Wilkerson College Sessions 2 and 3

I finished the last 2 weekends of Wilkerson College. As I posted before, it is an educational class put on by the Grand Lodge of NC and the AASR Orient of NC designed to help teach deacons to prepare them to be effective masters of their lodges.

The second weekend we spent in Oxford, NC at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. It is one of only 5 Masonic homes left in operation. That is a wonderful facility and each mason in NC should be very proud of the work they do there. We continued the lessons started at the first session and were taught by some of the most respected men in NC masonry.

We followed up the Oxford session a few weeks later with a full weekend in Raleigh, NC. Friday night we were able to visit the Grand Lodge facility and see the renovation work that has been going on this past year.  Our Grand Lodge building is administrative offices only and does not have a lodge room. There are many great artifacts important to NC masonry on display. One of the most interesting items was a warrant from the Grand Lodge of England in 1771 proclaiming Joseph Montfort Provincial Grand Master of America. He was the only man in history to hold that title.

After a great night of relaxing with the brothers and their wives we had another full day of classes. We ended up that afternoon about 5 and had a graduation banquet that was open to our wives. We had a great meal and heard from Dr. Bill Brunk, SGIG of the Orient of NC, AASR and Robert Gresham Jr, Grand Master of Masons in NC. We had a great time and fellowshipped with many great brothers from across the state.

Some have said that $600 was to much to spend on an education program. Some of us had our lodges to pay for it. Some paid for it themselves. Some even received scholarship money to attend. Considering that we got 4 nights lodging (2 nights at the last session in a single room for us and our wives), all meals paid for, and materials provided, I would consider it a bargain. The courses were great and we learned a lot of valuable information. One of the most important things though was developing relationships with brothers from across the state that should be master at the same time that you are. We are able to bounce ideas off each other and can stay in contact with them. There are some situations that can come up within a lodge where you want to be able to talk to someone outside of your district. This gives us the opportunity for that. We also were able to develop relationships with quite a few past grand masters, PDDGM’s, PDDGL’s, and PM’s that we are able to contact as well for any reason.  It was well worth the time and money. I will honor the experience and friends that I made through it. I thank each and every brother that had something to do to put this event on. I am very honored to be included in the 320 Wilkerson College graduates. I hope that I can take what I learned and help my lodge, district, and fraternity as best as I can.

Wilkerson College - Session One

The Grand Lodge of NC and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Orient of North Carolina started a school for those filling the Deacons chairs to help prepare them to serve their lodge as master. The thought is that the deacons have a few years to work and plan for their year as master. This past Friday and Saturday night I attended the first of three sessions of this years class.

We started out with a tour of Whitestone Masonic and Eastern Star Home in Greensboro, NC. Whitestone is a 100 year old retirement community with anywhere from homes to skilled nursing care. It was wonderful to spend some time touring the facilities and talking to some of the residents that live in the community. They are one of the major charities sponsored by the Grand Lodge of NC. I would urge any mason in NC to visit and see what we are doing with our money.

After the tour we met at Haw River State Park Conference Center  for dinner and to start our sessions. After a great meal we met up for an informal social time where we met each of the brethren present and were introduced to the staff. There are 36 students that make up the class and every one of them is sitting as either a Junior or Senior Deacon.We spent the remainder of the night getting to know each other.

The following morning we had breakfast and then was supposed to take part in a Fitness Course for team building exercises. We had bad storms that night so the events were moved inside where we participated in team building events. We then started the formal classroom sessions. Throughout the day we had sessions on Planning I and II, Whitestone, How it really began, Communications I, and Motivating your lodge. It was a full day and a lot of great masonic knowledge was shared.

The next two sessions will take place at the end of March and April and will be held at The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford located in Oxford, NC and The Grand Lodge of NC in Raleigh. I look forward to these next two sessions and hope to be able to be an effective leader in my lodge if elected to do so. Many thanks go out to those involved in putting together this school and for the instructors passing on their knowledge.

