The Point Within a Circle

There Is a Season

2011-11-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

Greetings once again Brethren. I have been absent from the blog lately and for that I apologize. Over the next few weeks, I will post those addresses I gave at this year's visitations with little change. I ask you, therefore, to forgive such references as may be slightly out of date. A good example may be found in the opening sentence below.
This address was given at Infinity Lodge No. 546 on April 13th

There Is a Season

Harshness gone. All at once caring spreads over
the naked gray of the meadows.
Tiny rivulets sing in different voices.
A softness, as if from everywhere,

is touching the earth.
Paths appear across the land and beckon.
Surprised once again you sense
its coming in the empty tree. – Rilke

Though the air certainly doesn’t feel like it, the calendar tells us that it is spring. Most of you know that I’m a runner. I’m usually out five or six days a week, regardless of the weather, training for the marathon.

I’ve been a running and cycling enthusiast for almost ten years now. Conservatively, I have logged more than 7,000 miles on foot and probably the same distance on the bike, the vast portion of both being outdoors. For me, one of the unexpected benefits of exercise has been to be in tune with the cycles of nature.

There is something about every season of the year that I love.

The summer brings warmth and a total greening of the world around me. Everything seems to be alive. In the fall, I love the gold and red glow given off by the trees as the first light of morning hits the tops of them. The smell of the fallen leaves and the damp fall air make every run seem special. In the winter, I love making the first set of tracks as I wind my through the woods; the skeletal trees standing in dark contrast to the yet-to-be trodden snow.

Spring, more than any season, is always special to me. As the days begin to get longer, the crocuses and iris start to poke their heads out of the ground and awaken. The birds return and the once silent trails are noisy early in the morning. The earth and almost everything on it seems to be poised for rebirth.

As I ran this week and marveled at all that was being born again around me, my thoughts turned toward our Fraternity and the rebirth it is experiencing.

When we think about spring, we seem to think that everything happens on its own – that the plants just go to sleep in the fall and wake up again in April. But that’s not quite true. Plants spend the summer storing much-needed nutrients to help them survive the winter and re-emerge when the climate is more inviting. Animals, in the same way, either spend the summer gathering what they need to survive the harsher months, or leave the area and use great amounts of energy to return with spring.

We as Masons must recognize that every year for us must bring with it a renewed focus, an expending of our energies and a time to plan for our future. There is a tendency to think of what we do in and for our Lodge as linear; we learn a Degree, get certified and then confer it. After that we move on to the next. Or we move through the chairs of the Lodge, learning the work of each station. We continue to advance until we reach the East. After that we relax and watch others do it. There always seems to be a beginning, a middle and an end.

If we viewed our Masonic duties as cyclical, how much better off would our Fraternity be? What if every summer meant we spent the time learning our work for the next station we are to hold or reading a Masonic book? Every fall could be a time to shed one bad habit or improve one thing about ourselves as men. We could spend each winter volunteering in our communities and helping those in need at a very hard time of the year.

Spring then could be our time for rebirth. We could talk to the people we know and love about how special Freemasonry is to us - and I know that if you are here tonight, Freemasonry is special to you.

I would be willing to wager that each and every one of you knows at least one great man who is not a Mason. He may be a neighbor, a co-worker, an acquaintance from your house of worship or even a relative. He may or may not even know you are a Mason, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you know he would be a good Mason and it is your duty – to yourself, to your Lodge and to your friend – to let him know how much more full his life could be by joining this great band of men.

My maternal grandfather was one of the best men I ever knew. He worked most of his life as a brakeman for the Union Railroad. He was simple man with a gentle soul and lived his life with a quiet dignity. My understanding is that he attended Lodge – even if it was a little sporadically. I have no recollection of him every wearing a Masonic ring or seeing anything Masonic in his house. It wasn't until he went into the hospital in 1997, where he eventually died, that I found out he was a Mason.

The Friend to Friend video arrived in his mail. I asked my mom what it was. She said "I don't know, but Pap's a Mason. Ask him." I asked him if I could watch it and he said yes. I never had the chance to watch it while he was alive since I was spending so much time with him. But after I saw his Masonic funeral and was so touched by its words, I relayed that story to the Worshipful Master. He told me to watch the video and to contact him if I was interested in what it had to say. The rest is history obviously, but I can't help thinking that if he could have asked me to join back then, he would have. I am thankful that he is chiefly responsible for me being a Mason, but I would be lying if I did not say I have some regret that we missed out on years of sitting in Lodge together and growing closer as brothers, not just as grandfather and grandson.

I have brought petitions with me for this year’s One Day Journey. It will be held at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center on November 5^th. After the meeting is over, come ask me for one. Give it to someone who you KNOW will be a good Mason. If you would rather, he can also advance the traditional way. How he comes to be a Mason is not important. What is important is that you will help a good man become a great one through his participation here.

Brethren, as I close, I implore you to let this time of year reawaken your spirit. Let the Masonic Renaissance be a rekindling for you of the fire that burns deep within your heart and the heart of every Freemason. Commit yourselves unequivocally to the ideals of our Fraternity and remember that your commitment does not end with the setting of the sun or the change of the season. It must continue always, being born anew every year so that you are forever worthy of the title Freemason!

Honor and Recognition

2011-04-14T09:51:00.000-04:00

On March 8th, I made my Official Visit to Penn Brotherhood Lodge No. 635. The Worshipful Master, Brother Art Lindsay, and all the officers were in fine form. We awarded four 50 Year Service Pins and it was great to hear those men speak about what Freemasonry has done for their lives. My address is below.

Honor and Recognition

"MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS."

- SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON

What you just read was an advertisement that was supposedly run in a London newspaper by Brother Sir Ernest Shackleton. It may just be a legend, as there is no extant copy of the ad, but as the legend goes, according to Shackleton, “It seemed all the men of Great Britain were determined to accompany me, the response was so overwhelming.”

Why do you suppose that an advertisement that details such certain agony would engender such a response from the readers? What is it about honor and recognition that motivates men to take such risks? Are there lessons that we as Freemasons can take from that and apply to our Lodges and our lives?

As a culture today, we have by and large embraced the easy life. There are few people who would read Shackleton’s advertisement and be motivated to apply for the job. After all, there is no mention of health benefits, vacation, sick time or a 401k. Why on earth would we be interested? That mentality has also seeped into our Lodges. Why should I pay higher dues? What benefit do I get out of holding a fundraiser for the Masonic Villages? How will working on a community service project help me?

I cannot stand before you and tell you that doing any of those things will be of direct benefit to you. You may reap the ancillary benefits of improving your community or supporting Masonic Charities at some point in your life, but I would be lying if I told you that there would be an immediate and recognizable benefit to you personally for doing it.

I will tell you, however, that the satisfaction you will have from working hard to ease the path for others will be great.

Last year when I addressed this Lodge, I told the story of a king who placed a large boulder in the road to see who would move it. All the able-bodied men walked by it, thinking themselves above the task. A small boy finally moved it fearing that someone would be injured by it. Under it, he found a bag of gold. I told this story in hopes of inspiring you to action – to making you understand that clearing the path for others makes our passage easier as well. Were some of the Lodges inspired to action? Yes. Was yours? I’ll allow you to decide that for yourself. If your answer is no, then it is incumbent upon you to make it happen. Do not look at the man to your left or to your right and assume that it is he who should lead the charge. If you elected officers are not doing it, volunteer to do it for them. And I am speaking now of all the programs of the Renaissance – Open Houses, Community Service, Membership Growth, Suspensions and everything else that we have been striving to change in the last fourteen months.

I spoke to you recently about the importance of not resting on our laurels. I mentioned that I expected the Lodges in this District to continue raising funds for Masonic Charities because doing that is the right thing to do. I am challenging Penn-Brotherhood Lodge and all the Lodges of the 54th District to hold fundraisers this year both for the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation - at least $2,000 to this most deserving charity. I expect you to band together and do what it takes to make the contributions that you should to the youth groups that we all support. Why should you do this? Why should the members of this Lodge come together, give up one or more Saturdays to raise funds for the kids or the elderly? Because you are Freemasons and if you are true to your calling, you know that being charitable is the right thing to do.

Saying we are charitable and being charitable are two very different things. Being a Freemason, and yet sitting on your hands and or wallets when called to action are to me irreconcilable. When a need exists within our Fraternity or without, we must unhesitatingly jum p up and be the first to try and meet it. We must put aside concerns for our own lost time, or expended energy and do what we know is right.

I am calling on our leaders – those of you who hold, or aspire to hold, elected offices in your Lodges to do what you are called to do. Lead your Lodges. Find causes that you believe in, rally support, make the plans and take the steps necessary to make your events successful.

Rallying support may mean more than putting an announcement in your Lodge bulletin that you want help. It may mean picking up the phone and personally contacting your members to solicit their help.

The wages will be small for each of you who participates, but you will not have to deal with bitter cold, months of complete darkness or constant danger. The honor and recognition will be the self-satisfaction of a job well done.

I mentioned at my first Visitation that I will not ask you to do something that I am not willing to do as well. I will not stand here and pay lip service to the idea of working hard for our charities without doing it myself. I am running the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 15^th and am hoping to raise $2,000 through pledges of support from friends, family and my Brothers (my ever so generous Brothers) to donate to the DeMolay and Rainbow groups in the 54^th District as well as to the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation. There is a link on the District Website where you can make secure online donations through PayPal using a credit card, debit card or your PayPal account.

I encourage you – nay, I beg you – to give any amount that you feel comfortable donating, knowing that it both supports the youth of our area and forces me to suffer through 26 agonizing miles of running through the streets of Pittsburgh for the cause.

Brethren, I know it seems at times that Freemasonry may ask a lot of you, but to be worthy of the reward you must answer the call. You must view your membership in the greatest Fraternity in the world as the “honor and recognition” that Shackleton spoke of and therefore be willing to endure – metaphorically speaking – small wages, months in complete darkness and constant danger.

I ask you, members of Penn Brotherhood Lodge as well as all of you here to become engaged in the future of your Lodge and of your Fraternity. You will be better men for it.

Do Me a Favor

2011-03-13T21:43:00.003-04:00

On March 3rd, I attended Pollock Lodge No. 502 for my second Official Visit of the year. I was delighted that almost ninety Masons showed up for the evening. The Worshipful Master, Brother Jim Tomson, and all of the Officers and members made me and every visitor feel at home.

We gave 50 year emblems to two of their members and heard them talk about how special the bonds were that they developed through their membership in this great fraternity.

I gave the following address at the end of the evening:

Do Me a Favor

The deed is everything, the glory nothing. – Johanne Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

If you’ve been to more than one or two of my visitations, there is a better than average chance that you have heard me tell a story about Maestro Robert Page. Bob was the long-time Conductor and Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, an organization I sang with for many years. To my knowledge, Bob is not a Mason, but he embodies, both in spirit and in action, many of the virtues that Masons endeavor to practice.

One snowy night years ago, we were at the final rehearsal for a very challenging piece of music. We knew that there was still work to be done if it was to be perfect and all of us, including Bob, were feeling the pressure. At a break in the rehearsal, a young man, new to the group looked outside and saw that there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. He called his roommates and asked if the buses were still running.

“No. It looks like service was suspended because of the snow,” was the reply he got. This young man who knew no one in the group particularly well, summoned the courage to approach Bob and timidly ask, “Maestro, I hate to be a bother but I need a favor. Is there any way I can get a ride home with you after rehearsal?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Don’t think a thing of it.”

That, in and of itself, is not so remarkable. What happened next was. As we returned from our break, mentally steeling ourselves for another exhausting hour of intense rehearsal, Bob put down his baton, pulled up a stool and began to teach a life lesson.

“I was just asked to do someone a favor and I wanted to talk a little about what that means. A student asked me to give him a ride home tonight. He lives less than one block off of my route home. Now is that a favor? Is it really doing someone a favor to drop them at a house that I was driving by anyhow?

“To me, doing a favor for someone,” he continued, “should imply a hardship or inconvenience on the bestower. We are too quick to classify what should just be acts of decency as favors. A favor would have been driving him to the opposite side of Pittsburgh. A favor is changing a stranger’s tire while you are wearing a tuxedo or mowing an elderly neighbor’s lawn.”

So in his own way, Bob did me a favor that night. He gave up several precious minutes of much-needed rehearsal to teach a lesson that will stick with me forever: That we should consider the needs of others over our own needs, and that we should do things for people, not because it makes us feel good, but because it is the right thing to do.

Do I live up to that standard all or even most of the time? No. There are some of you who do, but most of us know we could improve. We sometimes focus on the glory, not the deed, or we assume someone else will pick up the slack since we’re too busy to help this time.

As Masons we are taught to be charitable. Certainly charity has to do with being generous with our monetary gifts, but we need to be charitable with our time and our talents as well.

Pollock Lodge is an example of generosity by any of those definitions.

They have held fundraisers, not just for the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown, but also for members of their community who are in need. They have made their Lodge a presence in the community.

They volunteer their skills and talents to improve the building, making it into a place they want to spend their time.

They consistently travel to my Official Visits in an effort to win the Travelling Trowel. They come to the School of Instruction and rehearse weekly at their own Lodge.

Could each and every one of them find some other way to use their time, talents and treasure? Of course. What makes them and several of our Lodges different is that they did not. They choose to come here and labor for what they see as something very worthwhile. They do their Lodges a favor by sacrificing time at home or socializing with friends to be here several nights a month.

And the Lodge in turn does a favor to the community. It gives back by helping the distressed, cleaning up parks and playgrounds, volunteering at soup kitchens and hospitals. It also gives back in another and maybe unexpected way. It often brings in men who were searching for purpose and a way to be a part of something greater than themselves. It teaches them that service to others, self-improvement and continually striving for what is right are what it means to be a good man. After learning these lessons, those men return to their homes and towns, better fathers, better sons, better husbands and leaders.

