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The Meaning of Masonry For One Long Time Aging Brother

I hear frequently asked the question, “Why did you want to become a Mason?”  But I hardly ever hear anyone ask why you are still a Mason.  What are you getting out of it now that you have been in it awhile and explored its philosophy?  What have you found out to be the “big thing” for you in Masonry now that you are a veteran?

These are questions that have been going around and around in my head lately. You see I am a very divided person, a Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde so to speak. One part of me is very introverted, quiet and studious and another part of me is outgoing, gregarious and into community. And by community I allude to what M. Scott Peck wrote about in his book “The Road Less Traveled.” In case you have forgotten here is what Peck said:

Peck describes what he considers to be the most salient characteristics of a true community[7]:

  • Inclusivity, commitment and consensus: Members accept and embrace each other, celebrating their individuality and transcending their differences. They commit themselves to the effort and the people involved. They make decisions and reconcile their differences through consensus.
  • Realism: Members bring together multiple perspectives to better understand the whole context of the situation. Decisions are more well-rounded and humble, rather than one-sided and arrogant.
  • Contemplation: Members examine themselves. They are individually and collectively self-aware of the world outside themselves, the world inside themselves, and the relationship between the two.
  • A safe place: Members allow others to share their vulnerability, heal themselves, and express who they truly are.
  • A laboratory for personal disarmament: Members experientially discover the rules for peacemaking and embrace its virtues. They feel and express compassion and respect for each other as fellow human beings.
  • A group that can fight gracefully: Members resolve conflicts with wisdom and grace. They listen and understand, respect each others’ gifts, accept each others’ limitations, celebrate their differences, bind each others’ wounds, and commit to a struggle together rather than against each other.
  • A group of all leaders: Members harness the “flow of leadership” to make decisions and set a course of action. It is the spirit of community itself that leads and not any single individual.

So , as a split personality, part of me is into esoteric stuff, spirituality, the connection between science & religion and the symbolism and hidden meanings of Freemasonry.  This part of me reads books, studies other Mason’s thoughts on attaining the “higher self” and contemplates and mediates on the meaning of it all.

The other part of me attends Lodge, partakes of Lodge social functions and gathers with Brothers individually to cement the ties of brotherly love and affection.

This dichotomy is reinforced by the two distinct styles I observe in Brothers.  Type A is a Brother who reads and studies and is into all the esoteric philosophy that is a kin to Freemasonry such as the Kybalion and Hermetic philosophies and the Rosicrucians. This Brother attends Lodge now and then but rarely becomes an officer.

Type B is a Brother who doesn’t read much, especially all that way out fancy stuff.  But he is a regular Lodge attendee, is or has gone through the chairs and participates in his Lodge’s activities and social functions all the time.  He also tends to be an excellent ritualist.  In addition he also has joined the York Rite and Scottish Rite and the Shrine and attends all those meetings regularly.

Type A does not have the time to attend all these functions and meetings on a regular basis, memorize ritual to a T and also be active in the Concordant Bodies AND have time to do all his research and study too.  Type B is so busy going to functions and meetings and taking a management position within multiple Bodies that even if he liked to read, research and study he wouldn’t have the time for it.

MY PROBLEM IS I AM BOTH – type AB.  In addition I take a very active part in reading, researching and writing about politics, so I have divided loyalties.  For me there is life after Freemasonry.

But while you are thinking I am patting myself on the back here what I am really doing is bemoaning the fact that I am a Jack of all trades but a Master of none.  Rather than seeing this as a plus I view it as a minus. Right now I am reading two Masonic books at once – “Nobly Born” and “The Lost Symbol.”  And they, like me, are works of opposite contrasts.  One is a historical documentary that sets the record straight and another is fanciful fiction from the dream world of an author with an overgrown imagination.  It is much like the difference between Operative & Speculative Masonry. One might tend to regard the other as good but secondary.

So that leaves the question still hanging and one which the reader knows that I want to answer – what’s the “big thing” for me now in Masonry? Considering all my drawbacks and all that I am missing because I refuse to be totally a Type A or a Type B what do I have to say as regards what has true meaning and benefit for me in the Craft right now in the year 2009. Which side am I going to throw more weight to – the A or B side?

Before I give you my answer I must tell you I was very influenced by reading a piece from H.L. Haywood.