I would encourage any mason that has the opportunity to take part in leadership courses offered by their Grand Lode to do so. You will gain valuable information as well as meet brethren throughout the state that you might not have had the chance to meet. Click here for more information of Wilkerson College to find out the history and what is covered.

A full masonic week

I just had one of the busiest masonic weeks I have ever had. I had the honor of being installed Senior Deacon for my lodge on Saturday afternoon. I have been meeting with a few brethren as much as I can to learn the parts for the position. Many people have told me that this is their favorite chire in the entire lodge. There is a lot of movement and memorization that has to take place to fill that position properly. The following Monday was the busiest night I have had in a lodge.I was sitting SD for the first time other than just open and closing which I did pro tem a couple times last year. We opened, had 2 ballots, a FC proficiency examination, then straight into a third degree. That was the first time ever conducting a candidate and it was fun. Not perfect, but pretty close. I even played a speaking role later that I had never done before.

The following night we held an EA degree and I again conducted the candidate. It was a great night and a lot of fun.
Thursday night we had our regular Scottish Rite meeting where I was installed as Senior Deacon for the KSA for the upcoming year.
I am very honored that the lodges think enough of me to allow me to serve them in the positions that I have been appointed. This is looking like it is going to be a full year that I am going to enjoy.

KSA

I had the honor of being knighted into the Knights of St. Andrew for  my Scottish Rite valley tonight. We had a small meeting where they were going to elect officers and they went ahead and knighted another brother and myself. The KSA is basically the working arm of the valley. They are responsible for serving meals and cleaning up, performing marshal duties if needed, helping with the reunion, helping with fundraisers, and anything else the valley might have a need for. It is a fun group to be involved with. After the knighting I was elected to be the Senior Deacon for the KSA for the coming year.

This past year

Looking back over the past year is very interesting for me. It was a month ago that I received my EA degree. During the past 12 months I have learned a ton about masonry and have grown much as a man. My wife has even noticed a big difference in me over this last year and our relationship is better than ever. It was said to me that you get out of masonry what you put into it. That is certainly true. Is freemasonry perfect? I believe that it is. It is the humans that get in the way.

I have enjoyed serving this past year as steward and have gained much from that experience. I was appointed tonight as Senior Deacon for the next year. What a great honor and humbling experience. That is a great honor to me and I only hope I can serve my lodge well. Attending the Grand Lodge session as a proxy was one of the highlights of the year for me. I was able to understand more of how freemasonry worked by doing so. It was also voted on tonight for the lodge to send me to Wilkerson College which is a school for deacons to prepare them for their year in the east.

This coming week we have the Scottish Rite meeting where we have a ring ceremony and elections. I have turned in my petition to the Knight of St Andrews which is a service unit within the Scottish Rite. I should be receiving that sometime this month as well. I have completed the Master Craftsman I program and would recommend it to anyone that goes through the Scottish Rite degrees. It brings a perspective and understanding to the degrees that you do not get at the reunions. I have also been fortunate to participate in a degree day during the early summer for a club doing the 17th and 18th degrees. During the fall reunion I was able to help with the 17th, 18th, 24th, and 26th degrees.

What a great experience this past year has been. I hope to stay active and learn as much during the upcoming years as I have this one. I am very honored to have been able to join such a fraternity of great men. I only hope that I can give back just a fraction of what the craft has already given to me. Thank you all for making this a great year. I look forward to many more.

Definition of a Freemason

The following was first published in 1823 in the Farmers Almanac that was published in Andover, Mass. This is as relevant today as it was the day it was written.

“definition of a Freemason"

The real Freemason is distinguished from the rest of Mankind by the uniform unrestrained rectitude of his conduct. Other men are honest in fear of punishment which the law might inflect they are religious in expectation of being rewarded, or in dread of the devil, in the next world.

A Freemason would be just if there were no laws, human or divine except those written in his heart by the finger of his Creator. In every climate, under every system of religion, he is the same.

