The Millennial Freemason

As happens about once a year, I have been remiss in my blogging duties. And guess what, it happens at around the same time every year. The reason for this is that the month before summer is when everything is getting wrapped up. Many lodges go dark for the summer because most of our buildings are old and don't have A/C.

I have been crazy busy. My mother lodge, Corinthian Lodge No. 67, is experiencing a major rebirth in interest. We are doing degree work a lot. We are wrapping up the last class on June 5th. It has been an amazing journey as a brother in this lodge. We have seen our lodge grow and prosper and have actually seen positive growth. Degree work can be taxing but thankfully, we have knowledgeable brothers who perform the work well and have the fortitude to keep going.

My other lodge, Faribault Lodge No. 9 has been very good about seeking lessons of the past and using them for growth into the future. The lodge is one of the oldest in the state, actually, it was chartered before the formation of the state, and has a very colorful history. The current Master is writing a history of the lodge and I hope that when he's done with the paper, he will publish it here. (That's right Jimmy, I'm calling you out.)

I was also fortunate to have met WBro. Andrew Hammer of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 while he was in MN. Calling him an enlightened Mason is like saying that Tesla was kind of smart. Masonry needs more observant Masons and more observant Masonic practice. I was very impressed and I hope to meet him again to "talk shop."

I was at the Grand Lodge Annual Communication and I'm happy to report that I had a great time. I met Cliff Porter and Rex Hutchens. It was like meeting a couple of rockstars. Knowledgeable and cool are just two of the adjectives I used when I met both of these brothers. Both of them exemplify what observant Masonry should strive to be. I will write more about what I learned at the Annual Communication in a later post.

The Washington Bible on the Altar

It was at this Annual Communication that I was also fortunate to be sitting in the presence of history. The altar bible that was used was the George Washington Inaugural Bible. It was on this Bible that President Washington swore to uphold the Constitution of a very young nation. It was on this Bible that the Executive Branch was born. Owned and safeguarded by the brothers of St. John's Lodge No. 1 AYM, this important document is a symbol of Executive power. I have no words to describe what I felt in that room.

As I am very active in the York Rite, serving my second term as High Priest has been rewarding yet again. We are seeing many petitions as brothers start to see the value in joining Chapter. I'm ready for the excoriating comments but I believe that a Master Mason must go through the Royal Arch degree to really understand the lessons of Masonry. Maybe I'm just biased. (Hate mail protocols engaged)

Upon a lot of reflection, I have petitioned Faribault Commandery. I sat down with several brothers and have come to the conclusion that I can go through with the Orders. My opinions continue to be informed by all of you and I'm curious to experience the Orders and learn what I can from them. (Head shaking emails engaged)

This summer promises to stay busy. I planning a visit to Castle Island Lodge, MN River Valley Lodge, and a whole host of other lodges just waiting to be explored. I also hope to blog more. Masonry is a part of my life and I like sharing it with you.

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