Time Flys...

Wow does time fly the older you get.  It's been a LONG time since I've been on here and I deeply apologize to my readers.  I suppose my absence has much to do with me expanding my Masonic knowledge and experience, and I have felt that I have not had much to blog about.  But it's time for me to get back to it.

I want to start by saying my raising was on April 11 2012 and it was a mind blowing experience. With out getting into much detail because I cannot, I will say it was a night I will NEVER forget.  The excitement in the air at supper before the degree, to the degree, to the fellowship after was truly amazing, and I am indebted to the Brethren for making the night such an amazing experience.  The ambiance during the raising was unreal. Truly it is hard to find words to describe it other than life changing.

Seeing how proud my Brethren were and how happy they were for me is something I've never experienced in my life outside of family, and truly show how we are all Brethren to the very core. Seeing how seriously everyone treats the degrees (especially the third) warms my heart. Our W.M (Who admittedly says he struggles with memory work) did a FANTASTIC job, especially since it was his first raising. The turn out of lodge members and visitors was truly humbling as well.

It's amazing to me how a journey that seems simplistic at a glance can have such a profound impact on ones life, and way of thinking.  Since my raising and contemplation of the degrees, I've found myself a much more patient person. I try all my cuts with my square, and always find myself asking myself if my work would pass TGAOTU's square. If I find myself slipping my wife is always quick to remind me to conduct myself as a Mason and helps to right my direction. I've taken a proactive roll in my health (dieting etc) and have lost 35 lbs to date (A lot to do with the fact that I had a hard time getting my MM apron on!)! Being a strong roll model for my children starts with living a healthy lifestyle myself.  The combination of the two have moved me to become a person who is more charitable by nature. All good qualities to be working on.

Moving to June 19 2012, I proved my apron. It was also an amazing experience.  As the Brethren of my lodge did such an amazing and heartfelt job at my raising, I felt it was the LEAST I could do to return the best proficiency I possibly could.  When I was done, more than one of the Brethren approached me and told me I turned in a completely flawless proficiency, and informed me that in their MANY years of Masonry they had not seen a better proficiency. It swelled my heart hearing that I had done the lodge and the Brethren proud. In fact when I was on the road to our district meeting the W.M and a P.M of my lodge were telling me about another proficiency from another lodge they had seen and how he enunciation the proper parts and got it all right, how it was the nicest they'd seen it done until they seen mine. It really made me proud.

At the district meeting I was asked to sit as the JS, and that was truly an honor as well. It was my first time sitting in the south of a lodge (In my jurisdiction its customary that a candidate sit in the northeast until you have proved your MM) and it was a great honor getting the opportunity to wear a collar and participate as a junior assistant for the district meeting.

Lodges in my jurisdiction go dark for the summer months and that left me wanting more! At this point in time I find myself longing to get back into the lodge to continue the experience and I can not wait for the light to get turned back on.

In short, I love my journey, I love the experience, and I love Freemasonry. As I continue to grow as a Mason I will continue update this blog, but for now take care, travel well and grow in light!

Fraternally,

Brother Ryan.

The Level and The Square

Greetings Brethren and all other readers!

I know I have not been on here for a while but I am still out there and still loving every minute of my Masonic experience.

I am still a F.C, though am very much ready for my raising. With it being winter up here in the frozen north, a lot of the Brethren from my lodge flock south (Inc members of the degree team) So I was asked whether I minded having my 3rd in March.

Naturally I said I didn't mind. As I have said in the past, one of the first pieces of advice I'd ever received from a Mason was that things in lodge happen on "Masonic Time".

It's not to say that I am not excited about it, I am VERY excited. But so to are a lot of the other Brethren of the lodge who are away and want to be there for the degree and for me as well. It was so flattering for me, to hear that absent Brethren wanted to move the 3rd a month later so more could be there. One of the Brethren of the lodge made it a point to stand up and say to me also that as important as the raising is, they all considered me a brother already anyway, so if it was okay with me they would rather do the raising when more could be present. I love our order, and I love the mystic tie. So for now I leave you with a small poem from a Bro. Robbie Burns, and another poem I found and really enjoyed by Robert Morris.