He kneels before the Universal Throne of God in gratitude for the blessings he has received and humble solicitation for his future protection.

He venerates the good men of all religions. He disturbs not the religion of others. He restrains his passions, because they cannot be indulged without injuring his neighbor or himself. He gives no offense, because he does not choose to be offended. He contracts no debts which he is certain he cannot discharge. because he is honest upon principal.           

The Square

The [square] is an instrument made use of by operative masons .........to square their work.......... but we, as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of them for more noble and glorious purposes; the plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several stations before God and man, squaring our actions by the square of virtue........ (http://www.ncdistrict39.com/index_files/Page406.htm)

The square is a simple instrument of two legs forming an angle of ninety degrees. As used in freemasonry, the square is made up of 2 legs of equal length used for testing the accuracy of angles. It is not the carpenters square where one leg is longer than the other and marked of in measurements.  Operative masons used the square in order to prove that stones were cut straight in order to place them. If the stones were not square, then the structure would be weekend and possibly fall. The squareness of the stones aided in the strength of the building.

The square is arguably one of the most important symbols in masonry. It is the emblem of the master of the lodge and one of the great lights in masonry. It is one of the first thing a candidate sees when the blindfold is removed.

Symbolically the square is an instrument of morality. As we develop our thoughts and actions shape our character. We are taught to square our actions in order to live a moral life. We test each of our thoughts and actions by the square. We should strive to live honest and upright lives. We should be truthful and honest in all of our doings. We should strive to build ourselves into a man that leads a moral life. For that to happen, we must fit our thoughts and actions into a form that is strong. By measuring them on the square, they will not easily fall.

The Plumb

"The Plumb is an instrument made use of by operative masons to raise perpendiculars,..... but we, as Free and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of them for more noble and glorious purposes; the plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several stations before God and man, ........" http://www.ncdistrict39.com/index_files/Page406.htm

We are called to walk uprightly in our several stations before God and man. The plumb reminds us that we should do our best to live our lives in a rectitude manner with uprightness, integrity, honesty, and justice. We should strive to have integrity in what we do. If we say we are going to do something, we should strive to do it. We should be honest with what we say. We should not cheat or  lie to get ahead. We should walk on a straight path and not veer to the right or the left. The plumb is a simple tool but teaches us a most important lesson.

Grand Lodge

Last weekend I was able to attend our states Grand Lodge Annual Communication. This was a great learning experience. Our Grand Lodge is made up of the Master, Junior and Senior Wardens of each lodge as well as the Grand Officers and a few others. Our Junior Warden was not able to attend so I went as his proxy. I was only able to attend the Friday session as I had a previous commitment Saturday. It was interesting to be in a room with 850+ other masons and watch how things were handled. I was able to meet other brethren from across the state and learn about their lodges as well. I am very glad that I was able to attend and learn a little more how freemasonry operates in my state. I would suggest that any master mason attend their jurisdictions annual communication at least once. It is a great time to meet and visit other brethren as sell as get some work done.

The Common Gavel

The Common Gavel is an instrument made use of by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builders use.; but we as Free and Accepted masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as livings stones for that spiritual building, “that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (http://www.ncdistrict39.com/index_files/Page330.htm)

The common gavel is another working tool of the entered apprentice. Opertavely it was used to make stones smooth so that they could be fit into a building. We are building that "house not made with hands." which symbolically is ourselves. We are to improve our own lives by getting rid of the bad and replacing it with the good. Like the 24 inch gauge, the common gavel is an instrument not directly used in the physical building of a structure. It is used in the preparation of that building. The entered apprentice is a newly made mason that is preparing himself for the further travels in his masonic life. He has not yet been given all of the tools. He is learning and preparing himself for advancement to the next degrees at this point. It is the same in life. We are to prepare ourselves to be a just and upright man. We have the qualities to some degree or else we would not have been accepted into the craft. The same with the rough ashlar, it is somewhat square yet it is not yet in a position for the master's use. As we grow and develop in both our lives and masonic life, we shape ourselves into what we have now become.

