Saint John's Day in Saugatuck

Last night, on Saint John the Evangelist’s Day, my wife, stepson and I saw “December’s Rose”, a play adapted for the public from Carl H. Claudy’s Masonic play, “A Rose Upon the Altar”. The hour-long story is about a crisis in a small town lodge that gets resolved through Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. The acting was superb, the story engaging and it was paced well. If you get a chance to see it – especially as performed by the Scottish Rite Players (Valley of Grand Rapids), do not miss it. Bring a hankie and pretend it’s for your date.

The next performance will be Monday, January 14th in Potterville Lodge #367, 204 W. Main St, Potterville MI.

But that’s not what I came here to tell you about.

There was a feast before dinner, and we sat next to Brother Ron. He and my wife, Sue, share a love of Kentucky, so she and Ron had a great time discussing the caves, state parks, etc. Sue goes to a few Masonic events a year, but she dreads the third person “lovely ladies” / “lovely wife” references, and doesn’t often meet someone with whom she shares interests, so it was a pleasure for me to know she enjoyed herself during dinner.

But again, that’s not what I came here to tell you about.

The dinner was a memorial – a celebration of life -- for Theodore “Ted” P. Kimball, 33°. I never met Ted Kimball, unless, perhaps, we shared a brief greeting at a Scottish Rite reunion. He was a member of Saugatuck Lodge #328. His friends and brother masons shared stories of his character, generosity, and love of life. My family was enthralled by his life story – a child of Greek immigrants who moved to Saugatuck, joined the lodge and became an integral part of the community; at the end, moving to Greece to “die with the gods”.

As we drove home, the story of Ted Kimball – a man we only met through his friends – was on our mind, overshadowing Claudy’s moving play. Sue told me, “I wish I’d known him”. I felt the same way.

To me, there’s no better tribute to a man, when those who never met him feel his absence. And that’s what I came here to tell you.

A Layer of meaning for the Square and Compasses

I'm walking through a geometry tutorial at the moment. It's interesting because it ties geometry and math to art in unexpected ways. My wife bought me a square and compass so I could play along with the various projects. These projects have brought some insight into Masonic symbolism.

One recurring theme, from the Great Pyramids to the cathedrals, is "Squaring the Circle". That's creating a square which has the circumference or area of the given circle. There are a variety of ways of doing this, but one of the simplest is using Square and Compasses.

The circle symbolizes the divine, perfection, immortality -- i.e., heaven. The square symbolizes the earth -- the imperfect world of Man. So "Squaring the Circle" is bringing the divine to earth.

And the working tools to bring the divine to earth, therefore, are the Square and Compasses.

Installation at Allegan

Allegan Lodge 111 had a terrific installation Wednesday night, with a sumptuous feast prior to the ceremony.

The Illustrious Walt Wheeler, 33, performed the ceremony. I know he installed Kalamazoo-Anchor lodge on Monday night, and the previous Tuesday he installed me as Senior Deacon (along with some other officers) in South Haven. He was very good about explaining to the non-masons when to stand up and sit down.

The Allegan County News sent a reporter to the ceremony, which was fantastic. I wish local South Haven newspapers would have done the same.

It took me 45 minutes to get there; it's almost the same distance as Paw Paw. I take M43 and turn left (North) instead of right to get to Allegan. At Allegan there was no surprise at my presence; we had all met at the Fennville installation. In fact, James -- who lives nearby -- was there as well.

Allegan has an energetic young group of officers, but is suffering from a lack of members. They have ritual practice scheduled for once a month -- a good idea. Their WM left the state last year unexpectedly, so all the officers moved up 10 months ago; they are maintaining their current positions.

I talked with the new WM about some joint degree work, and it looks like he's open to this idea. All in all, a great evening of fellowship.

Just Another Third Degree

Only it wasn't.

Paw Paw Lodge was raising a Master Mason. The DDI asked for help while I was visiting Bloomingdale/Hudson Lodge; Paw Paw, like my lodge, has not raised a MM candidate directly for some time. I wanted to support their effort, and if another lodge asks for help -- then I'll be there if I can.

My presence seemed to shock the men present. What the heck is someone from South Haven doing in Paw Paw? It was about a 45 minute drive. It seems like all our neighboring lodges are 30 to 45 minutes away.

A Past Master of their lodge acted as Master, and two very talented ritualists from Dowagiac took key roles in the ceremony. I helped open the lodge as Tyler, until the Junior Deacon could make the meeting, and I said my part without prompting or ritual book. I know it's not much, but I'm inordinately proud of myself. I acted as an extra -- you all know what I mean -- and only one man knew any of the FC lines. Fortunately, he knew all of them. Still, some other FCs read a few lines, just so there would be different voices, and some give-and-take.

One of the ruffians took his role less seriously than, perhaps he should have. He must have missed the opening admonition, because (for example) as he was dragged off he shouted that something about New Jersey and capital punishment.

The consensus afterwards was that it was a "little rough". About half the men involved had a ritual book open, and were reading lines or just following along. I didn't bring my ritual book, and I'm glad. If I had a brief line, I memorized it then said it -- like the Tyler's part. OK, "Here" isn't exactly a complex statement, and frankly, I'd be terrified if we had a MM ceremony next week with me as Senior Deacon. But, like these men, I'd face that fear and be as prepared as I could be, and do my best for the candidate.

