A Great Night At High Point!

Masonry continues to grow in the 2^nd Masonic District!  The Brothers at High Point Lodge #773 welcomed Brothers from Pride of the Valley Lodge #95 last night for an amazing evening!  This is the second time we have been able to enjoy Lodge with our Prince Hall Brothers and unite under the flag of Brotherly Love.  We were also joined by our current Grand Marshal Right-Worshipful Douglas N. Kaylor.  Also represented were Hugh L. Bates Lodge #686, Eastern Star Lodge #55 and Washington Lodge #17!  The evening was filled with great speeches, great fellowship and great food.  We look forward to continuing this fellowship in the coming weeks, months and years as we all seek to become better men and better Masons.  Please join us sometime at High Point to get a glimpse at Masonry at work!

Visit to Pride of the Valley #95

United under the flag of Brotherly Love, eight Brothers from the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio had the privilege of sitting in Lodge with Prince Hall Masons Saturday night.  As Masons should, they met on the Level, acted by the Plumb and parted upon the Square. 

The group of men, led by a delegation from High Point Lodge #773 and joined by Brothers from Madisonville-Madeira-Mariemont #419 and Washington #17, made the short drive to Pride of the Valley #95 in search of that which has been lost among many Masons for years.  They were seeking to build ties with Prince Hall Masons and join them in their search for Light.  Light was truly found in Lodge that night as they were welcomed as Brothers into the Lodge and sat quietly as three men returned their Master Mason proficiency.  This was followed by an amazing educational presentation by RWB Fanon Rucker on the meaning of “Free” as it applies to Freemasons.  The night ended with a wonderful meal and great fellowship among men who had only just met, but talked like old friends.  Plans are being made to continue this journey towards closer ties with the Brothers from Pride of the Valley #95 with a visit by them to High Point Lodge in the near future.  We at High Point look forward to welcoming them into our Lodge and returning the hospitality that was shown as we sat with them Saturday night. 

So Mote it Be.

Thoughts on Charity

Our Senior Deacon, Jason Eddy, was recently allowed to contribute a guest article on the Masonic blog "The Millennial Freemason".  Please see the link below for his thoughts on Charity and the Masonic Order.

http://www.millennialfreemason.com/2011/08/guest-article-jason-eddy-charity.html

2011 Cave Degree Trip

On August 19^th seven Brothers from the Second Masonic District of Ohio jumped into the car just as the sun reached high twelve.  A three hundred mile drive to spend a weekend surrounded by Masonic Brothers from over 115 Lodge representing 13 states!  They were headed to the 40^th annual Cave Degree in Kingston, Tennessee.  The small town just west of Knoxville became the center of Masonic activity over the next three days with Brothers from all walks of life converging upon the small country Lodge overlooking the Clinch River.  It would be a weekend full of memories for the six Brothers from High Point Lodge #773 and the lone representative of Germantown Lodge #257.

Friday night started off with dinner at the Lodge.  The menu for the evening included chili-dogs, potato salad, baked beans and all the snacks that you could imagine.  The Brothers sat with men who had come from many different places united by the mystic tie that binds all Masons.  There was not a stranger to be found among this group of men.  After a short initiation into the Order of the Yellow Dog they found their seats in the Lodge room and the EA degree began.  It was conferred by Pickens Star Lodge #220 from Jasper, Georgia.  The degree had many differences from the Ohio ritual and spurred conversation long into the night as to the different approach to bringing the young man into the Light of Masonry.  Though the path was slightly different, this young man’s destination was the same as all of those who had come before him and at the end of the night they called him Brother.

Saturday morning started with a tour of Eblen’s Cave.  This cave, located about eight miles from the Lodge, had seen the raising of a Master Mason every summer for the last 40 years by Lodges all over the United States and even Canada.  They were amazed as they stepped out of the 90+ degree heat into the 55 degree cave.  The cave was cold, dark and mysterious.  Lit only by a few Coleman lanterns tucked away in the corners, it was set up to in the form of a Lodge and was standing room only as over 200 Brothers waited in anticipation for the Master Mason degree conferred by Pleasanton Lodge #321from Pleasanton, California.  The degree work was done beautifully and again was filled with differences when compared to Ohio ritual.  After the degree, the Brethren made their way back to the Lodge for yet another fine meal of BBQ sandwiches and an assortment of side dishes. Then it was over as quickly as it had begun.  Hands were shaken.  Contact information was exchanged and the Brothers from the Second Masonic District made their way back to the hotel for an evening of even more food and fellowship. 

All in all, it was an amazing weekend for the seven Brothers and for Masonry in general.  Plans are already being made for next year’s trip in the hopes that even more will join them on the trip.  Perhaps those of you that are reading this now will find the time to enjoy such a wonderful experience with your Brothers of the Mystic Tie.  I certainly hope so.

Independence Day Parade

Yesterday was a great day for Masonry!  In the blazing hot sun on the biggest cookout day of the year, men and women from all walks of life and all over the region gathered together to celebrate the independence of our nation.  They sacrificed a few precious hours with their loved ones to participate in the City of Monroe parade in a show of the universality of Masonry.  We all know that discussions of patriotism can often lead to partisan bickering and petty disagreements among those who believe passionately in one ideology or another. Yesterday however, under the flag of our nation, Masons and a few of their family members gathered together not as Republicans, Democrats or Independents, but as Americans.  They walked over a mile and half on the sizzling blacktop roads of Monroe and showed the community that patriotism has not been destroyed by the partisan bickering that often plagues our society.  We are ONE nation, under GOD.  Men, women and children stood as the flag passed by.  Some saluted while others placed their hand upon their heart.  For that moment, we were all on the same team.  That is what Masonry is all about, as Brotherly Love is one of the great tenets of our Fraternity.  I was proud to be a part of the Brotherly Love that prevailed yesterday and honored that the community could be there to see it.

