Hello Brothers. November is upon us and we are heading down the home stretch. Many of our social events are behind us now, but we have one more chance this year to get together and play a perennial favorite, Bunco! The time will be at 6pm on Saturday November 10th. It’s always a fun evening to get together with our Masonic friends, and it’s a very good time to invite prospective brothers and their ladies to meet our group of really nice people. See the Bunco notice elsewhere in this newsletter for more details.
We are also approaching the end of our second degree cycle. The candidates should all be working toward their fellowcraft prove up, and the officers are preparing for the Master Mason degree. We will be holding the third degree on Saturday December 1, 2007. Doors will open at 8am for coffee, rolls and room preparation; and the degree will start at 9am. This will be a combined degree for AL5 and the Masters and Wardens assn., so we expect to see guest candidates and guest lecturers in the lodge as well. We will present the degree straight through without a lunch break, so that we can be finished in the early afternoon. This will be a very fun and interesting morning and a very important day in the lives of our candidates. Please make plans to come and support our new Master Masons.
While I’m on that topic, now is the time to get petitions in for the one-day class in January, and also for our next full degree cycle. We still have to read each petition in lodge twice, and we need to investigate all the candidates, so it’s not too soon to start the paperwork. Go ahead and talk to that friend you’ve been thinking about and hand him a petition. He’ll be glad to learn you thought so much of him.
I’ll see you all in Lodge,
Todd Henderson, Master
As I think about the 35W bridge collapse in Minnesota and the numerous other tragedies around the country and the world, it reminds me of the presence of tragedy, of hate, and of evil in the world in which we live.
Life can be dangerous and full of risks – being in the wrong place at the wrong time - but if you respond with fear to the risk of tragedy; the presence of hate and evil with fear – you diminish yourself. As Mason’s, we are taught to treat every precious moment of our life as a bounty - to be spent with generosity and joy. We learn that, with the assistance of others, we can be brave in confronting the daily challenges of life.
In words and in actions, we encourage one another. Remember this, for the times of toil and trouble we will experience in the future, we will never be alone. Those who love us – will care. And as others are there for you, you – in turn – will be needed by others. You will have something to give them because of what others have given you. With the help of masonry, we gain knowledge, skills, and wisdom – not simply to make a living –rather to make a life, and enrich the lives of those around us.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Live and love well,
Alan Peterson, SW
Bro. James McKenna, Jr. Warden
There is a variety of opinions floating around concerning the importance of our Masonic rituals. For some, they are merely a marginally acceptable way to display some semblance of continuity with the past, while others consider ritual too much work and very time consuming. For me, ritual is the soul of the Craft, because it not only creates and sustains our connection with the past, but because it also provides a stage upon which all of the Brothers can perform, and by so doing, share the Masonic experience.
Look, it is important for all of us to do what we can to participate; for some it means stepping into the officer’s line, for others it means simply attending the stated meetings and degree work. Always remember that attendance is part of all Masonic rituals. After all, how can you have any rituals without participants? So, this is something of a call-to-arms; a simple request extended to all of our members to join us in our work . . . please come in and participate in any capacity that you can!
One of the many things I have enjoyed about Masonry is getting to know the variety of men involved in Masonry. I remember talking to one elderly brother a few years ago about his experiences in the early years of the Teamster’s Union. I remember talking to another brother about his life in Haiti and Canada before his family moved to the United States. Still another brother enthralled me with stories about his life as an insurance executive living in Manhattan. I have also found it interesting to talk with brothers who work in fields I know little about. Talking with these men about their careers gives me a better appreciation of who they are as men and of their chosen professions. Remember, we have men in our lodge who work in health care, state government, law, HVAC, welding, audio production, etc. I think you would be amazed to learn more about what these men do every day.
