Freemasonry is a post-collegiate mostly-all male fraternity dedicated to the social development of the member to form a broader sense of the self and their community.
BRYCE ON BUSINESS – A lesson of loyalty in the workplace, and in life.
In the office, we like to believe our fellow co-workers will back us up when push comes to shove. Actually, we’re being quite naive when this occurs. To illustrate, there was a systems manager in Chicago who had grown weary of the petty politics practiced by his boss, the I.T. Director. Projects were late, none of the systems were integrated, end-users were unhappy, and they found themselves in a constant fire-fighting mode (maintenance) as opposed to conquering new challenges. Instead of implementing discipline and organization, the Director played political games pitting his workers against each other, and morale deteriorated. The systems manager’s staff was unhappy and frequently vented their frustrations to him. Conditions got so bad, the manager told his staff he was going to march into the Director’s office, register a formal complaint and threaten that he and his department were prepared to resign. Everyone thought this was a bold and imaginative move which they endorsed.
The Director listened patiently. When the manager was finished, the Director asked for his resignation which the manager produced on the spot. The manager then collected his belongings, told his staff what had just occurred, and said he would be in the bar down the street if anyone would like to join him afterwards. To his surprise, nobody joined him.
Despite what the manager’s staff had told him, that they would resign en masse, they balked. The manager had drawn his confidence from his staff and was sure they would follow him out the door. He was surprised when not one person followed. It was a difficult lesson to learn.
Who has got your back? As the manager discovered the hard way, nobody. There will be times in your life when you are angry over an issue or someone. Your contemporaries may encourage you to act, but the truth is, you are on your own. Think twice. If you threaten to resign or stage a coup d’etat, understand two things: someone will inevitably call your bluff, and; realize you are doing this on your own. Your friends and co-workers may not feel as passionately as you do and may fear for the safety of their careers. In other words, you are advised to speak for yourself and do not rely on the support of others. It will not materialize.
The truth is, co-workers may do favors for you, but do not expect them to watch your back when push comes to shove. In such occasions, it is every man for himself.
The lesson learned by the manager is simple: Speak from your own convictions, not someone else’s.
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
Ever drive along in a car and suddenly an old tune comes to your lips, perhaps something from your childhood? Recently, I found myself blurting out, “Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!” Frankly, I couldn’t remember the name of the song, which I found rather irritating. This caused me to look it up through an Internet search engine. Remarkably, it was:
“Three Little Fishes” (click for Lyrics)
This was introduced by Kay Kysor and featured Ish Kabibble. The words and music were by Saxie Dowell and the song was a US No. 1 hit in 1939. Here’s a sample of the lyrics:
Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool
Swam three little fishies and a mama fishie too
“Swim” said the mama fishie, “Swim if you can”
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!
And they swam and they swam all over the dam
I cannot explain why I recollect this song as it certainly wasn’t from my generation. Perhaps I remember it as a song from childhood. Whatever the reason, I found it remarkable I could recall it. Actually, there are a lot of old-time songs cluttering our minds. They’re not particularly complicated, in fact they are rather simple with a catchy tune. We may not remember all of the words for these nonsense songs, as I call them, but we readily recognize the chorus. Let me give you a couple of other examples.
Oh, I went down South
For to see my Sal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
My Sal, she is
A spunky gal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well my fairy fay
For I’m going to Lou’siana
For to see my Susy-anna
Singing Polly wolly doodle all the day
(Copyright http://elyrics.net; click for Lyrics)
The song was first published in a Harvard student songbook in 1880. It was used in several movies, including Shirley Temple’s “The Littlest Rebel,” as well as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” This was another song I remember from childhood.
I’ve been working on the railroad
All the live-long day.
I’ve been working on the railroad
Just to pass the time away.
Can’t you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn;
Can’t you hear the captain shouting,
“Dinah, blow your horn!”
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow your horn?
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow,
Dinah, won’t you blow your horn?
I don’t know how I came to learn the lyrics for the song, but I did. Maybe it was in kindergarten or on a children’s television show.
“Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay” (click for Lyrics)
The song originated in the 1880’s. Although everyone knows the chorus, “Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay,” I do not know a soul who knows the rest. Even the chorus was bastardized to make a childish joke.