Small lodges in our area are just starting to bring in new members, slowly building an officer corps that can raise new Masons without the necessity of a exemplar-type mass raising. I hope when my lodge resumes performing 3rd degree ceremonies, we do as well as Paw Paw.

Siblings -- off-topic

My (little) brother sent me this the other day. It's a classic example of friendly sibling rivalry and cracked me up. For those who don't recognize it: it's an Eagle Scout pin. Bronze Palms indicate (if I remember correctly) five extra merit badges.

Grand Chaplin

Last Thursday I helped install the officers at Dutcher lodge in neighboring Fennville. I assumed the role of Grand Chaplain.

We were greeted warmly by the brothers there, and several neighboring lodges attended: Saugatuck, Allegan, and of course South Haven. This was a great opportunity for us to touch base with the other lodges, and compare notes.

It was a private ceremony -- while ours was public -- and so it differed significantly.

Dutcher Lodge, like ours, has a few new officers coming up the line. The current WM has done his stint several times, but his son is right behind him in the West. I watched him, while still in the South, mouth his father's lines during the lodge opening; he'll make a good West.

The former WM rejoined the line at JD.

I envied Fennville's rapport with its neighbors. While we had "Masonic Celebrities" install our officers, they had their friends install them. While we invited the general public, the only other lodge to show up to ours was Fennville. Did we tell the other lodges? I don't know when their installation is -- or was. This has to change: we need to be more involved with our neighbors. Not to boost attendance at our installation, or to get a 3rd degree team going, but because we all need to be there for each other.

As a side note, does anyone know the etymology of the Grand Clap?

Installation in South Haven

Cornerstone Lodge #158 installed officers last night. Every active member received an officer's position except our past Master, Dick Burrows. He deliberately stepped out of the officer line.

We installed 12 officers (the Treasurer is in Florida for the next few months), including yours truly as Senior Deacon. Our WM has gone through the line before; our SW has also gone through the line at least once. The next four spots are filled with new officers.

The installing officers are active Grand Lodge officers -- including immediate Past Grand Master and current acting Grand Treasurer the Illustrious Walter Wheeler. These men love our lodge, almost as much as we do. It's a spectacular lodge built in a tiny town; some day I'll tell you more about it.

Right now I want to talk about the men who saved our lodge, including Dick (note, all these men are Past Masters). Dick was master nine times. Russ Campbell, our Secretary (and acting Treasurer) was master for three years running when he could not find anyone else willing to take the spot. In 1996 our lodge almost died, and it was saved only by merging with another dying lodge, Breedsville. Our current WM (Verne Hosier) and Treasurer (Dick Broadhagen) came from that lodge and joined the new Cornerstone lodge. Jack Balliet, next year's Tyler, took whatever officer role was necessary to keep our lodge going (and his wife makes us wonderful pies from time to time). Frank Aseltyne has become our perennial steward and has made sure we always had coffee and snacks after our meetings. AB Covey, our perennial marshal, is a phenomenal ritualist, giving me every lecture I received in our lodge without missing a word, delivering it with real meaning, making it new and wonderful for me. These men kept the lodge founded by Liberty Hyde Bailey in 1864 going long enough for us to step in.

I don't know any active members who joined between 1996 and 2006.In 2006, Ed (Once and future JD), and Tim (current JW) were raised and became active members. In 2007 James and I were raised. With four new active members, the men who saved our lodge have a chance to breathe. Hopefully we can raise one ore two more men next year who will have the same commitment to our craft -- and our lodge -- and, with the help of neighboring lodges -- we can start performing the third degree for our candidates again.

What is a Mason?

What if you had to briefly summarize the questions: What is a Mason? and What is Masonry? If you had to, could you explain this to the profane -- without boring them with detail, yet with enough information to be meaningful?

Here's my stab at this. Feel free to share yours as well.

------------------------------------------------------------

What is a Mason?

A Mason is a good man who wants to be a better man. He has bound himself to other masons by promising to follow certain rules, most importantly the Golden Rule, especially when it comes to fellow Masons. A Mason may have any economic status, faith or color.

What is Masonry?

First and foremost, Masonry exists for the spiritual improvement of its members. Masonry uses rituals, allegories and symbols to convey morality to its members. Masonic teachings include the tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, and the cardinal virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice. Masons believe in equality, democracy and patriotism. Once conveyed, it is up to each Mason to incorporate these teachings into his own life.

Masonry channels a Mason’s desire to give to his community through formal charities, like Shriner’s Hospitals (treating children, http://www.shrinershq.org/ ), 32 Degree Masonic Learning Centers (treating dyslexia http://www.childrenslearningcenters.org/home.html ), and programs like MICHIP (Michigan Child Identification Program http://www.michip.org/).

Masonry also serves as a social outlet for members of the fraternity and their families.

For more about Masons and Masonry, see: http://www.gl-mi.org/masons.htm and http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/www/Masonry/Essays/

Discretion

An important part of being a Mason is keeping one's mouth shut.

Masons are not the only group of people who need to keep confidences: priests, physicians, lawyers are among a few of the professionals who are legally required to keep a secret. In my profession (software consultant) , I am always under Nondisclosure. Nondisclosure means that I can't share information I learn about my customer with people who are not part of the same agreement.

