My Journey into Freemasonry!

The Mystery of 7 Pershing Nevada!

2010-06-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

I recently won a neat peice of memorabelia Ebay: a Shriner Bobblehead or Nodder! A real nice vintage piece, complete with plaster head! The little fellow came with a bonus, Garrison style hat you can see below!

Given the design of this hat, it seems to have some kind of 'Shriner-esqueness' about it. I have been in contact with the www.zelzahshrine.com/ in Nevada to see if they had any ideas and am waiting to hear back, but in the mean time I thought I would post it here and see if any readers could help me identifiy where this came from and if it is indeed anything related to Freemasonry or if it is a coincidental piece of headware with no connection whats so ever! All I know for sure is that there is/was no Shriner temple in Pershing, NV, and the 7 relates to an entirely different state if it is in fact a Shrine reference. Thanks in advance for any info!

Where to go from here?

2010-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've found it tough to decide on appropriate material to post here, since this is a public blog and not limited to just Brethren. Being a 'freshman' to the Craft I don't feel I have enough tenure or understanding to really get into discussing the goings-on in other districts or countries either. I'll try and post news tidbits and other positive stories to keep this blog alive with the odd smattering of what is happening in my own Lodge. So to kick that off.....

Snipped from the pages of the GL BC and Y, Bulletin:

The Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario reports that their Grand Master MW Bro. Raymond Daniels has granted dispensation to establish a lodge in Afghanistan for our brethren serving in the Armed Forces. Throughout Ontario’s masonic history the rôle played by military lodges has been significant. This project has been actively pursued for almost five years. Dispensation was granted to work under authority of the warrant of Trent Lodge No. 38. W. Bro. Rick Fulford, serving with the fire services in Kandahar, has agreed to act as Worshipful Master to open the lodge in the first degree for the purpose of providing fraternal experience for freemasons from Ontario and any other recognized jurisdiction. In addition to providing fraternal support away from home, the work of the lodge will consist of discussion and presentations in masonic education.

http://www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/masonic_bulletin/73/lxxiii10.pdf

Have a great day everyone!

Time for an Update!

2010-04-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

      Ok, after a couple of months of silence i am finally ready to update this here blog. And it has been a busy couple of months!

       At the end of February a friend and I attended an open house at Cloverdale #168 of the GLBC&Y. They had a great program, with several speakers including the editor of our GL newsletter VW Bro. Trevor W. McKeown, who gave a fantastic power point presentation on Freemasonry in the movies! He had over a hundred examples showing how the perception of the Craft has changed through the years goning from positive to the negative and how it has been slowly making its way back to the positive side of the spectrum. One of the Brethren also gave the crowd gathered that night the 'Address to the Brethren' given at our installations, he did it word perfect while strolling about the Lodge, it was amazing! It was also cool to find out that the WM of the lodge, Guy Olsson, was a fellow I had met years before when we both worked for the same company! Great to see him again under such cool circumstances!

       Nooksack Valley Lodge #105 conferred their first FellowCraft degree in 14 years and I was there to watch. Again it was in full costume! Wor. Bro. Mike Beaudry and his officers did an amazing job in making this degree a memorable one for all involved! I hear the Lodge's Degree Team will be putting their hard work to use at some other Lodges this summer, surely a testament to their devotion to great ritual!

        And last but not least my Lodge's Installations took place this past Saturday! First, I have never seen more Masons at my lodge until then, every seat was occupied, with about 60 - 65 men in attendance. About 10 different Lodges including the GL were represented. Our outgoing WM Jonathan Miller was replaced by Bro. Ivan Hamilton who had spent a great deal of time getting the whole day organized, and every bit came off without a hitch! I was installed as Chaplain, and gave my first grace........ever, that night. I found a nice old one from a UGLE handbook I found on-line. Dinner was great and I got to meet alot of 'significant others' that night. I am looking forward to a great year in my chair, and really being an active participant in Lodge workings!

Newly Raised!

