From Darkness to Light
Richard - My Brother, Friend, and Mentor
Tue, 12/30/2008 - 10:43I am currently in Colorado visiting my family and my in-laws, having Christmas in Colorado was way overdue as I haven't saved up enough PTO to make the trip in the last two years, this year given the looming deployment, we packed up the dogs and headed north.
The day we arrived in Colorado is when I found out the news that our Scretary, Richard was in ICU and things didn't look good. All last week and during Christmas Mass I was thinking and praying for my dear friend Richard. He is going through chemo for lung cancer treatment. He was having a rough time, had become dehydrated to the point that his kidney's shut down and he was admited to the hospital. Yesterday I got the news from Bro Bill that he was moved from ICU to a regular hospital bed and was awake. When I called him, he was disoriented and just wanted to go home, I felt helpless here in Colorado, while he was laying in a hospital bed in San Antonio.
Richard is the kind of Mason that we should all be, he didn't play politics, but is heavily involved in the higher degrees of the York Rite and the Allied Masonic Degrees (he couldn't come to my initation because of his chemo treatment). But with all of that his best love is the blue lodge. He is a past master, but didn't try to run the show. He always wants to do what's best for the lodge. He challenged me to start Masonic education, and he also inspired me to start our lodge's website, and worked with me the entire time.
I hope that my brother, my friend and my mentor Richard has a quick recovery, and that he will be sitting in lodge during my January Masonic Education talk.
The Alamo and the Last Class of Emblems
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 22:49This past Friday was the annual visit of the Grand Master of Texas to Alamo Lodge #44 which is a tyled meeting held inside the Alamo. This is the first official visit of the GM to a lodge after his move to the Grand East. Last year was my first time taking part of the visit, and while it is memorable and somewhat moving to meet there, it can be somewhat uncomfortable if you show up alone, being the sole representative of your lodge. This year it was somewhat of a stretch for me to attend, Thursday while on Active Duty I was given my official tasking for the upcoming deployment along with training dates and found out that after the new year I will spend a grand total of 5 out of the next 13 weeks at home due to training requirements. Needless to say that on Friday my mind was elsewhere than the Grand Masters visit to the Alamo.
This time was different, as I would be meeting a newly raised Master Mason from Round Rock (North Austin area) who was just raised on 28 October. He and I were both unable to attend Grand Lodge, I wasn’t able to because I had drill that weekend. Still, he wanted to come down and I was more than happy to host him in my adoptive home city. We meet up around 1830 and discussed the news of the day and about the same Masonic Discussion board that we frequent. After that we made our way with the crowd to the Alamo. There we waited outside and meet brothers from other areas and neighboring lodges.
After the opening of the meeting my mind was racing about how I was going to finish up everything before my life gets put on hold and I start my all expenses paid trip to Afghanistan. They had a moment of silence in the chapel for the fallen soldier’s of the Alamo. I started to think about the journey and lesson that Freemasonry, the journey that man makes from birth to death. These lessons have a greater impact during our various phases in life, the Fellowcraft for instance reminds men of their responsibilities towards each other and their fellow man for the betterment of mankind. Yet during the lecture of the Masters Degree we are reminded constantly of ours and everyone fate, the grave. The men that died at the Alamo, knew this better than most men as they most likely felt death at their backs the entire time, whether they survived or not. Then I thought of the Last Class of Emblems, which are very poignant on this subject.
The silence was broken by the gavel of the WM which startled me out of my deep thoughts, and yielded the floor to the GM. The speech this year was not as caustic as last year, and the GM said that all of us were leaders, and we need to lead by example in both Freemasonry and in life. I completely agree with this stance, and have found that as an officer leading by example is the most effective way to lead men and women, both through expletory behavior and technical knowledge.