The contents -- sometimes even the existence -- of a Nondisclosure Agreement is part of the agreement; in other words, I would agree not to tell anyone what is covered by the agreement along with everything else.

Adults understand this. When I say, "I can't go into the details, but I've done that at a different customer", the potential customer understands that I must be discreet and can't give them details about another customer, and is reassured that I am not going to share their trade secrets either. It doesn't mean that they are bad people, or that I respect them any less.

In fact, I can't share trade secrets from my customers with my family or my Masonic brethren. Again, it doesn't mean that my family and Masonic brethren are bad people, or that I respect them any less.

Some have said that observing privacy agreements makes the people who are not covered by the agreement "second class brothers". As if everyone I call "brother" has a right to know everything I know. If you're not covered by the same NDA as I am, then, quite literally, it's none of your business.

The process of becoming a Mason involves agreeing to a nondisclosure agreement, the contents of which are covered by the agreement. We call this NDA our obligation. This obligation hasn't changed much over the years, and it's mostly the same from Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge, and the promises it contains are what make us Masons.

Keeping details about our fraternity private does not make those outside the fraternity, like our families and spouses, any less important to us; just as keeping details about our clients private does not mean our masonic brethren who are not privy to this information are any less our brothers.

Remember: A Gentleman never tells.

=============================

Note: the graphics above can be found at this terrific masonic resource.

All Degree Day

I don't like the idea of watching a degree instead of going through the degree as an active candidate. I've done both and nothing -- nothing -- can replace the feeling of intimacy and bonding that I felt when I was brought into my lodge. First, the entire lodge goes to a lot of work, "just for me". Second, it's done in your home lodge, with members from your home lodge. Finally, direct experience is more powerful than vicarious experience.

Doric Lodge, Grand Rapids lodge and the Valley of Grand Rapids Scottish Rite held an all-degree day Saturday. I was the mentor for a Master Mason candidate, James. James' brother Donald drove over from Chicago, and he looked great in his tux, white gloves and PM apron. Three officers from our lodge attended: our WM (who was also the director of the MM degree) our SW and our marshal (who was also the marshal of the MM degree). None of the other officers made the hour drive.

Verne, our current SW, and Donald discussed the differences between F&AM rituals and Prince Hall rituals (Donald is from Prince Hall). I listened when I could, but I ended up becoming very busy. During the second degree, I mentored a candidate whose mentor did not show up.

The Scottish Rite and GR lodges who performed these degrees did a wonderful job. The middle chamber lecture was done in a very interesting way, with 6 or 7 people trading off, and with physical props instead of slides. Ironically, the one prop they didn't have -- a staircase -- is one which my small lodge has.

When I was raised, I had trouble hearing and seeing things during the degree (not quite as much trouble as the exemplar...). This time, during each degree, I could see and hear everything.

I had never seen the first two degrees from the sidelines; I have only seen them from the candidate's perspective. When you see all three degrees performed one after the other, you see how they build on each other, evolving to and culminating with the Master Mason degree. And I can see how performing a degree will give you even more insight into it. Whatever you think of all degree days, watching the degrees this way is a wonderful experience.

I made sure James understood the things he needed to learn during his raising.

For myself, I watched the SD during each degree closely. The SD is so important to a candidate during the degree that he can make -- or break -- a candidate's experience. No pressure or anything.

Afterwards there was a festive board, and as always, it was a wonderful time. Decent food, decent wine, outstanding fellowship. Donald was quite proud of his brother and promised to visit our lodge as soon as he could.

As I drove home, I realized how strongly I feel bound to the craft, and especially the brothers I have come to know this year. It's surprising knowing how different I am from many of these men when it comes to business, politics and religion, yet we truly share a common bond that transcends these things.

Happy to meet, sorry to part...


(A note on Prince Hall visitation: visitation between Prince Hall and FA&M in Michigan is allowed: the master of the host lodge must extend a written invitation to the visitor).

Raising James

James

James joined our lodge this year. He’s been a fellowcraft since June 19^th and has been waiting for a chance to be raised since July 1. I am frustrated that we have not been able to put together a MM degree for him ourselves; but having just been raised myself, I don’t know what the issues are. He shouldn’t have to wait this long to be a full member of the lodge. I know that other area lodges have banded together to do a third degree for their candidates; I would like to understand why we’re out of the loop.

We have a new candidate coming in next year, and during a cribbage match with a neighboring lodge, several members who know him offered to help raise him. And I’m sitting there with James thinking… we need help for James, NOW. Last Tuesday I was looking around the room and counted nine of us at the meeting. I know we can put on a MM degree with nine people – if we had to. Why aren’t we? But organizing a MM degree isn’t the sort of thing I can do during the first year of my Masonic journey; instead, I’m going to harness this frustration, and make sure this doesn’t happen when I CAN do something about it.

Of course there’s a problem with ME asking this question. I wasn’t present at the initiation of any of our EAs this year, nor was I present at James’ passing to FC. I’m a consultant and often have to travel, so I can rarely commit to a date more than a week in advance. I was traveling every time we performed a ritual.

James has helped out whenever he could, and he’s attended every meeting he could (we will open on the EA or FC degree if there is a brother of that degree present). In fact, he’s been elected Jr. Steward for next year.