The following is taken from the ritual used in Scotland. "" The Common Gavel teaches us that skill without exertion is of little avail , and that labour is the lot of man, the Heart may conceive and the Brain devise in vain if the Hand be not prompt to execute the design. The Gavel also represents the Force of Conscience which should keep down all vain and unbecoming thoughts so that our feelings and actions may be pure and unpolluted." 

We need to put effort in what we do. Nothing is given to us. We should strive to make "that house not made with hands" into a perfect ashlar in order to serve our creator's purpose for our lives. We have the tools to do it. The rest is up to us.

The 24 inch gage

The Twenty-four inch gauge is an instrument made use of my operative masons to measure and lay out their work, but we, as Free and Accepted masons are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts, is emblematic of the twenty-four hours of the day, which we are taught to divide into three equal parts; whereby are found eight hours for the service of God, and a distressed worthy brother; eight for our usual avocations; and eight for refreshment and sleep. (http://www.ncdistrict39.com/index_files/Page330.htm)

It is a guide to how we should measure out time in everyday life. It is saying, in a sense, that we should prioritize our time in the service of God and charity, our work, and ourselves in that order. There is time for us to do everything that is needed and we should not just waste our time idly. We pass through time from the time we are born to the time that we die. Once time is spent, we cannot reclaim it. If we wast time, it is gone forever, never to be reclaimed. Look at Ecclesiastes 3 (or the Byrd's song "To everything there is a Season") as an example. There is a time for everything. The only thing missing from there is the time to "waste". We are only given 1/3 of our time for rest and refreshment. That leaves us 2/3 that should be spent in active pursuit of our work, worship, and education. We should not waste time. What we do with it is up to us. We should make the most use of out time for the betterment of ourselves and man. I am not saying there is not time for watching football, for example, or having fun. That is a necessary part of our life if we are to stay sane. We should not only do things for amusement. We should make the most of our lives that we can.

Technology, the internet and Freemasonry

Freemasonry is considered the oldest fraternity in the world. It is based on an ancient tradition. We do many things the way they have been done for hundreds of years. It is steeped in tradition. But there is a huge difference today than the Freemasonry of our forefathers. Technology is available to us that was not in the past.

As we move further in the electronic age we need to embrace technology as a tool. More and more people are relying on the internet for their main source of information. As this increases it becomes more important for our lodges and grand lodges to have a strong internet presence. Ask yourself when was the last time you used a phone book? If you are like most of the people in the US it has probably been a while.

The internet plays a key role in the life of today's lodges. A web presence is becoming more and more important. Many candidates are using the internet to search for lodges and find information about them. I found my lodge by doing a simple web search and then emailing the secretary. A lodges website at the very minimum should list the location and when the meetings are held. It should also give a way for someone to contact a live person there.  Most lodge websites list upcoming events and degrees as well. Many lodge websites offer a good bit of history and masonic info.

Grand Lodge websites can provide a lot of information to those looking at petitioning a lodge as well as those that are members in that jurisdiction. It can give an opportunity of brothers to find out what is happening throughout the state and give them opportunities to travel to other activities. Grand lodge websites can also keep members informed on what is happening at the Grand Lodge level. Information from the Grand lodges are reported in lodge meetings but if someone does not go to a particular meeting they might miss something. Online communications can reach many people in a fast and efficient manor.

Email communications can get information spread to lodge members as well. There is a lodge in our area that does not use electronic communications. There was a group of us going to visit that lodge and the majority of the information was sent by email. We were told after the meeting that they wanted to learn how to get information sent to brothers that way because it showed to be effective. Email can be used to keep brethren informed of meetings, emergent communications, degrees, fundraisers, deaths, and any other information that might be vital to the workings of a lodge.