“Buffalo Gals” (click for Lyrics)
This was published back in 1844 by a gentleman named John Hodges. The song was a favorite in western movies, particularly on pianos in saloons. It was also used in Frank Kapra’s iconic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where George (Jimmy Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) sing it as a duet. It was also used as the theme song for the movie. The chorus should be familiar to a lot of people:
Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight?
Come out tonight, Come out tonight?
Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight,
And dance by the light of the moon.
“Skip to my Lou” (click for Lyrics)
This song dates back at least to the early 19th century, maybe earlier. The song was used in early square dancing and may have originated in Scotland (“Lou” is Scottish for “Love”). “Skip” meant trade partners on the dance floor. The chorus was quite simple:
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou, (3x)
Skip to my Lou, my darlin’.
“Jimmy Crack Corn”
Originated in the 1840’s, probably in the South. Like the rest of the songs herein, we knew the chorus well, but not the rest of the piece.
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
When I looked this one up, I was surprised to see it was quite racist by today’s standards. So much so, I hesitate to include them herein (you can look it up yourself).
I find the durability of these songs interesting, even though we know them primarily by their chorus lines.
“Daisy Bell” (click for Lyrics)
A classic from the “Gay 90’s” was “Daisy Bell” as composed in 1892 by Harry Dacre. It was made particularly popular in the modern era movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” whereby the spaceship’s computer, the HAL 9000, attempts a mutiny and must be shutdown. As it fails, it reverts back to an old song it was taught by its instructor, “Daisy Bell.” The chorus is still familiar to a lot of people:
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage
But you’ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle made for two.
“Witch Doctor” (click for Lyrics)
Produced by David Seville and the Chipmunks in 1958, it became a kid classic over night, primarily due to its chorus of, “Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang.” The song did so well, it went on to become number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
“High Hopes” (click for Lyrics)
This became a popular Frank Sinatra song written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn in 1959 for the film, “A Hole in the Head.”
Next time your found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant
But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your gettin’ low
‘Stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant
The song became incredibly popular not just with grownups, but with children as well.
None of these tunes were particularly complicated, just simple songs to brighten our day. These were not children’s rhymes but legitimate adult songs that were playful in nature. Their strength was in their catchy wordplay. More than anything, they were designed for simple fun, and not to make a statement of any kind. As such, they tend to stay with you longer than you think. The fact I was humming, “Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!” over fifty years after I learned it should denote its durability.
It’s interesting how we clutter our minds. Besides, they were all the “Bee’s Knees!”
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
NEXT UP: WHO HAS GOT YOUR BACK? – A lesson of loyalty in the workplace, and in life.
LAST TIME: THE MEANING OF TRAITOR – Another history lesson for our youth; Benedict Arnold and today’s terrorists.
Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) “The Town Square” with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern), and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington “The Morning News” with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube.
BRYCE ON LIFE – It is not a frivolous gesture, but represents something significant; your word.
If you haven’t noticed, the handshake has been slowly going the way of the Dodo bird. If you watch sporting events, particularly at the youth level, you are more likely to see fist “bumps” or the slapping of hands as opposed to a genuine handshake. These variations of the handshake likely came from pop culture.
The handshake originated from Medieval times when combatants would greet each other with open hands, thereby indicating they were not holding any weapons and could be trusted. Over the years it has evolved into a single hand as opposed to both. With this background in mind, I always believed in giving a firm handshake and look the other person square in the eye. I am not a fan of limp-wrested handshakes, nor do I like a vice-grip shake denoting a contest of some kind. “Glad-handers” are those who work the room saying hello to everyone but not making eye contact; politicians are notorious for this.
When my son came of age, I taught him how to shake hands and greet someone. I believe he still offers a good handshake. These are things fathers need to pass on to their sons, and daughters as well.
The handshake used to mean something meaningful, specifically, your word. For years, a handshake was as good as a contract. Evidently, not so anymore. I have a friend who recently wanted to sell his Les Paul guitar. He went down to the local music store and negotiated a deal with the proprietor to sell it for him. Once they came to an arrangement, they shook on it. This surprised the proprietor who asked my friend, “Don’t you want a contract?”
My friend responded, “Do we understand each other about the terms?”
“Yes,” the owner replied.
“Is your word your bond?” my friend asked.
“Yes.”
“Then we have a deal don’t we?”