2010-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night I was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. It was an unbelievable night! The Past Masters did an incredible job, and made it a truly unforgetable event!

Me on the lower right!

At the festive board I was asked to say a few words. I presented this poem I wrote.

With a deep breath and steeled resolve
he walked to towards the door
Met a man with a square on his hand
And a petition he did have

Months go by and questions pry
as the investigators visit
to query the man and comfort his bride
about the road ahead

Members call and keep in touch
as the decision day draws near
nerves on edge and patienced tested
as he waits for the word he wants to hear

the word is good, and a day is set
all the priciples are there
strange clothes, a cable tow
and hoodwink blocks the light

round and round the lodge he's led
on shakey knees the oath is said
first steps, unfamiliar words
grips and tokens are exchanged

a new family of brothers
gained from otherwise strangers
a fraternity born in antiquity
that survived the trials of history

entereds passed and fellows raised
past masters at the ready
to help the new man find his way
to keep his path strong and steady

and then the day comes to pass the test
and recieve his masters apron
the heavy burden upon his waist
he's learned to wear it proud

begin to put the lessons learned
to good and useful work
and bring good report to his Lodge
from all of those he serves

and one day when he is called
to be the master of his temple
he will have learned all he knows
from the best example.

One Closes and Another Begins..

2010-01-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well this will be the last weekend before I am raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Every lunch hour has been spent studying for my FC proficiency. There are still a couple of parts where I leave off a word, or I twist a couple up, but overall I'm feeling really good about delivering a solid performance of the work that has been assigned to me. Tomorrow morning will be our practice and my first chance to run through the work with the officers of my Lodge. I am much more at ease this go around than I was for my EA proficiency. It will also be a Past Masters night, so from what I understand all the officers chairs will be filled with PMs and of course all the work done by them as well. I think it will make the night and experience just that much more special.

This Tuesday night does come with a sense that this important and emotional step into Freemasonry will be coming to an end, and for that I am a bit sad. It has been a very cool experience and eye opening. As I enter a society of men who prize honor and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune, I plan on being a foot soldier for Masonry in this new millennium, and as one of my bros. put it 'Time is my ally'. There is no reason why Freemasonry cannot have a resurgence in popularity in these times, and there are many reasons why it should.

On Tuesday night I will be receive my master's apron and the first chapter of my Masonic life will come to a close. This past chapter is one that, has been for the most part set in stone, with a very distinct set of steps and work that follows rules and guidelines that have been laid out for hundreds of years. The next chapters are mine to write, and with help of my fellow brethren I hope to have a long and fruitful career as I explore the history and create my own, within this wonderful institution!

Please stand by!

2010-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

I am experiencing techinical difficulties! The power adapter for my laptop died and I have been without my computer for about 2 weeks nows. The new one should arrive Monday or Tuesday, new post to follow!

Nooksack Valley #105 or The NW Masonic Museum!

2009-12-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Officers and the newest member of Freemasonry!

Candidates first view of the Lodge!

Those old theatre seats are damn comfy!

3 aprons that are at least 100 years old!

Reception Room!

Foyer greets you with antiquity!

Last night I had the pleasure of witnessing an Entered Apprentice degree put on by the gentlemen of Nooksack Valley Lodge. What a show! The work was flawless, and the Lodge itself is amazing! The ceremony was done in full costume, and must have taken an incredible amount of effort and time to get it to that level. As the pictures show the Lodge is a museum of Masonic history of this little slice of the Valley. From the foyer to the Lodge room the whole building has a great feeling of comfort, warmth, and welcoming.

Ever have one of those days?