Brethren, Pollock Lodge is just one example of doing the right thing by going above and beyond. Many of our Lodges and members do great things, but some are tethered to the ground by fear. Thoreau said “In the long run, men hit only what they aim at.” Perhaps we need to adjust our sights then. Perhaps we need to aim not at limping the Lodge along for another year, but at making it flourish.

Think about what your ideal Lodge would be. Would you want it to be a place where men are anxious to spend their time? Would your ideal Lodge give to others without hesitation when the need exists? Would a nonMason look at your membership and long to be in company with you?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, ask yourself what you are aiming at. Set goals within your Lodge to improve in those areas that are holding you back. Make more men into Masons this year than your Lodge ever has. Double what you give to charity. In short, aim at something new.

It might not be easy, but the reward will be great. Do yourself a favor. Not the easy kind, but the hard one. Give a little more time or talent or treasure to Freemasonry. Commit to working harder for your Lodge and the men you call your Brothers.

As Phillips Brooks said, “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks.”

Continue to work with your Lodge, with me and with the Grand Master to keep Freemasonry headed in the right direction. I know you will find the power equal to the task.

Do yourself a favor and try.

Helping Sisyphus

2011-02-18T07:52:00.000-05:00

Last night was my first Official Visit of 2011. Forbes Trail Lodge and Worshipful Master Pete Randazzo hosted approximately 60 members from the District and I again had the honor of presenting a Fifty Year Service Emblem to one of their own. Before retiring for a fabulous meal, I was pleased to offer the following remarks:

Helping Sisyphus

In ancient Greece, it was customary to award the winners of Olympic events with a crown fashioned from laurel branches. In modern-day Boston, the winner of the marathon receives the same award and the term laureate, as in Poet Laureate has its origin in the word laurel and signifies that the poet has received a special honor for his or her work.

In the most recent Freemason Magazine, you may have read that for the first time in fifty years, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has seen an increase in membership - in fact we have increased by 449 members since the end of 2009. That they have seen an increase can also be said of a few of the Lodges represented here tonight, not all of them unfortunately, but some. As membership growth was arguably the cornerstone of Grand Master Sturgeon’s 21st Century Masonic Renaissance, it might then be fitting and proper for us to award him a crown of laurels and maybe even give them to ourselves for helping in the effort. After all, it took the hard work of many to see such a feat accomplished.

The tendency after making a great effort can sometimes be to take a break. It is human nature after all to occasionally rest from our labors. Let’s take a look however at those mentioned earlier and see if that is what they would do. Would an Olympian finish the competition and be satisfied to fade into oblivion? Would he see all the hard work and energy spent to reach the pinnacle of success be immediately undone – satisfied to return to his home and ordinary life? Probably not. Would the marathon runner hang up her shoes, never to run again? No. She would probably go out the next day for a recovery run and continue to keep herself in peak physical condition – able to compete again. Would the poet, a person uniquely qualified to craft the written word in such a way as to invoke images, colors and emotions in the minds of all who read his words stop writing and stop dreaming after one poem? No. He would continue to hone his art and make the world a more beautiful place through his words.

The origin of the term “resting on one’s laurels” comes from the idea that people rely on their past achievements rather than constantly moving forward toward a new goal or a new horizon.

I am here to tell you tonight, Brethren, that we as Freemasons are NOT going to rest on our laurels. We are not going to sit back and bask in the glory of a year of growth, pat each other on the back and say “Great job! Let’s go grab a beer.” We are going to use the momentum we have gained to continue to move our Lodges forward, continue to grow and continue to do good works in our communities and for our charities. We shall not be content to sit back, rest on our laurels and say at some future date that we were part of that ONE year when Freemasonry grew.

The Grand Master has authorized us to hold regional One Day Journeys. We will be holding ours in conjunction with the 47th and 55th Districts at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center on October 15th of this year. More details will follow, but preliminarily, it will follow a similar format to last year’s event. I expect every Lodge to grow this year - every Lodge. We will set goals for growth and plans to achieve it. If we ask each of our new Brothers from last year’s Journey to recommend at least one friend, we would be nearly there.

To increase our visibility in our communities, we will continue to do service projects, helping to make our towns and neighborhoods places that we can be proud of. To help the public understand just who we are, every Lodge will hold at least one open house and invite the community into the Lodge to see how it works. Breakfasts, sponsorships of community events and booths at local festivals also help to make people aware of who we are and what we do and I encourage your Lodges to consider them.

Every Lodge will again hold fundraisers to benefit Masonic and other charities. I expect every Lodge to make at least a $2,000 contribution to Masonic Youth Groups, not because the Grand Master has asked – he has not. Not because I asked either, but because it is the right thing to do. Charity is one of the basic tenets of our Craft and if we do not continually strive to be charitable – especially to those institutions ancillary to our own – then we are not being faithful to our calling as Freemasons. Not every Lodge met the $2,000 request last year. Some did not really even try which is enormously disappointing. This year we all will. I know we will because I am even going to get in on the game. I am training to run the Pittsburgh Marathon in May and I will be seeking pledges for the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation. There will soon be a link set up on the District Website where pledges can be made by credit card through Paypal. My goal is to raise at least $2,000 as well. I cannot even imagine the embarrassment a Lodge will feel if the District Deputy, using only his feet, his training and four hours of intense suffering, is able to raise more money than its 200 plus members.

Am I asking a lot of you? Maybe. But to those to whom much has been given, much is expected. You have been given the singular honor of being a Freemason. You are following in the footsteps of some of the greatest men ever to walk this earth – poets, writers, men of letters, men who have freed nations from tyranny and countless others who have risked or given their lives that others may be free. So I will ask that question a different way: Is asking you to sacrifice a few hours of your personal time to ease the path for our youth, to better your community and to grow this great Fraternity for another year too much? I hope your personal answer is no.

Sisyphus was a great king of Greek mythology. For overstepping his bounds and angering Zeus, he was condemned to spend eternity pushing a heavy boulder up a hill. Just before he would reach the top with it, however, it would slip away and roll again to the bottom and he would be forced to start all over again. Thus a Sisyphean task is one that is pointless or interminable.

Making Freemasonry better is certainly not pointless, but it most assuredly is interminable. Last year’s growth is just that -last year’s. It is history, relegated to the pages of our own mythology. The boulder is back at the bottom of the hill and must be pushed up again. Instead of watching one man do it himself, let us band together and help Sisyphus. Whether you interpret that as helping your Lodge and Grand Lodge grow and prosper, working to see your Lodge become relevant or making your community a better place to live is up to you. But if we each stand up, put our shoulder to the stone and help our own Sisyphus, we will most assuredly lighten the load for others and make ourselves again worthy of the name Freemason, not resting on our laurels while there is work yet to be done.

I want you to join me - not because I ask, but because you know it is the right thing to do – join me in continuing the hard work required to make this Fraternity greater so that we can look back in years to come and say not that we were part of that one year when we grew, but that we were there at the beginning of its Renaissance, the time that Freemasonry reawakened and began the long-term rise to the greatness it deserves.

Love, Loss and Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T18:07:00.000-05:00

I just found out a few days ago that the wife of a dear friend and Brother passed away after what her obituary called a one-week battle with leukemia.

The funeral service was November 24th, the day before Thanksgiving. Now, for as long as I have known my friend, I never had the opportunity to meet his wife, with the possible exception of a quick hello at his house one afternoon a few years back. I thought, mistakenly, that this would be an easy funeral to attend (if any funerals are easy) since I really shared nothing with her. No memories, no experiences no connection to her other than her husband. As I entered the church lobby, I saw my friend. He said he was doing well, that today would be a celebration. He knew there would be some tears, but he wore a genuine smile and the sparkle that is typically in his eye was there as well. Easy, I thought.

When I entered the sanctuary, I saw her picture being projected onto the walls in the front of the church. She wore her hair in a blond bob, combed perfectly, looking directly at the camera with a squinty smile that made me think she knew a secret that she wasn't quite ready to tell. She looked warm and caring and I instantly wished that I had known her. I was overcome with sadness - as much as I have ever experienced at a funeral. Why? We were a full degree of separation from each other. What was it that made me mourn so deeply? I tried to figure it out as I listened to the opening remarks from the pastor, the guitar and vocals of "God of This City" and a touching video tribute. I saw her as a child, at family reunions, graduations, at her wedding to my friend who evidently had a lot more hair and a big seventies moustache long before we knew each other, the birth of her children and her later years (if you can call 52 "later years"). I figure there may have been sixty pictures, each one on average 1/60th of a second exposure, so her life was distilled to a total of one second of time captured in those images. It was left to me to imagine the time between those frozen instants, the time that makes a life. The time we laugh, struggle, give thanks, question, cry and love. I realized at that moment why I was so sad. In between her beginning and her end, spanning the years of her story, this woman I didn't know - the one keeping that really great secret-loved my friend - helped to make him who he is. She loved someone I love, so I loved her and her death leaves a void of sorts for me.

So on this Thanksgiving I am grateful for those who have touched my life without my even knowing it. I am thankful for the people that love me and for those I love. I'd like to think most of you know who you are, but if I were honest with myself, I know I could be better about showing you.

And I shall be.

Pax vobiscum Kelly, et cum spirito tuo.

Pride of Ownership

2010-05-12T20:56:00.000-04:00

Last night Tyrian Lodge No. 644 played host to my ninth Official Visit of the year.

We had a great deal of work on the Trestleboard. We presented two Fifty Year Embles and a Sixty Year wreath. I had the opportunity to present a Century Club pin and certificate to Brother Byrl Johnson. Brother Byrl has conferred 153 degrees in his own Lodge and countless others in Lodges all over the area.

We also awarded the final Travelling Trowel award to Pollock Lodge No. 502 and the Boaz and Jachin Ritual Excellence Award to Bethel Lodge No. 789. Congratulations to the Brethren and the Lodges for each of their honors.

I was pleased to offer the following address when called upon for remarks:

Pride of Ownership

One ship sails east, another west,
By the self-same winds that blow.
It isn't the gales, it's the set of the sails,
That determines the way we go.
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

For several months now, I have come before you to talk about the Grand Master’s 21st Century Masonic Renaissance. You all know about the great tools he has given us to help slow the membership decline in our Fraternity.

You all know that we can now ask men of good character to join; that we have a brochure entitled You’re Invited to answer any questions they may have. I have told you all about the One Day Journey to be held on October 30th where a man can become a Mason in just one day. He will need training and guidance after, but he can take all of his Degrees and be a full-fledged Mason by the early afternoon.

You know about the “Call to the Craft” program that makes phone calls to your members fast and easy. We have shared our Acts of Kindness, and talked about the monthly service projects and fundraisers, all designed to boost our image in the community and the individual Mason’s pride in his membership.

In ancient Athens, the young men of the city had to take the following oath upon reaching their majority:

We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice.
We will fight for the ideals and Sacred Things of the City both alone and with many.
We will revere and obey the City's laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught.
We will strive increasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty.
Thus, in all these ways we will transmit this City, not only not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could take that kind of delight in our Fraternity? How much more grand would we be if every Mason felt that kind of pride of ownership. That’s what we are, owners – or perhaps stewards would be more accurate – of the Craft.

What does it mean to transmit [the Lodge], not only not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us? It means work. It means labor and toil and sweat and tears and sacrifice. There are Lodges in this District that have not read a single petition this year. Those same Lodges will suspend members and undoubtedly lose a few through death. Conversely, there are Lodges which have read more than ten petitions for Initiation and may suspend few or no Masons because they have done the work necessary. They have used the Call to the Craft for dues reminders and have made personal calls to delinquent Brothers reminding them of the value of being a Freemason. It isn’t the gales, but the set of the sails that determines the way we go.

Many of you know I’m a fairly avid runner. I don’t generally run very far – only about three to four miles at a time – but I do run frequently. Recently, a friend suggested that we run the half marathon in Pittsburgh together. I said yes thinking it would never happen. Well, on May 2nd, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, drove down to the city with Gail (my cheering section) and joined 16,000 other people at the common start of the marathon and half marathon. Prior to that time, the longest run I had ever taken was ten miles. I’m now set to increase that by thirty percent all at once. During the race, there were stretches of straightaway where you could see thousands of people ahead of you and thousands behind you all working toward the same goal. It made me wonder what our Fraternity would be like if we did that.

Gail asked me why I wanted to do it. I guess the answer is that I wanted to see what I was capable of, and the only way to find out was to try.

At the end of the race, there are people there to place a finisher’s medal around your neck. Those of you who have heard me decry participant trophies may sense some irony here, but I assure you this is something different. You see, excluding the elite athletes who are racing each other, the half marathon and marathon are challenges to yourself. They are races against the inner voices that tell you that you cannot overcome adversity or pain; that quitting would be easier. When I crossed the finish line, I did not care about who was in front of me because I wasn’t racing against them. I beat the part of me that said you can’t do it and that was my victory. I now have pride of ownership in that medal because it was purchased by my sweat and hard work.

We need to bring that kind of drive to our Lodge. We need to set our goals high and then work to attain them. Soon, what was difficult and cumbersome becomes habit and custom. You won’t mind doing the hard work, because it will become part of what you do. The victory will be the perpetuity of the Lodge; it will be in leaving it not only not less, but greater than when it was in your care. Every single Lodge in our District should grow in 2010. There is no reason for that not to happen. The Grand Lodge has given you the tools, now you need to pick them up and use them. Be mindful of the men in your life who would make good Masons. Tell them about the good things we do and invite them to be a part of it. Freemasonry is yours Brethren, be proud of that.