The proprietor was taken aback and commented to my friend how this seemed unusual to him. Refreshing, but unusual. He claimed most of the young musicians frequenting his shop wanted some form of contract, and didn’t comprehend the concept of a handshake. I’m not sure why this is, I can only suspect the influence of lawyers. However, if you do not trust the person you are going to do business with, then it will not matter whether it is a written contract or a handshake. In my friend’s case, which wasn’t exactly a major business transaction, it worked out to be a mutually agreeable arrangement.
Back in the mid-1970’s, when we first started doing business in Japan, a delegation from Tokyo approached us to serve as our representatives. We found the Japanese to be tough negotiators, but after we came to consensus, a handshake was all that was necessary to seal the deal. We, of course, signed an agreement later spelling out the terms, but this was nothing more than a formality. Over the many years we did business in Japan, not once did we ever refer back to the paper agreement, just the handshake.
The declining value of the handshake represents another indication of the erosion of our morality. It means we no longer trust each other and are suspicious of the other person’s intentions. Some people will shake, slap, or bump anyone. Not me. If I do not trust you, I certainly will not shake your hand, just as the Medieval combatants wouldn’t. To me, I place a lot of value in the handshake. I would hate to believe that people today think of it as nothing more than a frivolous gesture or as a means to transmit germs.
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
Just recently, I decided to bring to life a little project of mine that began somewhere back in 2007. The “project” evolved as a series of short works, or treatises, on the degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.
The project had an purpose, one that I followed through its course. Slowly, the pile of works grew to encompass 12 near complete works, many at written at great pains of research and time. But what was I to do with them?
I wanted to do something more with them than to publish them onto the web. I felt like they deserved better than that, they needed something to encapsulate their content.
Then it came to me.
Earlier this year, I finished Richard Kaczynski ‘s biography on Aleister Crowley, Perdurabo, and something struck me. One of the driving forces behind Crowley’s work, despite all the hype and hyperbole, was that he wanted to communicate it to the world. More so, that he was driven by the idea of having to let the world know what he had discovered in the pursuit of his passions. I was feeling the need to do the same; I needed to get these ideas out of my head and out of the drawer that the sat quietly in and into a medium where they could live beyond the pixilated computer screen and sink into the zeitgeist of modern Masonic esoterica.
So began the “little project.”
I’m sure I will be talking more about the project in the weeks and months to come, but for now, if you’re interested in seeing what this little project is about, you can read more on it here, at Kickstarter.
I haven’t said much about the project because I don’t want to give too much away just yet, I want the work to do that. What I will say is that the work thus far is an exploration of Freemasonry and it connection to the Kabbalah and how that is reflected in the working of the Scottish Rite degrees. I’ve let a few people read it and each has said that it offers a lot of food for thought with one saying that it bridged the “…disconnect between my expectation and the reality of [the first degree] initiation.”
Personally, I didn’t think I would be writing this so soon but stunningly, my project has reached its campaign goal in just under six days. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. If you would like to still be a part of my little project, you can still contribute. Every bit will go towards making this book that much better. My stretch goal, with anything left over from the campaign, is to get the text translated into Spanish and French and then look at publishing it into those markets as well. Your further help and support can help make that happen.
– Do not despair, try writing a list of the positive things in life instead.
I was having a cigar with a good friend recently where we were lamenting about the state of affairs in our government, business, and the country in general. It’s easy to be negative when events do not turn out as you expect them. However, I made the observation people tend to overlook the blessings in their lives, those events, however large or trifle, somehow had a profound effect on our lives. I then started to enumerate mine:
FAMILY – I was fortunate to know both sets of my grandparents, and one set of great-grandparents. I listened and learned from them. My parents were go-getters in business and in life generally; they were a hard act to follow. I was incredibly fortunate to find a wonderful woman who has put up with me for over 30 years. I quickly discovered when you take a wife, you also take her family and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her side. More importantly, I was present for the birth of my children, which was a life altering experience for me. To watch them grow up to become fine people, and graduate from school, that is hard to top. Both my wife and I made an effort to become an important part of their lives. It may have been hard work, but it was certainly rewarding.
ENTERTAINMENT – I was lucky to see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964 and watch their “Mania” turn into a phenomenon. Although I saw many rockers over the years, in 1968, I had the rare privilege of seeing Jimi Hendrix in Cincinnati and Rock and Roll was never the same for me. I also enjoyed different tastes in music and was lucky to have seen Frank Sinatra in person near the end of his career. I visited Las Vegas before it grew into a family environment and saw some great acts, including Don Rickles and the Smothers Brothers in their prime.