“Freemasonry does not exist in a world where brotherhood is a mere dream flying along the sky; it exists in a world of which brotherhood is the law of human life. Its function is not to bring brotherhood into existence just as a hot-house gardener may at last coax into bloom a frail flower, though the climate is most unfriendly, but to lead men to understand that brotherhood is already a reality, a law, and that it is not until we come to know it as such, and practise it, that we can ever find happiness, together. Freemasonry does not create something too fine and good for this rough world; it “reveals” something that is as much a part of the world as roughness itself. In other words, it removes the hoodwink of jealousy, hatred, unkindness, and all the other myriad forms of unbrotherliness in order that a man may see and thus come to know how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. The hoodwink of cloth or leather that is bound over a man’s eyes is not the real hoodwink at all, but only the symbol thereof; the real hoodwink, and it is that which Freemasonry undertakes to remove from a man’s eyes, is all that anti-social and unhuman spirit out of which grow the things that make life unkind and unhappy. “Brotherhood is heaven; the lack of brotherhood is hell.”

So then for me as I approach the years of retirement, as to distinguish myself from a much younger Freemason, it is precisely COMMUNITY and RELATIONSHIPS that hold the greatest meaning for me. It is making friends so deeply, so closely and tightly bonded that the meaning of friendship itself has been changed. It is knowing not just one but dozens of human beings that you would be willing to die for without question. It is a joy one usually finds just with one’s spouse.  But I have been fortunate enough to forge many, many soul mates and I don’t think very many people outside the Craft could claim that. And it is what many soul mates collectively can experience in Community that blows my mind away.

And it is also very much about something that I wrote about in “World Peace Through Brotherhood.” The ability for men of different faiths, different cultures, different races, different political persuasions and different economic status to come together leaving their differences outside the Lodge door is what makes every Masonic Lodge a sanctuary of Peace in the world and what holds true promise for mankind as a model to be emulated by the rest of the world. It all comes down to something we all learn very early in the first degree – “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity!”

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Man Who Burns Bible On Masonic Altar Arrested For Arson To A Place Of Worship

St.Petersburg Times, Tampa edition, reports this arson attempt at Temple Terrace, Florida.

The original story Temple Terrace police find burned Bible on altar in Masonic lodge, arrest man inside for arson reads:

TEMPLE TERRACE — An alarm sounded just before midnight Monday at the Masonic Lodge, 11807 N 56th St. A police officer arrived soon after.

This is what Officer C. Morris wrote in the report:

The window was broken, fingerprints fresh.

Inside, a burned Masonic Bible lay atop a damaged altar.

Nearby was Tod Redman Stewart, a 34-year-old homeless man. He was arrested at 12:27 a.m. and booked into a Hillsborough County jail.

This was the same man who set fire to a flag outside the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Tampa three times — once in 2007 and twice in 2006.

On Sept. 14, 2007, a Times reporter watched as three officers and a couple of federal marshals surrounded him on the same spot of sidewalk he’d chosen twice before. Stewart ranted about a government conspiracy.

He waved paperwork showing that prosecutors ended up dropping previous flag burning cases, because doing so isn’t illegal.

…His charges: burglary of an unoccupied structure, first-degree arson and criminal mischief to a place of worship.

It’s a sad and tragic story when demented individuals see conspiracies everywhere.  But the point in mentioning this story at all is the individual got arrested for arson to A PLACE OF WORSHIP.

We work so hard to convince people that Freemasonry is not a religion and come to find out that the authorities classify us as a house of worship.  Would they say the same thing about the Elks?

If legally we are considered a church then we are one no matter how much we protest to the contrary.

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To Be Or Not To Be, That Is The Question

Those of us who have been in the trenches, involved with the daily operation of a Lodge and interaction with other Lodges and Brethren and with Grand Lodge have our eyes and ears open and we know what is going on. We see who is black balled and who is not. We notice the cultural and racial makeup of our Lodges, the Lodges around us and our Grand Lodge. WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.

For years now I have said that the KKK receded and disappeared into Freemasonry. They went underground with an organization from which they copied the style and manner of their ritual and the private manner of their organization. The KKK and Freemasonry have nothing in common philosophically but  organizationally they are similar. So it was easy to just let Freemasonry absorb them.

Now my hypothesis has been challenged by many Northern and Canadian Brethren who also have their eyes and ears open and don’t see it – because it isn’t there in their Lodges. Not experiencing it they just couldn’t believe that it happens. They think that I am missing a few marbles, out to lunch, three french fries short of a Happy Meal. But if so why would the Grand Master of Virginia make this statement?

Most Worshipful Jeffery E. Hodges wrote a letter with the following statement:

“With regard to organizations that are anti-semitic, racist or antisocial in their doctrine and avocation, such as but not limited to, the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, etc., the following will be the policy of the Grand Lodge of Virginia: it is not acceptable to present information on, display association with, or solicit involvement in such organizations in a Masonic Lodge holden under the Grand Lodge of Virginia. At no time, should such organizations be linked to our gentle Craft.”