In 1914 Brother Sir Ernest Shackleton’s was preparing for an expedition to the South Pole. There is a legend that states he placed a newspaper ad recruiting men for his ship The Endurance. The ad read:

MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS."

The story is told that he received thousands of applicants for the trip.

Our journey is not hazardous, there is no bitter cold, constant danger or complete darkness and our safety is not in doubt. Our journey on the Renaissance will require effort. It will take some time and sacrifice on the parts of all of us. Our reward will be honor and pride. Honor, in that we did the right thing for Freemasonry even though it was difficult. Pride, in knowing that our labor is responsible for the successful future of the Craft we all love so deeply.

Set your sails and join me Brethren!

Building Bridges

2010-04-21T09:32:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, April 20th I made my Official Visit to Plum Creek-Monroeville Lodge No. 799 - my home Lodge. I was pleased beyond measure to have Brother Vern A. Henery, PDDGM travel with me. Brother Vern acted as Guide for my Entered Apprentice Mason's Degree, so he was really the first "face" of a Freemason for me. It was great to have him in the travelling party.

We presented three Brothers with 50 year Emblems. What a thrill.

Before retiring to the fellowship hall for an excellent meal, I was pleased to offer the following remarks.

Building Bridges

What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal. - Nietzsche

When you hear the word bridge, what comes to mind? I believe for most people it would be the image of a bridge – Brooklyn, Golden Gate or maybe even a pastoral scene with a small covered bridge spanning a little trout stream. What if I asked what a bridge means? That would be something different entirely.

Dream dictionaries offer several interpretations of bridges. They can symbolize transition from one thing to another, a crossing over or a birth.

Tonight I want to take a close look at bridges and bridge building as those things relate to Freemasonry. We will examine how to build bridges within and without the Craft and ways that Freemasonry itself is a bridge.

In W.A. Dromgoole’s poem The Bridge Builder, a tale is told of an old man travelling alone who comes to a difficult river to cross. He does so, and upon reaching the other side, built a bridge. A traveler on the other side asks him why, since he is old and will never pass through again, he spends his time making a bridge. Then:

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 this bridge for him."

If we are to thrive as a Fraternity, we need to have that kind of vision. Those who came before us did. They set out to establish a legacy – to build a bridge so that generations of men to follow could learn the valuable lessons that the Craft has to offer. They knew that they had something of value and weren’t ashamed that it had a price. They were always mindful that to be responsible meant not only to be able to pay the bills, but to have money left to build a trust fund for the future. Today we are content to rest on our laurels, to live off of the hard work of those who came before.

We must change our thinking Brethren! We need to examine not only what it costs us to run the day to day operations of our Lodge, but what we need to continue to build a bridge (like those who came before did for us) to the next generation of Freemasons. If that means that dues need to increase – and they probably do – then do the right thing. Give the Lodge, its Officers and its members the chance to enjoy Masonry the way our forefathers did. Ensure that your Lodge will be a shining monument to forward thinking and hard work for generations to come. Build the bridge.

Within the Craft we also need to build bridges to those who are thinking of leaving. We MUST contact our delinquent Brethren, ask them why they are giving up membership in the greatest fraternity the world has ever known. If they have fallen on hard times, we need to be charitable. If they have just lost interest, find out why. Maybe we need to look at whether we are providing our members with what they want.

There’s a story about a woman who had stopped going to church for a while. After a few months of sitting home on Sunday, she finally decided to quit. The pastor got her letter and called her. “Why are you leaving our church,” he asked.

“Well, I was getting the feeling that I just didn’t matter to the congregation, so I decided to stay home for a few weeks to see if anyone noticed. No one did, so I guess I was right.”

Sometimes, all we need to do is let the Brethren know they matter. The “Call to the Craft” is an excellent tool to let them hear from you. The Lodges that use it regularly have seen increased attendance. As your May Stated Meeting approaches and it is time to suspend for non payment of dues, you must first have made every effort at a personal contact by telephone and it should be your goal to suspend no one. Let no man feel that our great Craft is better off without him, or he without it. Build a bridge.

So too must we construct bridges to the community. In his 21st Century Renaissance, Grand Master Sturgeon has authorized us for the first time in our history to invite good men to be a part of our Fraternity. He has prepared a brochure answering the questions that most men would have of our organization. What do we do? Who do we help? Where do we come from? What are our ideals? And most importantly, how do I join? It is downright tragic when you consider the number of fine men who have gone to their graves wondering why no one ever asked them to be Masons. There are no doubt men who volunteered in their community, supported their local church, synagogue or temple and walked as uprightly as anyone could who simply couldn’t figure out why they weren’t invited into their local Lodge. The problem is, they never knew that the first step was supposed to be theirs. Not anymore my Brothers. The You’re Invited brochure is now a tool that you can use to start a dialogue with a friend who you deem worthy of our Institution. It is the bridge to a conversation about a man becoming a better father, son, citizen and brother. Use it. Build a bridge.

You see, a problem looming in our not too distant future is that of declining membership. I am preparing a report for each Lodge to show membership statistics over the last five years. I will use Plum Creek Monroeville Lodge for illustrative purposes, but the picture I paint is essentially the same across the board.

In the last five years, this Lodge has initiated, restored or affiliated forty-nine men. In that same period, we have lost to suspension, death or resignation one hundred fifty-four. That is not quite twenty percent of the membership. I don’t think you need me to explain the dangers of that kind of decline.

If you hand a brochure to a friend and he tells you that he is just way too busy to join, the answer is the One Day Masonic Journey. On October 30th we will meet in Soldiers and Sailors Hall and confer the three Craft Masonry degrees by one o’clock, p.m. The One Day Journey is not a shortcut to the Craft. It is a bridge from what we did in the past – because men simply did not have as many demands on their time as they do today – to the 21st Century where we seem to schedule our days, hours and minutes to wring productivity out of each second.

Will some of these men take the Degrees and never be seen again? Yes, and that happens just as often with the traditional conferrals. Will some of them go on to become active members, Officers and even Masters of their respective Lodges? There are several here tonight who bear witness that they will.

Another way to build bridges to nonMasons is through our works. Grand Master Sturgeon has asked us to perform monthly community service projects. The Lodges of the 54th District have answered that challenge. We have volunteered at food banks, answered phones at fundraisers, sponsored teams, picked up litter on highways, read to children at their schools, beautified cemeteries, helped the scouts, the elderly, the veterans and the sick. It is simply astounding what we have been able to do.

When we step into the community to ease the path of others, we are changed as well. The satisfaction of having done something to help should never be your motivation, but it sure is a nice side effect. And when others see our works, they too may be spurred to action. We may become the bridge from self-indulgence to self-sacrifice.

Acts of kindness and selflessness can have a ripple effect. Just as self-interest has deteriorated our communities, so too can altruism rebuild them. It will take patience and time. As water eroded stone slowly – literally one grain at a time – to give us the beauty of the Grand Canyon, we can slowly bring about change in our world by effecting change in ourselves. We can entice good men to do the same by giving them something worthwhile to do and to be. Build those bridges.

Leave this sanctuary of peace tonight, think about good men in your life who are not Masons and invite them to be a part of this esteemed band of men. Support the One Day Journey as a mentor. Volunteer with your Lodges as they build better communities. Be a span – from intolerance to peace, from self-indulgence to self-sacrifice, and from the past to a future made more glorious because Freemasons played their parts.

Vision Amazing

2010-04-15T13:30:00.001-04:00

We are the music makers,

And we are the dreamers of dreams,

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

And sitting by desolate streams;—

World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:

Yet we are the movers and shakers

of the world for ever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties

We build up the world's great cities,

And out of a fabulous story

We fashion an empire's glory:

One man with a dream, at pleasure,

Shall go forth and conquer a crown;

And three with a new song's measure

Can trample a kingdom down.

We, in the ages lying

In the buried past of the earth,

Built Nineveh with our sighing,

And Babel itself in our mirth;

And o'erthrew them with prophesying

To the old of the new world's worth;

For each age is a dream that is dying,

Or one that is coming to birth.

A breath of our inspiration

Is the life of each generation;

A wondrous thing of our dreaming

Unearthly, impossible seeming—

The soldier, the king, and the peasant

Are working together in one,

Till our dream shall become their present,

And their work in the world be done.

They had no vision amazing

Of the goodly house they are raising;

They had no divine foreshowing

Of the land to which they are going:

But on one man's soul it hath broken,

A light that doth not depart;

And his look, or a word he hath spoken,

Wrought flame in another man's heart.

And therefore to-day is thrilling

With a past day's late fulfilling;

And the multitudes are enlisted

In the faith that their fathers resisted,

And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,

Are bringing to pass, as they may,

In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,

The dream that was scorned yesterday.

But we, with our dreaming and singing,

Ceaseless and sorrowless we!

The glory about us clinging

Of the glorious futures we see,

Our souls with high music ringing:

O men! it must ever be

That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,

A little apart from ye.

For we are afar with the dawning

And the suns that are not yet high,

And out of the infinite morning

Intrepid you hear us cry—

How, spite of your human scorning,

Once more God's future draws nigh,

And already goes forth the warning

That ye of the past must die.

Great hail! we cry to the comers

From the dazzling unknown shore;

Bring us hither your sun and your summers;

And renew our world as of yore;

You shall teach us your song's new numbers,

And things that we dreamed not before:

Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,

And a singer who sings no more.

Ode - Arthur O'Shaughnessy

I originally set out to quote only excerpts of the above poem Ode, by Arthur O’Shaughnessy, but as I sat at my computer and tried to edit it, distill it down to just a few stanzas that may apply to our Craft, I realized it just wouldn’t be possible. Poetry has been described as the perfect economy of words in the perfect order. In other words, if you add or subtract from it, it will be diminished.

Now I can find no evidence that O’Shaughnessy was a Mason which leads me to believe that he was not. And it is obvious that Freemasonry is not the subject of the poem – it is clearly describing artists, musicians and writers, but if you really think about it – allow yourself to get lost in the words – it can be applied to anyone working for positive change.

One man with a dream, at pleasure/Shall go forth and conquer a crown;/And three with a new song’s measure/Can trample a kingdom down. Throughout history and all around the world, Freemasons and their doctrine of the equality of man have played pivotal roles in trampling down oppression and defending liberty. Bolivar in South America, Garibaldi in Italy, Revere, Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Churchill – the list is almost endless. What is amazing is that where there has been a rebellion against injustice, men who were Masons have been there to lead.

The Renaissance is going to change the way we teach our Apprentices. No longer will we simply make them memorize ritual without explaining what it means. We are now going to teach men of our proud and glorious history so that when someone approaches them and says, “I see you’re a Mason. What do you people do,” he can tell them of our good works, past and present and feel proud. A breath of our inspiration/is the life of each generation.

Grand Master Sturgeon has made it easy for us to talk to nonMasons about who we are. We now have a brochure entitled You’re Invited to hand to men of good character. In it, they can read about where we came from, what we do, and why we are worthy of their time. If you haven’t handed one to a friend, you are doing him a disservice. Your brothers, uncles, sons, fathers, nephews and neighbors know you to be a good man and they probably know you’re a Mason. Share it with them, you’ll both be better for it.

And o’erthrew them with prophesying/to the old of the new world’s worth/for each age is a dream that is dying/or one that is coming to birth. The Renaissance, or rebirth, is not without its resistance, for a rebirth implies the death of something else. Brethren, if you examine where we’ve been and trend it forward, it becomes clear that the old way – the way we’ve always done it – isn’t working. Drastic steps had to be taken to curb the membership decline. The brochure was one. The One Day Masonic Journey is another.

The old way – the way we’ve always done it – was to confer degrees over a three month period. There are Brethren who are up in arms that we are offering a “short cut” to the Craft. I suppose that if Ben Franklin, Elias Ashmole or other Freemasons of yore saw how you and I entered the Fraternity, they would call it a short cut as well since it used to take several months or more to earn each Degree.

The One Day Journey will allow men with limited free time to receive all three Craft degrees on the morning of October 30th. What happens next is up to your Lodge. Will your mentors invite them to the next meeting? Will you ask them to come to your next social outing? Will you do everything in your power to make them feel as welcome as you did? Or will you shake their hands, offer congratulations and stand up at the next meeting and complain that the One Day Class didn’t work? In short, will you be a stumbling block or a stepping stone?

They had no vision amazing/Of the goodly house they are raising/. . ./But on one man's soul it hath broken,/A light that doth not depart;/And his look, or a word he hath spoken,/Wrought flame in another man's heart. Last night I was standing outside of Penn Brotherhood Lodge with a few other members when a young man approached dressed in his naval uniform. As he walked toward us, he removed his hat, tucked it into his belt and nervously said, “I am interested in becoming a Mason. Is there someone here I can talk to?”

Imagine the courage it takes to walk up to a building filled with men you have never met before and ask them to admit him to their ranks. As we talked, he shared with me that he only knows a few men who are Masons, but they are the best men he has ever met. Those unnamed Masons’ looks or the words they had spoken wrought flame in that young man’s heart to be sure.

Why should we wait around for men to find the bravery to ask us? I charge you all to take an active role in our shared future. Use the tools that the Grand Lodge has given us to enliven our Lodges and prepare tomorrow’s leaders.

Our history is written and it is glorious. The future is ours to shape. We can either resign ourselves to mediocrity or we can, with our dreaming and singing, shape a tomorrow whose suns are not yet high.

Great hail! we cry to the comers/From the dazzling unknown shore;/Bring us hither your sun and your summers;/And renew our world as of yore. Let us renew our world, renew our Lodges and with vision amazing march hand in hand with unanimity toward a new and invigorated Craft.