After lodge we ate hot tamales’ and talked to the older brothers, later on I went downstairs and attended the Grotto meeting, we were having elections, as you all are aware I am entirely too young to ever hold office in the Grotto. :)
Living the Lesson of the Trowel
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 10:25This past Thanksgiving was one of the more memorable for me, it was my Thanksgiving before my deployment to Afghanistan, and it was the first Thanksgiving that I shared with a brother. I invited our Tyler and his wife and one year old son out to share Thanksgiving. I am currently Junior Deacon of my mother lodge, and there is something about the relationship between a Junior Deacon and a Tyler, mainly because they are the team that ensures that the lodge is properly tyled. Heck, we even watch out for each other during balloting. Well the Tyler and I have become somewhat close friends and brothers that enjoy the company of one another. Since both of us are Texas transplants, I thought that our families could share Thanksgiving.
We talked over wine and cheese and our wives took a mile and a half walk with the baby while we talked all things Masonic. We toasted to the lodge and the great coming revolution in Freemasonry. We talked about our experiences in the military and his life goals and we capped the feast off with a great Cognac, overall it was a great evening. While Freemasonry teaches us to build spiritual temples it’s the brotherhood that is at the core of the tenants of Freemasonry, the lesson of the trowel is especially poignant regarding the brotherhood:
The Trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement which unites a building in one common mass; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who can best work and best agree.
I am thankful for my experience thus far in Freemasonry, and I hope that it continues to be a positive influence in my life.
Tired & Cranky
Sat, 11/22/2008 - 01:58Normally I don’t complain about my life in this blog, but it does have a Masonic connection. I was Hawaii this past week, now I am sitting in LAX waiting for my flight back, oh by the way it’s 10:45pm, and I won’t arrive home until 8:30 am, with three lay over, hence the title.
My Masonic complaint is that this past week there was a lodge meeting in Hawaii that was holding a raising. I got excited and went and contacted the lodge and in the e-mail I wrote “Please let me know if I may attend your raising”, and I never got a response back. Hence I didn’t go, so my question is for the six people that read this blog, should I just go anyway when a lodge never contacts me back? I feel the digital cold shoulder and I think “Yeah, I shouldn’t go”, I guess if they really didn’t want me there they would e-mail me back, but I have a hang up for some reason. The thing is that this has happened to me several times, and I am sure I missed some great work because of it.
I think I will just show up in the future, even if I get the digital cold shoulder.
Veteran's Day Masonic Education Piece
Tue, 11/11/2008 - 16:25Tonight I am doing another Masonic Education presentation for my lodge, I am doing it on the Veteran's of our Lodge, more specifically Elmer Sampson, who wrote of a lodge meeting he attended was read as the Grand Master's Address, which highlights brotherly love in times of war.
I am also including a presentation on the Empty Chair Degree that was written by Bro Milo, I think that it's appropriate.
Lastly we are going to discuss the Solders Address which was given to soldiers after receiving their EA, this was removed around the 1940s, but is a good discussion piece.
I hope that we have plenty of Masonic discussion, beyond bills, and repair costs.
-Bro Vick
We’ll Grind That Axe For A Long Time Part Deux – Halcyon Lodge Revisited
Fri, 10/31/2008 - 17:23
Here we are approaching the holidays, soon Thanksgiving and Christmas advertisements will flood our collective minds as we are facing a looming recession, and one out of four home owners loan is worth more than their property.
A year ago the Masonic blogging community was all a buzz about the cessation of Halcyon Lodge #498 from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, while brothers and on lookers where starving for information, very little was released by either the band of brothers of the newly formed Halcyon #2 or the Grand Lodge of Ohio, after a while the case subsided as other Masonic misdeeds came to light (Grand Lodge of West Virginia has been a big one). Late last night in one of my sleepless wonderings, I notice that someone left a comment in a post that was written a little less than a year ago on this blog, he wrote:
http://abelscenotaph.blogspot.com/
Read for yourself the FACTS of the accusations. Seek the WHOLE truth! Find the puppets who were used by former brothers to front thier bogus chairity.