There is a wonderful post by Brother Shelby L. Chandler on the blog for Gate City Lodge No. 2 which I have reprinted here below.  It is worth noting and repeating one important point he made:


“As for that maligned Lodge mentioned above, all Masonic charges have been dropped. However, there is still a grassroots movement by other Lodges in their Grand Jurisdiction to petition to have the Charter of that Lodge removed as punishment for raising a Brother of “non-white” descent.”

Here is the entire letter:

  • Do Good unto All
    Bro. Shelby L. Chandler
    JW, Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4
    Members of Fredericksburg No. 4 and Prince Hall No. 61“Freemasonry is that universal Brotherhood which has endured the test of time for over 400 years and yet it is still, and will continue to be, on trial for the Ages. Understand that there will always be those out there who will believe us to be the blanket that threatens to envelop the world. They are studying us to find that one strand to pull that will eventually unravel the Masonic tapestry that they fear or despise. With that being said, what are we as Freemasons doing to set the record straight about this Craft of ours? How many members of this great Fraternity are actually taking the time to raise up their working tools in order to “build that temple within themselves”?

    “Outside of Virginia, there is a Masonic Lodge that is in the middle of a heated battle against what I consider “Indirect Racism”, for not only is bigotry subtly being practiced, it is also inappropriately being justified as one of the Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry. Generally, the actions within the Jurisdiction of every Grand Lodge are their own. However, when charges are preferred upon a Worshipful Master and his Lodge because they raised a “non-white” man to the degree of Master Mason, using as justification for the charges the…”usurpation of the constitution, laws, ancient landmarks, customs and traditions of…Masons”—this challenges the very foundation and core of our “Ancient Landmarks & Customs of Freemasonry”. At that point, this spills beyond their Grand Jurisdiction and right onto the lap of every Brother who has ever been raised and is in good standing. “

    “The Constitution of Masonry reports, “Whence it follows that all Masons are to be good men and true—men of honor and honesty, by whatever religious names or persuasions distinguished; always following that golden precept, of “doing unto all men as (upon a change of conditions) they would that all men should do unto them. “ Understanding this, we recognize the importance of both true virtues and a clear respect for our fellow man in as much as we would wish this reciprocated. Worldwide, we as Freemasons suffer hatreds and prejudices by those who from their uninformed and closed-minded disposition would destroy the character of our beloved Craft; that being said, why would we wish to direct this fate upon any other of the human race?”


    “As Masons, we must keep a constant check of ourselves to be sure that we are living our lives in the manner that brings honor to the Craft. We are not Brothers so that we can save one another from minor infractions of the law, or to broker a better deal for ourselves in business, or even to save one another from our own foolishness or stupidity. We are Brothers because we hold each other to the highest of standards and we understand that the life we live in this world is a difficult but rewarding one. Bigotry and Freemasonry are polar opposites of each other and ardent adversaries when faced with one another and never should one be practiced with the other. “

    “We are the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. In a time when morality is declining within our society, there are so few good and honorable men in this world that one can rely upon; it is a shameful thing that there are those who would deny themselves and others the opportunity to know the experience and soul of another human being just because of the shell that we are destined to wear in this imperfect world. But I guarantee you that when we lay down our working tools, my Brother’s ashlar will fit as perfectly as mine when placed in that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

    “As for that maligned Lodge mentioned above, all Masonic charges have been dropped. However, there is still a grassroots movement by other Lodges in their Grand Jurisdiction to petition to have the Charter of that Lodge removed as punishment for raising a Brother of “non-white” descent. But this is not only their burden; every Grand Jurisdiction faces this issue. Even in Virginia, Most Worshipful Jeffery E. Hodges wrote a letter with the following statement:

    “With regard to organizations that are anti-semantic, racist or antisocial in their doctrine and avocation, such as but not limited to, the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, etc., the following will be the policy of the Grand Lodge of Virginia: it is not acceptable to present information on, display association with, or solicit involvement in such organizations in a Masonic Lodge holden under the Grand Lodge of Virginia. At no time, should such organizations be linked to our gentle Craft.”

    “I personally believe this to mean that, in addition to the ban on organization linkages, Virginia Masonry should regard the qualities and virtues of a Freemason as incompatible with the immoral behavior affirmed by such groups. Brethren, we all have our own problems and challenges of life, but we need to keep working to chip away at our own rough ashlars to make them perfect. The imperfections of our individuality are acceptable only because we are still utilizing our working tools to that end to accomplish and overcome. To act in denial or to refuse to change or improve ourselves and accept a life of hate is truly against the Ancient Landmarks and Customs of Freemasonry, and we should always check ourselves and take a good look at the edifice that we are building within.”