2009-12-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Well it started off great following a stellar degree presentation at Nooksack #105 last night(story and pics to follow) and quickly began running down hill at light speed, engine light came on in the car on the way to work, short two guys and all hell was breaking loose at the counter.......then he came in. I saw him perusing some chrome stacks, some bling for the dash....then I saw it. The pendant dangling off his gold chain..the S&C! Thinking back to another encounter with a buckle wearing impostor I scanned this fellow for even more clues, and spotted the ring and a watch!!!!! Boom, gotcha! 'Are you a travelling man' I asked. 'What' he said, I work with truckers all day so I know it can be a bit of a loaded question, but I knew he heard me and I repeated the question anyway, to which an answer in the affirmative was given. 'Mt.Zion #120', I said. 'Saskatchewan #92' he replied. We exchanged tokens. BSed about the pros and cons of modern day diesels vs their more aged counter parts while he waited for his ride. It was one of the coolest experiences I have had since joining, and one I have really looked forward to. Meeting an otherwise perfect stranger only to realize the brotherly bond of Masonry and dwell peacefully within it! The rest of the day was a cake walk, couldn't even remember how much of a crapfest it was to start off. Hope to see you again real soon Brother Heinz! Come back anytime!

http://www.saskatchewan92.org/component/content/article/40-articles/46-first-masonic-lodge-outside-the-boundaries-of-manitoba

Having a great time!

2009-12-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

We just had our final meeting for the year and I just wanted to say what a great time I am having so far. So far every meeting I have been to I meet someone new, and true to form they are all great guys! And....I've been found out! One of my Brothers came up to me tonight and commented on my blog and how much he liked it! I wondered when someone would catch on to my musings! I guess it was just a matter of time. Some of my favorite moments to date have been the time after Lodge is closed tyle when we as Brothers can sit around a table and speak of how we try and make Masonry more than just a few hours every couple of weeks. How these men truly try and apply the principals of Brotherly Love, Truth, and Relief every day! In my everyday life I am usually the boisterous clown, quick with a line, or sarcastic quip. But within the walls of my Lodge and the company of my Brothers, I keep quiet and just absorb everything I can. I love to hear the stories of how Lodge was back in the day, and listening to members laying out their hopes and plans as they contemplate holding senior positions. I always come from Lodge feeling recharged and peaceful.

Memory work is going great, FC obligation down solid, just working on the QA now! A little tougher for this degree. Feel a bit guilty about moving so quickly through the degrees but I think doing the memorization certainly helps me to understand the work so much better. As I did the EA work it was amazing as I worked on it line by line, how the meaning and the weight of the statements make themselves clear and sensible even though the language can be a bit awkward. The FC work has been a bit different because of the slight historical twist that has proven at times a bit difficult for your author to research it to his own satisfaction. But I shall press on!!

Have a great day Brothers!
J-P aka Lightseeker!

Say hello to your new FellowCraft!

2009-11-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

Proud to say I went though my proficiency tonight with flying colors! What made me feel the best about what happened tonite, was that I was able show my respect and admiration for the brothers in my Lodge by giving the best possible demonstration of my work! Looking forward to learning my new work and presenting it as best I can!

My EA Proficiency!

2009-11-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

This morning we had our practice and a testing of my proficiency of the Entered Apprentice degree. I am proud to say I had it all down word for word. One of the three candidates who I was initiated with, was not able to attend and is not able prove up. The other candidate, I really felt bad for. He had the majority of the ceremony memorized but had not been able to get the obligation down and will not be able to be passed either. During my own recital of the obligation I started shaking uncontrollably. I can't figure out why, I know the work and I wasn't especially nervous about reciting it in front of a crowd but just couldn't stop shaking. I could feel the power of the words as I spoke them and believe wholeheartedly in what I am saying, why then do I start shaking like a damn leaf in the wind? Maybe it was just worrying about getting it all right, and now that I know everything is indeed locked in my head Tuesday night will be a cake walk and I can be a bit more relaxed! All in all it has been an exciting and fantastic start to my journey in Freemasonry, and I am very much looking forward to being passed to FellowCraft on Tuesday evening!

Wow, there's still more room in there!

