Masonic Presidential Campaign

A Masonic President
The Campaign Of 1896
S. Dennis Phillips, 32°
The presidential campaign of 1896 clearly illustrates the diversity and high quality of the men who are drawn to Masonry.
Born in 1860 in Salem, Illinois, William Jennings Bryan (right above) grew up in an active Democratic family. He graduated from Illinois College as valedictorian and delivered his address on character. Bryan proceeded on to Union College of Law and in 1883 and opened his practice in Jacksonville, Illinois. In 1887 he moved his practice to Lincoln, Nebraska, where the outgoing, high-spirited young lawyer joined several organizations including Lincoln Lodge No. 14 on April 15, later affiliating with Temple Lodge No. 247, Miami, Florida. From Lincoln, Bryan began his ascent up the political ladder.

William McKinley (left above) was born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio. Young McKinley attended Allegheny
College, but due to illness and his father’s financial problems, he was unable to continue his studies. He was clerking in a post office in an effort to raise the money to continue his education when the Civil War broke out. McKinley enlisted in the twenty-third Ohio and, due to his excellent service, was mustered out as a brevet major in 1865. At the end of the war, McKinley, who was visiting an army hospital, noticed the friendliness with which a Union surgeon treated some wounded Confederates. After some inquiry, McKinley found that the wounded southerners and the surgeon were Freemasons. He soon made known his desire to join a fraternity with such strong bonds of brotherhood. The future President was raised a Master Mason in Hiram Lodge No. 21, Winchester, Virginia, by a Confederate chaplain, J. B. T. Reed, as Worshipful Master.

On re-entering civilian life, McKinley entered Albany Law School and, upon passing the bar examination, set up practice in Canton, Ohio. There, like Brother Bryan, he, too, began to ascend the political ladder. In 1896 when the Republicans gathered in St. Louis to nominate their presidential candidate, McKinley, then Governor of Ohio, was the clear favorite and became the Republican presidential nominee standing on a platform anchored by a gold standard plank.

When the Democrats gathered in Chicago, there was no such clear-cut front runner. The closest there
was to a favorite was Richard P. Bland of Missouri. No one seemed to consider William Jennings Bryan a serious candidate. That all changed during debate on a free silver plank when Bryan delivered what is arguably his most famous political speech, which he closed with one of the most famous lines in American history: "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold." After this speech, it was only a matter of
time, and on the fifth ballot Brother Bryan became the presidential nominee of
the Democratic Party.

In the campaign that followed, the styles of the two candidates were as
different as their political philosophies. McKinley knew that, when it came to
oratorical power and stage presence, he was no match for his much younger opponent.
He decided that rather than try to match Bryan, he would conduct a frontporch
campaign and speak only to those who visited him at his Canton, Ohio,
home. In fact, except for two non-political commitments he had made before the
convention and a one-week rest break in August, McKinley stayed in Canton
throughout the campaign.

Fortunately for McKinley, his campaign manager, Mark Hanna, and the National Republican Party
were not so passive. Hanna raised huge sums of money from Wall Street interests terrified of a Bryan presidency, and the Republican National Committee arranged transportation to Canton for thousands of people, all
potential or actual contributors, from across the country. On one day alone in September, special trains brought over 20,000 people to Canton to hear and see McKinley.
Bryan, on the other hand, had very little money to work with and had to contend with a national party
lacking strong unity. His greatest asset was his own stamina and oratorical brilliance. While his Republican opponent stayed home, Bryan put in 18-hour days, traveled thousands of miles, and made almost three thousand speeches. At one point in Delaware, the strain became too much, and Bryan collapsed but was fully recovered and ready to go the next morning.

On Election Day, McKinley continued the Republican domination of the
White House, but by the barest of margins. The Republican candidate won less than
51% of the vote, and Bryan carried five more states than did McKinley. On the
other hand, McKinley’s Electoral College margin was fairly comfortable.
The two Masons would face each other again in 1900 with McKinley again
coming out the winner. Then in 1901, President McKinley was felled by an assassin’s
bullet. During his tenure in office, McKinley led the country through an era of
great change, and, more importantly, he began the process of making the United
States into a world power.

Bryan, who many consider the founder of the modern Democratic Party,
continued his service to the nation until his death in 1925 at Dayton, Tennessee. In 1908, he was, for the third time, the Democratic nominee for President, served President Woodrow Wilson as Secretary of State from 1913 to 1915, and throughout his life, he remained the dominate figure in the Democratic Party.