Facebook and other social network sites give a place to spread the same type of information with the added benefit of members being able to post pictures and videos directly for others to see. Information can be sent in real time. People can keep up with each other and what is happening.

Another electronic means of communications are masonic forums. Forums give an opportunity for brothers from across the district, state, country, and even world to communicate with each other. There are forums for all types of masonic organizations at all levels. It is a great way to meet freemasons and establish friendships to those that we would most likely never meet otherwise. Forums make the world a much smaller place.

There are many other ways to use the internet that I have not even touched on. The marriage of ancient craft freemasonry with the modern use of computers and smartphones can continue to positively impact freemasonry today. It is how the technology is adopted that can make a difference. There are many sites online that those that have a vendetta against freemasonry espouse many conspiracies about us. We can use the same internet to show who and what we really are. The internet and technology is a tool. We need to embrace it and use it to our advantage.

NC-TN mountain top degree

I was able to attend the NC-TN mountain top degree yesterday 7/16/11. When we made it to the top of the mountain it was in the clouds and raining. It was decided that the degree be moved to Greenville lodge #3 in Greenville, TN. This lodge has a very interesting history. It was chartered in 1801 as NC lodge #43 and became TN lodge #3. They have the charter from NC hanging on the wall in the lodge room. Andrew Jackson also served as SW pro tem in 1801 according to lodge records. There were approximately 18 members of TL lodges as well as 22 members from NC lodges. We had a wonderful meal provided by the brothers of Greenville #3 and had a great time visiting each other. After lunch we retired to the lodge where we raised a brother from Black Mountain #663 to the sublime degree of master mason. The brethren of NC put on a great degree. In attendance was the GM of TN, M.:W.: Mack Johnson along with the Deputy GM and Grand SW. I enjoyed meeting the brothers in TN and had a wonderful time. I plan on attending next year when TN puts on the degree. If anyone is close during July, it is well worth the trip. Hopefully next year the weather will cooperate a little better.

GM visit

Last week I attended our GM's district visit. The Brothers at Biltmore 446 put on a great dinner before the visit and were great hosts for the night. This was only the second time that I had been to a lodge outside of my mother lodge and I enjoyed it very much. The lodge was opened and business conducted with the business being conducted and news passed on by Most Worshipful Lewis Ledford. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with him before and after the meeting. It was a great honor.

Other than our GM being in attendance there was the Grand Secretary, DDGM, DDGL of district 39 and 40, and even Most Worshipful Past Grand Master of the State of Tennessee Dr. Thomas Boduch. It was a great night with good information presented. If a new brother has the opportunity to attend a meeting with their GM, I would highly recommend it. It will give you a better understanding of what is happening in your jurisdiction as well as meet many new brothers from your area.

I am the one in the middle along with my WM and GM.

Masonic Marker visit

This past weekend my wife and I decided to go hiking off the Blue Ridge parkway for a little while. We are lucky enough to live only about 7 miles from the parkway and visit it often. It is a great place to go hiking or for a picnic. There are some very beautiful spots to visit and you could spend weeks going from Cherokee, NC to Waynesboro, VA 469 miles later.

One place I had never been is just 2 miles off a side road between Waynesville, NC and Maggie Valley, NC. It is the Great Smoky Mountains Masonic Marker. It was dedicated July 11, 1938 and is made up of 687 stones and items sent from lodges all over the globe and from every continent including Antarctica. Leading up to the monument from the east is a series of 3, 5, 7, and  steps with the names of contributing bodies engraved on each.

For more history check out http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/Great_Smoky_Mountains_Masonic_Monument.htm as well as http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/Catalogue_of_Stones.pdf for a great pdf file of some more history and complete diagrams of the monument and each stone in it. 

I would encourage each Freemason to visit this marker if they are in the area. This was constructed during a time just before WWII and with the political tension rising. It is a monument to the cement of brotherly love and affection that bonds us into one sacred band of brothers. It is a lesson that we should never forget.

