As a deputy commander for the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and a law enforcement officer for more than 35 years, Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Albert knows the importance of having activities and hobbies outside of work. As a Freemason, he has not only gained valuable knowledge and contributed to community service — he also recently earned a high-ranking statewide position.

During the annual meeting of the South Carolina Grand York Rite Bodies, members installed Albert — a 32-year veteran of the Highway Patrol — as the Most Excellent Grand High Priest for the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina. This year-long position serves as the presiding officer of the statewide Chapter, and also represents South Carolina at other state Grand York Rite meetings.

“I’m proud. It’s an opportunity to get out and keep the York Rite going in South Carolina,” Albert said. “Being a Freemason cultivates your mind. It’s about thinking and serving and doing good for mankind.”

Freemasonry is considered to be one of the oldest fraternal groups in the world, going back to its formation in London in the 1700s. Today, there are 5 to 6 million Freemasons worldwide, according to Freemason.com. In South Carolina, there are more than 20,000 Master Masons and about 2,200 Royal Arch Masons, according to Albert.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Albert joined the Ridgeway Masonic Lodge #30 A.F.M. in 1990 when he was 21. But his involvement tapered after he became a husband and father.

Once his children grew up and left home, Albert became more involved with his local lodge, especially after taking a law enforcement leadership class about 15 years ago. He recalled the instructor telling the troopers: “You need to have something outside of law enforcement to keep you grounded.”

“You can become consumed by the job,” Albert said of being a law enforcement officer. “If that’s all you live and breathe and think about day in and day out, you lose touch with the common person — and that’s who we are and who we serve as troopers.”

While freemasons are steeped in tradition and history, their members are from various demographics, walks of life, professions, and faiths. That rich diversity is what makes participation so rewarding, Albert said.

“A lot of the members are older. You really learn a lot from hanging out with those older guys, and they have a lot to teach,” he said. “With the younger guys coming in, you’re able to pass on some of those ideals and ways of living.”

One of the guiding principles of Freemasons is service to others, Albert said. For his local lodge in Ridgeway, that includes scholarships for college students, helping brothers in need, or purchasing necessary home appliances for widowed spouses. The Grand Chapter has a longstanding partnership with Royal Arch Research Assistance to help fund research and treatment for children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

“Charity is a big thing with the Freemasons,” he said. “It goes from the local level all the way up to a more global level with things like the Shriners Hospitals for Children.”

For Albert, being part of the Grand York Rite is not just about building camaraderie and serving his community. It’s that outlet he believes every law enforcement officer should have, which allows him to continue serving the Highway Patrol and the State of South Carolina to the best of his ability.