James will be raised Saturday at an all-degree day, similar to the way I was raised, with 60! other MM candidates. I volunteered immediately to be his mentor – supporting his decision even if I didn’t agree with it. I do understand it, though, and frankly it will be a relief to raise him. I hope that as a mentor I can give him some of the intimacy that is lost by the exemplar ritual. He deserves better, but I’ll give him the best I can.

The master of the lodge holding the all-degree day wrote a letter to James’ brother, who is a PHA mason from Chicago. With this letter, he will be able to join us for the day.

I’m looking forward to observing the three degrees – I’ve never actually seen the first two. And I’ll be Senior Deacon the next time we initiate, pass or raise a candidate, so I’ll be paying particular attention all day.

Public Officer Installation

We decided to have a public installation, like last year, even though this year we are not combining our installation with another lodge.

I would like to put a notice in the paper. It's tricky because we are having a dinner for friends and family before the installation, in our lodge, and that part isn't open to the general public. And I wonder how comfortable most of the members would be to having the general public there.

But! We have advance notice. It is a public ceremony. And what better way to show potential members what we do?

Something like:

Historic South Haven Masonic Temple is opening its doors to the public on Tuesday, December 11, 7:00 PM. The temple was built in 1913 and well worth seeing on it's own. The "Installation of Officers" is the only ritual which the general public is allowed to see, so if you are curious about Masons and Masonry, don't miss this rare, FREE, event.

The Masons are the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world -- a worldwide social and community service organization, emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy.

The Masonic Temple is located at 212 Center street, above Murphy's. Space is limited so please contact Russel Campbell at... if you wish to attend.

I'll run it up the proverbial flagpole. Is it normal to publicize this event?

Grandpa Roy

My mom found an old dues card from her dad. He's the one with the jewelry .

He was a member of Woodland chapter 46 of the Royal Arch Masons, and a Past High Priest. There are two dates on the dues card: 1960 and 1977. There's a lot I'd ask him now, if I could, but he passed over twenty years ago.

Valley of Grand Rapids Reunion.

We do not "act". We do not perform "plays". In the Scottish Rites, we Exemplify Degrees. There are scripts and lines and costumes and stages and props... all in the name of Exemplification.

Well, the 7th degree went off without a hitch. By "without a hitch", I mean that the things said on the stage resembled the script; the pace was reasonably brisk, and no one had a costume malfunction. My four lines came out audibly and I think they could be recognized as English.

I also played non-speaking roles in the 14th and 31st degrees. I carried a cross in the 31st, and the director carefully explained how to walk on to the stage. As I took my seat on stage I realized I had no idea how I was supposed to leave the stage. This added an undertone of tension to the degree which is normally dramatic enough.

During one of our sessions, a list of members who passed since the last reunion were read. This list was long, and looking at our dozen or so candidates, it was a stark reminder of how membership is declining.

Looking at the class of Fall 1957, there were a couple hundred candidates. Two of these are active members of my lodge -- including our Worshipful Master Dick Burrows. Dick was honored for his 50 years of service and his work on our newsletter. I was the only other member of my lodge who could attend the reunion, and it was wonderful to have my wife with me at the banquet -- even if it was nowhere near as enjoyable as the spring, when I was a candidate. Does anyone know what happened to the quilt raffle?

Dick showed me another notable member of his class in the class picture: Gerald R. Ford.

As I was getting ready for the 7th degree, I wondered if President Ford had exemplified any degrees. It was an intimidating thought, at first. Then I looked in a mirror, and decided I didn't want to think about him in pantyhose and makeup.

The 007 Degree

This is a busy week, Masonically. I've been asked to take a part in the 7th degree, and that will be presented Saturday. Every Monday this month has been degree practice; Tuesday we had a cribbage tournament with Lakeshore Lodge (we lost!); and this weekend is the fall reunion for the Scottish Rites, so I'll be attending Friday and Saturday.

On Monday there was a lodge of instruction for our district, and I really wanted to attend, but I felt that degree practice took precedence. There's another lodge of instruction tonight, but I'd like to be home a couple of nights this week, and for me, Dowagiac is a hike.

During practice Monday, I was asked to take a walk-on role in the 31st (limp-on, with my knee still sore).

Doing the 7th degree has taught me something: memorization is hard. I've never memorized well, even knowing all the mnemonic tricks. I have four lines, and thanks to my wife's help, I can say them in practice. We'll see if I can say them any other time.

Senior Deacon

Last meeting we discussed who would fill what chair next year. Our Junior Deacon does not want to move up; his job is very demanding right now, and he has two small children. So I'll enter the officer chain as Senior Deacon. As a side note, we have a West who hasn't been in the officer chain in a few years, and our South will be moving to the sidelines, so next year looks to be a different make-up.

The Senior Deacon is the NCO of the lodge. All the other officers do a lot of talking, but when something needs to get done, guess who wades through the metaphoric mud? He sets the social tone for the lodge, and he also does a lot of kneeling, which at the moment is worrying me (I had my knee scoped last week).

Opening and closing the lodge is a piece of cake -- the floor work is familiar and unless we open in the EA degree, there isn't much to say.

The real work is during the degrees. He's got his own lecture; no one is closer or more important to a candidate during rituals. During my degree work, I was astounded at the level of effort put forth by our current SD.

I have to work on my memorization, but I keep forgetting.

