The master gives this information to the candidate as he first approaches the altar. *The design of the Masonic institution is to make its votaries wiser, better, and consequently happier..." I believe the appeal of the operant craft to the gentlemen of the enlightenment who sought inclusion stemmed from a reverence for the geometric exactitude necessary for the erection of great cathedrals and for the beauty, strength, and wisdom they embodied. These were men of principle and honor who were convinced that the building of a worthwhile life required a similar knowledge of and adherence to eternal principles origination from The Great Architect of the Universe and discernable through the study of the Natural Order, and Scripture.
The Square and Compass with the letter G became the primary symbol of this new extension of an ancient craft which had been a source of awe since the earliest dawning of human civilization. Where their brothers had established a profound history of constructing the great wonders of the world they set out to erect a great wonder of human society built on rock solid traditional principles. Freedom, Integrity, and Tolerance were not as valued as Privilege, Position and Wealth in the practical world prior to 1717, nor are they now. However they were the standard operating procedures in the craft lodges and they became basic to the speculative masons as well.
The simple truth that even the least individual is as indispensable as the greatest potentate was obvious to the operant mason. He knew that the breathtaking spires, beautiful arches and intricate adornments of the greatest buildings were made possible by the application of the gavel, square, plumb, and level in shaping and laying the millions of perfect ashlars necessary to erect the magnificent edifice. Even with today's technology we have not been able to improve on their art in the joining of stone on stone to such exactitude.
How revolutionary: To assert the fundamental equality of worth of all people despite their differing abilities and station in life. To hold ones personal integrity as more valuable than life itself. To be humble enough in the realization of ones own limited knowledge to respect the right of others to disagree even with our dearest convictions. This is the revolution which establishes the pillars of the craft. Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. Wisdom to reverence all of creation even when we can't understand it all. Strength to adhere to principles even when others deride their worth. Beauty that overwhelms us as we consider the fantastic, intricate and even mystical interplay of all the diverse elements that form the universe in which we live.
I believe the mission of the craft is to inspire and support good men in an effort to so order their lives in relation to traditional principles of brotherhood, relief and truth. To the end that the realization of the blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, too long the privilege of the few purchased at the expense of the many, will become the common lot of humanity. This I believe is the new world order extolled by philosophers, promised in scripture, and envisioned in the lessons of the Craft.
Fraternally,
Austin Harris, Master, 2006
Welcome to the New Year! This article is being written in early December and hopefully, you are reading it in late December. Assuming that, I will encourage you and your lady to attend the 2007 officer’s installation on Saturday night, January 6, 2007. This should be a wonderful celebration of renewal in the lodge, as happens each year, as a committed group of Brothers steps foreword and accepts the responsibility for shepherding your lodge. Some will be elected by the membership, others will be appointed by the new Master, but all will be committed and sworn to serve on your behalf, and for the good of Masonry and our lodge. Won’t you and your lady come out and celebrate with this new line of officers and their ladies? We will be gathering at the lodge at about 5:45, and a delicious dinner of baked salmon and southern style beef brisket will be served by Southern Style Catering at 6pm. The installation will begin at 7pm, and afterwards, we will all enjoy coffee, cake and conversation together. This is one of the nicest social events of the year. Please plan to attend, and bring a guest or friend who would like to see a very dignified Masonic ceremony. And please remember to call ahead to reserve your places at dinner. We will only have enough food to serve those who have called the lodge office to RSVP @ 651-222-2643. If you are not able to join us for dinner, all are welcome for the open installation beginning at 7pm.
Of coarse the next big event to put on your must do calendar is the Sweetheart’s Dinner on Saturday night February 10. We will be enjoying the private back dining room at the very stately Lexington Restaurant. A small committee of very dedicated souls has already tested the food and declared it to be exceptional. (Tough job) The social hour will begin at 6pm with cocktails and appetizers, followed by dinner at 7pm. We will have live dinner music and even dancing for those who haven’t eaten too much.