2009-11-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well I thought I had taken up all available room in my brain with anniversary dates, useless trivia and even more useless part numbers. But no, I have actually managed to memorize my obligation. Actually I had it down solid by the middle of last week and now have moved on to the Q&A sections, which to me seem to be a little more difficult. Since it will be a back and forth exercise, it has been a little tougher for me to get square in my head. Although with two weeks to go I'm feeling pretty confident I'll have it all down pat.

On another note, about a week and half ago I had the opportunity to take advantage of our privilege as Freemasons, and that is visiting others Lodges. I was invited to witness the EA degree only 3 days after my own had been conferred, at Southern Cross #44! It was a great honor to represent my own Lodge for the first time and meet more great men! Also seeing the degree presented so soon after my own allowed me to witness how the Brethren work together to bring new men in, and how sincere and solemn these men are in their extension of Brotherly Love. I was even invited to take part in the ceremony at pivotal point for the new candidates! We were also lucky enough to have the acting WM give us a lecture on the Officer's chairs and our responsibility to educate ourselves in preparation of being seated in those chairs in the following years. I did unfortunatley have to leave at the end of the meeting that night and was not able to stay for the festive board, but like another Mason has said before me 'I came through and I shall return!' Thanks again to the Brothers of Southern Cross for a wonderful evening!

Brother Trudeau, Mt. Zion #120

2009-10-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

What a great night! It was incredibly moving and surreal! I was the first of 3 candidates to arrive last night and after meeting the few brothers that had arrived early, I had the opportunity to stand back and watch other men arrive, greeting each other with eyes full of respect and true friendship!

There is so much I could put here about my experience last last night, but at the risk of sounding like a big sappy baby, or revealling info which may be better left as a mystery to those seeking to petition. I'll keep it short and sweet. I am looking forward to getting to know the men of Mt.Zion #120, learning about the craft and my position in it!

Now to get my Obligation memorized!

Last Night!

2009-10-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to commemorate my last night pre-Freemason! Been thinking about it all day! Gonna be just about impossible to not stop staring at the clock tomorrow!

Final Weekend!

2009-10-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well it is only a matter of days now before my initiation. Yesterday my son and I drove down from Kamloops and talked about my forthcoming initiation, how I began the journey and what it all means to me! Because he lives a fair distance away we don't get alot of time together, it was really cool to be able to talk about my reasons for joining and his genuine intrest in the subject!

I also spoke to my mentor last week, and we arranged for him to pick me up and take me to the Lodge on Tuesday night, to help with introductions and get me ready prior to the ceremony! There will be three of us on Tuesday night, nice that there will be a couple of other fellows to work with as we move through the degrees! My mom keeps asking me when it is going to happen, I think she is more excited than I am! Suit has been pressed, shirt ironed and a new blue tie already to go! Let the journey begin!

P.S. Shout out to Fred, Rob, and Drew; Three men who have been instrumental in showing me the true meaning of Brotherly love and who personify Freemasonry, can't wait to join you as a brother!

15 days and the K.o.P.

2009-10-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's just 15 short days till my initiation now! A couple of very cool things took place this weekend. It was my birthday on Friday, and it is a scant 3 years now till the big 4-0! I can clearly remember things that happen over 30 years ago, hopefully when I am 70 I can remember those days as clearly as I do now!

My mother gave me one of the best birthday presents ever... my grandfathers Knights of Pythias ring. His involvement in the KoP was one of my reasons to join Freemasonry. Although different, some similarities seem to exist between the organizations. The simple 3 word creeds of the FM and KoP are similar, Fraternity, Relief, Truth and Freindship, Charity, Benevolence. Since my Grandpa died when I was 11, I never really got to know him that well or ask him about his involvement in KoP. I was however, always proud of his affiliation with an organization that requires similar character traits as FM. Since petitioning I found out when he recieved his degrees and exactly which lodge he attended! Here's to you Grandpa! Love you!

Garvin Esmund Preston

Page: March 25 1961

Esquire: April 22 1961

Knight: May 27 1961

Royal City #6

New Westminster BC Canada

Hurry up and wait, and how to wake the neighborhood dogs!