A stopgap post

Masonically I've been fairly active, even if I haven't blogged at all.

In August we had our Open House and MICHIP program. We created ID kits for 83 children; we had several visitors -- no petitions -- at the open house.

In September I missed my first meeting since being initated (in January), due to work travel.

Last week I met JD, from Pennsylvania. He discussed how their meetings and rituals differed from ours. It was very interesting. We also compared some wordings and found huge differences, although the general meaning is the same.

Lodge Education

I've been reading about lodge education. Tonight the officers are going to be giving the EA lectures from our state; I'll sit in and see if I can help since I'm in town, and because I want to help out when I can.

In the GL magazine (http://www.grandlodgemi.org/from-point-to-pointe.cfm) there's a request for Lodge Education Officers to contact the state LEO; only about 10 -15% of our lodges seem to have these officers.

My natural inclination is to ask, "how can I help". But I was raised less than two months ago, so I don't think I have the experience to teach Masonry.

It's almost a forgone conclusion that I'll take a chair next year. The question is, which one? Hopefully the JD will move up (he doesn't want to). If not, I'll take SD -- but that will be a lot of work. With JD I'll have the time to do a little more, maybe with the Scottish Rites; maybe with our LEO -- if we get one.

I "can't" do it the hard way?

The ritual books I have don't include the information I need to take my Master's proficiency the long way. I wrote to the Grand Lodge for help in acquiring the materials. I received the following answer:
"Doing the proficiency in the "long way" is no longer an option. "

That doesn't mean we can't do it, if my brothers can dig up an old copy of it. It just means that it doesn't "count".

You will get a nice card if you memorize your obligation, though.

I'm not someone who rocks the boat for the sake of getting sea-sick, and I am new to Masonry; however, next year there will be a proposal to allow earning proficiency the long way -- as an option.

An update on Jewelry

The Jewelery posted here has been partially identified:
http://masonicpath.blogspot.com/2007/05/jewelery.html

According to the jeweler at last weekend's Scottish Rite reunion in Grand Rapids, MI, the lavender symbol is that of a past officer of a Royal Arch lodge.

Doing it the hard way

I was prepared to take my Master Mason proficiency last April. It was only two weeks after I was raised, but what's expected today isn't much. I wore my presentation apron and dressed nicely, but I didn't realize I should have mentioned it during the meeting. After all, the SW and I practiced before the meeting. Everyone was telling me that I didn't have to do it, so I dropped it.

Then, last night, one of our members presented his opinion about a resolution before the Grand Lodge and got sidetracked: he pointed out that it was too easy to demonstrate proficiency. I agreed with that point, though I disagreed about the resolution.

After the meeting the SW apologized for forgetting again, then pointed out that I had to share responsibility for remembering to mention it when the WM asks for any additional business. That got mixed in with the discussion of it being too easy... and some how -- I really don't know how this happened -- I "volunteered" to demonstrate my proficiency the hard way.

Now everyone's all excited. I know how much there is to learn, so I told them I might not be ready in June. Still, I have a one-letter-key monitor to help me learn, and several volunteers to help practice.

Oh, last night I was the tyler; one member came late, and an initiate showed up during the meeting so I actually had something to do. What's a cowan?

Jewelery

My mother gave me a small box of jewlery from my Grandfather. He was apparently very active in the Order of the Eastern Star and the York Rites. Among his Masonic jewelery were two symbols I've never seen before. This weekend I'll be taking the Scottish Rites, and I'll bring the jewlery along in case anyone knows.

I wish I knew where his ring was -- or my paternal Grandfather's ring. I've wanted a Masonic ring since I saw "The Man Who Would Be King" -- I was a teenager at the time.

Followup on ties and pillars

To answer a question:

My lodge did not ban me from wearing a bright green tie; my fashion consultant (i.e., my wife) recommended against buying a tie that could only be worn one day a year.

I found a site that has a slightly different interpretation of the pillars than I received in my lodge. I like this site because "The material presented in the Masonic Education Course website does not disclose any of the esoteric portions of the ritual of the [California] Grand Lodge." It's concise, clear yet discreet.

http://www.irvinevalley.org/GLEducation/2Main.htm

"The two pillars also correspond to the Three Great Supports of Masonry. The columns of Wisdom and Strength are emblematically represented by the pillars in the South and North, respectively. The candidate, as he is brought into the Lodge, comes to represent the third column of Beauty or Balance. "

That feels right to me.

Work

I was reading The Symbolism of Freemasonry by Albert Makey (available from the Gutenberg Project, http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page). In it, Makey discusses how central work is to the Freemason: "...this doctrine, that labor is worship, is the very doctrine that has been advanced and maintained, from time immemorial, as a leading dogma of the Order of Freemasonry." During lodge meetings, "business" is done, but during rituals, the lodge is "at work". Work is important. Working tools teach us how to be better men.

This has also been a key tenet in my family, and one of the many reasons that Freemasonry appeals to me so strongly.

When my Grandmother passed, we found a letter written by her sister in 1972.

Whoever does not work is not allowed to eat.
The obligation to work is by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are poor – work.
If you are rich continue to work.
If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities Work
If you are happy – Keep right on working.
Idleness gives room for doubts and fears
If disappointments come – work.
If sorrow threatens you and loved ones seem not true – work.
If health is threatening you -- work
Work as if your life is in peril. It really is.
Work is the greatest material remedy.
Work will cure both mental and physical afflictions.
Pass this on*

I think I have some work to do.