SPORTS – As a youth I watched hockey, basketball, football, baseball, and the Olympics. In football, two players left an indelible impression on me, Joe Namath of the Jets (offense), and Dick Butkus of the Bears (defense), both revolutionized the game. I also have fond memories of our High School football team, not just winning games but the camaraderie involved with teamwork. To this day, I occasionally have dreams of “suiting up” for a game. As to baseball, I was a Yankee fan as a kid (early 1960’s), but more importantly, I was privileged to witness the rise of the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati, culminating in World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. They had four MVPs on the team, a multitude of Golden Gloves and Silver Bats, many All-Stars, and four Hall of Famers (including Rose). I do not believe the world will ever see another team like this again, which is why my interest in baseball is waning. I was also privileged to coach Little League over the years, both boys and girls, and watch my kids grow into fine adults. One last thing, I was lucky to see the great racehorse, Secretariat, in the Kentucky Derby.
FISHING – I fished a lot in the streams of Connecticut as a kid, and did my share of salt water fishing, but it all pales in comparison to fly-fishing in a fresh water stream. I have had the rare opportunity to fly-fish in various parts of the country. North Carolina is where I currently fish, but I have a special place in my heart for Montana.
SPACE – I grew up watching NASA’s Mercury program and knew the names of all of the astronauts. This was followed by the Gemini and Apollo programs, culminating with landing on the moon by the crew of Apollo 11 in July 1969. The world was transfixed on the landing, including our household where we watched it on a black and white television set.
SIMPLE JOYS – Simple things have always taken precedence with me over opulent toys and technology. I’ve always been one to enjoy good conversation, a good hand-rolled Maduro cigar, and single malt whiskey which I discovered in 1978 in the Hotel Melbourne in Australia. Thanks Paul.
BUSINESS – Due to the nature of our business, I have been fortunate to meet with some of the true pioneers of systems and computing, including Les Matthies (the “Dean of Systems”), Tom Richley (the developer of the TOTAL DBMS), Michael Jackson (structured programming), and Robert W. Bemer (the inventor of ASCII code). Since our company worked with everything from mainframes to PC’s, people ask me what was my favorite computer. Some might be surprised to learn it was the DEC VAX/VMS mini which was way ahead of its time.
Beyond this, I was fortunate to have met a lot of people around the world through our consulting practice. Everyone from the executives in the boardroom to the people working in the trenches. I have met my fair share of charlatans, crooks, and just plain despicable people, but I’ve also met a lot of good stand-up people who wanted to make a difference. Although I’ve visited a lot of places, I have a fondness for Japan. Besides, they play great baseball there.
Our “PRIDE” product line revolutionized the systems world and opened the door to hundreds of competitors. I was fortunate to have been actively involved in the development of our Enterprise Engineering Methodology, Computer Aided Planning tool, and Automated Systems Engineering tool. Such inventions, along with my other consulting activities, gave me a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
POLITICS – Our High School class met Richard Nixon in 1971 in Washington, DC where he provided a tour of the White House for us. One year later I would be campaigning for him on my college campus. It was 1972 when the voting age was lowered to 18, and my class was proud of this designation. Since then, I haven’t missed an election.
MASONS – I was pleased to be raised a Master Mason several years ago, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather. Although the fraternity is fraught with petty politics, as most organizations are, I have been pleased to meet some upstanding men of character along the way.
FRIENDS – When I was growing up, we moved around a lot. Along the way, I learned to cultivate a set of friends. Thanks to social media, I am still in touch with many of them even though they live far away. Most seem to enjoy a good cigar as I do. Even though I haven’t seen them in quite some time, I know I can lift up the phone and call them, and it would be like old times. Having a good friend you can trust and level with is priceless.
Some people measure their existence by the accolades and awards they receive or the expensive toys they wear or drive. I think it is a lot simpler than this. Instead, we should relish the special events we witness and the people in our lives. To be able to see the Big Red Machine or Neil Armstrong standing on the lunar surface is priceless, as is the birth of your children. These are epochal events affecting our character, priorities, and perspective on life. They do not come along often which is why we should savor them when they do.
Next time you get disillusioned with life, try writing a list of your blessings. As Clarence said, “You see George, you really had a wonderful life.”