2009-09-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Seems to be the most popular phrase, besides 'Take good men and make them better', or 'a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols'. It is now exactly 1 month away from my initiation. But instead of going on and on about how excited I am about joining I will let you all in on one of my hobbies. Pulse Jet Engines!!! I build the valveless kind. A true fuel burning, thrust producing engine that has zero moving parts! My son and I built this last version, and man is she loud! I didn't get it officially running but had it popping and producing a beautiful blue flame, as well getting the body of teh engine to reach about 500deg F in about 10 seconds, as an added bonus I'm sure every dog in the neighborhood was also aware of my testing! I don't think I have ever heard them all bark at the same time before! It was the first time I have run one of my engines in my garage, the other two are way too big! The wife got home just as I was wrapping things up, and I tried to impress her with my skills and she literally ran and hid behind her car while yelling at me to stop! Couldn't hear a word!

Sweating Bullets!

2009-09-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well the day finally came and my soon to be Brethren voted to confer the degree of Entered Apprentice on me. On Tuesday, evening the good men of Mt. Zion #120 in beautiful Chilliwack BC, agreed that I am worthy to receive the light of Freemasonry! My sponsor had told me he would call me after the vote to let me know how it went. I stayed up until 11pm, about an hour after my regular bedtime awaiting his call. No call came, my mind started to race. Was I blackballed, was the vote postponed, was it simply too late and he didn't call out of courtesy. Damn I worry too much. So I called him around 10am; no answer...........right, it went poorly now he's avoiding me, not wanting to burst my bubble so to speak! So all day I wait, no call. 6pm arrives I'm off work, I call. My sponser answers and tells me that he was going to call the next day, keeping me in suspense! 'The vote was a favorable one', he says, 'initiation will be late October!'. I am so stoked! Just wish there was something I could do in the meantime, besides wait! Oh well, color me excited!

1 week before the vote.....

2009-08-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

It has taken more than a week to compose this latest entry. I have always found it difficult to put my feelings to print or to words. I think it mostly come from having so many thoughts and emotions that it can sometimes be hard to form them together in a consice, logical format. As the month has rolled by and I have thought of the brethren of the Lodge I have petitioned get ready to come back from summer, one of their first duties will be to vote on my request to join them. I have struggled to find the words to describe what joining such a fraternity has meant to me. So like I'm sure many men have done before me I have tried to read what other masons have put to paper, and one man's writings keep pulling me forward; Manly Hall. I think I have read the Lost Keys of Freemasonry at least a dozen times, that is only up and to the end of the exerpt about the Entered Apprentice. I just can't bring myself to read further. I don't want to spoil the 'suprise'. The emotions that he describes match my own, it is sometimes un-nerving, but comforting at the same time. How does a man at 25 write so beautifully and so sussinctly about feelings shared by men from all over the world, from so many creeds, religions, and cultures.

I would guess that the comfort I get comes from knowing that I am not alone as I stand at the beginning of my journey. I can close my eyes and feel the presence of men all over the world standing at my back, not pushing me forward, but not letting me retreat in fear of not living up to my own expectations. The story of Chillon pacing in his cell, listening to the waves swish and lap, yearning to feel the warm light of the open sky, is not unknown to me. I have felt like I had some kind of unfinished work to do, but never could put my finger on the means to continue it. And in 1 short week it will be decided whether or not I will be presented the tools to begin that work!