Brothers William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley, two men in a line of many Masons who
dedicated their lives to their country, and two men of which our Fraternity can be truly proud.
-- The Scottish Rite Journal, August 1999

The Plumb, Level and Square

The Plumb, Level and Square


The Plumb teaches Integrity; Liberty.
The Level teaches Fidelity; Equality.
The Square teaches Sincerity; Fraternity.

The Test of our Integrity and Fidelity is our conduct in our relations to God, our neighbors, and ourselves. If we are not Fraternal (Square), in our relations we are lacking in Integrity, or Fidelity, or both.

Thoughts on the Second Degree.
In the First Degree of Masonry every Mason learns the lesson of Personal Liberty and the necessity for Individual Effort, upon his part, to subdue his evil propensities.

In the Second Degree he is taught the Principles of Masonry, or Construction, or Building. The man whose eyes have not been opened to the meaning of the symbols used can only see, in this degree, certain fundamental principles of Architecture. AH that is said upon this subject might be published broadcast, put into the hands of both the evil-minded, and the well intentioned, without restriction; and, if the Spiritual Truths behind the Symbols were not apprehended, neither Good nor Evil results would follow.

But, to the Intelligent Freemason, the Plumb, the Level and the Square, the Orders of Architecture, the Principles of Construction, the Symbolic Meanings of all of these things, comes New Light. Herein he discovers, by making the Individual Effort, those Secrets of Nature which are veiled from the eyes of those who sit in Darkness.
Herein the Illuminated Mason finds the Key to Individual Progress, and the Interpretations of Designs which the Great Architect of the Universe has drawn upon His Trestle-Board, for the Guidance of the Children of Light.

Happy is the Mason who has learned the lessons of the First Degree so well that he understands. Happier still is he who has apprehended the teachings of the Second Degree so fully that he can apply them intelligently to the Building of his Moral Character. It is important that the evil within us should be brought under Subjection to Reason, but, unless we go further and Build upon a Firm Foundation, using the Plumb, the Level and the Square in our Work, following the Plans on The Trestle-Board of the Great Architect; there can be no advancement made, because Character is only formed by Masonic, or Constructive Endeavor.

Taken from: Thoughts Inspired by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Degrees, Published by Edgar A. Russell Company, 1919

This article was originally published in The Philalethes, July 1946, Volume 1, Number 3.
BEING A MAN!
By Sidney E. Harris, MPS

The Greek had an ideal and it was the man perfect in body, mind, and soul. He was a friend, not a recluse; did not sit on a pedestal and talk down to the people.
Luke 7:s4: "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a
winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!" He had a perfect mental poise and was unafraid. Luke 8 records that Jesus slept in a boat and it was about to sink. The disciples woke Him; they were in great terror. Jesus rebuked the waves and there was great calm, and He said unto them: "Where is your faith?" And they, being afraid, said one to another: "What manner of man is this, for He commandeth the wind and waves and they obey Him."

A Samaritan village refused to receive Him; the disciples, like some of our politicians of today wanted
to have destruction rain upon them. But Jesus said (Luke 9:55): "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."
The fundamentalists of His day, the Scribes and Pharisees, sought to destroy Him. So He entered into
the home of Zachaeus, the taxgatherer, and said (Luke 19): "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

When the rulers brought Jesus to cynical Pilate, he said: "I find no fault in Him."
Being a man does not mean being a bully. It does not mean being objectionable by indulging in habits that make other people uncomfortable. One time Horace Greely met a drunken congressman who said he was a self-made man. Greely replied: "That relieves God of a great deal of responsibility."

We read that God created man in His own image and likeness. This refers to God's intellectual and moral nature, and also to His conception of what man should be. Sin came as the result of man's free choice. We cannot say moral choice, for as yet he had no experience of sin.
Theodore Parker, seeking to express the idea that every individual has his limitations, says "No man is as great as mankind."

The movies picture a great man as one whose life is filled with glamor; but this is most certainly untrue to life. Goethe says: "One cannot always be a hero; but one can always be a man."
Being a man is something that is supremely difficult. A true man has the strength, the vigor, the self-reliance of the male; the gentleness, the true refinement, and the sympathy and compassion of the female. Bailey says: "Let each one of us think himself an act of God, his mind a thought, his life a breath of God."