All of us have stories that would be of interest to others. Each of us has a life experience unique to us that many of our brothers would find interesting. The next time you attend a lodge meeting, sit next to a brother you don’t know all that well, either at dinner or during lodge. Engage them in conversation. Ask them about themselves. Find out what their interests are, where they are from, what they do for a living. They, in turn, will probably ask you the same sort of questions. You will discover many things that you have in common in addition to your common allegiance to the tenets of Masonry. Moreover, you will discover that your Brother has a set of unique gifts that make him special to you and to the Craft.
Allan Floyd, Senior Deacon
November 8, 2007 |
Other Upcoming Events: |
There is no more important part of a truly Masonic education than the greeting and absorbing of new brothers into the lodge. We have all been guilty of failing to go the extra mile to truly extent our personal sphere of warmth and concern to each new brother we elect to receive the rights, lights and benefits of our craft and lodge. There can be no more important cause for the low retention of these new brothers among the active members of our lodge.
Mentors are the front line actors in this task but without each of us taking an active part there is no brotherhood and soon no lodge. These are our newest brothers and their mentors. Let there be a new dawn of true brotherhood and let it begin with that guy that looks out at me from the mirror.
Left to right: Brother Gregory Starwood with Mentor WB Bruce Sherman, Mentor Brother Jason Gorsky with Brother Mark Reierson Mentor Brother Doug Kuchera with Brother Michael Schaefer
On September 13th Worshipful Brother Bruce Sherman was awarded the Hiram Award at the St. Paul Masonic Center. All those attending were treated to an excellent meal served by the Job’s Daughters and heard about the many contributions WB Bruce has made to his lodge and many other Masonic organizations.
It was a much deserved award and an excellent example of how much one person can contribute to masonry and how much masonry can enrich an individual’s life.
Ancient Landmark #5 will hold our Fall Bunco Night on Saturday, November 10th starting at 6:00pm Masons (and prospective Masons) and their ladies are invited. If you’ve never participated before, here’s your chance for a most enjoyable evening of fun, friendship, and great food. We will once again have a buffet supper catered by Tinucci’s and, hopefully, delicious rum cake for dessert from our renowned “bakin’ bunco babes”. You must reserve your seats by November 1st so that we can order enough food for everyone.
Prizes, in the form of gift certificates, for high score, most buncos, last bunco, low score, and door prize, will be rewarded.
There will be a $10.00 per person charge to defray the cost of the supper and prizes, but we guarantee you’ll have lots of enjoyment for the cost!
Bunco is a great socializing game of chance which is easily learned by first-timers after a couple of practice rounds. There’s no strategy involved here, only luck and fun.
Please plan on joining us in this growing tradition for our Lodge; call in your reservation to the lodge by November 1st, and mark your calendar now!
For those that haven’t visited our sister lodge’s website (http://www.ancientlandmarklodge.ca) they published this write up on their summer visit to St. Paul:
The St. Paul Visitation was a tremendous success this past year. 40 brethren and family made the trip down to Minnesota to visit Ancient Landmark Lodge #5. Many friendships were renewed and new ones were made. The hospitality room was always the centre of the action during the course of the weekend. Lots of games were played, jokes told and fellowship enjoyed. There was a lovely breakfast on the Saturday morning that included entertainment by this fellow who played “the bones”! Many people shopped on Saturday afternoon or just relaxed at the hotel. A group of people also attended the Twins game and had a great time! Dinner on Saturday was fantastic. A presentation was given from the St. Paul Winter Fair which concluded with a cowboy yell and a six-shooter shot!! Dancing to a live band followed. On Sunday, the brethren and ladies from both lodges enjoyed a Gangster Tour of Minneapolis. It was an interactive guided bus tour of where famous gangsters from the past did their “business” in Minnesota. Apparently, they did it a little too well! There were many great comments about this tour. The weekend concluded with a farewell and the presentation of the travelling plaque along with a new memorial plaque to honour those brethren from both lodges who have passed to the Grand Lodge Above. Everyone said they were looking forward to the next visitation in two years back in Winnipeg!
Published monthly except July and August by Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5. Non subscription newsletter to members and friends.
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