Hello Brothers, the year is passing fast! April saw us pass our new class of Brother Fellowcrafts. We played Bunco with our Ladies, friends and prospective members of our lodge. We opened lodge at the J. J. Hill house for the first time ever, and hopefully began a new tradition linked to that very prominent member from our Lodge. The principal officers represented your interests at Grand Lodge in Mankato, and the officers and select committeemen were honored with invitations to the Lynhurst Turkey Dinner and Grand Masters inaugural address. It was a very busy month.
We are now already looking at May and June and then our summer break. Before that break, we still have some exciting things to do. On Saturday, June 2nd, we will raise our newly passed Brothers to the sublime degree of Master Mason. We will need guides and craftsmen and Brothers on the sidelines to welcome our new Brother Master Masons into our lodge. This is a very important day in their lives, please join us and show them what an active lodge of Brothers they have joined. We will start gathering at 9:15 for coffee juice and muffins, and lodge will open at 10:00 AM. We need you to be present if you can join us.
Our Stated Meeting in June will also be Ladies Night. We will be sure to have a very special dinner to share with our Ladies. As the Brothers attend our Stated Meeting, the Ladies will enjoy a program, which has been arranged by Jane Peterson, wife of our Sr. Warden, with consultation from other active members of the Lodge Ladies group, something I'm told they should all enjoy. Then we will all get together for coffee and dessert after our meeting.
Finally, on Sunday June 24th, we will hold an annual favorite event Our fourth annual Masonic Day at the Races. Look for Chris Buck's article on that event in this newsletter. I just want to add that this fun outing is a very good opportunity to invite a friend who might be interested in Masonry. These social gatherings are a great way for new people to meet our members.
I'll see you all in Lodge.
Todd Henderson, Master
Saturday, March 31st was the date of our most recent and successful Bunco Night for 44 participants in the Lodge dining hall. In addition to Lodge members and their ladies, we also had a number of guests from both the Carmel Chapter #127 OES and St. Paul 3.
Prizes for most buncos, highest score, last bunco, and lowest score were rewarded . These consisted of a night at the Ordway Theater for two (courtesy of Keith Reierson and his lady Karen), gift certificates from Tinucci's, Byerly's, Holiday Stations, and Target, and door prizes. Dinner was catered by Tinucci's. Players were treated to our much-sought-after rum cakes created by Donna Henderson, Nancy Harris, and Margaret Miller (Floyd). We had a great time!
Our next Bunco night is scheduled for Nov. 10, and we expect an even larger crowd for that event!
Thanks to the following folks for making the evening possible by providing set-up and/or take down help: Jan and Art Lingo, Cheryl Davis, Heather Tibbles (Vassiliev), Claire and Drew Bjorklund, and Kim Remus (Buck) for organizing and running the evening.
The next events for our ladies' participation will be our Stated Meeting Ladies' Night on June 14th, and Day at the Races at Canterbury Park on June 24th (Chris Buck, coordinator, 651-702-0705).
This is followed by the Annual Backyard Barbeque at Ron and Boots Larsen's in Stillwater on July 14th (Ron Larson, coordinator, 651-439-9089) and the visit by our "Sister Lodge", Ancient Landmark #3 of Winnipeg on Aug. 31st at the Marriott Airport in Bloomington (Ron Larson, coordinator, 651-439-9089). There will be another Stated Meeting Ladies' Night on Oct. 11th, followed by Bunco Night on Nov. 10th at the Lodge (Kim Remus and Chris Buck, Coordinators, 651-702-0705).
Finally, for all events, please provide us the courtesy of reserving your place by calling them in to the appropriate event coordinator or the Lodge Secretary Bruce Sherman (651-222-2643). It is very important that we know you are attending, so that we can have adequate food and drink on hand.
We look forward to seeing you at these fun-filled events in the near future.
I recently watched the television show American Idol. From my point of view this was a last resort for the evening if I wanted to watch TV. Now for those that haven't watched the show, it is an old fashioned talent show. Jazzed up a bit and made to be a little more exciting and interesting to attract a large audience. It appears to me that the show is largely watched by the 20ish crowd. I come to this general conclusion because if you ask someone under probably 35 to name any stars that evolved from the show they will respond, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson.
As the performers did their songs, I thought as compared to my talent, they were darn good. But the response from the three judges was sometimes brutal. I had to wonder if the goal was public humiliation and what constructive good does that accomplish.
Watching the contestants, even though according to the judges, they did not know how to sing well, they have self-esteem and they have attitude. I didn't think they were so bad. To make it to where they did, they were above average among the public at large. But think about what it takes personally to get to that stage.