Adieu! a heart-warm, fond adieu!

Dear Brothers of the mystic tie!

Ye favored, ye enlightened few,

Companions of my social joy!

~Robbie Burns

The Level and Square

by

Robert Morris

We meet upon the Level and we part upon the Square
What priceless words of meaning these words Masonic are
Come, let us contemplate them, They are worthy of a thought;
In the very walls of Masonry the sentiment is wrought.

We meet upon the Level and from every station come
The rich man from his palace and the poor man from his home,
For the rich must leave their wealth and state outside the Mason’s door,
And the poor man finds his best respects upon the Checkered Floor.

We meet upon the Plumb, ’tis the order of our Guide
We walk upright in every way and lean to neither side;
The All-Seeing Eye that reads our hearts and doth bear us witness true,
That we still try to honour God and give each man his due.

We part upon the Square, for the world must have its due,
We mingle with the multitude, a faithful band and true,
But the influence of our gatherings in Masonry is green,
And we long upon the Level to renew the happy scene.

There is a World where all are equal, we are hurrying to it fast,
We shall meet upon the Level when the Gates of Death are past;
We shall stand before the Orient and our Master shall be there,
To try the blocks we offer with His own unerring Square.

We shall meet upon the Level there, but never thence depart,
There’s a Mansion, ’tis all ready for each trusting, faithful heart,
There is a Mansion and a welcome and a multitude is there;
Who have met upon the Level and been tried upon the Square.

Let us meet upon the Level then while labouring patient here;
Let us meet and let us labour though the labour be severe,
Already in the western sky the signs bid us prepare,
To gather up our working tools and part upon the Square.

Hands round Ye faithful Brotherhood, the bright fraternal chain,
We part upon the Square below and meet in Heaven Again;
And the words of precious meaning, those words Masonic are,
“WE MEET UPON THE LEVEL AND WE PART UPON THE SQUARE”.

Passed to the degree of Fellow Craft!

Good evening Brethen and fellow followers!

Tonight I was passed to the degree of Fellow Craft!

It was an absolutely amazing experience! I cannot even describe how amazing the experience was!

At supper my anxiety over proving up grew and grew but as soon as the W.M called me to the alter to give back my profficiency in the 1st my nervousness dissapeared and i just started giving it!

Afterwards I had serveral brothers approach me and tell me it had been one of the best they had heard. What an amazing and flattering thing to hear from some members who have been around for over 50 years. I couldn't believe how flawlessly I was able to give my proffiency with all those eyes on me. It made my heart feel wonderful knowing I was showing the brethren of the lodge and visiting DDGM and his entourage the respect they deserve, and the fraternity deserved by doing the absolute best I could to give a flawless performance.

The DDGM also presented me with my lapel pin at the supper before the meeting, and I am SUPER excited that I get to wear that now!

This time around I was able to absorb much more of the ritual because I was not as nervous. I will have to let it all soak in over the next few days before I can make hide nor hair of the lessons taught but for now I will just enjoy the fact that it was an amazing evening. I'm exhausted!

I just want to take a minute to sincerly thank the brethren of my lodge for the awesome job they did and for all the time and effort they have been putting into this to make it such an excellent experience for me.

I also have a picture of myself with the degree team but would like to ask their permission before I post it on here.

2º!!

Good Evening Everyone!

Just wanted to put a quick post up there to let everyone know that I am still out here! Just recieved my notice to appear for my passing to the second degree on the 15th of November!

Excitment is definitly mounting! I have been going over the 1º work nightly to ensure I am ready, as I will be proving up just before recieving the 2º.

Tuesdays meeting is also our DDGM's official visit to the lodge could be quite busy! A little nerve wracking but it will be very nice to have more people there!

Anyway I will post again after my passing! Wish me luck!!

And The Lodge Is Returned To Light

Good evening everyone!

Sorry for the lapse in entries! I have been spending my time preparing to prove up in the 1st degree! My lodge will be returning to work officially tomorrow. (I know it seems late but as I live in a farming community, our recess is a little longer as most members are harvesting their crops in September.)

I am very excited to get back into lodge and experience more of just what this "Masonry" is all about.