Tenses: Using the Future to Plan for the Present

2010-04-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

Men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up. - Thoreau

There is a story that has been told about a king who ruled over a land of peace and prosperity for many years. He began to notice, much to his dismay, that the people of his kingdom had become lazy. They had enjoyed so much for so long that they had no inclination to work.

“I swear,” said the king, “that there isn’t a single person left in this entire kingdom with initiative.” So in the middle of the night, he used his horse to pull a giant stone into the middle of the main road into the village. He picked a spot in the bushes and waited to see what would happen.

At first light, a farmer approached pulling a wagon full of grain. He slowed his wagon, looked at the stone and grumbled, “This is dangerous. Someone should surely move this stone before it causes an accident.” He then maneuvered his horse and wagon onto the berm, around the stone and into town.

Next passed a soldier, his sword and medals clanging as he walked the road. He was daydreaming; thinking of his own bravery and how gallantly he had fought in the past. So caught up in his own world was he that he didn’t notice the stone and fell right over it. “How ridiculous is it that this stone is in the middle of the road. Someone should move it.” He dusted his uniform, readjusted his medals and sword and continued down the road.

All day this happened. People stopping to complain about the stone, the danger and folly of where it lay and the fact that someone ought to move it. No one ever did.

As the night began to fall, a young boy came upon the stone and stopped. He looked at it and thought of all the problems it could cause at night when no one could see it. He was tired – having worked all day on his father’s farm – but he knew that something had to be done. He worked and worked and with every ounce of energy he had, he was able to move the stone off of the road.

When he finished, he looked at the spot where the stone had lain. There was a bag lying where the stone had been. The boy was astonished when he opened the bag to find it filled with gold coins and a note that read “This gold belongs to the one who moved the stone.”

The next day, when news had spread into the village, they all came out to the road where the stone had been. The farmer, the soldier and all the others who had passed the stone by were now scraping the ground and looking all over for perhaps another bag of coins.

The king rode up to them and explained, “My friends, we will always be met with some sort of obstacles in our life. We can look at them as either obstructions or opportunities. All of you chose the former. I hope you have learned a valuable lesson today. Only through hard work will you receive reward. Laziness brings no wages but regret.” With that he rode off.
Often when we, as Masons, think about creating and executing a plan, the process goes something like this:

1. Come up with an idea.

2. Ask around the Lodge to see if it has been tried before.

3. If it hasn’t, scrap it because it’ll never work.

4. If it has, do it again, but this time charge a little more and give a little less.

Generally speaking, we look to the past to plan for the future. I think we’ve been doing it all wrong. If we want to be successful as a Fraternity, we must use the future to plan for the present. That is how we used to do it. We would fix our eyes on a future and do what was necessary to make it come to pass.

Most of the Lodges in the District have some money in the bank. That didn’t happen miraculously. It happened because those who came before us set out to create a legacy. They wanted a Lodge that would outlast them and they asked themselves “If we want a given tomorrow, how must we act today?” They knew that Lodges needed both members and money to survive. They made sure they brought new members in and they charged enough money that they could both operate their Lodges and invest in the future.

Somewhere along the way, like the kingdom you just heard about, we enjoyed so much prosperity that our thinking changed. We thought, “Someone else can bring in members?” Or often, “They can raise the dues next year if they want to.” In short, we stopped thinking about the future, choosing instead to make it someone else’s problem.

That has to end Brethren. We must no longer wait for someone else to take the stone out of the road. It is on us to shape our own tomorrows. The Grand Master has given us the ability to invite men to join our ranks. Every one of us knows a man who could benefit from our teachings. Every one of us has a duty to help his Lodge.

For the busy man, we have a One Day Journey on October 30th. He can receive all of his Degrees by the early afternoon. That, though, is only half of the journey. After that, you need to contact him and invite him back to Lodge. That is the most crucial step in his journey. Bring him to Lodge where he can meet his Brothers and learn of our wonderful history and our beautiful future.

If we want to have a bright future, we must fix our minds on that and use today to make it happen. To keep from having fewer members next year, we must bring men in now. To avoid running ourselves out of money soon, we must structure our dues and fees properly today.

Our Renaissance, literally rebirth, must be just that. A rebirth in the way we think of Freemasonry – not as a trinket that can be given cheaply to any man, but rather as a jewel only to be earned by the worthy. Does it cost a lot? It should if it is to have any value to the purchaser.

We must use our new eyes to look at our ancient Fraternity in a different way. It is our responsibility to make it succeed. It is each of our jobs to put shoulder to stone and move the obstacle from the road to a glorious future.

What will our future be? Will we use today to make tomorrow better and, like the boy in the story, earn our riches? Or will we be like the others kicking the ground at the foundation of where our glorious temples used to stand wondering where it all went wrong?

The choice is yours. And the choice is ours.

The Practice and Profession of Freemasonry

2010-03-12T07:56:00.001-05:00

Last night was the third consecutive night of Official Visits in the District. I know that it was a lot to ask of the Officers and I thank them for answering the call. Worshipful Master Sam Harper conducted a fine meeting. At age 87, Sam has taken up the helm in his Lodge for the second time. The first was 1978.

After the meeting closed, we presented 50 Year Emblems to two Brothers, one 60 Year Wreath and a long (20 years) overdue 25 Year Award. A beautiful evening indeed.

I was called on for remarks and offered what follows.

The Practice and Profession of Freemasonry

One must be something to be able to do something. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There’s a story that has been told about a young boy and some starfish. You see, every so often there is a perfect combination of tide and wind and current that causes unusually high numbers of starfish to wash up onto beaches around the world.

It was on one of those days that an old and wise man decided to take a walk on the shore to clear his mind and think. A little way ahead of him, he saw a young boy constantly stooping to pick something up and throw it into the ocean.

As the old man approached, he could see it was the starfish that the boy was so focused on. He stopped and asked the boy, “Why are you spending so much time throwing those starfish into the ocean?”

“You see sir, the tide is going out and these starfish will be stranded and die. I’m trying to help,” said the boy.

“But my dear boy, there are miles of beach and hundreds, maybe even thousands of starfish here. Why waste your time when what you’re doing can’t possibly make a difference.”

The boy, not missing a beat, picked another starfish up and with all his might, tossed it far out into the waves. As it hit the water with the splash, he looked to the old man and said, “It sure makes a difference to that one.”

Too often in life, we go along unaware of our actions and what kind of affect they have on others. With the cynicism that sometimes comes as we leave childhood and become men, we can easily begin to look at the big picture as hopeless instead of focusing on the specifics like that little boy.

We must be ever mindful that what we do as Masons may not have immediate impact on society as a whole, but it does impact individuals. Perhaps each of those individuals, touched by a kindness or spurred to goodness by a Mason decides to pay it forward. Soon, change happens on a greater scale, blossoming, in a perfect world, exponentially.

We are admonished at the opening of every Lodge meeting to “apply ourselves with zeal to the practice and profession of Freemasonry.” What is the practice and profession of Freemasonry? And how can we apply that to being a 21st Century Mason? We need look no further than the rest of that charge for the answer.

We must seek wisdom, for no man who is wise can be anything but good.

We must be united; for when people strive to work and agree, the load is lessened for all. Conversely, without consensus, the going is challenging at best.

We have been charged this year to do something that we’ve never done before. I say that with a wink, because I think if we’re honest, we will admit we’ve done it for years. Under Grand Master Sturgeon, we can now ask good men to be a part of our great Fraternity. There are stories of sons that have waited years for their fathers to ask them to join the Fraternity only to find out much later in life that they were supposed to make the inquiry themselves. It was always seemed a little like “double secret probation” to me. You only learned that you were supposed to seek membership once you sought membership. Well, that’s no more. We can now tell our friends, “Hey, you are the kind of man that should be a Mason.”

We’re even going to make it easy for these men. On October 30th, there will be a One Day Masonic Journey. Men who don’t have free evenings, men who work second shift and those who truly don’t have the time to join in the usual way can now become Masons. Making them want to stay after they join – that’s your job. Bring them to a Lodge that is active, fun and contributing to a better community and they will stay. They may realize that things they used to find important just aren’t when compared to the transformation he sees in himself as he matures as a man and Mason.

Some may grumble, “Well, that’s not the traditional way. He should have to wait a month between Degrees, like I did.” Well you know what, that isn’t the traditional way either. It used to take up to three years between Degrees. I imagine that our Masonic ancestors, if they were here, might complain that you and I didn’t really do it the traditional way either.

The point is that we must be united. We must realize that today’s Masonry needs to adapt to today’s culture if it is to remain relevant. Use the brochure as a way to open a door for a young man. Support the One Day Journey. It might not be your cup of tea, but we’re charged to be united, so unite.

We are told to be happy and contribute to the happiness of others. There are limitless ways that we can do that. Through our Lodge Community Service Projects, we can beautify our neighborhoods, help families in need and give back to the communities that we call home. Acts of Kindness that we have always done serve as outward symbols of the care and love that our Craft have toward all mankind.

What about promoting the useful arts and cultivating the moral virtues? We must mentor our members and tell them of our history. We must explain the value of adorning our minds and inspire them through the tales of the great Masons who have shaped the world. To help a man soar intellectually is the best gift you can give, for an educated mind is a free mind.

Nowhere is it more important to teach virtue and morality than to our young boys and girls. Building strong foundations of morality, teaching good judgment and empowering our future leaders to be all that they can be is an indispensible part of our mission to make the world a better place to live. Remember, one must be something to be able to do something. Giving fifty cents per member to the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation is one of the points of the Renaissance. I urge you not to stop there. Give more. If you can’t afford more money, give of your time. Bring them to Lodge to exemplify their ritual, ask them to help with your fundraisers, most of all, become their friends. Be the role models that are lacking in our society.

Thoreau said “In the long run men only hit what they aim at.” I charge you tonight to aim high. Aim not for mediocrity, but aim for the stars. Let the practice and profession of our Noble Art be your singular focus. Do all in your power to meet the Grand Master’s challenge to bring Masonry to the 21st Century so that your children, grandchildren and men of good character in generations to come can continue to be a part of something so sublime.

So mote it be.

A Passion for Compassion

2010-03-10T23:32:00.001-05:00

Tonight I made my first ever Official Visit to Infinty Lodge No. 546. The Master and Officers were extremely well prepared and showed every kindness to many of us who were first time visitors.

I presented 50 Service Emblems to four of the members. One travelled from South Carolina and another from Detroit to receive their awards. I asked if it was just a fortunate coincidence that they were in town at this time assuming that perhaps a wedding or family event found them fortuitously in the area. They both replied that they made this trip specifically to receive the Award in their Lodge surrounded by people they know and love. That speaks so much for the bonds forged in our great Fraternity. What a glorious evening.

I had the privilege of offering the following to the assembled Brethren

A Passion for Compassion

. . . May I reach

That purest heaven, -- be to other souls

The cup of strength in some great agony,

Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,

Beget the smiles that have no cruelty,

Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,

And in diffusion ever more intense!

So shall I join the choir invisible

Whose music is the gladness of the world. – George Eliot

There was once a small girl who lived in on the outskirts of a mountain village with just her mother and a servant. There had been a drought in the land and everyone and everything around was suffering. The girl’s mother was so weak and thirsty that the girl decided on her own to set off into the land and search for some water. She took the little tin dipper from the shelf and walked for hours until she found a tiny spring in the mountains that had just a small amount of water trickling out. The girl patiently held the dipper until she had what she thought was enough water for her sick mother, then she began to make her way back home.

On the way she met up with a little dog. The dog looked so weak to her. He licked her hand and his dry tongue made her take pity. She said to him, “I can only spare a few drops, for my mother is very sick, but you too could benefit from a little water.”

She poured some water into her hand and the dog quickly lapped it up, barked as if to say “Thank you,” and went on his way. The girl looked at the dipper in her hand and realized that the little tin dipper was now made of silver and it was just as full as it had been before.

She continued on her way, hurrying now because it was almost dark. The road was very long and she was so far from home. She was moving so quickly that she began to crave the water herself. “I can’t drink any of this. My mother needs it far more than I do,” she thought.

When she got home, she ran to her mother’s room and held out the silver dipper. Her mother said, “Please give it to our servant. She has been working tirelessly at my side since I have been sick. She needs it far more than I.”

The servant drank from the cup and handed back to the little girl. She looked at the cup in her hands and it was now a dipper of gold and still every bit as full as it was before.

Presently, there was a knock at the door. A stranger appeared before them and said, “I saw a little girl on the road earlier who generously shared her water with a sick dog and was hoping she could spare some for me.”

The mother knew the importance of helping others in need, so she told her daughter to give the dipper to the stranger, who took the cup and turned it upside down, spilling the contents onto the ground.

“From where this water seeps into the ground shall come forth a huge and generous spring that will slake your thirst and feed your land forever,” he said as he handed back the dipper, now encrusted with the most beautiful diamonds.

The family was so in awe of what had happened that they scarcely noticed that the stranger had left without another word. When they turned to thank him for his generosity he was gone, but they thought they could see a trail of diamonds flying into the night sky. Even to this day, they are there in the form of the Big Dipper to remind us of the importance of being compassionate.

What do you think of when you hear someone called compassionate? Is a millionaire compassionate when he donates one hundred dollars to a charity? In some ways, he may be. Is the same donation from a single parent working two jobs and raising children alone far more compassionate? True compassion, you see, cannot be measured simply in dollars. The little girl was willing to share all of what she had with others, not just a little. Giving a little when you have a lot is not nearly as compassionate as sharing a lot when you have a little.

Our Grand Master has asked us to share like that little girl. Through many aspects of the 21st Century Renaissance, he is asking us to give deeply of our time, our talents and our treasure to help make our communities better for everyone; to build springs that will shower our land with abundance forever.

