother Smith's words, better men and better Masons.