    “Brethren, there will always be someone willing to unravel this beautiful tapestry that we know as Freemasonry. Let us not help them find that strand, but more especially let us not allow one of our own to unravel that tapestry from the seams within. Let us remember to do good unto all; recommend it more especially to the household of the faithful.”

    “I promise you Brethren, the Great Architect of the Universe will remember.”

We can let ourselves be torn apart by refusing to admit we have a problem.  We can bury our heads in the sand, block our eyes, close our ears and just let life go on as it is.  Or we can take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them.

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My Lodge Has Fellowship, Family & Fun Also

Pride of Mt Pisgah #135 takes its Masonry seriously.  We spend considerable time on Masonic education. We provide excellent mentoring and first class intensive instruction of candidates.  We give back to the community personally, we don’t just send a check.

And we have some good times with family, some fun and fellowship.  Take a look!

My Lodge’s Type of Charity

My Lodge, Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135, Dallas, Texas prefers to do its charitable/community outreach with programs that takes them directly to the people to actually perform a service or provide relief in some manner to those in their own community who they can meet face to face.  In other words we are not big on Institutionalized Charity nor do we desire to turn Freemasonry into a Service Club.  As Masons we are called to help those in need if within the length of our cable tow.  But my Lodge wants a direct connect with those who they aid.

Thus we do Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets which we present directly to the people who are receiving them. Our latest venture is involvement in the Keep Dallas Beautiful program sponsored by the City of Dallas, whereby we enter a section or area of the community and clean up, fix & repair and make attractive areas of the community as well as individual private property.  Last Saturday was our second work day in the community which we have now adopted.  Past Master LaGrone explains the program and what we accomplished in more detail.

“On September 26th along with the Keep Dallas Beautiful program the Pride of Mount Pisgah #135 P.H.A. successfully completed phase one for our adopted community, Cedar Oaks.  When I first brought this idea to the lodge to increase our community service and visibility, we unanimously voted to participate in 4 events throughout the year to help communities identified as needing assistance.  We later voted to adopt Cedar Oaks as our own and in the past have picked up trash and last week painted a retaining wall.”

“The Cedar Oaks community was phase one of the pilot program of Keep Dallas Beautiful (KDB).  As KDB is a city funded program, each year the city of Dallas  moves to a new phase and  adopts new communities while  dropping  the communities from the existing year after providing a year of support.  Speaking with W.M. Williams the decision has been made to continue to support Cedar Oaks as a community providing whatever assistance we can within the length of our cable tow. “

“I wanted to thanks all the brothers that have participated and wished to participate as well as our W.M. for his commitment to the community.”

Memo

To: Fran Phillips, President, KDB, Jim Hobbs, KDB

From:     Joy McBeth, Community Projects Manager, VCNT

CC:       Dan Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer, VCNT

Shari Hicks, City of Dallas

Date:     September 28, 2009

Re: Pride in Your Neighborhood Cedar Oaks Beautification Event

Event Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009

Event Time: 8am – 12 noon

Total Attendees:           19

KDB Board Members:    1

(External) Volunteers: 7

City Employees:

VCNT Staff: 1

Residents: 10

In-kind donations:       Water, Gatorade

Total Expenses: $17.72

Overview:

The residents of Cedar Oaks and volunteers from the Mt. Pisgah Masons group were involved in a neighborhood beautification project this past weekend.  Mr. Taylor, HOA leader, identified a retaining wall at the entrance of the community on Marsalis Ave. that needed re-painting.   Residents and volunteers painted over graffiti as they gave the wall a fresh coat of paint.

Next Steps:

Cedar Oaks has completed its second beautification event and is now ready to begin the home improvement incentive.  We plan to conduct site visits and begin the work this week.

Masons to Host Nation’s Capital Masonic Day of Prayer

PRESS RELEASE ON MASONIC DAY OF PRAYER

glanivlogo1bWashington, DC (MMD Newswire) September 28, 2009 — Freemasons (or Masons), their families and friends, from the national capital region, the country, and the world will gather in Washington, DC on October 3, 2009 for a service of prayer and thanksgiving. The Nation’s Capital Masonic Day of Prayer will take place at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 3401 Nebraska Avenue, Washington DC. Refreshments will follow the service. The event is being jointly organized and hosted by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, Inc.
The event will take place some two weeks following the publication of Dan Brown’s much heralded new book, “The Lost Symbol”, which has a plot focusing on Freemasonry and Washington, DC.