I have talked before about acts of kindness. I encourage you to remember that others judge Masonry by the actions of the Masons. A little empathy for others – helping a stranded motorist, shoveling a driveway or, perhaps more timely in view of today’s balmy weather, cutting someone’s grass – marks you as a good man and your Fraternity as a groomer of good men.

Giving of your talents can include such community projects as renovating a playground or picnic pavilion, or helping prepare someone’s income tax. If you have a way to ease the suffering of another, is it not your duty to do so?

Giving of your time is important too. When you adopt a resident at the Masonic Villages, you will not only be brightening their lives, but I know you will enrich your own. Remember that I said last night that you are never too old to learn. Our residents have unique and interesting stories and spending time with them can be so rewarding.

Our Grand Master has asked us to give of our treasure as well. He wants us to donate fifty cents per member to the youth and hold fundraisers to donate $2,000 to the Masonic Villages. Is that a lot? I don’t know. Was it a lot to ask a thirsty little girl to share all of what she had with others? For some Lodges, each of those amounts may mean hard work, but when you set out to do grand and noble things, you quickly realize that hard work is essential to success. What can possibly be nobler than ensuring the success of our youth by building strong foundations in faith, education and charitable giving? How could we not choose to work hard to maintain our Masonic Villages for those who have gone before us?

We need to give to our charities and our communities so that wells of abundance spring up all around us. If there’s a need, we must provide. If we get tired, that means we are doing our jobs as Masons and men. Men who aren’t Masons should be envious of what we do. When they ask how you find the time to do what you do, hand them a brochure and invite them to find out for themselves.

I charge you tonight to go home, think about what you can do to make a well spring forth in your community. Long to become a source of what is good and right. Share your time, talents and treasure; share the light that is this great Fraternity with good and worthy neighbors, co-workers and family members. Be passionate about being compassionate.

Simply, “be to other souls
The cup of strength in some great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Beget the smiles that have no cruelty,
Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more intense!”

You needn’t wait to join the choir invisible to do it. Make it be so today!

The Virtue of Virtues

2010-03-09T23:21:00.003-05:00

At tonight's Official Visit to Valley Lodge No. 613, one hundred one Masons turned out to share an excellent meal hosted by Worshipful Master Mike O'Hanlon. I again had the privilege of presenting 50 Year Service Emblems to three of their members and to give the following address:

The Virtue of Virtues

They who disbelieve in virtue because man has never been found perfect, might as reasonably deny a sun because it is not always day. ~Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Merriam Webster defines virtue in several ways: 1. a conformity to a standard of right and 2. a beneficial quality or a power of a thing. With that in mind, tonight I want to talk a little bit about the beneficial quality of the conformity to a standard of right – said another way, the virtue of virtues.

In Freemasonry, we are taught to “practice the Masonic virtues,” but they are not specifically enumerated, nor are they further explained within our Pennsylvania ritual. If we seek more light and do some research, it is generally accepted that the Masonic virtues are the four Cardinal Virtues of Fortitude, Temperance, Justice and Prudence. Why did our Masonic forbears find these virtues of particular importance?

These days, the words fortitude, temperance, justice and prudence are used very infrequently. To modernize the whole conversation, let us refer to the Cardinal Virtues as the Principal Virtues. Let us call them courage, restraint, equality and wisdom.

C.S. Lewis said “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Perhaps that is why it is first among the virtues. At every point when your ethics are tested and you are given an easy choice and the right choice, it takes courage above all to see you through. Courage is often thought to mean physical bravery, but as a Mason, it refers to doing what is right, not necessarily what is popular. As a Lodge leader as well as in life, sometimes it is far more appealing to be liked by your peers than to have to make a tough decision.

For example, courage may require the raising of the dues when the Lodge is in the red – even if it makes you unpopular. The Masonic Renaissance is making changes to many aspects of how we, as Lodges, operate. It is probably a safe bet that every one sitting in this Lodge disagrees with some aspect of the Renaissance. That’s okay. It just requires brave leaders to say “We’re going to try it anyhow.” As leaders and members you must come together. Unanimity isn’t as important as consensus. You may not agree with certain aspects of the Renaissance, but you do irreparable damage to your Lodge if you don’t do all in your power to help it succeed. So courage in our leaders means making decisions that not everyone agrees with. Courage in our members then, means stepping up to help even though you may not like what you are helping with. You must set aside your differences and row with the others in the boat, not against them.

That brings us to restraint. Let’s say, for example, that you aren’t fond of the idea of the One Day Masonic Journey. You could do several things. Not tell any of your friends about it – friends who are busy and don’t have the time to leave the house in the evenings. You can refuse to help with it. You can even stand up in your Lodge after it’s over and boldly proclaim that you don’t see a single new member sitting there with you. You could do all those things or you could exercise self control. You could give the brochure to your busy friend and vow to make his experience so good, he will rearrange his evenings to start attending Lodge. You could also volunteer to be a mentor to those who come it through that class and teach them with months of one on one dedication what you think it means to be a Mason. You could also not stand up in Lodge and make such a statement. Be a stepping stone, not a stumbling block. Realize that there are several paths you can walk from the same starting point to the same destination. Always remember to restrain that part of you that wants to build barriers. Build Temples instead.

Justice, or equality, from a Masonic perspective has less to do with punishing the wicked or rewarding the good than it does with treating each and every person you contact with fairness. Equality means that regardless of your chosen profession, you are a child of God and entitled to be given all the dignity and respect one would give to anything of His making. It also means that we too, as Masons, need to treat everyone that way. We must remind ourselves that we meet everyone “on the level” and that our interactions with our fellow man reflect back on our character. Knowing that justice should be afforded to all should make committing acts of kindness not just easy, but necessary. There is now a portal on the Grand Lodge webpage that catalogues those actions taken by your Brothers around the state. Logon and see exactly how we’re helping make life better. Post your deeds there as well. Not for admiration or accolades, but as a challenge to others to do the same.

Justice should make us realize that it is our duty to adopt residents at our Masonic homes. It is our duty to care for those who have placed their confidence in our ability to do so. We should support the families of our Soldiers by giving generously to the Help for the Heroes Program. A few spare coins at the end of a meeting is nowhere near the sacrifice that they are making for us, but it can mean so much to them and their families.

The last of the virtues is wisdom. True wisdom comes not only from knowledge, but also from experience. Gautama Siddharta said “To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”

If wisdom is the light, then we need fuel. That fuel is education. Whether it is the formal education of schooling, or informal education – the examination and questioning of the known and applying it to the unknown, matters not. Education is not just for the young. We can always learn if our minds are open to it. Brother Mark Twain is credited for having said “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” Intellectual and emotional enlightenment should always be our aim. And remember, wisdom is a journey, never a destination. A wise man anticipates changes and adapts to them. He meets new challenges head on and is every ready to grow based on new experiences.

As our Fraternity faces the challenges of the 21st Century, we cannot rely on the solutions of years gone by. We must adapt to the needs of the men who are joining, not the men who founded the organization. I ask each of you to get on board with the Renaissance. Volunteer to lead one of your Community Service Projects; take the lead in adopting a resident of the Villages; call those Brethren who are delinquent to keep them from being suspended from this great Brotherhood; become a Mentor – it may help you learn a few new things too.

Most of all, realize the virtue of our virtues. Know that the practice of them makes you a better man and your world a better place. Leave here excited and proud to be a member of the Craft. Take a brochure home and vow to give it to a worthy man. Better yet, take five brochures home and invite deserving men to share in the great gift to mankind that is Freemasonry.

Mediocrity: The New Awesome

2010-03-05T12:08:00.002-05:00

Last night, eight one Masons joined in fellowship at my Official Visit to Pollock Lodge No. 502 in Tarentum. I was privileged to present 50 Year Service Emblems to six Brothers and a Sixty Year Wreath to another. I am truly humbled every single time I pin someone who has served this Fraternity for so long. I will never get tired of doing it.

My address for the evening follows:

Mediocrity: The New Awesome

Badness you can get easily, in quantity; the road is smooth, and it lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it. - Hesiod

Last week, the Winter Olympics came to a close in Vancouver. I would venture a guess that most, if not all of you watched some portion of those games. Why are we captivated by athletes coming from all corners of the globe to compete in their chosen disciplines? Is it because they are average at what they do? Is it because they go out and give fifty percent? Of course not! I would venture a guess that if every four years, the mediocre athletic nebbishes from every nation gathered to put just a little bit of effort (not enough to break a sweat, mind you) into being anything but superlative, not only would it not be televised, but no one would watch it if it was.

The Olympics is just one example I can use. Poetry, art, music – all of these things – are really more fully enjoyed when they are done well. Sure, you can enjoy music or art when your child is in the chorus or brings home something for the refrigerator, because it is personal, but otherwise we expect greatness.

Poetry, for example, is said to be such a pure use of language that either adding or subtracting a single word would diminish the poem. When you experience the work of a master – truly examine the capturing of light by Rembrandt or listen to Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony performed by a world class orchestra and choir - you are forever changed. There is quite literally a part of your soul that glimpses into the eternal and will never forget that experience.

Part of the reason that we can be so changed or affected by these things is that they are so few and far between. As a society, we have decided that almost perfect is the same thing as perfect. I would submit to you that almost perfect is the antithesis of perfect. Society grades on a curve, rewards fitting in and holds achievers back to spare the feelings of those who succeed at a lower level. Where triumph was once celebrated, it is now denigrated. Mediocrity has become the new “awesome.”

The problem with this is that the soul of a man wants more. Deep within us, we want perfection; we want to be part of something grand, glorious and larger than ourselves. We want to be perfect stones in God’s Great Temple. Stones that are nearly square or almost square won’t do.

So what does this have to do with the Craft? Quite a bit, actually.

There are men who, deep in their hearts, feel the longing to become better – no, the best men they can and give something back to their fellow man. There are men who don’t know that Freemasonry already does that. The 21st Century Masonic Renaissance seeks to change that.

Thanks to Grand Master Sturgeon’s vision, we now have the ability to invite men of good character to join our Fraternity. How many of you have seen the new brochure? How many of you have read it? How many of you have given it to someone you know?

If you haven’t, you should. Ask your father, son, brother or uncle to join. If you attend church or synagogue regularly, you definitely know someone to whom you could give this. Friends and coworkers who may have spent years waiting to be asked (because they thought that was how it was supposed to go) might say, “I was wondering why you never asked me to join before.”

Some may say that they don’t have the time. Remind them that there will be a One Day Masonic Journey on October 30th. They can still join the old-fashioned way if they would like, but to the man whose time is truly a dwindling resource, the One Day Journey can be his gateway to the Fraternity. The hope is that after meeting such good men and doing so much to help his fellow man through our monthly outreach projects, he may reprioritize his life to make time for what he will then know to be an excellent endeavor.

Some in the past may have been put off because they heard about all of the memorization. The new Mentor program about to be rolled out eliminates most of the memorization in favor of teaching the story of our wonderful and glorious history. So many of us, even to this day, don’t have a clue what to say when someone asks about us because all we were ever taught was to memorize our obligation. The history of who we are and what we do – how we take care of the elderly, help our widows and give back to our communities – those are the stories that our new members need to hear.

If a man chooses to go on to be an Officer in his Lodge, he can now use the written monitor to help learn our beautiful degrees. Remember what I said before about poetry? Our ritual is like that to me. Every single word is important and few of us know every single word. Now a man can sit in the quiet of his own house, on his own time and learn his work.

I’m asking you tonight to help support the Renaissance. Invite worthy men to join, support the One Day Journey, hold your officers accountable to ritual excellence. I’ve told you before what the inimitable Robert Page used to say to our Mendelssohn Choir, “An amateur practices until he can do it right, but a professional practices until he can’t do it wrong.”

If nothing else, leave here tonight enthused. Norman Vincent Peale said, “There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” Be proud that you are part of the greatest Fraternity the world has ever seen and do all in your power to make it that much better.

Let’s continue to hold ourselves accountable and inspire each other to greatness by settling for nothing less than our very own best and the best in others. Let our endeavors be Olympic in that we bring our best selves to Lodge, putting aside the cares of the outside world, finding respite, peace and wisdom, fitting us to be true and perfect ashlars that the Great Architect of the Universe may use as His wisdom directs.

The Character of a Renaissance Man

2010-02-21T10:36:00.003-05:00

On Thursday night, a small but mighty group gathered for my first Official Visit of 2010. The Visitations have not begun as smoothly as I could have hoped. We had to cancel the first due to the weather, and the parking conditions at Forbes Trail were less than ideal due to the piles of snow everywhere. Still the forty seven men that attended had an excellent time of fun and fellowship. My address to the Brethren follows. . .

"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught.” - JC Watts

Brethren, perhaps nothing has defined Masons more throughout our storied history than the character of its individuals. We often tout the fabled cherry tree incident of Brother Washington, the trip to the moon by Buzz Aldrin and Audie Murphy’s “refusal to give an inch of ground” to advancing Germans in World War II.

These are but a few examples of Masonry’s heroes. We have many more whose exploits outside of the Lodge have earned them fame, fortune and admiration. There are many more within our ranks – all of them if we truly do our jobs as mentors – who are men of character.

Over the years, we may have become a little complacent. We may have found it easier to rest our our laurels – content to live off of the hard work of those who came before us. Our character as a whole never suffered, but our achievements may have.

The 21st Century Renaissance is asking us to once again put that character into action and restore the Masons to our just place as the greatest fraternity the world has ever known. Our Grand Master is asking us to do some things that, frankly, we are no longer used to doing.