I am a little dissapointed however, I found out last night that I would not be recieving the 2nd degree tomorrow night as someone who plays a large role in the degree backed out, and they could not find a replacement. But such is the way of things I suppose! All in due time!

Thinking about it, it does kind of make me nervous, as IF I do recieve the 2nd degree at Novembers meeting, I may be recieving the 3rd in December and as December is a busy time for the lodge, there may be quite a few people visiting our lodge.

I am a little leery about having my 2nd degree moved to November however as I do not want any of the 1st degree obligation to slip from my mind before I prove up. I just spent the entire weekened refreshing it and rehearsing it, and getting it just right. I suppose we will see how it ends up!

Be expecting more post and entries from myself, as I get back into the swing of things with regards to Freemasonry.

For now, good night, and thanks for reading!

Westward Bound

Those of you who follow my twitter account may have seen that I posted about my wife's grandfather last week, and that he was headed into heart surgery. We decided to make a trip to Edmonton, which is where the doctor sent him for his surgery, so that we could visit him.

This past weekend was a long weekend here in Canada, and we had some plans originally to take our daughter on a little holiday so we still did so, just changed destinations to Edmonton.

There is a wonderful park there called "Fort Edmonton". It is a historical park that has everything from an old trading fort to a whole town from the 1920's. Naturally Freemasonry playing the important part it did in the formation of western Canada, there was a Masonic lodge in this town.

The lodge room was on the top floor of a store and for me was the highlight of the whole park! The lodge is still in use at times today, and is staffed by Brethren to answer the questions of tourists. This was extremely helpful and a wonderful idea. I had my parents with me and this served as an invaluable tool in showing my mother just was Freemasonry was. As an EA I don't feel I am qualified to say exactly what Masonry is, however having a lodge room, filled with memorabilia and information correctly laid out, and staffed by two master masons really helped her to understand a lot more about just what I was up to. Not to mention I got to use a grip in a foreign place with Brethren that I had never met previously (Very exciting for me!!)

And what is cuter than your two year old daughter taking a rest on a perfect ashlar?

All in all our trip to Fort Edmonton was a wonderful time! In the evening we decided to go for a drive through the city and what better challenge would it be than to search out the Masonic lodges around the city?

Acacia Hall

Highlands Masonic Hall

Freemasons Hall

Freemasons' Hall was an absolutely amazing looking building nestled into downtown Edmonton, with amazing carved features on its exterior. I could hardly imagine what it looks like on the inside. I would definitely like to visit it someday, given the opportunity.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend, even if the circumstances that led us to Edmonton were less than perfect. It was a good time to experience the fraternity again with fall fast approaching and meeting the two brothers at the lodge in Fort Edmonton, made me even more excited for what the future holds and I cannot wait to prove up this fall!

The Summer Of An Entered Apprentice...

What does an EA do when he has 2 or 3 months of time to pass while the lodge is dim?

I think the first answer would be obvious, study study study! The lodges in my jurisdiction provide a cipher to use to study the obligation from.

At first I was very intimidated about having to memorize the whole thing. I thought to myself "Well maybe I should wait to memorize it, what if I forget it by the time the lodge lights get turned back on?"

I was amazed at how right the brethren of my lodge were in saying once you know it you will not forget it.

With that obstacle overcome, what to do next?

I read Freemasons for Dummies from cover to cover, with the exception of anything pertaining to the FC and MM degrees (didn't want to ruin any of the surprise). From that I learned alot about the history of the craft and alot about appendant bodies. Very useful source of information, as well as a tool to answer alot of questions from other family members regarding just what this Freemasonry was all about.

The most surprising thing about the whole summer for myself has been how much becomming an EA, and keeping the lessons taught in the back of my mind has really put in motion change within myself.

It started as a seed in my heart and is now blossoming into a a tree with many branches reaching into my life.

I know I still have a long way to go in shaping myself and my heart into that perfect ashlar but I am surprised at how much impact this whole experience is having on me.

All I will say is that I am applying the lessons in the lecture of the first degree to my life and it feels great knowing that I am making change!

What am amazing summer and amazing experience! I cannot wait for what the future holds! With fall rapidly approaching and the opening of lodge again it will be an exciting season!