A true man is manly and self-reliant without bluster; temperate in all things without being offensive; calm without being cold and indifferent. He is courteous and cultured; endowed with a proper appreciation of the niceties and refinements of conduct, and yet always able to accommodate himself to the limitations of others. He is one who, nevertheless, never loses sight of the inner meaning of personal purity, integrity, truth, justice, and brotherly love. He lives his life as in the sight of God and always has a deep and abiding consciousness of eternity.

Kipling, in his poem "If," gives a very fine definition of the true man. One thing that needs to be constantly emphasized, and that is the true man's unconquerable spirit. "If you cannot meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors
just the same."

Being a man means having a body that is the embodiment of health; that is clean and vigorous. I am not forgetting that there are people who are handicapped; but even those can make the best of what they have.

Being a man means standing up and facing the world fearless and unafraid; it means doing our duty under all circumstances, regardless of consequences. It means accepting fully all the implications of the word "Brotherhood."

Big Uproar in Michigan Masonry.

GL of Michigan Withdraws Recognition of Shrine

from Freemasons For Dummies by Chris Hodapp

The Grand Master of Michigan, MW Frederick E. Kaiser, Jr., has withdrawn official recognition of the Shrine there, and it has been declared clandestine and illegal. Michigan Masons may not attend tyled Shrine meetings in that state.

The problem stems from a Mason who was expelled by the Grand Master in July for conviction of a crime punishable by incarceration of one or more years, and per Michigan's Masonic rules. Unfortunately, the Elf Khurafeh Shrine and the Imperial Shrine (Shriners International) in Tampa didn't agree and kept the suspended Mason as a full member of the Shrine. A slight complication: he's the current Potentate. He pled guilty to possessing and operating gambling devices, and probably won't be sentenced until February. However, since he did plead guilty, the GM expelled him. The Shrine did not.

So.

From the GM's letter of November 23rd:

The expelled Mason, by action of Elf Khurafeh Shrine, headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan continues to be a member and Potentate of that Shrine. Elf Khurafeh’s action to retain him was subsequently upheld by the Imperial Potentate. This situation exists despite the reputed requirement that a member of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of
the Mystic Shrine (Shriner’s International) must also be a Mason in good standing.

Discussion was initiated with the Imperial Potentate, and counsel for the Imperial Shrine. The Grand Lodge of Michigan explained its position, and requested that the Imperial Potentate reconsider his decision, given information previously unavailable to him. Unfortunately for all concerned and with heavy heart, I must state that no modification of
his position, nor of Elf Khurafeh Shrine’s, has occurred.

Elf Khurafeh Shrine and the Imperial Potentate have failed to adhere to their own Shrine law, by retaining a non-Mason in their ranks. They have also failed to honor their obligations under Michigan Masonic Law. Therefore, acting under §3.10.2.2 of Michigan Masonic Law, the Grand Lodge of Michigan hereby withdraws formal recognition of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriner’s International) as a Masonic organization in the State of Michigan. The relevant sections of Michigan Masonic Law are as follows:

§3.8.2: Any and all organizations, associations, or persons within the State of Michigan, professing to have
any authority, power or privileges in Ancient Craft Masonry, not fraternally recognized by this Grand Lodge, are
declared to be clandestine and illegal, and all Masonic intercourse with any of them is prohibited.

§8.1.2.9: All Master Masons under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Michigan who hold membership in
Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine are forbidden to attend tiled Shrine meetings when there is in
attendance a suspended or expelled Mason.

It is therefore my order that no Mason who holds membership in a Michigan Lodge, or in a Lodge chartered by a recognized Grand Lodge who resides or sojourns in Michigan, may (1) attend any nonpublic function of any Shrine in Michigan or (2) have any Masonic interaction of any kind with any Shrine organization in Michigan. Furthermore, no Shrine function or activity will be afforded a special privilege not afforded any other unrelated organization that is allowed to use a building dedicated to Masonic purposes, or on the grounds of a building so dedicated.

Violation of these provisions by a Mason under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Michigan is punishable by charges of un-Masonic conduct.

Arguments with Grand Masters don't generally turn out well.

Transfer Of Membership

I just wanted to let everyone know that Saturday night was a new experience for me in Masonry. A little over a month ago I put in a petition to transfer membership to another lodge. When I first petitioned to become a Mason I lived in a different town, I have sinced moved to another town. The home lodge town that I lived in is about 25 minutes away from me now and the current town lodge is about 5 minutes away from me.