Don’t miss this special evening; it will be a night to remember. And again, you must reserve in advance.
Other upcoming events will include opening our lodge at the historic James J. Hill house for our stated meeting in April. (Brother Hill was a prominent member of Ancient Landmark Lodge #5, and a major contributor to the old Masonic Temple on Smith St.)
There will be much more on this event in coming newsletters. We will also play more Bunco, (people seem to really enjoy this event) we will have another ladies night at the lodge, and we will spend another afternoon at Canterbury Downs, all before the lodge goes dark in July. This will be a very fun and active year with all our Brothers and friends, and I look foreword to seeing you among us.
Todd Henderson, Senior Warden
by James McKenna
Here it is January and we are in the throes of a new year that promises, like every other year of our lives, to be nothing more or less than what we make it. We each lead lives that are replete with innumerable crossroads, which we invariably have to face each and every day of our lives. If we are to move on, we must make the relevant decisions: do we take the left path or the right path? To take no path means to remain stagnant and not evolve. So it is in Masonry! That is, we are faced with numerous decisions all of our Masonic life: left path or right path or no path?
When we became Masons, we chose a path that inevitably led us to this present moment and condition. What we choose to do now becomes a matter of understanding the elements of the paths we have from which to choose. Here are a few of the “forks” in the typical Masonic road that you may want to consider:
Fork: Do I become more active in Lodge or stay home!
Fork: Do I expand my Masonic knowledge and experiences or do I sit and do nothing?
Fork: Do I reconnect with my Masonic Brothers or do I continue my self-imposed exile from the Masonic community?
Fork: Do I go out of my way to fulfill my Masonic obligations or do I do nothing when called upon, such as being summoned to the monthly Stated Communications of Ancient Landmark Lodge #5? Hmmm … how short IS your cable tow, anyway?
You get the idea! Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! All that I am asking of you is to take the correct path when you come to the various “forks” on your Masonic journey. For some, it means rejoining us at our Stated Communications and adding yourself to our list of active participants. For others, it may mean getting more involved in our lodges’ social functions! Come on . . . you get the drill! Take the correct Masonic “fork” and I’ll be see you in Lodge!
REMINDER: Don’t forget to visit The National Masonic Blue Pages: www.masons4masons.org
Bro. James McKenna
This past year we have been working very hard on the development of a new “Lodge Management System”. The old one has served us well for many years but with the increased dependence on electronic mail and the ever increasing call for information from the Grand Lodge we found that we were spending more and more time looking into paper files to get the information we needed. Thus began the development of a new computer system that would hold much more information about our Lodge and it’s members and make that information available to us a the touch of a key.
One bit of information we have not been collecting is email addresses. We are looking into delivering the Lodge Newsletter through email for those who choose to receive it that way. However before we can begin that process we need your email address.
Now we realize that not everyone has email and we have no intention of stopping the newsletter in it present format. Those who wish will still receive the newsletter through the U.S. Mail.
But consider this, email costs us nothing. Even at bulk mail rates it costs us $50.00 per month just in postage. Everyone who elects to receive the newsletter by email will be helping the Lodge keep a handle on operating expenses. $50.00 may not seem like a lot but when you consider we send 10 newsletters per year, would you turn $500.00 down if someone offered it to you?
Take a moment, get on you computer, email the lodge with your email address and indicate if you would like to receive the newsletter by email. That information will be stored in our new system and you will be helping the Lodge save a bit of money.
By the way, if you don’t know what the Lodge email address is, look at the front page of this newsletter. It’s always been there.
Bruce L. Sherman, Secretary
Published monthly except July and August by Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5. Non subscription newsletter to members and friends.
Any article appearing in this publication expresses only the opinion of the writer, and does not reflect the official position of Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5 or the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Permission to reprint articles appearing in this publication will be granted only on request to the Lodge Secretary. When reprinted, articles should note "Reprinted with permission of Ancient Landmark Lodge No.5 Newsletter, month and year" All articles subject to editing and become the property of Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5.