The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia is the governing body of Free and Accepted Masons in Washington, DC. Freemasonry has been a major part of community life in the United States for over two hundred and fifty (250) years. Freemasonry is America’s largest and oldest fraternity and is predicated on the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. Freemasons seek to promote friendship, morality and brotherly love in all their activities. They are bound together by a philosophy of moral standards, mutual understanding, and brotherhood in which all men are on a level and equal.

Contact: Walter Hoenes
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia
voice: (202) 686-1811
fax: (202) 686-2759
email: grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org
website: http://www.dcgrandlodge.org

http://www.mmdnewswire.com/day-of-prayer-5830.html

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Stopping By The Lodge On A Rainy Evening

I left Tuesday’s Lodge Meeting on a high  not induced by alcohol nor anything swallowed internally but by the actions of my Lodge and what transpired within.  We have three candidates going through the degrees and they are now Fellowcrafts.  Now I have outlined before what transpires in my Lodge in bringing men through the degrees but a short repeat is in order as new visitors to this wonderful website are a frequent occurrence.

In my Lodge the average time for candidates to complete the three degrees is between 6 months and one year.  Now in many other PHA Lodges and in Mainstream Masonry it is usually three months.  I would say that is because most Lodges hand out a small book which requires candidates to know the answers to the questions therein and to recite their Obligation from memory.

But my Lodge is different. You see that little book that is given candidates is only concerned with the first section of each degree what many call the Obligation part. But in my Lodge the candidates are required to also answer questions on the second section of the first two degrees and the second and third sections of the third degree.  That means that they must know the lectures, what they say and what they mean and how they might be applied to daily life. But that’s not all.  They must also know what the Biblical references are to all parts of each degree. As an example every candidate who goes through the degrees in my Lodge knows the genealogical history of Boaz who we meet in the Book of Ruth. But that’s not all.  In addition candidates must know how politics, religion and community blend in the light of Masonic morality and responsibility.

There is no way that  this type of learning can be accomplished in one month for each degree.  In fact all candidates in my Lodge must after receiving a degree return to the Lodge for an hour or more of questioning, not once, not twice but three, four or even five times – FOR EACH DEGREE.  And candidates only proceed to the next degree when a vote of the Lodge deems them worthy to proceed.

Bearing all that in mind the Communication last Tuesday was a Business Meeting and Questioning of  three Fellowcraft  Brothers who had endured two previous Fellowcraft questioning sessions.  Here is what I heard.

The Worshipful Master asked them if they had learned Invictus.  Now stop right here and ask yourself if you have ever heard a Worshipful Master ask that question of any candidates you have witnessed in your Masonic life.  Then tell me if you know what Invictus is.

Invictus

by William Ernest Henley; 1849-1903

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeons of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.

They recited the poem in unison, word for word without hesitation.  Then the Worshipful Master asked each of the three what the poem meant.  There followed a discussion of  what each thought and what the Worshipful Master and the rest of the Lodge could add as a lesson to be learned.

Next the worhipful Master asked the three if they they knew “If.”  While some of you may have by this time followed the way this post is going to pick up on what “If” is, I don’t  blame many who are still in the dark because I did not instantly recognize it myself………………until the first verse was read.  The key clue here is Rudyard Kipling.

IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream –
and not make dreams your master;
If you can think –
and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

The three Fellowcrafts stumbled and stopped, and resumned a few times but they got it all in. Then the Worshipful Master asked each of the three what the poem meant.     There followed a discussion of  what each thought and what the Worshipful Master and the rest of the Lodge could add as a lesson to be learned.

Then the Worshipful Master asked the three if they had learned  “The Bridge Builder.”  And they all said they had not.  They were then informed by the Worshipful Master that the Lodge would hear their recitition of that poem at the next meeting.  There followed a discussion of where the three were in their journey and they were asked if they had any questions.  When all was said and done the three Fellowcrafts gave their salutations and proceeded to retire from the Lodge.

THE BRIDGE BUILDER

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim-
That sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned, when he reached the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting strength in building here.
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way.
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him
.

The three Fellowcraft were on their way out of the Lodge when Past Master Walker played the best imitation of Columbo I have seen live.  “Just one more thing,” he chortled before they could reach the door.  “Who was Mary’s Father,” he asked.  Of course y’all know the answer to that question, don’t you?

Prince Hall Americanism Day

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas explains what this day is all about:

“As the Christian has a revival, the Moslem has a pilgrimage to Mecca, so do Prince Hall Masons have revivals, and they are called Prince Hall Americanism Day, celebrated on or as close to September 12th each year.  It is a time for the Prince Hall Mason to take stock of his life, renew his faith in God, Country and Fraternity, which will include his neighbor.  It is a time to renew his faith in God, his patriotism to his country and his duty to mankind.  It is in the truest sense a Masonic Revival.”