I felt bad about the petition to transfer at first, feeling like I was letting my home lodge and brothers down. I talked to a few other brothers and the Master of my home lodge. After extensive and careful thought, I realized that I just could not contribute to lodge or Masonry with being that far from my lodge and that a closer lodge would be better for me and the Craft.

I turned in my petition with the help of a brother from the lodge to which I wanted to transfer. I already knew some of the brothers in this lodge as some of them conferred and participated in my degrees.

I got to say, I was a little nervous for some reason. I knew they we voting on it Saturday and I wanted to be there. When it came time, the Master asked me to step out of the lodge room. I went out and talked to the Tyler for a bit. I heard some discussion going on inside the lodge room and it made me more nervous. I though "what could they be saying in there??" A few minutes went by and they came and got me. I went back in and the welcomed and congratulated me. I was a great feeling and I want to let everyone know that I am now a member of Cookeville, TN Lodge 266, Grand Lodge of Tennessee.

I am excited about being a member here, they are a very active and growing lodge with informational and educational classes and activities. This is truly the lodge that I have been looking for.

Thanks to the brothers at my new lodge and I look forward to learning and fellowshipping with you.

Traveling - Something I don't do enough.

Traveling to other lodges is a really fun an interesting thing to do if you have the time to do it. Especially in a different state.

I live in Tennessee and a several months ago I had the privilege to visit a lodge in Missouri. I am from Missouri and still go there quite often to visit family and friends.

I was really happy the day that my brother ask me about Masonry. I let him lead and just answered questions, trying to contain my excitement. After a few visits and discussions I thought that he would make a great Mason. I contacted the local lodge and set up a meeting.

The guys at the Shekinahlodge 256 in Crystal City, Missouri were very hospitable. We sat down very casually and chatted for a while. They have a great library and a beautiful lodge room, very ornate.
We got a petition, filled it out and turned it in right there. I went back to Tennessee and waited, impatiently, for the process to unfold. A few weeks went by and the Master of the lodge emailed me and told me that he had been voted in. The feeling I had was indescribable. My older brother following in my footsteps and in Masonry at that. Awesome!!!

Anyway, after several emails back and forth with the Master, I was able to arrange a trip to be present at my favorite degree, the Fellowcraft, of my brother's. When we got there and started lodge, I notice several differences in the order of things and wording, though it all meant the same thing.

They had two brothers going through that night. They asked my if I wanted to be a part of my brother's degree, and without hesitation I said yes. Then I got a little nervous as to the differences in wording and other things. I was Senior Deacon in my lodge, but there is no way I could have done it there. So they said I could be a Steward. They let my brother go second, that way I could just watch the first and get a feel for the differences.

Needless to say, with some help from the other Steward, I made it through. When my brother was brought to Light and saw me standing behind the Master, I could see his excitement as I'm sure he saw mine. He had no clue until that point that I would be participating in the degree.

Well, after it was all over, they asked me to stand up and say a few words. I thanked them all and told them that it was such an honor to participate. I also told them about the differences from Tennessee to Missouri, I shared some of our Catechism with them to show how even with differences in wording, the meaning was still the same.

Needless to say, it was an awesome visit and I plan on going there when I go to Missouri to visit my friends and family. Of course, those guys are my family as well, and they treated me as such from the very beginning. Please go visit a lodge if you can.

Here is an article I saw on the web, please read it.

Lodge as Lab Part 3: Let's travel!!!

from Millenial Freemason by noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson)

Corinthian Lodge claims the great traveling sword of Faribault

In my continuing quest to help out Masters and other lodge officers in coming up with great ideas, I will discuss yet another important task that we took at Corinthian Lodge No. 67 during my year as Master. One project that we took upon ourselves was to meet other lodges throughout our area. The reason is that as Master Masons, we are encouraged to travel as much as possible to different lodges.

Traveling is an essential part of being a Mason. I was told by my grandpa, who was a railroad man, that during the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th centuries, railroad men would meet brothers whenever the crew would come into town, even if the lodge was not meeting on that day. The tracks were a fraternal lifeline connecting brothers from the beginning of their trip to the end. That's why many lodges were built near a railway station, as a welcoming spot for visiting brethren.

During my year in the East, we traveled to many different lodges. We didn't just limit ourselves to only the district but attempted to travel to as many different lodges as we had time for. You see, Minnesota is blessed to have many different types of lodges. We have a Traditional Observance lodge (Saint Paul Three), a British-style Lodge (Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351), and a moon lodge (Accacia Lodge No. 51) just to name a few.