Master Mason

Last Saturday (3-17) I was raised to Master Mason. It was an interesting event with about 25 of us from various lodges (I was the only one from our lodge who was raised). The ceremony was conducted by the Scottish Rite, and I don't know if that made any difference from a "normal" raising.

I was not the exemplar, so the ceremony was observed, not experienced. We sat in the Northeast, and most of the important work was done in the Southwest; I don't hear well, and frankly it was difficult to follow what happened after the candidate was moved to the west. I spent my time at the climax of the degree work straining to hear. Adding to my frustration, I saw microphones hanging from the ceiling, but they didn't pick up anything. The chaplain also had a low voice, and he refused to stand near a microphone: his prayers and his toasts were inaudible even to those with normal hearing.

I had seen a portion of the second section on the Discovery channel, but the important part -- towards the end -- was new to me. I looked it up in Duncan later, but at the time it was like "what's going on?" then everyone in my section was working with a mentor.

After the ceremony was complete -- really complete -- we had a final section with the Master Mason lectures.

This went fairly well, but no one can touch our lodge's Marshall for knowing the lectures back and forth. Although the lecturers stood directly in front of us, they again refused to cooperate with the sound equipment, and again, I strained to hear their words. Half way through the slide show the curtains closed over the screen, making the symbols we're supposed to learn completely unviewable. Thank goodness for Duncan and Mackey.

I do not want to take away from the Grand Rapids lodge and the Valley of Grand Rapids Scottish Rites one iota. The rite was performed superbly, and the production values (costumes, props, etc) were outstanding. The lodge building itself is huge, and we were welcomed warmly. The afternoon was well organized, well paced and all in all, a delight to take part in.

I received my apron, square, compasses and bible. The square has "one day grand master class" written on it, which doesn't make sense to me, but I'll ask about it later in lodge.

Afterwards was the festive board. There was some derogatory comments on the food, but I thought it was fine. I had one tall glass of wine to carry me through all the toasts, and my mentor was expecting me to drink far more (he had, at his raising). However, "true temperance is moderation", and I was moderate. I enjoyed the festive board immensely.

I wish I'd taken more time to socialize with the other candidates, but there wasn't much of an opportunity. One thing I was pleased to see was that several of the candidates were men of color -- and several officers from other lodges were as well. That our area in general does not redirect black men to Prince Hall, as I have heard other lodges do.

Afterwards, the three of us from our lodge went to a local restaurant and ate, drank some more, then went to the lodge to play some cribbage. Our WM was the director of the ceremony and didn't join us afterwards, but the JW and SD suggested I take an officer position, like Steward. I didn't commit at that point because 1) we have a steward; and 2) I may not be able to attend all the meetings due to work; but I'm thinking about it.

Next week I'll sign our lodge's book, get the card that goes with my apron, and hopefully my dues card. And I'll consider doing the Scottish Rites this May, although I don't know how I'll be able to afford it right now.

Bits and Pieces

My wife discovered that the aunt after whom she's named was a Worthy Matron in the Order of the Eastern Star, and that several members of that family were Masons in Three Oaks.

I found out that I needed a suit and tie Saturday. I haven't owned a suit (that fits) in 15 years. I know a man needs a suit, and every now and then I feel underdressed (funerals and weddings mostly), so yesterday I went out and got a suit. Ouch.

It's on St Patrick's day, but I've been banned from wearing a bright green tie.

Sorting things out a little more

Tuesday I had my Fellowcraft lectures, and this time I received a copy to take home. Most of my questions were cleared up; the historical information was interesting and in some ways, quite personal.

Again -- just for me -- almost all the officers came and participated in the lecture reading. The three lectures were each divided in four sections and assigned to a different officer to read.

Interesting bits:
Even though the Papal Bull threatening Masons with ex-communication was issued in 1738, Masonry became popular in Mexico. Don Miguel Hildago was a Mason, and a priest who started the revolution against Spain. My family and I lived in San Miguel de Allende, near Delores Hildago, for about six months in 2005. I was commuting to Houston at the time. Other Mexican heros -- Benito Juarez, Porfirio Diaz -- were Masons.

A brief discussion of the Morgan affair and its affect on Masonry was reviewed.

A very brief discussion of the Masons and the Mormons -- 1500 Mormon Masons were expelled with Brigham Young. I wonder why... was it polygamy? Several jokes about being ... upright ... come to mind.

Next was some completely unfamiliar information about how the Michigan Grand Lodge works, and the Masonic Home -- a continuing care retirement community.

Finally, symbolism. After the lecture I asked about the columns, steps threes, twos, and told them how this was confusing.

Basically the two pillares are completely separate from the three pillars, which are also separate from the orders of architecture.

The square representing virtue, the plumb representing righteousness I did absorb. I didn't get that the level was equality. duh.

The three-five-seven stairs -- the three and the five in this case correspond to lodge officers also. Three principle officers, five officers to open a lodge in the Fellowcraft Degree.

Five also represents five senses (emphasized in the original lecture), five orders of archetcture (although two were de-emphasized), and Geometry is the fifth science.

Seven represents the liberal arts and sciences. So far.

The winding part of the stairway is to represent that you don't know what's around the next corner nad it takes courage to face the unknown.

