 http://www.mn-rivervalley.org
Minnesota River Valley Lodge #6
"Issued with the Permission of the M.W. Grand Lodge of Minnesota"
May 2006 Plumbline
Last Saturday the Kentucky Derby was held
and it also marked the passing of the one month marker in my Masonic journey
as your Grand Master. The venerable race is touted as the most exciting two
minutes in sports. The honor of serving as your Grand Master will be, if
this past month is any indication, the most exciting twelve in my life. I
thank you for the honor and ask for your support and prayers!
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While many lodges go dark in the coming
weeks, I encourage those who do, to continue to gather for social events and
officer planning meetings. Being prepared for the resumption of your labors
in the Fall is a key to your future success.
When doing so, be sure to devise plans to
make the Masons Day at the Gopher football game a great day to showcase our
fraternity to the public. We plan on having the KidsID program at the
Metrodome, tout our relationship with the University of Minnesota in the
fight against cancer, provide 1,000 tickets for our military and their
families and have FUN! Further details will follow in upcoming editions of
the Minnesota Mason as well as the Plumbline newsletters.
Greater Minnesota Masons think of carpooling
or bussing to the game against Temple on Saturday, September 16th. Metro
Masons should think of a tailgate party before or after the game. All
should think of bringing prospective members!
I was honored to be a guest of the Order of
the Eastern Star at their annual Grand Chapter meeting in St. Cloud. It was
a beautiful evening and I thank outgoing Worthy Grand Matron Ellen Caufman
(2006 Grand Lodge Sweetheart) and wish her successor, Barbara Nordaune the
best success. We should all be proud of the accomplishments and
contributions of these members of the Masonic family.
The Partners for Life campaign of the
Minnesota Masonic Cancer Fund, Inc. is more than willing to provide a
speaker to your lodge event. You can contact Sarah Henry at the Masonic
Cancer Center Fund office, 651-639-8433 or by e-mail at shenry4@mn.rr.com to
make the arrangements. The University of Minnesota recently hosted a dinner
to inform us of the strides that they are making in the battle against this
disease because of the generosity of the Masonic family. The recounting of
the personal battle and the work of the oncologists at our Masonic Cancer
Center by Tammy was a moving one.
The fund raising goal is lofty but
attainable through the matching funds program offered by Minnesota Masonic
Charities. Contact the Masonic Cancer Center Fund at 651-639-8433 to find
out how to join in the fight and have your contribution matched, dollar for
dollar!
My television watching is limited but a
recent episode contained words that gave me pause and should be remembered
by all Masons: ³It is a lot easier to throw rocks at a house than to build
one.² We, as Masons, are, by design, builders and not rock throwers. When
rocks are being thrown it takes longer for the builders to accomplish their
work. Be a builder!
Being a working Grand Master requires
careful balancing of time. Requests for my presence at various functions are
great to receive but not always practical to fulfill. Please make your
requests through the Grand Secretary and we will try to fill them as best as
possible. I will endeavor to attend as many functions as possible but want
to inform you that I will give preference to prospective member events. Such
events are catalysts for the future of your lodge and Minnesota Masonry.
In an upcoming issue of the Plumbline, I
will be asking you to make plans as lodge leaders to define your lodge¹s
purpose. The author of ³A Purpose Filled Life,² Rick Warren, has written a
book entitled the ³Purpose Filled Church.² Substitute ³lodge² for ³church²
in his book and exciting opportunities will appear for your lodge. More to
follow.
Join me in congratulating the entire team
that made another successful ³One-Day-to-Masonry² possible in Hibbing last
Saturday. I am pleased to report that 21 good men followed the path created
by Masonry to make them better. We are better for having them and I urge you
to make them and all newly admitted brothers welcome and bonded with us in
our great work.
Speaking of degree work, the Zuhrah Shrine
Legion of Honor Master Mason Degree Team will be working at Valley Lodge No.
174 in Glenwood on May 20th and at Wadena Lodge No. 156 in Wadena on May
23rd. If you are in the Glenwood or Wadena areas on those dates and would
like to see the Master Mason Degree at its best, stop by the lodge. W.
Brother Pete Van Osdol is in charge of these events for the degree team, so
if you would like the details, feel free to give him a call, 763-503-0609.
Since May is a busy time in Minnesota Masonry, Pete is also in need of a few
more workers for both of these degrees. If you would like to help out by
taking a part in one or both of these degrees, why not give him a call to
see if your talent matches with his cast opening.
Junior Grand Warden Tom McCarthy and the
Grand Lodge officers continue to work on honing a Mission Statement for the
Grand Lodge of Minnesota. A discussion draft as it now stands reads as
follows:
The Mission of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota
is to engage and inspire charitable men, who believe in a Supreme Being, to
conduct their lives according to Masonic tenets and values.
Our Mission is guided by the enduring and
relevant tenets of our fraternity
- Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth - and our
core values, which include:
Freedom
Freemasons champion the liberties and values
outlined in the founding documents of the United States.
Integrity
We strive to be honest, truthful and
reliable, living life in an honorable and upright manner.
Tolerance
The Craft respects diversity of opinion, and
religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences.
Give this some thought and if you have ideas
on how to improve the Mission Statement or on how to help get the Mission
Statement implemented, please contact R. W. Brother McCarthy, tpmcc@myclearwave.net.
The ad hoc publicity committee has been
working hard to capitalize on the interest in Freemasonry that the May 19th
release of the much anticipated movie ³The Da Vinci Code.² We don¹t want to
miss the opportunities that will be created to define what Masonry really is
as opposed to being defined by this fictional work.
How about getting a group from your lodge to
attend the movie and have a discussion following?
When you do go, don¹t forget to wear your
Square and Compass. It might afford you an opportunity to tell a member of
the public that we do really exist and are a positive force for good in
society.
If you do have a lodge night at the theatre
and have an interesting story to tell about the reaction of the public to
the movie¹s showing, feel free to share it with the Grand Lodge office.
Finally, thanks to my immediate predecessor,
Most Worshipful Brother Andrew J. Rice, for his friendship and leadership
during the past year and the past several years. I am greatly comforted to
know that his knowledge and experience will continue to be shared with the
progressive line as a member of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota Board of
Corporate Trustees for the next two years.
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