Effective immediately, each Lodge is to do monthly service projects to benefit the community – that’s the community, not the Lodge. These projects can be quite literally anything. If bleachers need to be built or a playground repaired, we can answer that call. If a community center needs volunteers or a neighbor needs help with his home, we will be there to help. No longer will people drive by Lodge buildings and wonder what Masons do. They’ll know. They’ll know because they have seen us lend a hand at disasters and they have stood side by side with us as we helped make our neighborhoods and communities beautiful by planting trees or cleaning up parks.

Our obligations shouldn’t end there. We are charged as well to begin doing weekly acts of kindness. It can be as simple as holding the door for someone with a stroller or a walker, or buying breakfast or a cup of coffee for someone you don’t know. It doesn’t have to have a price tag, it can cost nothing, but have untold benefits. When you’re thanked, tell the recipient that thanks is not necessary, we’re Masons and it’s our duty to help. Remember that if every Pennsylvania Mason adheres to the practice, we will have committed over 10 million acts of kindness by the end of 2011. I can’t help but think that the world would be a better place for it.

Remember that we aren’t doing this for ourselves. I recently had an opportunity to try this out at the grocery store. I had the unfortunate luck of truly needing groceries the day before the blizzard – I wasn’t just there for milk, bread and toilet paper. I took my ticket at the deli, number 76, looked at the LED sign that told me they were now serving number 67 and sighed. I waited patiently as they slowly waited on those ahead of me. “75, 75, 75?” shouted the woman behind the counter. No answer. When she called my number, I gave her the first item in my order.

While my turkey was being sliced, a little woman, barely five feet tall and well into her eighties, turned to me and stated angrily, “What number are they on? I can’t see the sign.” I told her they were on 76. Actually I told her twice because she didn’t hear me the first time. The then objected that she had 75 and they skipped her.

“They definitely called it. You must have just been busy,” I told her. She started to look agitated, so I put my arm on her shoulder and assured her I would take care of it. When the deli worker handed me the turkey I told her that I wasn’t done but that this lovely young lady had been skipped, to please take care of her and then come back to me. Then I waited for her to say thank you. I rehearsed the line in my head. No need to thank me, I’m a Mason, and it’s my duty to help others. No need to thank me, I’m a Mason, and it’s my duty to help others. I knew how satisfying it would be to say that in a crowded deli so that dozens of people would witness just how good we are.

The thanks never came! She got her American cheese and chipped ham and walked away – vanished right down the canned vegetable aisle never to be seen again.

Truth be told, I was a little angry that I wasn’t thanked (or even acknowledged), partly because it would have been the courteous thing to do, but partly because I lost the opportunity to say “thanks is not necessary, I’m a Mason and it’s my duty to help.” So maybe character is not only doing the right thing when nobody is looking, but it is also doing the right thing when nobody is caring.

The last thing I want to talk about tonight is the Lodge fundraisers to benefit the Masonic Villages. The Grand Master has challenged each Lodge to hold fundraising events to benefit the Masonic Villages. Notice that I did not say that the Grand Master has challenged each Lodge to donate money to the Masonic Villages. There are many Lodges that are capable of simply writing a check for $2,000 or more and putting the matter to bed, but the idea of combining it with community events serves many other purposes. It gives far more of our Brethren an opportunity to get involved or in some cases reinvolved in the work of the Lodge. It also increases the Lodge’s presence in the community at large. Lastly, it benefits our very own beloved charity, the Masonic Villages. Currently we care for over 2,500 people on the campuses around Pennsylvania. It is a mission of love that we should all want to help with. The Grand Master has asked that we accomplish this prior to the December Quarterly Communication, but because the 54th District is not only not an average District, but the best Masonic District in the best Masonic jurisdiction in the world, I am asking that we complete this task by the June Quarterly Communication.

Will it be easy? Not necessarily. Will it require more effort than we currently put into Masonry? Probably. But will it be rewarding for both those who participate and those who benefit. Undoubtedly.

Brethren, our character calls us as Freemasons to be more than passive spectators on the sidelines of our communities. It calls us to do the right things right now. It calls us to lead and to lead bravely. Join with me in making the 21st Century Masonic Renaissance a success thereby keeping Freemasonry alive to share with our children and grandchildren.

New Year's Resolutions Revisited

2010-01-20T19:09:00.002-05:00

Last year, prior to starting The Point Within a Circle, I posted a note about New Year's Resolutions on the District Website. When viewed in the light of the 21st Century Masonic Renaissance, I think it bears both repeating. . . and maybe just a little revision.

I’ve never really been one for New Year’s Resolutions – always assuming that anything worth doing is worth doing immediately, not delaying until some arbitrary point in the calendar. If, however, taking down the 2009 calendar from the wall and hanging a 2010 calendar gives one reason to reflect on past behaviors with an eye toward improving them, then perhaps they serve a purpose.

As Masons, what can we resolve to do differently for ourselves or our Lodge? This list will of course be different for each of us, but allow me to humbly make a few suggestions:

Learn a part of the ritual that you don’t already know. Let’s face it, there are few among us who know every piece of the ritual. Commit to learning a new chair, a new degree, some portion of the funeral service or the mechanics that have always confounded you. If you’re one of the few who knows all the work, pick a portion to hone to perfection. The new ritual books will be of assistance to you at times that it is just too inconvient to meet with another Brother.

Do something with a Brother outside of a Lodge event. Ask a Brother to go golfing or bowling. Take him to breakfast or dinner. (Your Lodge’s spaghetti dinner or pancake breakfast does not count.) The bonds of Brotherhood should stretch beyond the outer doors of the Lodge.

Invite a worthy man to join. Your Worshipful Master or Secretary has brochures that you can use to break the ice. If you truly believe what we do to be worthwhile and of interest to a friend, then invite him to be a part of it. All too often, men wait their entire lives to be asked to join this Fraternity thinking that that is the only way. Help someone worthy start that journey this year.

Attend more Lodge meetings in 2010 than you did in 2009. I probably don’t need to elaborate here.

Call a Brother from your Lodge that hasn’t attended recently just to introduce yourself. Both of you will be better for it. He will feel loved and remembered by his Fraternity and you will have met another man you can call Brother. And if you can do it once, you can do it once a month.

Visit one Lodge you’ve never been to before. You’ll meet new people, see new places and have a chance to hone those skills necessary to visit unfamiliar Lodges.

Read a Masonic book. If you think esoteric Masonry may be too deep or beyond your ability, start with fiction. It may pique your interest and give you the courage to tackle a more academic tome. Just remember to keep the fact separate from the fiction.

Visit another Grand Jurisdiction. Though our Landmarks are the same, Masonry is practiced differently in different jurisdictions.

Visit the Grand Lodge in Philadelphia. It is truly one of the Crown Jewels of Masonic architecture in the world and it’s less than six hours away by car. It can be toured by Masons and nonMasons alike. Don’t like to travel alone? See number 2 above. (If you time it right, you may be able to scratch number 3 off your list as well.)

Force me to cook and serve a meal at the School of Instruction. I mentioned in a previous post what it would take for that to happen. Let's get to the end of the visitation schedule and say we sat with fifteen hundred, or better yet, two thousand Brothers this year.

Lastly, read the Ancient Charges. Dedicate yourself to living true to the high ideals set forth in the opening and closing charges. Being the good citizen, the educated man and morally unassailable individual that we are, as Freemasons, charged to be.

I know this sounds like work. It is. But those things that we don’t work for don’t have value and we esteem them accordingly.

This list isn’t meant to be all-inclusive. If you have some resolutions I’ve missed, please feel free to share them with me. If you find successes or struggles, I’d love to hear about those as well. Drop me a note at ddgm54@pagrandlodge.org. I plan on working toward each and every one of these. It won’t be easy, but I know I’ll be better for it.

I am happy to say that I did almost every one of these things last year. Each of them took time and effort for sure, but the dividend paid to me in the thanks of a Brother, the deepening of a relationship or the broadening of my horizion made it worth every bit. . .

Masonic Renaissance

2010-01-17T18:10:00.000-05:00

As we in Pennsylvania take the first steps of a Masonic Renaissance, most do so with their minds and hearts wide open. There are a few, however, who meet the idea with icy stares and an attitude that it will most assuredly fail. Having spoken at lenght last year about change, I know that the Brethren of the 54th District have fully embraced the concept and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep this Fraternity great.

As I visit the Lodges this year, I will be spending some time talking about the 21st Century Masonic Renaissance, but I will also be gearing many of my remarks toward our own self-improvement. Whether it is our attitude toward change, our willingness to help others or our commitment to personal growth, the ability to make our Fraternity better by necessity must begin with making ourselves better.

While you ponder the points of the Renaissance, I will close with this thought regarding the printing of our ritual. It seems to me that many Brothers are getting bogged down in the semantics of the EA oath; the common thought being that were not to reveal the ritual of Freemasonry. Nowhere do we say that we won’t write the ritual. In fact, the word ritual never appears in our ritual.

I would submit that the secret Art and Mystery of the Craft is not the ritual, but rather it comes from the feeling a man gets and the transformation he undergoes during a beautiful initiatiory experience. It is the desire for self improvement that comes by simply reflecting on the moral lessons of a few Stonemason's tools. That is the secret Mystery and it can never be revealed because it cannot be explained.

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Throwing Down the Gauntlet...er..um...White Masonic Glove

2009-11-21T11:13:00.004-05:00

Greetings Brethren,

It's been a little while since I've posted. The second half of 2009 has kept me Masonically busy. I have had the chance to visit most of the Lodges in the District and have thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Thank you all for the hospitality you show and the good work you continue to do. If you are a Mason and not already a Member of The 54th District Facebook Page, please consider joining. We have 60 members and continue to grow! It is a forum to discuss Masonry and get in touch with other members in the District, plus it gives you reminders for the Official Visits.

Next year's Official Visitation schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, February 9, Valley Lodge No. 613
Thursday, February 18, Forbes Trail Lodge No. 783
Thursday, March 4, Pollock Lodge No. 502
Wednesday, March 10, Infinity Lodge No. 546 (8:00)
Thursday, March 11, Orient Lodge No. 683
Tuesday, April 13, Penn-Brotherhood Lodge No. 635
Wednesday, April 14, Bethel Lodge No. 789
Tuesday, April 20, Plum Creek-Monroeville No. 799
Tuesday, May 11, Tyrian Lodge No. 644
Monday, May 24, Lodge Ad Lucem No. 812 – Reservations Required

As you may have noticed, we have a few new Lodges in the District. I would ask that you consider coming out to the Visitations to welcome the new Lodges to the 54th, make new friends and enjoy some Masonic fellowship. That brings me to my point:

Last year, I put out the challenge to get one hundred Brothers at an Official Visit and you answered the call. This year, since we've increased the size of the District, that number needs to grow. I'm officially challenging you, my beloved Brothers of the 54th, to bring 150 Masons to an Official Visit. If you answer the call, I will again cook at the School of Instruction (chef's hat and all). If you can reach 200 at any one visit, I will cook an even fancier meal and will endeavor to serve it to you myself.

So the gauntlet (white Masonic glove) has been cast, will you pick it up? Can we look back at the 2010 Visitation season and say that we sat in Lodge and shared the Light with 1,500 or even 2,000 Brothers this year? Let's work together to try to make that lofty dream a reality!

Chili Forecast

2009-05-28T15:43:00.004-04:00

In one of my previous posts, I made a prediction that I didn't think we could get 100 Masons to a vist. However, upon further reflection, as a way of saying thank you to all who supported the District during this year's Official Visits, I have decided to stray ever so slightly from my original proposition.

You will recall that I offered to cook for the School of Instruction if we exceeded 100 people at a Visitation. Well, we never did. We got to 94, but because I am grateful to those who did make it, I will indeed cook chili for Monday's (June 1) meeting of the Allegheny Valley School of Instruction.

It has truly been an honor to visit with and learn from all of you, and a bowl of chili is the least I can do to thank you for making my job as District Deputy easy.

Hopefully I'll see you at the school.

Heroes and Saints

2009-05-19T11:48:00.003-04:00

The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.–Felix Adler

Brethren, during my visits this year, you have heard me remark on a variety of subjects all related in some way to the workings of our Gentle Craft. At Forbes Trail Lodge, the theme centered on the importance of not only attracting, but keeping good men interested in our Fraternity, and that if memories of what was, exceed dreams of what can be, we are all but doomed.

At Pollock Lodge, I talked about change; changing our attitudes toward each other, the Craft and the world outside. I also identified some typical obstacles to change and how to avoid them.

At Valley Lodge, through the story of Damon and Pythias, I talked about being Brother and the self-opening that is required for that to truly come to pass.

My visit to Bethel Lodge was just after my house had been burglarized and you permitted me a reminiscence on that which I lost, only to realize that – just as it is with our working tools - things aren’t as important as the feelings or memories they evoke.

My remarks at Plum Creek focused on making better use of our time by trying to live the rule of the twenty four inch gauge – making better Masonry by making better Masons.

Lastly, at Tyrian Lodge, I focused on the Giant Sequoia – comparing its biological adaptations to the sociological adaptations of Freemasonry.

What does any of that have to do with the epigraph? It’s quite simple. Each of those messages calls us to be either heroes or saints – sometimes both – for the Craft.

Let's hear that again. "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light."

On its face, it talks about two types of illumination - one that is corporeal and one that is spiritual. It’s worth noting that nowhere is one way judged to be better than the other. As Freemasons we have to recognize that both are important. Whether we are being heroes by setting the torches that introduce new men to the Fraternity, or being saints by living the well-ordered life of the twenty four inch gauge we are doing important work in the quarries of Freemasonry.

Tonight Lodge Ad Lucem has heard its first presentation from its first Entered Apprentice. We have functioned in both ways for Eric, both in the kindling of a light within him and of corporately being a light for him.

