Emessay Notes April 2007

Honoring Miliary Service

         Bro. Dean Skokan, Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska, sent the following letter to all lodges in Nebraska:

         Brethren:

            As we all know, military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq have drawn heavily on National Guard and Reserve troops. Units from Nebraska have been activated and are serving overseas. Several of the men in these units are members of our lodges. Their service gives us the opportunity to offer assistance to their families in their absence, and to welcome them home upon their return.

            I expect that every Nebraska lodge will maintain a roster of their brothers who are in military service overseas. Lodges should regularly contact their brothers while overseas, and attend to their needs and comfort. Assistance of every kind should also be offered to their families in their absence. The families of our brothers in military service overseas should be specially invited to all lodge family activities. When our brothers return, they must be brought into our lodges, stand before our altars, their sacrifices acknowledged and their service honored.

            When Grand Lodge Officers visit your lodge this year, we will specifically inquire as to your efforts in this regard.

            As a regular reminder of these obligations, I hereby direct that, during this Masonic year, no Masonic assembly in this Grand Jurisdiction will adjourn without first invoking the blessing of Deity on behalf of the members of the armed forces of the United States, praying for their bravery and safety in battle, support and assistance to their families in their absence, and the heartfelt gratitude of every Nebraska Mason for their service.

            These obligations go to the very heart of Freemasonry, my Brothers. They are not to be taken lightly. Please govern your Lodges accordingly.

(MSA is very proud to reprint this letter and salute GM Skokan for honoring those serving our country in the Armed Forces.)

The Meaning of Masonry

      Before his untimely death, Bro. William Grinnell, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Wyoming, prepared a paper which included the following quote:

    The blood of our Fraternity has indelibly colored every thread and fiber of the warp and woof of our national fabric. That sacred cloth, so boldly framed and emblazoned in the Constitution’s design, strength and beauty was, as Benjamin Franklin so impressed upon his fellow delegates at Philadelphia, already recorded in the Holy Bible, wherein is light. Look closely. It is light that begs your individual discovery. Even more, it entreats you, the discoverer, to take action, to get off the fence, to personally mold and fashion your character more closely as a living stone, in that building, that house not made by hands. It is for you to be all you can be – if you will but dare. Then, and only then, is your identity assured, present and future, finally bound up within the mortar holding you to other living stones.

 (Even though Bill is no longer with us, MSA is very pleased to be able to share his words with our readers.)

What's New?

My Dad is a Freemason

    A book by Richard Vang, has just been released by Square Circle Press. The book is designed to help Freemasons explain their mysterious organization to their children and other younger members of their families. Until recently, Masonic tradition discouraged the discussion of lodge activities even with family members, often with the result of adult sons wondering why their fathers never asked them to join their Masonic lodge. This book provides a tool for Masons to more easily communicate with their families and share the experience of their membership.

(My Dad is a Freemason – By: Richard Vang – ISBN 978-0-9789066-0-3)

Masonic Temples

    In Masonic Temples, William D. Moore draws on his experience as director of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library in New York City to introduce readers to the fascinating world behind Masonic architecture and the history it portrays. As he leads readers through the design and social functions behind the intricate style of the Masonic structures built during the sixty-year period from 1870 to 1930, he skillfully draws a unique link to the development of the concept of American masculinity.

(Soon to be released – For current information visit www.utpress.org)

Did You Know ? What is the Tylers Oath?

    Declaration of a visitor that he has been regularly initiated, passed and raised and does not stand suspended or expelled.

(Source: MSA Digest, Masonic Dictionary)