Finally, the double meaning of the "G" -- for both Geometry and God -- not necessarily in that order -- was revealed.

My mentor has been Vern, who's our SW and was known to me indirectly through the gun club. While we disagree on many issues, we get along quite well. Saturday I'll have a different mentor, Tim. Tim and I get along quite well, despite having very different political views (he's very conservative; I'm ... well, I'm from Berkeley). He's agreed to be my mentor Saturday, and in fact is driving.

Pillars, Columns... Sorting out the Cylinders

*

I passed my "test" for Fellowcraft last Tuesday, memorizing a small portion of the ritual.

I will get my lectures next Tuesday, unless I have to travel. I don't know what happens if I miss these lectures -- if I have to leave, I'll ask.

There are a lot of columns and pillars thrown at me so far.

Three columns of Masonry -- Beauty, Strength and Wisdom. Three orders of architecture (of the five normally presented, two are considered derivative by Masons) - Doric, Ionic, Corinthian. Doric corresponds to Strength, or so I surmise, because the columns are plain and thicker. Corinthian corresponds to Beauty because of its florid capital. Ionic, therefore must corresponds to Wisdom. And the three officers (are they jewels or lights?) correspond to Wisdom (Worshipful Master), Strength (Senior Warden) and Beauty (Junior Warden).

Then there are the Fellowcraft's tools, which are also the Officer's jewels: the Square (Worshipful Master), the level (Senior Warden) and the plumb (Junior Warden).

But there are two pillars of Strength (B) and Creation ("to establish") (J) between which a fellocraft enters the lodge. Where's the third pillar? Is it the Mason himself? Confused, I read as much about these pillars as I could find. The globes on top -- which were not there on the originals -- represent the heaven and the earth.

I think I read too far ahead: I read that despite their phallic shape, they represented the opening of a woman's birth canal, and that the person entering through these gates represented a seed. That part must come later in my Masonic career.

Heaven and Earth, as a pair, are repeated throughout the lodge; the shape of the lodge represents the earth and the ceiling the heavens.

One writer attributed control -- or will --- to the meaning of the second pillar. He suggested that without Strength or Power, nothing could be accomplished; and without will, Strength was destructive, at best; that only by balancing Strength and control could anything important be done. I liked that interpretation, but it does require us to reinterpret the second pillar as "will" or "vision" or "intellect" rather than "He who establishes".

Another theory I have is that if Establishment corresponds to beauty, then the original contents of the pillars -- the wisdom of the ancients stored inside -- is the third pillar, hidden but known.

Do the two connect to the three? Or do they stand alone, distinct and separate, with their own lessons?

Where's the Math?

I have a fairly strong math background, and there is a beauty in numbers that speak to the divine.

Leonardo Da Vinci described the "Golden Ratio", the perfect mathematical proportion for beauty. Prime numbers, the Fibonacci sequence, pi -- all these speak to something more than just numbers, that there is order to the Universe. Ironically named, Chaos Theory describes regular patterns in nature, that the pattern of a leaf reflects the pattern of the tree, that the shape of a pebble reflects the shape of a mountain.
http://www.geocities.com/cyd_conner/nature.html

In my Entered Apprentice lecture I learned that the square represented integrity, rightness. The compasses represent a tool to restrain our passions, to mark our moral boundaries. The simple gavel to perfect a rough ashlar. The 24" rule to apportion our time.

My fellowcraft tools are the plumb, square and level. These tools teach us to walk uprightly, square our actions with virtue, and walk on the level of time.

I was admonished to study Geometry, and at that moment, I thought "done!" because I received a degree in Computer Science 25 years ago, and because the software I work on is CAD, which helps you create and manipulate Geometric shapes.

I have forgotten much of what I studied; I know this helping kids with their math. But I retain the fundamentals, the relationships among circles, triangles and squares; and the way different shapes behave with each other always gives me a chill.

The tools thus far are those which are important to building geometric shapes, but nothing has been said about how to use them for that purpose.

Geometry is what the Operative Masons knew, and almost everyone else didn't. I don't know how learning this can be anything other than spiritual, and I don't know why there isn't more math in Freemasonry.

Maybe it's coming.

Fellowcraft, revisited

My mother-in-law just remarked that I'm standing straighter, walking taller and looking more confident. She attributed this to going to the gym regularly, but part of the answer could be that I've learned my Fellowcraft lessons better than I thought.

What my lodge is doing right

In order to satisfy my thirst for Masonic knowledge without spoiling the experience of hearing it for the first time in my lodge, I have read a variety of papers about masonry in general.

http://www.knightsofthenorth.com/documents/laudablepursuit.pdf

This paper struck home. What was most interesting is that many of the problems they highlight are being addressed by the lodge I'm in.

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/stated.html

It seems some lodges always open on the Master Degree, and Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts are excluded. Our lodge made the effort to open on the EA degree last month, specifically so I could attend and feel welcome. Tomorrow I'll join the meeting as a FC, and take my examination. If there are no EA's present, they will open on the FC degree.

I am not well known in South Haven. My wife is, though: she grew up a mile from where we live now, and her parents taught in the area. Still, she does not know any local Masons either. My ties to the community are weak: my work requires extensive travel most of the time, and most of my colleagues are scattered across the country from Boston to San Diego. My boss is in Texas, and my customers have been all over the US. Lately I've been working from home and traveling infrequently, although that will change soon.

