New Year's Resolutions Revisited

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

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

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

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

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

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 the 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

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!