'Many have read the story of the prisoner of Chillon who paced back and forth in the narrow confines of his prison cell, while the blue waters rolled ceaselessly above his head and the only sound that broke the stillness of his eternal night was the constant swishing and lapping of the waves. We pity the prisoner in his physical tomb and we are sad at heart, for we know how life loves liberty. But there is one prisoner whose plight is far worse than those of earth. He has not even the narrow confines of a prison cell around Him; He cannot pace ceaselessly to and fro and wear ruts in the cobblestones of His dungeon floor. That eternal Prisoner is Life incarnate within the dark stone walls of matter, with not a single ray to brighten the blackness of His fate. He fights eternally, praying in the dark confines of gloomy walls for light and opportunity. This is the eternal Prisoner who, through the ceaseless ages of cosmic unfoldment, through forms unnumbered an d species now unknown, strives eternally to libe rate Himself and gain self conscious expression, the birthright of every created thing. He awaits the day when, standing upon the rocks that now form His shapeless tomb, He may raise His arms to heaven, bathed in the sunlight of spiritual freedom, free to join the sparkling atoms and dancing light-beings released from the bonds of prison wall and tomb.'
exerpt from The Lost Keys of Freemasonry; the Candidate, Manly P. Hall

My Friend Receives Light!

2009-08-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Good luck(like he needs it) to Freddo tonight! He is being initiated Jerusalem Lodge #506 tonight! This good man receives his first rays of light this evening, and I just wanted to post how glad I am to know him, and what a great friend he has been! You the man Fred, soak it all up! I'll be following quickly behind you!

Weird Dream!

2009-08-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Had the weirdest dream last night! Drempt I was present at some kind of Lodge meeting where a vote was taking place. The room was dimly lit and I could make out many men sitting around the edges of the room. I was holding some kind of ballot box and members were coming up and placing their votes. Then one of my customers from work appeared, not one I would immediatly think was a Mason, and whipped out a pack of cards to help him make his decision! I was freaked, he was using the fall of a card decide his vote! He then took a seat outside the room we were all in, but still within my line of sight. Then an elderly woman entered the room from another doorway across from me. She was dressed in white with a shawl over her head but not covering her face. Suddenly someone turned all the lights on, and I was was bekoned out to the foyer by my customer who had been waiting there since he cast his 'vote'. I went over and sat down beside him. The next thing I know I am being introduced to all the men inside as they file out of the room.

That was basically the last thing I remember about the dream, it was incredibly real. It was kind of unsettling as the vote on my petition takes place in about 3 weeks! I have had these kinds of dreams all the time since I was a kid, always before some important event! Not that I am worried about the vote going negativly, but I guess the possibility is always there. I must admit I can be a pessimist, usually doubting my own abilities and worry about how people view me! Not that I have any specific reasons, I almost always rise to the occasion when push comes to shove, and always put forth the best face I can and give all that I am able to complete any task given to me! Maybe it is the fear of failure that makes me even more aware of the fact that I must try and do my best to go above and beyond what is expected? With the vote coming up fast, I am expecting more of these kinds of dreams. I just hope that I can actually get some sleep!

Interesting Beginnings!

2009-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Since my journey began I have run across some interesting stories of how different Lodges aquired their names. Most have been named after geographical areas, cities, persons of note etc. One story related to me is of South Africa Lodge #6742, in London England,founded by returning veterans of military service in S.A., see here http://southafricalodge.co.uk/history.html.

Another tale that will put a smile on your face goes, 'the lodge was started by a group of men who had built a tavern in the Gold Rush town of Rich Bar. Their wives had been less than enthused, and quickly burned the place to the ground. The Masons chose "Sincerity" as their name to let their women and state dignitaries know that they were sincere in their desire to better themselves in the virtues still taught in lodges today: temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.' see here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/californias-sincerity-lodge-no-132.html

And my personal favorite, in the wake of Aldrin's Masonic space mission, the Grand Lodge of Texas formed Tranquility Lodge No. 2000, named after Tranquility Base, the location of Apollo 11's landing. According to the lodge website,
On July 20, 1969, two American Astronauts landed on the moon of the planet Earth, in an area known as Mare Tranquilitatis , or "Sea of Tranquility". One of those brave men was Brother Edwin Eugene (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, AF&AM, Seabrook, Texas. Brother Aldrin carried with him SPECIAL DEPUTATION of then Grand Master J. Guy Smith, constituting and appointing Brother Aldrin as Special Deputy of the Grand Master, granting unto him full power in the premises to represent the Grand Master as such and authorize him to claim Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction for The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, on The Moon, and directed that he make due return of his acts. Brother Aldrin certified that the SPECIAL DEPUTATION was carried by him to the Moon on July 20, 1969. see full story posted here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/apollo-11-freemasons-and-moon.html#links