What lessons did I learn from watching the show:
First, a belief in genuine standards. The judges evaluate and explain the standards of what is good, bad and indifferent in performing pop music. The judges did disagree letting us know that these standards are objective.
Second, there is a certain respect for expertise. Great emphasis was placed on what the judges thought.
Third, people are not always good judges of their own ability. The competition in our society is high and some contestants thought they were great. People don't seem to be objective about themselves.
Combining the first three lessons learned into this, the fourth, criticism is a great tool which we need for adjustment. Provided we are open to criticism and provided the critic is constructive in his/her delivery of the criticism. The three judges of the show delivered their criticisms very differently. Learning from coaching and criticism is a challenge.
But American Idol is in its 6th season on television. It is a successful television show. Why is this show, as well as so many of the reality show's out there, so successful? The conclusion I have thought is that people, especially the younger generation, are inundated with advertisements and information. Bombarded with stuff that appears to be something but on further examination does not succeed in providing the value.
Does American Idol reveal that people, especially young people, have this incredible need for realistic values and standards. Where they are told what it is; not what someone thinks they want to hear.
Fraternally,
Alan Peterson, SW
One of the most interesting, although to many, one of the most daunting features of Freemasonry is the profuse amount of memory work levied on us, as we ascend the degrees from Entered Apprentice through Master Mason. And then, just when you think that your days of memorization are over, you receive an enormous honor . . . you are made an officer of the lodge and it begins all over again. In fact, there is a yearly evolution that you undergo, which causes you to work harder at memorization every year.
The fact is that all of the memorization that we do is what keeps the Craft intact, promising a startling and well-thought-out continuity from generation to generation, age-to-age. Just to think that what we are memorizing today is fundamentally what others before us have had to commit to memory is rather stimulating.
Of course, everyone has their own method of memorization. Some sit at a desk and get it done, some lay on their beds, and some soak in the tub. I happen to be a "pacer." That is, I like to pace back and forth, sometimes in the bedroom, sometimes in the hall, and sometimes all over the house, when I memorize something. I can't be sure, of course, but George Washington has the look of a pacer. It's difficult to see him soaking in a tub going over his lines, but I can imagine him pacing all over the place . . . Independence Hall, Wall Street, everywhere. In fact, whenever I see that famous picture of him standing in the boat crossing the Delaware, I'm sure he has the look of someone just itching to start pacing and go over his Junior Warden's lines for the opening of the lodge. (Hmm . . . George Washington a Junior Warden?) Well, regardless of the method used by Washington, Franklin, or Paine, it brings me a real sense of closeness with them, knowing that what I am doing now, they did then. That, my Brothers, is part of what makes Freemasonry so great! The question is, when you do your memorization work . . . can you feel it too?
Bro. James McKenna,
Junior Warden
Front row only, from left to right: Brett Olson, Myrl Vitor, Tim Brivard, Justin Berthiaume, Pete Magnuson, Jeremy Nienow
In an age when most Masons meet at a regular Lodge or Temple designated for Masonic purposes, and work at a fixed place of work the above question may seem irrelevant. However if you pay attention to the master's opening statement in the second section of the 3rdē being able to travel and work as one is central to the life of a Master Mason. This month we return to our Lodge having experienced a Masonic meeting conducted in a borrowed room at our last meeting. In this we reclaim ties to an important aspect of our history both as a Lodge and as Masons.
As a Lodge we revisited the home of a brother who joined our Lodge over 140 years ago and were in a sense his guests once again. As Masons we revisited the circumstances of Lodges as they were accustomed to meeting at the time when our active brothers included men like MWB's Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, John Hancock and many others who were actively involved in launching the American ship of state.
While stately buildings and beautiful accommodations have graced much of the Masonic establishment in our land, the principle object of the craft of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry is and has always been the preparation of ourselves as useful building blocks for that house not built with hands eternal in the heavens. The questions relating to travel are a constant reminder that we are questing to find new ways to subdue discordant passions within ourselves. We journey by blocking off the vices and superfluities life. John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress provides an allegory of life's journey that can do much to enlighten our search. Each of us from the youngest entered apprentice in the north east corner to the oldest past master faces the daily challenge posed by the title question above.
Are we en route or in rut? Remember a rut is just a grave with the ends knocked out. This is the season to celebrate new life and to renew our quest.