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) “The Town Square” with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern), and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington “The Morning News” with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube.
The video pretty much tells the story so we will just add some highlights.
We are back once again to see what is new with Brother Flynn. And the point is that there is always something new with this Masonic artist. Here is one Brother who doesn’t rest on his laurels but sets off into new worlds to conquer.. Greg Stewart followed that up with an in depth interview, Symbolism, Sacred Numerology and Mythology in Art with Artist and Freemason Ryan Flynn.
First of all note that there is a definite Celtic and medieval influence to what Flynn is doing now. Much of that can be seen in Patents or Masonic Certificates, what we called in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts a Masonic diploma.
Often Flynn will produce graphic documents using Giclee Printing, that is printing with pigment. It never fades. Then he will hand accent with gold or silver and sometimes copper. The effect is illuminated documents.
Take the Novem Rose. He has designed it to be stained glass in a shadow box. Flynn would like to also do a Master Mason tracing board in stained glass.
Then who but a great artistic mind would design the Regis Pattern Certificate with a small print border of the Regis Poem. How about mirror printing or reverse writing?
Flynn puts some mystery into his documents, some codes and symbols you have to look closely to find and decipher.
The three part Middle Chamber depiction of 1) The Pillars, 2) The Steps and 3) Geometry is writing done in pig pen cipher. The pillars will be accented with bronze and elsewhere gold and silver will be used as a highlight.
When you stop and analyze what Flynn is producing you have to admire the ingenuity, the majestic style, the novel methods and the sheer artistic quality of each piece. Nobody that I know in the Masonic community is offering artwork that matches what Brother Ryan Flynn is turning out. You owe it to yourself to visit his website , http://www.ryanjflynn.com/ and take it all in. And on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/RyanJFlynnArtist
Aquila, better known in Masonic parlance as the Roman Eagle, was considered in ancient times to be a symbol of strength, courage, and immortality. The signa militaria[i] of the Roman military under Gaius Marius (104 BC), the war standard was made of silver or bronze and served more as a holy war relic than mere militaristic emblem of the Roman Legions.
Wells, in his Masonic short talk of 1915, says of the eagle that as it was adopted by the Romans upon their banners it
…signified magnanimity and fortitude, or as in the ancient Sacred Writings, swiftness and courage.
In antiquity, the Romans were not the first to make use of the eagle as an emblem of war, as, Wells cites, the Persians, under Cyrus the Younger[ii], had borne the Eagle upon their spears as a standard.[iii]
In a more modern parlance France, Russia, Prussia, Germany, and the United States have each in turn adopted the Eagle, variously, as a National symbol of identity adorning the U.S. dollar, today, in a style reminiscent of its depiction on similar Roman coinage from when it was adopted into western material culture.
Albert Mackey in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry says of the eagle that it is a symbol of great antiquity calling into reference Egyptian, Greek, and Persia symbolism where the bird was sacred to the sun.
He says,
Among the Pagans it was an emblem of Jupiter, and with the Druids it was a symbol of their supreme god. In the Scriptures, a distinguished reference is in many instances made to the eagle; especially do we find Moses (Exodus xix, 4) representing Jehovah as saying, in allusion to the belief that this bird assists its feeble young in their flight by bearing them upon its own pinions, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Not less elevated was the symbolism of the eagle among the Pagans. Thus, Cicero, speaking of the myth of Ganymede carried up to Jove on an eagle’s back, says that it teaches us that the truly wise, irradiated by the shining light of virtue, become more and more like God, until by wisdom they are borne aloft and soar to Him.
While Mackey goes deep into the meanings behind the eagle, the suggestion that the Masonic Apron is more noble than the Roman Eagle implies that its receipt is an honor, greater than being a member of the famed Roman Legion which may lend itself to some pull to particular military association with Masonry today. An interesting consideration of the Roman Legion was their early and then later composition.
In the early period of the empire, the legion was composed of levied soldiers who supplied their own equipment that would form as needed disbanding when not. Essentially, to serve meant you were a citizen of the empire. When the Rome army began to experience inadequate staffing because of income or property qualifications of its citizenry, Consul Gaius Marius removed the prequalifications of service (wealth and social class) allowing all free people of the empire eligible for the army. This change created the first volunteer professional standing army. That openness to everyone regardless of class of social standing is a parallel we find amongst the ranks of Freemasonry today.