Traveling is a right, a couched right to be sure, but a right nonetheless. Traveling gains you new perspectives, new friends, and a new feeling of Masonic spirit. Before I took the East, we, as a lodge, rarely left Farmington. Farmington was home but sometimes, you gotta branch out and experience the wider world. And that's what we did.

Traveling has added benefits for a lodge. When you travel to a lodge, you become a representative of your lodge. If you represent your lodge well, you can create a connection, a bond with the lodge you visit. When we traveled to other lodges, invariably, we would get one or two guys to travel back to our lodge. As we traveled and shared ideas, we started something more. Lodges worked together on projects, success stories were shared, and we all became better men.



Have you traveled lately? Does your lodge have a travel schedule? What are your experiences in traveling as a lodge? Leave a comment.

 

 Thanks for the article Millenial Freemason

A little piece of Masonic history.

I'm alway proud when I hear the name of our first President and Founding Father. Especially when it is associated with Masonry. Thanks for sharing Brother Hodnapp.

 

George Washington Masonic Apron Displayed in WVa

from Freemasons For Dummies by Chris Hodapp

From the West Virginia State Journal, Masonic Lodge to Display Apron Owned by Washington , today:

Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 91, a Masonic lodge in Shepherdstown, will celebrate its bicentennial with a public open house on Dec. 11 where people can come view George Washington's Masonic apron.

The lodge, which is located at 121 E. German St., will be open to the public from noon to 3 p.m.

The apron will go on display at 1 p.m. and Laura B. Simo, associate curator at Mount Vernon Estate, Museum and Gardens in Virginia, will give a presentation about the apron's history.
Following that, the lodge's current Master, George Alwin, of Shepherdstown, will present a history of the Mt. Nebo Lodge, which was chartered in Shepherdstown on Dec. 11, 1811.

The apron it owns was given to Washington in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette, who was also a Mason, and worn regularly by Washington until his death in 1799.

After Martha Washington died in 1802, the apron was purchased from her estate for $6 by Thomas Hammond, husband of George's niece, Mildred Washington. She was the daughter of George's brother Charles, who founded Charles Town, WV.

Hammond was a member of the Mt. Nebo Lodge, and he gave the apron to the lodge before he died in 1820.

Since then, the apron has been displayed in public only on rare occasions.

Its first public appearance was in 1844, at the 90th anniversary of the first Masonic meeting in what is now West Virginia, in Charles Town.

Subsequently, the apron was displayed at the laying of the cornerstone for the Smithsonian Institution in 1847 and the cornerstone ceremony for the Washington Monument in 1848.

Until recently, its last major public appearance was at the 100th anniversary of Washington's death at Mount Vernon in 1899.

Here is an interesting quote that I read on another blog: www.freemasoninformation.com. It's a great blog, the brother has a lot of great articles that really dig into all aspects of Freemasonry. Go over there and check it out as well.

    That Light (knowledge), that all men are seeking is how to be happy and be at peace. That’s the bottom line! To achieve these states of mind, it has to be attained through spiritual exercises. When someone achieves that level of living, it does manifest itself throughout their whole being, (this is the Christ or enlighten nature of man) and this living becomes a testimony to all who see. But please remember this, it is a process that ebbs and flows which means we have to be constantly working to stay in that realm of happiness and peace.

 

    Freemasonry has many lessons in its teachings to help guide us towards our enlightment such as; how to divide our hours and what it should pertain to. It is reminding you of your True Nature (from whence came you?), it is also telling you why you’re experiencing some difficulties (passions not being subdued). I do believe that all men have the Light within them; but just as lightbulbs have different wattages, so too men have different levels of Light within themselves and I believe it’s because of their environmental associations.

 

     But because he is determined to keep working on the internal self, his external self along with his environment will definitely change (or should I say become brighter). Yes, we are conservators of this Light, but we’re only one of many. Truth comes in many forms of teachings and we will forever be the Teacher (dispenser of Light) as well as the Student (seeker of Light), it’s a balancing act we have to learn to do. Just my opinion.

Bro. Jerome Womack

New Beginning #970

MWPHGL of AL

Great quote. Thanks brother Womack. I agree completely with this Brother, to "be happy and be at peace" are things that we strive for everyday even if it is subconciously. Most things we do are to produce a level of happiness, whether it's a hobby, dating someone, or a job to make money. The more satisfied we are with ourselves, the more satisfied we are in life and with other people. It all starts on the inside. Work on our own "light" and it will change everything around us.