Austin Harris, LEO
I am writing to everyone who I think may have an interest in helping out my Eastern Star Chapter. On Saturday, March 31,2007 I was installed for the third time as Worthy Matron. It was a good installation. I appreciate everyone who came. Some of us stayed for the evening event with Ancient Landmark which was the Bunco social. We were pleased to become more acquainted with those members and friends who attended. I have served twice before as Worthy Matron of Macalester Chapter #223, first in 1989/90, and again in 1993/94 when we had already moved from our original home in Highland Park at 1190 James to the Masonic Center downtown at 200 Plato Blvd. in St Paul. Our chapter continued to lose active members so we joined Carmel Chapter in 1996. Later Sharon Chapter from South St Paul joined us as well. We now have approximately one hundred forty-four members of which maybe fifty-seven are life members and many of these are either in nursing homes or independent living/assisted living communities which means their ability to participate in our activities is greatly restricted.
We have a small core of faithful members who keep the group going but it is harder to fill the chairs on the floor, much less the side lines. I am asking you to consider joining our chapter and again making it viable active organization. We are now associated with Ancient Landmark Lodge. We have promised to supply a dinner before their first meeting of each month that they would need it. They are offering to allow us space in their newsletter each month. We would like to remind them that the organization is the largest fraternal organization in the world to which both men and women can belong. Our purpose is to do good works for others and to have fun doing it.
We now meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month, seven PM, dark in July and August. We are in the midst of changing our by-laws to meet once a month on the third Thursday only, at seven-thirty. Please consider being a part of our group. We need help and you could be part of the solution.
Worthy Matron,
Bonnie Benson
B-Keith Reierson, WM-Todd Henderson, WB-Ken White, MWB-Eric Neetenbeek, WM-Joel Long, WB-James Smeby, WM-Larry Gruffman
On Thursday, March 29th at 6:30 PM representatives of Ancient Landmark Lodge No.5, Macalester Lodge No.290 and Montgomery Lodge No.258 met at 200 Plato Blvd. E for the purpose of holding a table lodge to raise money for the Partners for Life: Masonic Cancer Center Fund.
All of the evening's supplies and manpower were donated by lodge members in order to maximize the amount of money that would go to the cancer fund. Montgomery Lodge's Senior Steward, Eric Bishop, prepared an amazing meal. The remaining stewards, tylers and other members of the lodges handled the setup and the serving. A big thank you to Macalester Lodge's Senior Steward, WB-Dwight Watson, for leading the charge serving in the dining room and for going above and beyond the call scrubbing pans in the kitchen afterwards.
The Masters and Tylers handled the toasting with some help from MWB Eric Neetenbeek, who was well versed in table lodge etiquette and provided much needed instruction to the brethren so we might properly discharge our cannons. Although it should be noted that, much to the credit of masonry, no one was seen to convert the purpose of refreshment into intemperance and excess.
The three lodges were able to raise $1,200.00 that evening for the Partners for Life Fund, and had a great time doing it. The evening was such a tremendous success that there have been discussions of making the joint table lodge an annual event.
No matter what the event becomes in the future all the members of Ancient Landmark Lodge No.5 who participated can be proud that they helped kick-off this new tradition and expand the charitable work of our lodge.
On Sunday June 24th the Lodge will hold its 4th Annual "Day at the Races" at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. We're doing this on a Sunday this year due to the fact that Canterbury no longer has Saturday afternoon races. The Lodge subsidizes the cost of this event, providing a discounted cost of $20.00 per person. You will receive a great buffet dinner, betting voucher, betting tip sheet and the official program and guide showing Ancient Landmark #5's name on one of the races. This year's event will again be held at the private "Longshots Party Area" where we will be served our buffet lunch and have our own beverage bar service. This area is exclusively reserved for Ancient Landmark Lodge #5. You should plan to arrive at noon for the 1:30 PM 1st race.
The menu will include Chef-Carved Prime Rib of Beef served with Au jus and Horseradish Sauce, Chicken Supreme, Tossed Greens with Assorted Dressings, Parsley-Buttered Potatoes, Fresh Vegetable Blend, Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Iced Tea and Lemonade.
This year the Lodge will again have its own betting advisor allocated to the group for the entire day. He will again orchestrate the "group bet" for the Lodge and advise all who need it on the various techniques of playing the horses. Last year the group bet was done with the complimentary betting vouchers that the track provided to each person, giving us a chance to root together for one horse that we collectively chose. It was lots of fun.
The Lodge again will have its picture taken in the Winner's Circle after "our" race. When you're next in the Lodge secretary's office, check out the Lodge members in the framed pictures from previous years at Canterbury Park. We're not getting any younger!
Get your tickets from Lodge Secretary Bruce Sherman or from Chris Buck for the 4th Annual Lodge Day at the Races.
Published monthly except July and August by Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5. Non subscription newsletter to members and friends.
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