Coat of arms of the Hanseatic League, London
Some suggest that the Roman Eagle was a European Trade Symbol coming from the Hanseatic League. A confederation of merchant guilds that stretched from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland during the Late Middle Ages and early modern period (c. 13th to 17th centuries), the Hanseatic league evolved to protect economic interests and diplomatic privileges along trade routes, cities and countries where its members did business. . One Masonic source says of the Hanseatic League that,
…its members had their Headquarters at Lubeck, and adopted the Arms of Lubeck which at this time was the Roman Eagle and appears on the Seal of the Hanse. They also called themselves Knights of the Holy Roman Empire.[iv]
The Leagues coat of arms is of a double headed eagle, rather than an Aquila eagle, so this connection to the Apron seems less legitimate other than its being a pre-enlightenment trade guild, similar to the guild of the Golden Fleece.[v][vi]
An interesting parallel in the Hanseatic League connection is the guilds factory rules which one could find Masonic parallels including:
No man older than fifty years or younger than eighteen winters could be received.
Anyone who committed what had been forbidden was to be cast out, and driven from the community.
No one should have a woman within the burgh
be absent from it for three nights
These rules helped the league work in foreign countries as they “… formed among the alien populations in which they were placed semi-monastic establishments”[vii]
Yet, in this double headed eagle, we can still find some parallels to draw with the Roman Eagle.
Mackey says of the emblem,
The Eagle Displayed, that is, with extended wings, as if in the act of dying, has always, from the majestic character of the bird, been deemed an emblem of imperial power. Marius, the consul, first consecrated the eagle, about eight years before the Christian era, to be the sole Roman standard at the head of every legion, and hence it became the standard of the Roman Empire ever afterward.
As the single-headed Eagle was thus adopted as the symbol of imperial power, the double-headed Eagle naturally became the representative of a double empire; and on the division of the Roman dominions into the eastern and western empire, which were afterward consolidated by the Carlovingian race into what was ever after called the Holy Roman Empire, the double-headed Eagle was assumed as the emblem of this double empire; one head looking, as it were, to the West, or Rome, and the other to the East, or Byzantium.
He goes on to enumerate the orders of knighthoods that adopted the double headed eagle including, The Prussian Order of the Black Eagle and the Order of the Red Eagle, both, Mackey says, are “outgrowths of the original symbol of the Roman Eagle.”
Of the double headed eagle, Mackey goes on to say that its adoption was probably first introduced as a symbol into Freemasonry in 1758. He says,
In that year the Body calling itself the Council of Emperors of the East and West was established in Paris. The double-headed eagle as likely to have been assumed by this Council in reference to the double Jurisdiction which it claimed, and which is represented so distinctly in its title.
Quoting from the transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, pages 214, volume xxiv, 1911, Mackey says of the adoption of the Scottish Rite usage,
The most ornamental, not to say the most ostentatious feature of the insignia of the Supreme Council, 33 , of the Ancient and Accepted (Scottish) Rite, is the double-headed eagle, surmounted by an imperial crown. This device seems to have been adopted some time after 1755 by the grade known as the Emperors of the East and West; a sufficiently pretentious title. This seems to have been its first appearance in connection with Freemasonry, but history of the high grades has been subjected to such distortion that it is difficult to accept unreservedly any assertion put forward regarding them. From this imperial grade, the double-headed eagle came to the “Sovereign Prince Masons” of the Rite of Perfection. The Rite of Perfection with its twenty-five Degrees was amplified in 1801, at Charleston, United States of America, into the Ancient and Accepted Rite of 33, with the double-headed eagle for its most distinctive emblem. When this emblem was first adopted by the high grades it had been in use as a symbol of power for 5000 years, or so. No heraldic bearing, no emblematic device anywhere today can boast such antiquity. It was in use a thousand years before the Exodus from Egypt, and more than 2000 years before the building of King Solomon’s Temple.
The quote, which is quite extensive, gives a sort of psudo-parrallel to antiquity linking the Scottish-Rite double headed eagle to the Babylonian era through a pair of terra cotta cylinders[viii] that depicts a proto-eagle in the form of a lion headed bird.