September 12th is chosen because it is alleged that Prince Hall was born on September 12, 1735

Many Prince Hall Jurisdictions , like Texas, celebrate over two or three days, most often a weekend. This year , as in most, Texas scheduled a dance Friday night 9/11, a picnic 0n Saturday 9/12 and a church service on Sunday 9/13.  The picnic got rained out this year as we had two solid days of rain and flooding here and there. I didn’t make the dance but I did participate in the church service.

Prince Hall Masons worship often together and they bring the whole Prince Hall Family.  Individual Lodges will schedule a church service at least once per year whereby all members of the Lodge, their families, and Sisters in the Prince Hall Family attend.  Not only will Blue Lodges do this but also York and Scottish Rite Bodies will do the same. Districts will also call for a church service at least once per year. And OES and the Heroines will also do likewise and invite the Brothers.  Unlike Mainstream Masonry, Prince Hall Masons will openly celebrate their Christianity together.  Some outside PHA then form the mistaken impression that Prince Hall only accepts Christians.  That is not true.  It accepts men of every Faith.  In my Lodge we raised two Muslims last year. But when 99% are one religion it is not unnatural for there to be fellowship along religious lines within the fraternity.

This year Prince Hall in my area combined the celebration by uniting Districts 10, 11 and 20 within the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  And that was also Districts 10, 11 and 20 from  the Heroines of Jericho and OES.  There were as many Sisters present as Brothers.

Grand Lodge representatives led us in most phases of the worship held at Central Pointe’ Church of Christ in Dallas, all phases except for the sermon.  This message was delivered by Pastor James M. Hutchins of the New Life Community Church of Frisco, Texas and a rousing message it was. Pastor Hutchins used the Scripture of Exodus 3: 1-14, the story of Moses and the burning bush, to bring us the theme of Being Prepared and Being Ready. He told us that Moses was once a powerful man in Egypt, the #2 man behind the Pharoah.  But then he killed a man when he was 40 and fled.  Now at 80 he just wished to live out his life in quiet obscurity.  When called on by God his attitude was who me?  I’m 80 years old what can I do?  Give me something to make my mission believable to those whom you want me to lead, Moses ended up requesting.  Who shall I say is sending me? Pastor Hutchins then , poised for the dramatic moment,  proclaimed, – Tell them “I Am That I Am” sent you.  And then the Pastor reminded us the difference between I Am That I Am and I AM What I Am.

I loved it when Pastor Hutchins said God could have sent a 45 foot tall Angel with a booming voice and scared the Egyptians half to death or gone Himself.  Instead he chose 80 year old Moses.  Which goes to show you that one needs to be prepared and be ready.

The Pastor’s message concluded with his reminding us that God sees us, hears us and knows all about us and still loves us unconditionally.  “You mean God knows that I lie awake worry about how I am going to pay my bills,” exhorts Pastor Hutchins.  His message brought to us the reality that God is always with us and always loving even when we are not.

Many times Brothers and Sisters  stood up and applauded during the sermon.  It was a great message  for the Prince Hall Family for a great man of history who in the sands of time has made an important and lasting impact on the African American community.

Afterward we gathered in the dining room for some soul food and some great fellowship.  I had  some good conversations with Brothers and Sisters I do not get a regular opportunity to mingle with.

As I left the church and drove out of the parking lot I thought about what I had just experienced – the warmth of “comrades in arms,” the ringing words of Pastor Hutchins and the great stature and example of Prince Hall who was supposed to have his monument on the Cambridge, Massachusetts Common dedicated today but as its fund raising and construction is running behind there was a service of dedication instead. But all these components running through my mind had me thinking – Well done good and faithful servants.

emblem of industry

Oldest Living Man Is Also Oldest Freemason

Imagine being a Mason for 75 years having not been raised until the age of 37!   That means you were a Mason before WWII and that you could have collected Social Security for 50 years!  That describes Walter Breuning, the world’s oldest man at 112, who will be 113 this month.  Brother Breuning lives at the Rainbow Retirement Center in Great Falls, Montana.

But Breuning is far from confined to bed.  Why he gets all over town.  Both the billings Gazette and the Great Falls Tribune report:

Despite his age, Breuning is not confined to the Rainbow. A few years ago, he was given a motorized four-wheel scooter, and Moore might be able to get a photo of him zipping along the sidewalks downtown — if the weather’s right.

“Ten or 12 of us here have scooters, and we can go just about anywhere,” Breuning said. (1,2)

Breuning usually rises around 6:00 AM every morning, breakfasting at 7:00. He attends to errands and meets with friends until 2:00 PM when he usually retires to his room to read, write and listen to the radio.