Typos a side, the individual peaked my interested from that I went to the blog of Vox De Maat, which appears to be a blog set up by an anonymous blogger to combat both the boisterous nature of the supporters of Halcyon #2 and the silence from the Grand Lodge of Ohio. The blog itself has only three posts, but the most interesting of those posts is the blogger did a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) on the case and was given an exact copies of the charges filed, in it we get the perspective of the incident from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, something that has been lacking in the diatribes and internet ramblings.
This post is not meant to cast disparagement on the GOUSA, but rather to shed further light on an on going conflict, and to better understand the situation. Anonymous bomb throwing will not see the light of day, reasonable debate and disagreement will, so play nice.
You Didn’t Ask, But I Though I Would Tell You Anyway
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 04:00Recently on another Masonic Blog the author asked a group of select individuals on how to save Mainstream American Freemasonry from Extinction, by making you Grand Master of an American Jurisdiction for 5 Years, and what would you do. This has intrigued me, and I have thought about it off and on, and want to write something about it. While I wasn’t asked to participate in that particular blog, I do have my own my blog, so why not use it?
To begin this I would say that I have been from one side of this country to the other and have visited Masonic Lodges in between, and what works in Santa Fe, New Mexico might not work in Alexandria, Virginia and for that I give your rule number one, if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. Bottom line if a lodge is bringing in new members, having a positive impact in the community, teaching esoteric work, or whatever than there isn’t a justification or a reason to mess with the way that lodge is doing business. That being written, there would be some changes that I think could help jump start Freemasonry in the 21st century.
Offer up a choice of blue lodge types: I think that anyone that has been a Master Mason for six months knows that there are vast difference between lodges, even within a Masonic District, I would like each Masonic District to have at least three types of lodges available, Traditional Observance “like” Lodges, 20th Century Traditional Lodges, and Community Outreach Lodges. Traditional Observance “like” Lodges would have a heavy emphasis on ritual and esoteric work, would meet in dark suits or tux have table lodge once a month, and require papers written by it’s members. 20th Century Traditional Lodges, are the lodges that most people think of today, with an emphasis on fellowship (fish fry’s, pancake breakfasts, etc) is proficient at the ritual, and does small charity events. Community Outreach Lodges while meet all of the tenants of a Masonic lodge do extensive work in the local community and other Masonic charitable organizations.
I believe a key in to attracting quality candidates is giving them an option to choose which lodge meets their needs, all potential candidates who are serious about joining Freemasonry would be briefed on each lodge and encouraged to visit each type to find which Masonic journey route they would like to go. Some candidates want to join the same lodge that Father or Grandfather joined, and that’s fine, but we want to give everyone a choice in the type of lodge they would join. Far be it for me to say that only one kind of lodge is the only way to save Freemasonry.
Now living in a state like Texas and realizing that there are large rural areas that can hardly support one lodge let alone three, I refer you to rule number one, and would allow the members of that lodge to decide their best route given their membership (again, it’s about choice and the choices the brothers want to make).
Celebration of your Lodge’s Heritage: In the race to cure “Masonic World Hunger” (MWH) most have forgotten the little things that build pride and attract membership, that’s the foundation and the beginnings of your lodge. I don’t care if a lodge was founded in 1797 or 1997 it has a unique story of brotherhood and leadership that needs to be celebrated both within the walls of our temples and in the local community. That is why I would dedicate October as a month that all lodges celebrate their founding and telling the story of how they came to be, both within a tyled meeting and the community at large.
Encouragement of Younger Brothers Involvement @ Grand Lodge: A common theme that we get in our fraternity is why we aren’t attracting good men anymore, one of the factors in my mind is that Freemasonry in America has become an aging institution that isn’t putting it’s best and brightest and younger members forward, instead we rely on retired lawyers, judges, and doctors to be our face. While that brings a sense of stability, it isn’t doing much to attract men in their 20’s and 30’s. We need to celebrate our younger members, their professional achievements and have them be actively involved @ the Grand Lodge level. I am not saying that after a guy is raised slap a DDGM badge on him, but there are plenty of ways to encourage involvement at all levels, without being a Past Master, this can encourage something other than the old grey hairs we see in our local newspaper.