The long quote reads:
The story of our Eagle has been told by the eminent Assyriologist, M. Thureau Dangin, in the volume of Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie (1904). Among the most important discoveries for which we are indebted to the late M. de Sarzec, were two large terra cotta cylinders covered with many hundred lines of archaic cuneiform characters These cylinders were found in the brick mounds of Tello, which has been identified with certainty as the City of Lagash, the dominant center of Southern Babylonian ere Babylon had imposed its name and rule on the country.
The cylinders are now in the Louvre (see below) and have been deciphered by M. Thureau Dangin, who displays to our wondering eyes the emblem of power that was already centuries old when Babylon gave its name to Babylonia. The cylinder in question is a foundation record deposited by one Gudea, Ruler of the City of Lagash, to mark the building of the temple, about the year 3000 B.C., as nearly as the date could be fixed. The foundation record was deposited just as our medals, coins and metallic plates are deposited today, when the corner stone is laid with Masonic honors. It must be born in mind that in this ease, the word cornerstone may be employed only in a conventional sense, for in Babylonia all edifices, temples, palaces, and towers alike, were built of brick. But the custom of laying foundation deposits was general, whatever the building material might be, and we shall presently see what functions are attributed, by another eminent scholar, to the foundation chamber of King Solomon’s Temple.
The contents of this inscription are of the utmost value to the oriental scholar, but may be briefly dismissed for our present purpose. Suffice it to say, that the King begins by reciting that a great drought had fallen upon the land. ” The waters of the Tigris,” he says, ” fell low and the store of provender ran short in this my city,” saying that he feared it was 3 visitation from the gods, to whom he determined to submit his evil ease and that of his people. The reader familiar with Babylonian methods that pervade the Books of the Captivity will not be surprised to learn that the King dreamed a dream, in which the will of the gods was revealed by direct personal intervention and interlocution. In the dream there came unto the King “a Divine Man, whose stature reached from earth to heaven, and whose head was crowned with the crown of a god, surmounted by the Storm Bird that extended its wings over Lagash, the land thereof.” This Storm Bird, no other than our double-headed eagle, was the totem as ethnologists and anthropologists are fain to call it, of the mighty Sumerian City of Lagash, and stood proudly forth the visible emblem of its power and domination. This double-headed eagle of Lagash is the oldest Royal Crest in the world.
As time rolled on, it passed from the Sumerians to the men of Akhad. From the men of Akhad to the Hittites, from the denizens of Asia Minor to the Seliukian Sultans, from whom it was brought by Crusaders to the Emperors of the East and West, whose successors today are the Hapsburgs and Romanoffs, as well as to the Masonic Emperors of the East and West, whose successors today are the Supreme Council, 33, that have inherited the insignia of the Site of Perfection.
Interesting in its attempt at drawing a parallel to antiquity, in a modern context, it is challenging to find the same level of depth to so abstract an emblem, especially one that is superior to the other. But, a final consideration to include would be a symbolic one, for which we turn to Cirlot, from his Dictionary of Symbols[ix].
In his work, he suggests the symbol of the eagle as a symbol of height “… of the Spirit, as the sun, and of the spiritual principals in general” suggesting it linked to the symbolism found in Egyptian hieroglyphics, where “the Eagle represents the letter A–the first—pertaining to the warmth of life, the origin, the day.”
Cirlot writes “…the eagle is also identified with the father figure” representing heroic nobility. And, in religious terms, In the Vedic tradition, the eagle as the Messenger or in other art forms as “the emblem of the Thunderbolt.”
According to St. Jerome the Eagle is the emblem of the Ascension and of prayer. Since it can fly higher than any other bird, it is regarded as an expression of Divine Majesty. It is said to dominate and destroy baser forces. Thus making it the symbol of Imperial power.
Truly, the Lambskin Apron is greater and more noble emblem of strength, courage and power than the imperial symbol of powers, Aquilla, the Roman Eagle.
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I have written about retirement in the past and I still regard it as a mystery. I have had more friends “check out” recently for a variety of reasons. They all claim to be happy to be retired, that they have been planning it for years, and that I am a chump to keep working. I consider this all a bald-faced lie. I’ve seen some become musicians, where they play pickup gigs. I’ve seen others become golfers, playing the same course over and over again like a gerbil on a treadmill.
Perhaps the hardest part to retirement is adjusting to the pace. At first, most men treat it like a vacation, but they quickly learn it is a vacation that never ends. Initially, they tend to get more rest, eat a little more than they should, take a trip, putter around the house tackling minor assignments, but then they become bored and restless. Instead of having someone set a schedule for them, like their company and boss, now they have to make their own schedule.