“Normally I eat about 600 calories for breakfast, eggs and toast, or French toast, or pancakes, or the fruit bar.” By eating just two meals a day and restricting his calories to about 1,200, his weight has remained stable at 125 pounds for the past 30 years, said the 5-foot-6 Breuning.(1,2)

 

Breuning has received a great deal of attention since attaining the status of oldest living man.  Governor Brian Schweitzer recently paid him a visit and they talked politics and history for hours.   Following Governor Schweitzer was Imperial Potentate Jack Jones making the trip from Tampa, Florida to honor this man. John Moore, a famous Pulitzer photographer from Denver, came to take his picture.

KRTV of Great Falls also came and they tell us:

Members of the organization (Masons) came from all over the state – and country – to honor the legend, including the Imperial Potentate of Shriners International and the highest ranking Shriner in the world, Jack Jones.

Walter was given a plaque and pin for his seven-plus decades of dedication to the cause during a Sunday ceremony at the Rainbow Assisted Living Center in Great Falls.

“There’s many men who are interested in these organizations, but when it comes to commitment, Walter is the man,” explained Grand Warden Tom Duffy, Jr. “He’s had years of commitment, 75 plus in Masonry and Shrinedom. Boy, if Webster had a definition behind it, wouldn’t it be Walter right behind ‘commitment’?” (3)

 

Middle picture shows De Smet, South Dakota where Breuning grew up.

A man who has seen and done much, that’s Walter Breuning.  But he has much more to do. He is still travelling upon that Level of time from whose bourne no traveler returns.

SOURCES:

(1)  Oldest Man Has  Hands Full With Media, Great Falls Tribune –

(2)  At 112, World’s Oldest Man Has No Time For Nonesense, Billings Gazette –
(3)   Walter Breuning Receives Another Honor, KRTV –

 



templar engraving, masonic knights, templar seal

The new age of Masonic Expression and the continued excellence of David Naughton-Shires

David Naughton-ShiresWhen I first started expressing myself in Freemasonry the medium that I used was the one which all the great old Masters of Masonic scholarship used – the word, the printed word.  So I wrote many words, words of explaining, of informing, of changing, of reform – so many words.  Isn’t that what every Masonic author does – conveying his or her messages in many words?

stephen dafoe, compass and the cross, book, legend of the knight templarThen along came Stephen Dafoe who, within Freemasonry, decided words are nice, they are the very bread and butter of every author, but they are not the totality of an integrated work of scholarship.  What an author’s work needs, proposed Dafoe, was proper illustration and artwork.  So Dafoe was meticulous about the covers to his books and the magazines he published.  He hired Steve McKim to produce some beautiful artwork for his covers and some for the inside pages.  Dafoe would always add many illustrations and pictures to his work and if you take a look at Nobly Born and The Compasses and the Cross you can see the development of this style to its utmost perfection. You can’t read a Dafoe work today with just words, or let’s say not very often anyway.

Then along came Greg Stewart.  He wasn’t writing books but he was still in the profession of Masonic scholarship.  Stewart is very good with words but he is also an excellent graphic designer and an originator of some of his own Masonic artwork. Stewart immediately saw the need in online Masonic websites for a marriage of the printed word and the visual.  Right from the start on his websites you could actually visualize what he was also writing, culminating in his remake of Freemason Information into a consortium of Masonic writers where with the expertise of Dean Kennedy he crafted a website using word, pictures & artwork and video.

Words without pictures leaves little to the imagination and often allows no room for personalization of the message.  The author is leading the reader in a direction he wants to take him/her only utilizing the printed word. The journey is well structured but if the reader becomes claustrophobic or fails to connect with the intent of the author the two will part company.

Pictures without words allows the observer’s imagination to wander off in a hundred different directions at once.  There is not enough structure for the artist to be sure that the receiver understands the message that he wishes to convey.

When words and pictures are used together the mind can be brought back into a narrower focus on what the author is trying to convey, yet there is room for the reader to personalize the message and through the powers of imagination carry it into his or her own life experiences.

5612_109646175977_519860977_2266747_2870014_nWhich leads us to symbols.  Symbols are a representation of a concept.  They are drawings with a definite purpose in mind. Whether it is the Cross, the Golden Arches or the Square and Compasses, they are a picture with unspoken words attached.  That is why they are so powerful; they can do double duty simultaneously. And that is why multi talented creators like Dafoe & Stewart who can turn a good word while at the same time provide great visual effects that enhance their work are so successful at what they do.  Now put them in a setting where the use of symbols runs strong and you provide them with the ultimate opportunity to unleash their creativity.  Add to that the fact that both men are excellent speakers and have produced Masonic radio shows to compliment the rest of their work and you have two artists who have the ability to present their work using many different avenues of perception.