Let us continue to recognize the importance of being both heroes and saints for this Fraternity we all hold so dear to our hearts.

I’d like to close with excerpts from Rumi’s poem A Basket of Fresh Bread where the poet illustrates the importance of both physical and spiritual action in our lives:

The Prophet Muhammad said,
"There is no better companion
on this Way than what you do. Your actions will be
your best friend, or if you're cruel and selfish,
your actions will be a poisonous snake
that lives in your grave."

Wait for the illuminating openness,
as though your chest were filling with Light,
as when God said,
Did we not expand you?
(Qur'an, XCIV,1)

Don't look for it outside yourself.
You are the source of milk. Don't milk others!

There is a basket of fresh bread on your head,
and yet you go door to door asking for crusts.

Knock on your inner door. No other.

Stay bewildered in God,
and only that.

There is one
righteousness: Water the fruit trees,
and don't water the thorns. Be generous
to what nurtures the Spirit and God's luminous
reason-light.

Don't feed both sides of yourself equally.
The spirit and the body carry different loads
and require different attentions.
Too often
we put saddlebags on Jesus and let the donkey
run loose in the pasture.
Don't make the body do
what the spirit does best, and don't put a big load
on the spirit that the body could carry easily.

I pray, Brothers, that those words may speak to you as they have to me and that you leave here tonight inspired to be the mighty heroes and humble saints that our gentle Craft needs.

Redwoods and Blue Lodge

2009-05-12T23:21:00.005-04:00

Ninety-four. Ninety-four men packed Tyrian Lodge - a room with only 68 chairs - for my Official Visit. I will honestly never get used to the feeling I get walking into a room filled beyond capacity - there is none like it. Thank you all for supporting your Lodges, Officers and me during this Visitation season. It has been a delight for me. I hope it has been enjoyable for each of you as well.

We had much on the Trestleboard this evening. I was privileged to present three Brothers with their Fifty Year Emblems and also to give a 60 year wreath to another Brother. We also awarded the final Trowel this evening. I will post more on that later.

When called upon, I gave the following remarks:

Redwoods and Blue Lodge

Okay, so what’s the difference between a Freemason and a Giant Sequoia? That is not actually the beginning of a riddle, but it turns out that the answer may actually be “a lot less than you might think.”

In coastal California where the conditions are right, the Giant Sequoia tree can typically grow to be over 200 feet tall with several having been documented at well over three hundred feet. Amazingly, a tree of this height typically would have root system that does not go much deeper than eight feet. So how does a tree that is more than a football field high manage to survive the strong coastal winds with such a shallow root system? They do something very interesting. Instead of a deep taproot anchoring them to they ground, they send shallow roots more than a hundred feet outward. In a redwood forest, the trees are closer together than that, so when examined closely, one would find the roots of several trees interlocked with one another. You see, they do not rely on their individuality, but their interconnectedness to give them strength.

While Masonry is in many ways a truly individual journey, a Mason, just like the Sequoia, needs to rely on his Brothers for strength. That strength can come in many forms. Depending on where each man finds himself in his Masonic pilgrimage, it can be defined as the patience of a mentor with a frustrated student, the encouragement of a Master to his Officers, the Charity of the Lodge to a Brother in need or the strong grip of a friend each of us has felt within these walls.

You see, for Masonry to thrive, there must exist a willingness to receive support as well as the ability to give it. That may mean asking for help with your ritual, but then remembering that you do not have the right to grumble when the Master calls an extra practice. It means giving freely of your strengths to your Brothers and supplementing your weaknesses with the their assistance thereby growing as a group.

Another interesting thing about the Sequoia is that they are often found growing in distinctly shaped groups; either in a line or a circular pattern called a cathedral. The trees growing in a line come from a parent tree that has fallen down. Those branches that are pointing upward after the parent has fallen will actually begin to root and become trees in their own right, each one separate and distinct from the original tree that fell. In the same way, we introduce good and upright men to Freemasonry with the hope that when we leave this earthly home, they will stay behind. And if their thoughts are focused heavenward (meaning we have taught them well), they too will grow to become the leaders of our Lodges and keep this great Fraternity alive.

The trees growing in a circular pattern, or cathedral, are trees that have sprung up from the roots of a fallen tree. Though the body of the parent tree is gone, the roots see to it that the community carries on by sending up saplings. As these saplings begin to root, they are able to weave themselves quickly into the already intricate root system of the parent plant, giving themselves immediate support to grow straight and true. In the same way, Masons, as we labor, provide support for future generations. If each of us is true to our calling, we will leave behind a strong foundation upon which each successive generation can build.

Another interesting adaptation of the Sequoia is its ability to take in water through its leaves. You see, these trees can grow nearly anywhere, but the area of coastal California where they thrive has a peculiar type of climate. In areas without regularly occurring fog, the tree’s height is limited to the distance it can push water vertically from the root system toward the upper leaves, but the near constant morning fogs of the region allow the upper leaves to supply their own water by pulling it from the heavy air, thereby allowing the trees there to grow to heights unattainable in any other place.

So it is with Masonry. It is possible to go through life without thinking about whence we came or whither we travel, and often, outside of this sanctuary, that is exactly what we see. However, the man who stops and ponders those questions, the man who realizes he comes from something greater than himself and has a duty to his Creator to be the best man he can be – that man begins to use the upper leaves of his intellect to not just survive but to thrive. Just like the roots supplying water, we bring some light and knowledge to our new members, but it is not until those men begin to use their own intellect, discerning life’s important truths for themselves, that they truly grow to their fullest potential as men worthy of the name Freemason.

When you leave here tonight, ask yourself if your root system is spread out far enough. If not, strive to give more support to your Lodge. Ask yourself if you have introduced worthy men to this Fraternity. If not, resolve to for we are never more than a generation from extinction. Make sure you are helping to build the strong foundation for the future – leaving behind a cathedral in which other worthy men can dwell. Lastly, remember always that we are here by the grace of the Great Architect of the Universe and to Him we will each someday return; that our time here is to be used shaping the ashlar of our lives. Each action we take either helps or hurts that process. Promise yourself that if you are the only Mason someone knows, that person will look up to you as he would a Sequoia; as a giant among men towering over a forest of mediocrity below.

The Battle for the Trowel

2009-04-23T17:07:00.004-04:00

The battle for the Travelling Trowel is drawing to a close. There is only one more Visitation left and the game is not won. The totals, including Tuesday's Visitation, are as follows:

Pollock Lodge - 76 Points
Valley Lodge - 39 Points
Tyrian Lodge - 24 Points
Forbes Trail Lodge - 39 Points
Bethel Lodge - 69 Points
Plum Creek-Monroeville Lodge - 23 Points

Now, as you can see it is close. So close that I may end up cooking a meal as promised at some point in the very near future. I still have my doubts as to whether the District can do what is necessary to bring a full 100 men to a Visitation. I mean, I've offered over and over, and the Masters just haven't been able to get it done! Editor's Note: P.J. really doesn't doubt it at all. This is just his Brotherly attempt at talking trash.

Look at it this way: A full slate of Officers and three newly raised Masons would givea Lodge 26 points, so anyone can still win.

The real prize is an evening with your Brothers, so we're all winners in the end just by showing up.

See you on May 12th!

The Measure for a Man

2009-04-22T09:44:00.004-04:00

I have to tell you, my Brothers, that I feel something special happening. I really believe that change is afoot in Freemasonry. A typical Official Visit seems to draw between seventy and eighty people. As I prepared for last night's Visit to Plum Creek Monroeville Lodge No. 799, I will admit that I was steeling myself for disappointment. I was sure that the Penguins v. Flyers playoff game would hold greater sway over men and cause a decline in attendance. Was I ever wrong!

By my count, ninety-one people decided that a night of Brotherhood was more important and of far greater value than a hockey game.

I am thankful to all who attended. They may have missed an exellent hockey game, but those who chose other options missed out on something far more valuable - the chance to share in the Mystic Tie of Brotherhood.

When called on for comments, I was privileged to offer the following:

The Measure for a Man

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached by a Brother after a Lodge meeting who tells me how different things were in the old days; how they would have to have three or four extra meetings each month to accommodate all the new Masons who were entering the Fraternity. A quick check of your Lodge minute books from the 1960s would be all you need to confirm it for yourself. The lament continues. “Nowadays, you see a man here three times and that’s it. He never comes back.”

There may be myriad reasons for why this is so, but tonight I want to focus on just one of them – the sum of our parts. Masonry is built entirely of Masons. Masons, when they leave here, have problems, appointments, stresses, joys, burdens, conflicts, jobs, bills and countless other demands on their time, talents and treasure. How we present ourselves as Masons, and by extension, how we present Masonry, has a lot to do with whether a new Brother returns to Lodge.

Let me tell you about my own experience. My first exposure to Freemasonry was at my grandfather’s funeral. Brother Bob Geiger presented the service. Its message of consolation and hope attracted me immediately. Before they left, I asked what I needed to do to become part of the organization. Two of the members who knew my grandfather agreed to be my recommenders if I wished to join. I finished the paperwork and waited. The night of my Initiation finally came. Neither of my recommenders were able to attend, so when I arrived here I knew no one. After a few introductions and handshakes, I was ushered into the preparing room by Brother Vern Henery. His soft manner and kindness instantly made me feel at ease. Brother Jim Smith conferred that Degree. After the meeting, I was introduced to Harry Bauer who would go on to teach me my work. Brother Joe Connors conferred my Second Degree and Brother Skip Green acted as Guide. Brother James Rainey conferred my Third with Brother Chuck Kammer acting as guide.

What does my nostalgia trip have to do with the sum of our parts? It’s simple. Each of these men is the face of Freemasonry for me. Each of them took so much pride in his work that he refused to settle for an “okay” degree. Their attention to detail and the pride they rightly took in doing excellent Ritualistic work played a major role in my immediate attraction to and continued interest in Freemasonry. The guides knew how to prepare me, the Worshipful Masters and Officer knew their work and Brother Bauer knew that anything worth doing was worth doing correctly. The insistence by each of these Brothers (and you all know Brothers just like them) on exemplary work made them, and the Lodge they called home, a place that I wanted to spend my time.

In short, better Masons make better Masonry.

But how do we become better Masons? Learning ritual, attending meetings and practices – these things take time. And with work, soccer practice, dinner with our friends, we’re all just tapped out.

Masonry already addresses this. We have a way to balance our services to God, our profession and our entertainment. We call it the twenty-four inch gauge.

What if we could actually spend an entire week living as that working tool teaches us? Fifty-six hours for work - some work more, some work less, but that is a good average. Fifty-six hours for refreshment and sleep – that should suffice for most. We would then be left with that same amount for service. Now, can you imagine how a great a world we would have if we each spent a full fifty-six hours weekly in service to God through our church, synagogue, Lodge, a favorite charity or volunteer organization?

What kind of man could you be if you actually lived that way? You would be a man that anyone would be proud to count as a friend. You would be a role model for others, a man to be emulated. You would be an exemplar in your Lodge, family and community.

Do you know what else would happen if you really lived by the gauge? Petty disagreements, personality conflicts and the other minor issues that sometimes creep into Lodge workings would disappear. Why? Because grumbling when the Worshipful Master calls a practice doesn’t have a place on the gauge. Complaining about who is chairing the Pancake Breakfast Committee what date we’re holding the Past Masters’ Dinner is neither a service to God, your usual vocation, nor is it refreshment or sleep, so it isn’t worthy of your time.

So making use of the gauge will make us better Masons. Pride in who we are and how we work will help attract and keep men in our Lodges. Perhaps then will we return to those days when we have so many candidates that we need three or four extra meetings each month to accommodate them.

Let us leave here tonight and vow to do nothing save that we do it to the best of our ability; to take so much pride in our work that we inspire our new Masons to return; and most of all, let us ask the Great Architect of the Universe to help us order our hours and our days that we might serve Him and all of humanity thereby living up to the strong legacy that is Freemasonry.

The Real Working Tools

2009-04-09T17:24:00.004-04:00

Last night's Official Visit to Bethel Lodge No. 789 was thoroughly enjoyable for me. I was not in the greatest of moods in the days leading up to the Visit (for reasons which will become obvious as you read), but I left renewed and energized by the love shared in Lodge that night. I was privileged to address the Brethren as follows:

The Real Working Tools

Last Thursday night, my wife Gail and I came home from an evening out to find that our house had been burglarized. After the initial shock had worn off, the sad process of taking inventory of the loss began. The worst was the jewelry. The engagement ring I gave my wife just shy of twenty years ago was gone. Her grandmother’s diamond ring, our class rings from high school and countless other sentimental items are probably forever lost to us. We both lamented the memories that had been taken away by people who cared little about anything but money.

Then it hit me. The memories weren’t gone at all. They were still there as vivid as ever. High school friends and graduation still exist in my mind. I still remember with complete clarity the look on Gail’s face when I gave her an engagement ring and promised her that I would love her forever. You see, gold, silver, jewels and possessions are not what matters, for they are just things. Memories, friendships and love - those are priceless possessions, and they can’t be stolen by common thieves.

As Freemasons, we spend a lot of time talking about things - plumbs, levels, squares, gavels – but inside we know that it is not those things that are important. What matters to us are the lessons they teach or the memories that they evoke. The ideals that those tools teach us – the equality of all mankind, the importance of upright conduct, virtuous behavior and unassailable integrity – those ideals are what we focus on, not the tools themselves. The tools are just visible tokens to remind us of things which we must, as Masons, feel in our hearts.