Community Work with Other Masonic Organizations: To help build relationships and ease tension I would work with The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas in a joint Community Outreach program to positively impact a community hit by disaster (hurricane, draught, etc). This would be a partnership between two non-profit organizations with one common goal, the relief of our common man. This would hopefully lead to both sides of the aging organizations to realize that they are not in competition with each other for membership and start to heal scars that were brought by the past. We have already recognized each other; why not work together in the areas that we have commonality.
These are the initiatives that I would feel would help our Fraternity, would it solve “Masonic World Hunger”? No, but giving brothers and candidates a choice in their Masonic experience is a key component, along with showcasing younger brothers and having a positive impact on the community beyond raising small amounts of money, but giving time and labor can have a lasting impression.
Just my thoughts, but as always I welcome yours.
Falling Off the Masonic Blogsphere
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 15:05Your blog gets to a point, it gets to a point when you don’t have the drive to update the blog at all, it’s a lack of interest, a falling out, or a life event, for me it’s the last one.
I found out last month that I have been plucked to go to Afghanistan in April of 2009 as part of the NATO group, things have been a whirlwind since then. I am not a contractor doing this for the dollar, I am actually going to be making less over there with the tax exemptions than I do in my day job. While April is far away, it seems awful close given the training I need to complete and personal matters I need to take care of before I leave. It also has significantly shortened my cable tow, for instance I was in Fort Collins, Colorado this week there are two lodges here, one of them is the Collins #19, which meets on the third Wednesday. Normally this post would be about my visit, but not this time, my wife came with me and it just seemed more important to spend the evening with her, than to visit a lodge, I notice that this is a reoccurring theme in my life right now.
Still, I think that it is times like this that I need to keep Freemasonry closest in my heart, it’s lessons are most valuable now, then when things are going as expected, and for that I am eternally grateful. This morning after finishing my work early I read and commented on the Masonic Blogsphere, and it wasn’t like I missed a beat. People are still talking about West Virginia, why we aren’t attracting quality members, the decline of membership, etc. Still, it brings a comfort that brothers across the world are worried about such matters, and trying to take action to fix it.
So if you read this far thank you, this was a boring post, not about Prince Hall, or the York Rite, or whatever, it is a real part of my life, that has spilled over into my Masonic Travels.
Subduing My Passions
Tue, 09/30/2008 - 21:10It has been officially six weeks since I last updated this blog, this is various reasons, including hurricanes (being in the Texas National Guard can cause you to be called up for such events), work, and home. I guess that I have spent my fair share of time reading or lurking, but not really contributing. I have started lots of posts, only for me to scrap them. See I want this blog to be above reproach, no petty wars, squabbling, flaming, etc only healthy disagreement and the core reason that I started this blog, to document my Masonic journey. While it’s fair that the web and the Masonic Blogsphere has influenced that journey, this blog can’t revolve around it, and can’t be drug down into the less than honorable behavior.
I have scraped a number of posts because they turned into ranting and raving, and less stimulating thought (even though I concede that ranting and raving can be stimulating, it rarely is when I do it), these posts include:
1) Masonic Central Podcast
2) Invitational Bodies
3) The Relationship between the Grand Lodge of Texas and The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas (I might still finish/edit this one)
4) Recognition of the GOUSA
5) Masonic Law
6) Plural memberships
Going back that is all the partially written and mad man writing post I scraped in the six week period, I am sure there are more rattling around in my head. One of the many lessons in Freemasonry is that you must learn to subdue your passions, I am not saying censor yourself, just be able to state your opinion without being so inflammatory. Don’t worry I will get controversial, I just know my limits.
Also, I recently got into Facebook, so if you want to add me, use my e-mail.