(Click on pictures for larger images)

This reads "The Visible stones of this marker were sent from historic or interesting places by Freemasons of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Isles of the Seas. To Universal Benevolence"

This last picture is of the ground on the south side of the marker. Look close and you can see the 2 columns on each side of the square and compasses. Right above that is the
 symbols for each of the York Rite bodies. It is very nicely done and beautiful.

I plan on going back soon with a camera other than my phone to get some better pictures.

Why are we here?

Why are we here? More specifically, why did we join freemasonry? What is the motivation that drew us to freemasonry? For some it is creating friendships with a group of men. For others it might be family tradition. Some might even see it as a way to help their business or job. Still others might have joined to help make themselves a better man, husband, and father. And for others it might be some link to the more esoteric side such as alchemy, hermeticism, or kabbalah. Each of us joined freemasonery for our on personal reasons.

This simple question may well be one of the most important we ask ourselves. We need to look deeply within our own person and honestly ask why we joined this society. Is it what we expected it would be? Has our initial impression of it changed? Have we changed?

I know that I have started to actively change the way that I see things and my behavior. I have become a more patient person when dealing with others. I still have a long way to go with that aspect. Freemasonry has allowed me to look at what I value most in my life in a more detailed level. I am still very much a rough ashlar that is working on smoothing myself out. It is going to be a life long journey.

Is freemasonry what I expected? To be honest, I would have to say yes and no. I am not completely sure what I expected when I joined. I did not know anyone to be a mason. After I joined, I found out that there were quite a few people that I knew were masons. I did not know what they did or what happened in lodge. I had done research before petitioning, but there was still some mischaracterizations. What I found was a great group of men that cared for each other and helped each other and the community.

There is a common definition that all of us have probably heard multiple times. Freemasonry is ‘a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols’. It is a group of men that meet and are based on the three principle tenets of  brotherly love, relief and truth. We follow the virtues of faith hope and charity. All of freemasonry is supported on the three great pillars of wisdom, strength and beauty. There is a lot more to it than that as well. There is the beautiful ritual. Within it, the lessons of morality are taught.

Have my views of freemasonry changed? For sure. It is a lot more involved than what I first believed. It is not just a group of guys that meet and talk. They are involved in actually trying to make men better and help the community. One wise man told me that you get out of freemasonry what you put into it. If you are looking for a group of friends, it is there. If you are looking for a way to support charity, it is there. If you are looking to carry a card and not do much, you can do that as well. If you are looking to grow into a better husband, father, and man, the tools are given to you in freemasonry. If you are looking for esoteric meaning and philosophical thought, it is there.

What I am trying to say is that Freemasonry is a lot of things. What one man receives might be something completely different that another. Each of us gets out of it what we want. We can be as involved as we want or not. It is up to the individual. I tend to think that you should be involved to the best of your ability if you are able.

If you are a Freemason, I encourage you to honestly answer these questions to yourself.
Why did we become a Freemason?
Is it what we expected?
Has our impression of freemasonry changed?
Have we changed?
Why are we a Freemason?

If you are thinking of petitioning a lodge, research what freemasonry is. Talk to people that are masons. Call a local lodge and schedule a visit. Ask questions. Most of all, keep your mind open. There is a lot of false information out there.

Scottish Rite meeting

This past Thursday night I was able to attend my first Scottish Rite meeting. It was very interesting to see the ritual done. It is similar but different to that of the blue lodge.

We had a class for the Master Craftsman program before the meal and it was very interesting. I would highly recommend this program to any member of the Scottish Rite. We spent about 40 minutes going over a powerpoint presentation on the history of freemasonry and the Scottish Rite.  It was very interesting and informative. The more I learn about the history and ritual, the more interested I get.

We had a meal with the brethren of the lodge and it was a great time of fellowship. I got to spend some time with brothers from my class and exchange notes of what we have experienced. There were 2 of us in my class that attended a "Friends Dinner and Auction" put on by our valley the prior weekend. I did pick up a beautiful 14k white gold ring there but was outbid on some other things.