I'll discuss my reasons for joining another day, but it had been a long-term goal of mine. Last summer we saw an announcement that the local Mason lodge (Cornerstone Lodge #158) was having an open house, and I took my son who was visiting from California.

I was impressed with the lodge and how it was built. I loved the symbolism of the lodge. One of the officers sat down with me and answered my questions:
- A mason must be a man of good character and believe in a Supreme being. That's it.
- Jews can join. I'm not sure if there are any in our lodge -- or in fact, if there are any in the area at all. This is important to me for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that my sister has recently converted to Judaism.
- The local lodge would not exclude a black person; however almost all black men interested in Masonry join a local Prince Hall lodge instead of ours.
- Catholics, I was assured, are not only welcome to join, but are presently allowed to join by their church. I've read later that the Catholic Church's position on Masonry is not entirely clear, or consistent.
- Dues are nominal; our lodge dues are $25/year. And each degree costs another $25 (up to Master)

I tendered my application in August, and had my in-house interview in September. One of the interviewers knew my stepson from hunter-safety, so that went well.

I was supposed to become initated in October, but that date was postponed to January because I had to be in Cincinnati. I was chaffing to become part of the lodge, but I waited patiently, and I'm glad I did.

What is my lodge doing right?

• My lodge welcomed me, a relative stranger to the area.
• My lodge provides lectures at least once a month to new Masons
• My lodge opens on whatever degree is necessary so that we can all attend the meetings.
• My lodge does not try to cram three degrees worth of understanding into one day.
• My lodge listens to my questions, and answers them patiently.
• I was invited to play cards last Friday, and I had a great time.

You might wonder if I think the lodge is doing anything wrong. The fact is, I don't know enough about Masonry, the lodge, the rules to hold an informed opinion.

The other night I asked why beer wasn't part of the refreshments, and if it was possible to bring on off nights. The answer wasn't clear, what was clear that while it may not be explicitly forbidden there were members of our lodge who had very strong objections to it. OK, no beer.

But Freemasons used to meet in Taverns. And, based on the scramble to find a designated driver to the Master Mason Degree Conferral (which will be an AASR rite in the Valley of Grand Rapids -- about 60 miles away), it appears that not all Masonic events are alcohol free.

Not to mention that one third of my wages, or so I've been informed, are wine.

The fact is, I'm not joining the Masons so I have a place to go drink, so this is not a big deal.

Fellowcraft

Last Tuesday, I became a Fellowcraft Mason.

This is the second degree of Masonry, and my third degree will be conferred on Saint Patrick's day. It feels rushed to me, so I'm trying to understand the lessons of this degree -- and the last one, Entered Apprentice -- as well as I can before plunging headlong into "Mastery".

My First Degree was conferred on January 9th. The experience was intense and memorable.

I retained a surprisingly large amount of the lecture I received that day. I found Macay's book online (The Masonic Manual), and saw the EA lecture there verbatim. I read, and reread that lecture several times, but I still had questions. I made some notes and asked at the lodge while studying for my examination.

What shocked me -- and still shocks me -- is how little I need to actually learn before moving on to the next degree. It's too easy, and I don't feel as if I "earned" my fellowcraft.

I did not retain my fellowcraft lessons as well. Part of this was recovering from a cold, and part of this was that the position I was in to take my obligation was painful to hold (I was struck by a car when I was a child, and while in most respects my legs are fine, there are some positions which become painful quickly). My throat was dry from the dregs of the cold, and I was covered in sweat by the time I was allowed more light. Much of the ritual, as much as I wanted to drink it in, washed over me instead. I was offered a chance to rest, and water, but I also knew that quite a bit of effort was involved from all the officers, and I did not want to cause them more inconvenience.

I allowed myself to read the fellowcraft chapter of the manual; I had many more questions about the two pillars and the orders of architecture. Part of my confusion was the orders of architecture are represented by columns which are easy to confuse with pillars.

One thing I had read before my fellowcraft was that the meaning of the "G" within the square and compass stood for God and would be more correct with the Hebrew letter Yod. So when I heard that it represented Geometry I wanted to argue.

That's the problem with reading too much, and I want to drink the knowledge as it's meant to be drunk. Unfortunately, the Internet is a vast ocean of information, and it's so tempting to try to drink it all.

Part of the advantage of symbolism and metaphor is to apply layers of meaning to symbols, that symbols are meant to communicate in a way that prose simply can't. I have to improve my intuition, and suppress my literal logical mind.

I can't comfortably write all my questions here, but some of my notes for next Tuesday are:
- the length of my cable tow
- G
- The relationship of the two pillars to the three columns
- Our lodge has a solid blue floor, what's all this about tiled/fringed floors?

Next week I take my examination for Fellowcraft in the full lodge. The February meeting was opened on the EA degree (I was the only EA present) and I took my examination then. The March meeting, unless an EA is present, will open on the FC degree (again drawing attention to my less-than-master status).

I think EA and FC degrees should last longer, and be less inconvenient to manage, and require more work to attain. Mostly, I can't wait to become a Master Mason so that I can feel fully part of the lodge. On the other hand, I want to savor my journey to Master Mason so I can grow into -- and earn -- that degree.