I would venture to say that each of you remembers who you learned your work from, or in many cases, who conferred and guided your degrees. Each of you probably has a story about a Brother, perhaps still here, or perhaps now at rest in that house not made with hands, who went out of his way to show you a kindness, laugh or cry with you, or extend the strong grip of help you when you were too proud to ask for it. Those things, my Brothers, are the real working tools of a Mason. What the tools teach us of values and the ability they give us to see and respond to the needs of one another, to build memories and friendships that transcend the mundane and superficial – those are the real working tools of a Mason.

The Sufi poet Rumi wrote, “There was once a man who inherited a lot of money and land, but he squandered it all too quickly. In the same way, we don’t know the value of our souls, which were given to us for nothing.”

Outside these walls, there is a world that puts value on things, but Masons know better. We know that nothing that can be purchased truly has value. We know the value of our souls freely given us by our benevolent God. We understand the importance of striving to be “the just man made perfect.”

If I lost my Past Master’s Apron and Jewel, or this Apron, it would bother me for but an instant. For what matters to me now are not the trappings of Freemasonry, but the warm and familiar handshake of a Brother I may have never met before that instant, the feeling of truly coming home each and every time I walk into a Lodge, and most of all, knowing that each of you is forever a part of my family, and that enduring bond of love cannot be taken from me by anyone.

Before you leave here tonight, I encourage you to look around and give a silent prayer of thanksgiving for your Brothers and this Fraternity – the greatest the world has ever seen. Lastly remember that when we are laid to rest, wearing the spotless white lambskin, it will not matter what we had, but it will only matter who we were.

Masonic Question for the Day

2009-03-17T16:32:00.001-04:00

What have you done today that makes you worthy of the name Freemason? There is still time...

Being Brother

2009-03-11T08:40:00.004-04:00

When I entered Valley Lodge No. 613 last night for my Official Visit, my heart filled with joy. Before me was a room with not only every single chair filled, but with an extra row of folding chairs to accomodate the crowd. I was honored to have presented 50 year service emblems to two of our Brothers this evening. One received it proudly from his son (and Brother) as his grandson, a new petitioner to the Craft, watched on.

When asked for my remarks, I presented the following address:

Being Brother

Until you have become really, in actual fact, as brother to everyone, brotherhood will not come to pass – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

We as Freemasons address each other as Brother. I would venture to say that at any given Lodge meeting, I say that word at least one hundred times and confess with more than a little embarrassment, that I have not often given more than a passing thought to what it means to call someone Brother. So what does it mean to be a Brother to someone? What are the duties of a Brother? Lastly, what are the expectations of Brotherhood?

The dictionary gives one definition of brother as “a male member of an association or club.” That seems obvious enough. We are all members of the Freemasons so we address each other as Brother. There is another definition though, that as Freemasons, we need to use. Brother can also be defined as “all members of the human race.” See, when we as Masons talk about the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God, we are speaking to uniting the whole human race together into a truly universal Brotherhood where people are judged on who they are, not what they look like, who they know or what they drive.

The soul of each man in this room was fashioned by the Great Artificer in his image. How then can we not feel that we have a vested interest in the welfare of the man to our right or to our left, or the man who could not be here tonight? Are we our Brother’s keeper? Most assuredly, Yes! We are charged to remind him in the most tender manner of his failings, to vindicate his character and to suggest in his behalf the most candid, favorable and palliating circumstances, even when his conduct is justly reprehensible. Essentially, we are to love and trust him even at those times he makes himself unlovable and untrustworthy. How much better would life be if we took those charges to heart?

Let us do those things daily that we hear read at every Lodge meeting. Let us be happy ourselves. Let us endeavor to contribute to the happiness of others. How? Be there for your Brothers. We could meet someone for breakfast or lunch, or sit in Lodge next to a Brother you do not know very well. In short, be to others the kind of person you would want to spend time with.

Many of us do this now. I know of at least one Brother here tonight who offered a ride to one who can't transport himself. Still others visit the widows of deceased members.

With the current financial crisis, some of our older members are probably terrified for their future as they watch a lifetime of savings vanishing before their eyes. We have an obligation to check on them. If they are scared, they should be here with friends where they can rest within these walls and feel peace in abundance. Reach out to them my Brothers.

Remember the three heads of duty we are always to inculcate? To God, our neighbor and ourselves? I would submit to you that our ancient Brethren did not put those in “no particular order.” If we have a relationship with our Creator, read His Sacred Law and live in harmony with his purpose for us, our duties to our neighbor and ourselves become clear. By being benevolent, caring, patient, by being teacher to some and student of some, we may become friend to all. That, my beloved Brothers is what we are to do. Be friend – be Brother – to all.

The story of Damon and Pythias illustrates just what it means be a Brother.

Damon and Pythias grew up together and were best friends for most of their lives. Dionysius, the King of Syracuse heard that Pythias had been giving treasonous speeches in public. This enraged Dionysius and he summoned Pythias and his friend to court. Dionysius order Pythias to retract his comments or face execution. Pythias refused, willing to suffer execution for what he believed was the truth. He asked only that he be allowed to return to his home to say goodbye to his family and set his affairs in order.

Dionysius laughed and said, “Surely you must think me mad. If I set you free, you will never return.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Damon stood up and offered to take Pythias’ place until his return. Dionysius paused and finally said, “If you are willing to suffer his fate when he doesn’t return for you, I will allow him to return home. Remember, if he doesn’t return in one month, you will die in his place.”

Damon trusted that his friend would return and gladly went with the jailer.

As the days passed, the King would visit Damon in the jail and mock his foolish decision. Damon never - not for a second - lost confidence. Even as the deadline approached and he was about to be executed, he told the king that a storm must have delayed his ship, or bandits on the highway must have slowed his return.

At the very last minute, Pythias returned, tattered and weary. He explained that his ship was lost for a time in a storm and he had indeed been beaten and robbed on his way back, but that nothing would stop him from returning to save his friend.

Dionysius studied them both. He was so moved by such devotion that he pardoned Pythias and made both he and Damon members of his court – wanting to be in the presence of a friendship so deep and abiding.

I charge you tonight to continue to strive toward that kind of love. Work on that part of your rough ashlar, my Brothers. Continue to show the world that Freemasons are good and just people, that we recognize and cherish the bond with our fellow man, that we love all and most importantly that we know what it means to be a Brother!

Change

2009-03-06T07:05:00.003-05:00

Last night was my Official Visit to Pollock Lodge No. 502. Though the District did not meet my challenge by bringing out 110 members and visitors, the 80 or so who did attend were privileged to see three of their own presented with the Grand Lodge 50 year service emblem and one who accepted his brother's 60 year wreath in his stead. What a glorious evening.

When called upon for my remarks, I gave the following address:

There is a story about an experiment with monkeys which goes as follows: Start with five monkeys in a cage and hang a banana above a ladder in the center. When a monkey starts toward the banana, a burst of cold water hits the cage and drenches all of the monkeys. Continue this for a week. Eventually, the monkeys learn that they should stay away from the ladder - associating any attempt at the ladder with the unpleasantness of a cold drenching. Now, replace one of the monkeys with a new one. Of course, it will see the banana and start up the ladder. The other four monkeys - knowing what comes next and not wanting to be soaked – will beat him up and try to stop him. Wait a week and replace a second monkey, same result. As this continues, even the monkeys who never experienced the soaking will protect the ladder. They have no idea why they are beating up another monkey - they just join in. Now, continue to swap out old monkeys with new ones until you have five monkeys that have never actually been sprayed with water, but avoid the ladder at all costs. Why?

Well that's the way we've always done it!

Now my Brothers, if you listened to that story and are left thinking I just called the Masons a bunch of monkeys, you have missed the point. It is a story about change and the lessons that can be learned from not assuming that what has always been done or the way things have always been is the way they should continue to be. Einstein said the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Yet often that is precisely what we do with our Lodges. We have the same dinners, or the same events or the same programs during the same months even though we might see a pushback from the membership either by their absence from the sidelines or their no longer volunteering to help. As times change, there are things we must change if we are to continue to be vital. We must find a way to offer something to men that they do not get elsewhere.

The first thing we need to change is the way we communicate with our members. I stood right in this very spot last year and asked each member here to ask his Secretary to give him the names and phone numbers of a few Brothers who haven't attended Lodge recently and then to simply follow up with a phone call to say hello. Now, not a single Secretary called to yell at me for all the extra work they had to do, so I am assuming that not everyone followed up on my suggestion. I do not want a show of hands, but if you feel a little convicted as you sit here now, ask your Secretary (or me, but preferably your Secretary) for some names. I know that some did make calls and they told me how rewarding it felt for them. If you have done it, you know there is often an unspoken affection in the voice on the other phone - an unsaid "Thank you for caring."

Another thing we can do is to be creative. “What? Creativity in Freemasonry? Why, that's unheard of!” I am not saying that we innovate in the ritual or make the meetings light and frivolous. On the contrary, I am a firm believer that what goes on inside the tiled Lodge should be reverent, enlightening and solemn. Most importantly, it should be Masonic. The Landmarks, the Ancient ritual and the timelessness of her teachings is what drew many of us to her outer door to begin with. We can, however, hold family nights, fellowship dinners out, officer retreats, new member competitions and a host of other things to involve as many as possible in the planning and execution of programs, to cement the bond of fellowship among the Brethren and to vest as many as possible in the success of the Lodge.

In recent months, we’ve heard "change" thrown about so much that it has lost any real meaning. It’s now akin to verbs like move or make. Both words are legitimate words in the American lexicon, but do little to describe in any vividness the actions they are to represent. Would not lumber, zip, rush, saunter or run more accurately describe movement? Sure. The same goes for words like create, sculpt, fashion or compel as replacements for make.

The dictionary defines change as “to make or become different.” Why are we as Masons change averse? Maybe the problem is in calling it change. Maybe we should label it as improvement, progress or enhancement.

How many know the answer to the question “How many Masons does it take to change a light bulb?” Twenty-one, one to change it, ten to tell him they’ve always used the other ladder to change burned out bulbs and 10 who grumble and swear it was just fine if not better burned out.

How do we make the answer to that: 21 One who notices it is out and 20 who rush – hand in hand with unanimity – to replace it?

First, we need to learn why people resist change and what can be done to help them. There are numerous types who resist change, but the four most prevalent are those who fear failure, those who fear the unknown, those who fear loss of control and lastly, the closed-minded. Do you notice something? The descriptions of the first three types begin with the word fear.

The first type, those who fear failure need to be reminded in the words of Charles Swindoll that “[g]reat accomplishments are often attempted but only occasionally reached. Those who reach them are usually those who missed many times before. Failures are only temporary tests to prepare us for permanent triumphs.”

The second type is those who fear the unknown. They are easily brought on board with logical and rational explanations of the new plan and why it is better than the old. For example, a simple chart showing that expenses exceed income would be enough to convince them that dues need to be increased.

We can accommodate the third type, those who worry about loss of control in another way. If you replace an unsuccessful event with a new one, naturally the chair of the former will feel a little jealousy or resentment. Inviting him to be a part of the new committee would generally solve that problem.

The last one – closed mindedness, can be the most difficult. There is a story that Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of Patents in 1899, wrote a letter to President and Brother McKinley urging him to close the Patent Office because “everything that could be invented already has been invented.” There is no evidence that this actually happened (in fact it seems quite likely that it did not), but it is illustrative of an important point. Mankind has an almost infinite ability to imagine and trying to limit that is as great an injustice as can be committed. Think about it. Once someone said man could not fly, and then maybe he said man could not break the sound barrier, or get into space or to the moon. Maybe someone today is tempted to say it about travelling to Mars, but perhaps the lesson has been learned. The only thing you can do with the closed-minded is to succeed in spite of them. If you fail and hear an “I told you so,” remind them of the words of our dear Brother Theodore Roosevelt:

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither
enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows
not victory nor defeat.

So once we know how to deal with the objections, our path is clear to move ahead, to change/improve/augment/supplement our old programs and ideas while still staying true to our time-honored tenets and teachings.

Either we can shriek and beat our chests as the new monkeys walk toward the ladder, or we can move forward united as a band of Brothers whose vision and single-mindedness of purpose will assure our success in all that we do. The latter sounds so much more appealing.

My Challenge

2009-03-03T21:22:00.003-05:00

I issued a challenge at the School of Instruction last night. I pledged that if the District could bring 110 people to the visitation at Pollock Lodge No. 502 this Thursday, I would cook dinner for all in attendance at the School of Instruction on April 6th.

Can it be done? It remains to be seen. (I'm tempted to start trash talking here in an effort to spur you all to action, but that seems a little unMasonic.) I only know that it would be a glorious sight for both Brother Fine and me to stand in the East and see not only every single seat filled, but an extra row of chairs in place to accomodate everyone.

As an incentive, here's the (prospective) menu: White Chili with Tequila-Marinated Chicken for the adventurous, Traditional Red Chili for the purists and tossed salad with a home-made dressing to be named later.

I'll see you all Thursday night.

Fraternally,
P.J.

Welcome

2009-03-03T12:49:00.008-05:00

Welcome to The Point Within a Circle, the new blog of the 54th Masonic District. In Freemasonry, the point within a circle represents the necessity for us as Freemasons to be masters of our behavior both publicly and privately.

To that end, The Point Within a Circle will provide you with news, musings and thoughts pertaining to Freemasonry in general and the 54th District in particular.

There are many changes afoot for the District and the way we communicate. The Call-em-All program continues to be a tremendous success by providing instant communication to every Lodge member. We now have a Facebook Group as well. It is a closed group for members and friends of the 54th District and requires Masonic membership for approval. As a member, you will receive invitations and reminders for District and Grand Lodge events. You may also follow me on Twitter.

If you care to, please take a moment and sign up as a follower of the blog. If you ever feel so moved, you may also comment on the posts as they appear.

It is my hope that you will enjoy what you read here as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.

Fraternally,

P.J.