I am considering becoming a member of the Knights of St. Andrews. This is a group within the Scottish Rite that helps out a lot. They basically do the meals and cleanup for each meeting. They also help out with the reunions and degree work. This would be an opportunity to serve and help out. I live less than a mile from the lodge building and can do things there that some of the brothers that live further away can not. I am not sure yet if I am going to join now or wait a while. Either way, I would be doing many of the same things anyway so it will not add much to my time.

School of instruction

This past Saturday there was a district wide school of instruction. It was presented by our Deputy District Grand Lecturer (DDGL). It was an instructional period on the ritual and dealing with the finer points. There were people from most all of the lodges in our district and I was able to meet many brothers that I had not yet had the pleasure. It was only 5 hours long but covered all of the degrees. It is interesting to see how others do things compared to how we do them in our lodge. All said and done, it was a very interesting day that taught me a lot about how and why things are done the way they are.

In the Chairs

I just got back from lodge where I was installed as the Junior Steward. I am taking the place of a brother that needed to resign his position. He is away at college and graduating this Saturday. He is getting a teaching degree but is unable to find a job. He is going to be joining the US Army instead. Our WM wanted me to take his place so I stepped up for the remainder of the year. This should be a fun position.  I have been filling in since being raised anyway. 

Basically the duties of the stewards in the lodge is to provide for the comfort of the brethren. That means they are the cooks and such. We do not do meals before each meeting and do light snacks afterwords. The only time we do meals is before a third degree and that is usually provided by one of the brothers. In that case it is the stewards responsibility to set up and clean up afterwards. Most brothers in the lodge help each other out with this.

I am hoping that this summer we can do a BBQ where we do a few shoulders or hams for the brothers. I love to cook pig. It would be good to do some things like this outside of lodge meetings just to hang out and socialize.

I am looking forward to the coming years in my journey east. It is a big commitment to take a chair if you go all the way through. It is also a great honor that I do not take lightly.

Scottish Rite Reunion Day Two

First of all, let me apologize for the delay in posting this entry. It has been a little over a week since we had the second day of the reunion. It was another packed day full of information. The day started again at 7:15 for breakfast followed by the 19th-32nd degrees. The 19th through 22nd degrees were communicated. During that we were told what the degrees taught and explained the meanings behind each degree. The 23rd through the 29th were exemplicated. By that I mean it was between communicated and conferred. There were narrators that read all the roles and explained the degree to us. A candidate was chosen to fill in for the class and was led through their part of the degree. It is a great way to understand the degrees that are not conferred. I wish all of them not conferred were done that way. Brothers from the Valley of Knoxville (TN) came down and conferred the 30th degree. That was a beautiful enactment and I appreciate the time and effort for them to drive that distance for us. The 31st degree was communicated and the 32nd was conferred.

It was a full day for sure. It was not as overwhelming as the first Saturday since we had an idea of what to expect. I was voted to be class president for some strange reason. Basically, it is my responsibility to communicate with those in my class and keep them informed of what is happening.

At the end of the day we were presented with the first section of the Master Craftsman program and The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide by Arturo de Hoyos. That is a huge book. We should have the first essay done before the next regular meeting and we will go over the material for the quiz as a class. This looks like a great program that any Scottish Rite mason should participate in. I will write more about that as I go along I am sure.

Our valley did have an open meeting between the two weekends to celebrate Maundy Thursday that I was sadly unable to attend due to another engagement. I look forward to the next regular meeting next month. I would like to thank all the brethren that helped put on the reunion for us. It is an amazing experience and look forward to becoming an active part.

Tonight I have a practice for a second degree that we will be conferring in my blue lodge. I am going to be a steward for that degree. I am also going to be inducted as the Junior Steward at our next stated communication. Our current Junior Steward is graduating college and getting ready to join the Army. This has been an amazing experience and has already changed my life for the better.