I would like to ask anyone who reads this blog and has an interesting, funny, obscurely named Lodge, I would like to know about it. In fact feel free to post any weird or half way interesting tales, ghost stories(I'm sure there is at least one haunted Lodge out there), rumors etc about your Lodge, I love'em all! Feel free to post in the comments section or e-mail it to me and I will include them in a future posting.

Meeting new friends!

2009-07-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet face to face with a pair of brothers,Drew and Rob, during some free time while attending my sister-in-laws wedding. Let me start off by saying that these two gentlemen are shining examples of what I percieve to be the best reasons to join Freemasonry. After meeting both of these men via the 'intra-net' and getting past the basic introductions both were more than happy to extend themselves, and their time to me. Having some free time away from wedding prep, I was able to meet them downtown Edmonton, and spend an hour talking about how we all were led down the different highways in life, but met at the same crossroads.

One a son of missionaries, punk rock band member, the other a freestyle skier, and downhill longboarder. As we gathered together over drinks at a local coffee shop, I remarked of how I thought the 3 of us were definetly NOT the face of FM today, and could not have been corrected more quickly by these two fellows! I should mention that until this day both men did not know each other, and they quickly related to me that at least in their own Lodges, that the face of FM has indeed started to become a younger one and one continuing to be filled with many different roads and experiences that have led these men to their Lodges.

It was really cool to be able to spend an hour with these two gentlemen, and hear their personal experiences while exploring the world since discovering FM. Drew had a great story about Cuba, and although he never was able to confim that his relief came directly from a brother there, it had to have been more than mere coincedence! When the three of us parted company that afternoon it was very apparant that I had gained not only two good friends, but if all goes well at my Lodges vote on my petition, I have gained two brothers of man as well. Cheers to you both!

False Representation!

2009-07-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen somebody wearing or displaying the symbols of FM, but they weren't a Mason at all?

I had an experience yesterday which left me with a couple of questions. A man approached my desk with a beautiful belt buckle displaying the square and compass. As a petitioner it immediately caught my eye and I began to ask him a few questions during our business to broach the subject without being completely overt. I asked him where he lived, he answered with the same city I live in. Sweet, I thought. Then I asked what lodge he belonged to, to which he replied, 'Oh you mean my belt buckle, I got it in Mexico. My name is Gordon, I like the G in the middle.' He also said he gets asked quite frequently about about, and more or less the same queries: Where are you from, what lodge etc.

I was kind of disappointed, I thought I had a Mason from my hometown and possibly the lodge I was petitioning standing in front of me. Was pretty bummed for the rest of the day! Why would you continue to display symbols such as these and be questioned on a regular basis only to reply in the negative everytime? Maybe he had no idea of the richness of the symbols and the close brotherhood that keeps and guards these symbols. Too bad!

Update Time!

2009-06-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, its update time! Since my last entry, I met and recieved my petition from one of the local lodge members. I filled the petition out right away and handed it in in time to be presented in lodge before the summer break. My petition was in fact read and the Investagative Committee was formed and visited on Monday night! What a nerve wracking experience, I have never done well with job interviews or the like, but the whole thing went very well. There were supposed to be three gentleman but only one was able to make it! A very nice guy who asked my all the usual questions and adressed a couple of my wifes concerns. Took about an hour, swapped a few stories about football and logging, overall a very positive experience! The next day a recieved a letter in the mail from the Secretary of the Lodge letting me know basically the details I have described here. So if everything goes as described my petition will be balloted on Sept 1 and confirming the EA degree on Sept 15! Never thought I would say this but, I wish summer was over already!