WB Ben Franklin on Masonic Secrecy

 Freemasonry, I admit, has its secrets. It has secrets peculiar to itself, but of what do these principally consist? They consist of signs and tokens which serve as testimonials of character and qualifications, which are conferred after due instruction and examination.

These are of no small value. They speak a universal language and are a passport to the support and attention of the world. They cannot be lost so long as memory retains its power. Let the possessor of them be expatriated, shipwrecked or imprisoned; let him be stripped of everything he has in the world, still their credentials remain, and are available for use as circumstances require.

The good effects which they have produced are established by the incontestable facts of history. They have stayed the uplifted hand of the destroyer; they have subdued the rancor of malevolence and broken down the barriers of political animosity and sectarian alienation.

On the battlefield, in the solitudes of the uncultivated forest or in the busy haunts of the crowded city, they have made men, of the most hostile feelings and the most diversified conditions, rush to the aid of each other with special joy and satisfaction that they have been able to afford relief to a Brother Mason.

Worshipful Brother Benjamin Franklin, 1778

Source:http://www.masonsoftexas.com/content.php?248-Benjamin-Franklin-on-Masonic-Secrecy

Ohio Masonic Home Day 2011

High Point Lodge #773 held their first fundraiser of the year at the 2011 Ohio Masonic Home Day in Springfield.  It was a great day spent with brethren from all over the state and gave us an opportunity to spend some time with the residents of the home as well.  Looking forward to next years visit!

Is our Fraternity just a little too common?

Written by MWB James T McWain, Grand Master of A.F. & A.M of Connecticut

Thoughts about the fraternity from the 19th Century---------

“A real Freemason is distinguished from the rest of Mankind by the uniform unrestricted rectitude of his conduct. Other men are honest in fear of punishment which the law might inflict; 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 blessing he has received and humble solicitation for his future protection. He venerates the good men of all religions. 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 principle.”

— The Farmer's Almanac, 1823

Are we ashamed today to think that our fraternity is an elite organization? Or, perhaps, we do not believe that it is!

We have high standards; admit no one who is not moral, upright before God and of good repute before the world. We do “good works” throughout the United States that are worth billions of dollars. The secret is that it is okay to be elite; but we should not be elitist. Elite is to have high standards; elitist is to consider yourself better than everyone else and to let them know it.

To be an elite organization requires constant effort. It can never be satisfied with the status quo; the standards can always be lifted.Masonic meetings are places of learning, a fostering of ideas, and the lodge is a sanctuary for nurturing and developing friendship. It is where we go to celebrate our brotherhood. In the 18th Century, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Mozart all joined a Masonic Lodge to be with gentlemen who would debate the great questions of the day.

We must understand who we are and the road we’ve traveled. The philosophy of Masonry required centuries to develop and should be understood and venerated by all members of the fraternity.

Each lodge should have high standards. We need to foster the joys of gentlemanly behavior. Not phony gentlemanliness, but genuine fraternal good behavior. Consequently, at times, it may be necessary to give good counsel to a brother. This can be difficult, especially when it is misunderstood as criticism.

As gentleman, we should advocate a minimum standard of dress. When initiating, passing and raising a candidate, think of just how important an event that new man will consider it to be if the entire lodge membership looks first-class and is dressed for the occasion.

Good behavior is essential. We should not allow rude, coarse behavior among Masons. There was an Internet discussion recently regarding whether a brother, who showed up at a funeral home in jeans and a golf shirt to perform the solemn Masonic funeral service, should have been excluded. It should not be necessary to even discuss proper dress at a funeral, and it is sad that lodge members would condone such a lack of respect to a deceased brother and his family.

One may rationalize that society is more casual now. And some would add that it is "the internal, not the external qualifications of a man that Masonry regards."

We also say that our providence is to make good men better. If we are to polish the rough ashlar into a perfect one than we must conduct ourselves as the BEST men in society.

I have previously written that the Masonic fraternity is “out of step” with current society because we have higher standards. In other words, we should not lower ourselves to the behavior of the common group. If we are to be elite, when the world around us is rude and common, it should be our stated purpose to improve that world by improving men.

In Europe, Freemasonry is taken seriously because Freemasons take themselves seriously. We should also feel that our fraternity is solemn, noble, exclusive, dignified and special.

I am not advocating that our lodges should be stern, joyless places of strict, dreary ritualists. Not at all! A lodge should be, first and foremost, a place of brotherhood, of friendships, and close personal bonds. It is not a degree mill to be opened, closed and fled.

The degrees of Masonry should be formal, sincere, instructive and enlightening.

The business meeting should be brief.

The Feast, Philosophy and Fellowship should be the centerpiece.

Source: http://www.ctfreemasons.net/index.php/grand-lodge-news/488-is-our-fraternity-just-a-little-too-common.html

The Silent Summons

A member of a certain Lodge, who previously attended meetings regularly, stopped going. After a few months, the Worshipful Master decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening, and the Worshipful Master found his brother at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for the Worshipful Master's visit, the brother welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The Worshipful Master made himself comfortable, but said nothing.

In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After several minutes, the Worshipful Master took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth, all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

His host watched all of this in quiet contemplation. As the one, lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow, and its fire was no more. Soon, it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Worshipful Master glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately, it began to glow once more, with all the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the Worshipful Master reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your fiery summons, my brother. I'll be back in our Lodge next meeting."