Friday, 3 February 2012

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”.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

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.

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

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!!

Monday, 17 October 2011

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!

Monday, 5 September 2011

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!

Thursday, 1 September 2011

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!

Sunday, 10 July 2011

When Is A Man A Mason

I read this on Masonic Matrix and I just wanted to share it with you all, it's from "The Builders"


When is a man a Mason? When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope and courage — which is the root of every virtue.

When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as devine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man. When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins — knowing that each man fights a hard battle against many odds.

When he has learned how to make friends and keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself. When he loves flowers, can hunt the birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a little child. When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life. When star-crowned trees, and the glint of sunlight of flowing waters, subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead. When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response.

When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of devine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be. When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin.

When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope. When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, with his God; in his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of song — glad to live, but not afraid to die! Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give all the world.

– Joseph Fort Newton – THE BUILDERS