First Post.

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I have started a blog mainly of my thoughts on Masonry and other various topics. Some may be random thoughts throughout the day, some may be well thought out, deep, intellectual ramblings.

At any rate I look forward to communicating my thoughts and others to people around the world and comments are always welcom.

TFS by Ed Halpaus

         TFS #208     
Posted by:      "Ed Halpaus"            erhmasonic@gmail.com                                       hiram223        
      Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:40 pm        (PST)   

        *T.F.S.*
*Three, five, and seven*
*3    5    7*
By Stan Shapiro MD, Grand Lodge Education Officer G.L. of MN
#208
The following article was sent to me by Brother Gerald A. Edgar, who lives
in Iowa and is a fine writer. He is a member of The Minnesota Grand Lodge
Education Committee and Writers Guild.
*“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life; comes into us at midnight
very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands;
it hopes we've learned something from yesterday."  *
*-Bro. Marion R. Morrison,** a famous English essayist. *
*The following are excellent words of instruction:*
Tomorrow is indeed "another day" - fresh & inviting IF we approach it as
such.  Past failures & regrets can be reversed if we embrace the new
day. As Masons we can successfully approach tomorrow when we rely on the
lessons gleaned from our "yesterdays" when we were Entered, Passed &
Raised.  Perhaps even more importantly, those lessons are reinforced and
amplified by the context AND content of our current Stated meetings.
Context: were we well informed of the meeting?  Do we receive an annual
calendar, a monthly newsletter, a phone call and/or an email notice?  Did
we enter into a well lit, clean, inviting structure?  Even an older brick
or frame building can be refurbished and dusted!   Were we greeted (and did
WE greet with equal warmth) in a true Brotherly way?  Did we enter the
Lodge hall with an expectation that we would indeed be "given proper
instruction"?
Content:  does the WM indeed put us to work and give us that proper
instruction he pledged at the opening of the Lodge?  Does the JW see that
none go away dissatisfied as he pledged to do?  As individual Masons we
have a two-fold obligation to truly 'listen' but also to hold our Officers
to the obligations they took when invested with their offices.
Godparents pledge to assist the new parents in bringing their children up
in faith.  As members of our respective Lodges, we have made it a
sworn duty to support our officers but also to share our high expectations
AND willingness to assist in meeting those expectations.   Do we give
constructive feedback to our Officers and to whoever presents programs of
Masonic education?  Do we applaud Officers and Brothers whom offer
particularly good lessons?  Do we actively participate in a civil way and
gently discourage those who would bring disharmony to the meeting?
Tonight's meeting will become our "yesterday" - let us insure it is an
instructive one for all present.
So my Brothers, embrace that clean tomorrow with the lessons of yesterday,
finding the proverbial silver lining in every cloud.  Masonic education &
philosophy should always be of the "glass half full" attitude.  Our
tomorrows will indeed be less stained by the superfluities of life.
Perhaps these sound like worn out catch phrases but truly consider the
truths they reveal.
Did you think the above was written by *Brother Marion R. Morrison?*
It was written by another Iowa-born Brother by his name in later life: John
Wayne.
Gerald Edgar 2011
Words to Live By: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.”---- Albert Einstein
*If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, please send them to*
shapiro.stanley@gmail.com
The Education Videos by our education committee can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/glmned
The latest Masonic Monday Question, and some of the past questions, can be
viewed at www.Lodgebuilder.org  and at  www.mn-masons.org
Ed Halpaus 32° K.C.C.H., FPS
Grand Lodge Officer
Grand Lodge A.F. &  A.M. of MN
Executive Secretary - The Philalethes Society
763-552-0466 - Home
763-516-4435 - Cell
Skype i.d.- edhalpaus
http://halpaus.blogspot.com/
http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Leo/
http://sites.google.com/site/edsmasonicmatters/
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"I love to define mystery as not that which is unknowable, but that which
is endlessly knowable. So you never get to the point where I know it all.
And wouldn’t we assume that would be the nature of God? That God will
always by definition be mystery. More knowability, more knowability, deeper
experience, deeper surrender. So that’s the meaning of faith, and why faith
has such power, not just to transform people but to keep them on an ongoing
path of transformation and growth." Fr. Richard Rohr