Nobody knows this better than David Naughton-Shires.  He may be the newcomer to the scene but he is following in the footsteps of Dafoe and Stewart. He understands, as they do, how important the use of all the human senses is in the creation of the work of an artist. He realizes that in order to get one’s work recognized, a creator has to appeal to the observer in many different ways. It is my humble opinion that Naughton-Shires is no newcomer to the knowledge of these facts nor is he new to the ability to produce such integrated work but that it has been his involvement with Freemasonry that is new to him and that has unleashed his creativity and ability into actual great creations and enabled his work to be noticed.  And that is because, in my opinion, the power of the symbolism of Freemasonry is so great, so strong and so conducive to the creative artist being able to express himself that it just opens an artist’s creative juices to full flow.  Freemasonry is the best platform from which to create great works because of its great symbolism, its long history spanning centuries, and its message of passion for nobleness, righteousness and equality.  There are very few other settings that are as conducive to opening up the greatness of an artist.

templar engraving, masonic knights, templar sealNauthton-Shires is carrying the New Age Of Masonic Expression into its next phase.  He has a little twist on the applications of Dafoe and Stewart.  Rather than producing words with enhancing visual effects, he is producing the visual, artwork, enhanced by words. This removes Masonic scholarship even further away from the bookshelves.  Soon applications such as Power Point presentations which can be shown almost like movies will be a Masonic creative specialty and I have no doubt that a man like Naughton-Shires will be leading the pack in taking Masonic expression into deeper and unexplored waters.

blood_cross-242x300That being said Naughton-Shires is proving he is no flash in the pan, no fluke, no 90-day wonder. Rather what I see is continued growth and depth of presentation in his work as demonstrated by his latest Issue 3 of The Masonic Art Exchange Newsletter.  He has adopted a Knights Templar theme for the next four or five issues and this Newsletter is sort of an introduction to Templar art. Naughton-Shires asserts:

“Most of the ‘standard’ Templar art is seen in almost every book, magazine and article on the warriors who wore the red cross, and I will attempt to include this in my article but I hope to show art by lesser known modern day artists in the issues that will cover this subject.”

MAE_cover1_3-212x300The cover page of this issue is a compelling picture of a Knight Templar called “Fear” and painted by the brilliant Argentinean artist Ignacio Bazan.

And Naughton-Shires outstanding feature article in issue #3 is titled, The Art of The Knight Templars:  Artistic Representations of The Crusader Knights of God. In it he features the story and work of Benedictine Monk Mathew Paris and a plethora of early Templar art.  Later issues will feature more modern Templar paintings and drawings.

The Knights Templar have been as Naughton-Shires says, “an enigma for many years.” Yet they hold an amazing attraction for modern day society that just can’t seem to get enough of the “lore of the Knights.” Like many of us Naughton-Shires has the “Templar bug” and I asked him what first intrigued him about this society?

“I have had a keen interest in the Templar since watching the movie Ivanhoe many many years ago in which they are depicted as the ‘bad guys’; of course after research I discovered that as with any group there were bad guys indeed but also many good guys.”

Caballero-201x300There is one picture in the article that really caught my eye.  It looks like a tapestry and features green and orange colors.  I couldn’t quite make out what was going on in what looked like a story of some kind in pictures.

Naughton-Shires explains what he knows about this work of art:

“The image is of a twelve century map of Jerusalem which depicts a crusader knight in a white mantle assisting the other knights. It is believed to actually be a depiction of St George but this is based on the Latin inscription behind his head that reads Scs Georgius”

There is also an Apron article in this issue and some other tidbits not available for viewing at the time this article was written.  But then again, I wouldn’t want to tell you all the good things in Issue #3 of The Masonic Art Exchange’s Newsletter.  Better you should go find out for yourself.

Battle

4762_94091970977_519860977_2024766_3953554_nAnd as you do that note where Masonic scholarship seems to be going. We are entering a new age of Masonic Expression, one where the visual arts vault into first place ahead of the word.  And leading the charge is Naughton-Shires carrying the torch from Dafoe and Stewart who are shoo-ins for the 21st Century Masonic Hall of Fame. Sometimes the pupil surpasses the Master but that remains to be seen.

Naughton-Shires is still climbing the wall of stardom. It might behoove us all to grab onto his cable tow and let him pull us into greater heights of Light and once in awhile in the rough places, the precipices that do not hold, for some of us to pull him up and out.  The journey together, the journey shared is very rewarding. Naughton-Shires is beckoning for you to come along for the ride.  My advice is do it and don’t look back.