Retirement seems to turn executives into gardeners where they spend countless hours turning their property into lush Japanese gardens. At parties, they argue who has the best “Shishi-odoshi” in their “Koi” ponds to scare away deer. I also think they learn the language as part of this process. They have been known to blurt out words and expressions like, “Hai,” “non desu ka,” “Ohayou gozaimasu,” “douzo,” and “domo.”
Some prefer cultivating vegetable gardens, complete with bib overalls and a straw hat. Somehow I am reminded of Eddie Albert. Tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers are common. The more ambitious farmers try their hand at such things as kale, cabbage, bok choy, okra, snow peas, and a variety of hot peppers. Normally, these are tried only once before reverting back to tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers. For some strange reason, broccoli is avoided at all costs.
At high school reunions I would hear classmates boast they were going to retire soon. They do this in such a way as to make it sound like a game, whereby the winner is the person who retires first. They looked forward to sleeping in during the mornings, travel to exotic locations, or catch up on their reading. Inevitably, they find their body is conditioned to sleep a few scant hours and they still rise before sunup, they rarely travel outside of the county, and the only reading they do is in the bathroom. If anything, they become addicted to television shows like “Jerry Springer,” “The View,” and “Dr. Phil.” Not surprising, they develop the habit of talking back to the television screen as if the host could hear them. The only thing stranger is when they offer applause to the television set.
The retirees start attending breakfasts and lunches with former colleagues. Inevitably old war stories are told over and over again. Breakfast usually consists of eggs, bacon, pork sausage, goetta, scrapple, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, grits, hash browns, and coffee, lots of coffee. Lunches usually includes pastrami, corned beef, hamburgers, chicken wings, and an occasional glass of beer or wine. It is no small wonder they begin to gain weight. There is also the ceremonial toothpick afterwards. They suddenly find themselves volunteering time to charitable organizations and political campaigns. And they spend an inordinate amount of time in doctor offices, where they develop an interest in women magazines.
Retirees discover they miss the socialization they enjoyed at work, which is why they gravitate to group meetings. They realize it is important to their mental health to be able to discuss current events and their observations on life. Without such discussions they become despondent.
To keep busy, it is not unusual for them to go to the post office, not just once, but twice a day (once in the morning and later in the afternoon). They also go for haircuts at dawn. Rarely do they really need a haircut as their hair is now thin. More importantly, it is to manicure the wild hairs growing in their eyebrows, ears, and nose. They also spend considerable time at sporting events for their grandchildren, where they can catch up on their sleep.
More importantly, I’ve noticed my friends who recently retired get bored easily. Although they pledged to live a life of ease, one by one I see them all going back to take on a job of some kind. Maybe not as rigorous as before, but necessary to practice mental gymnastics. I’ve seen some people become clerks at some of the home and garden superstores, others work at golf courses, and some go back to what they were doing before retiring. Frankly, I do not know anyone who has dropped out completely. Somehow, they all find a way to go back to work. Maybe retirement is not what they thought it would be.
In spite of all this, I am considered the “oddball” for continuing to work. I still enjoy meeting and working with people; I still enjoy jousting in debate, but more than anything, I still believe I have a role to play and am not ready for the curtain to fall. Besides, I look kind of silly wearing a hardware store apron.
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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Ever drive along in a car and suddenly an old tune comes to your lips, perhaps something from your childhood? Recently, I found myself blurting out, “Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem Chu!” Frankly, I couldn’t remember the name of the song, which I found rather irritating. This caused me to look it up through an Internet search engine. Remarkably, it was:
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of 
Just recently, I decided to bring to life a little project of mine that began somewhere back in 2007. The “project” evolved as a series of short works, or treatises, on the degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.
I was having a cigar with a good friend recently where we were lamenting about the state of affairs in our government, business, and the country in general. It’s easy to be negative when events do not turn out as you expect them. However, I made the observation people tend to overlook the blessings in their lives, those events, however large or trifle, somehow had a profound effect on our lives. I then started to enumerate mine:
We are back once again to see what is new with Brother Flynn. And the point is that there is always something new with this Masonic artist. Here is one Brother who doesn’t rest on his laurels but sets off into new worlds to conquer.. Greg Stewart followed that up with an in depth interview, 
