2007 Newsletters
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 http://www.mn-rivervalley.org
Minnesota River Valley Lodge #6
December
2007
Volume #9, Issue #12
“Published under the authority
of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. of Minnesota”
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MN River Valley Lodge #6 Officers |
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From the Master’s Desk,
My Brothers,
Next month's stated
according to our by-laws will fall on New Year's Day.
That is, it would have, before we got approved to move it to the 2nd.
The fact queued me to a different way of conducting my last meeting
as the Worshipful Master of Minnesota River Valley Lodge # 6.
I would like the Lodge room to be used as a round table with a circle
of folding chairs around the altar to provide a different ambience and
mindset for discussion. There
will be a short agenda. We will
discuss whatever. For one thing,
our Chaplain would like us to share our experience of visiting while we
delivered the Christmas Baskets.
I think now is the time and here is the place to share
my final thoughts as Master. I have
been privileged to serve the Lodge at a time of great change for us.
I clearly see how I have been privileged to serve when throughout the
State a renewal to something other than to one self is starting to appear in
certain individuals. I served at a
time when good men are seeking what Freemasonry has always had to offer and
are willing to ask for a petition. My
leadership has benefited through our true binds of Masonic Brotherhood.
I am the one privileged to have been elected and to have had you to
work by my side. Through the efforts
and good will of my officers, the Past Masters and my brothers alike we have
achieved. (Lew Price, thank you for your considerable
assistance.) The attribute or virtue which made me a good leader and which I
will not deny has propelled us ahead is simply this:
I was smart enough to listen to what you had to say.
Your suggestions, your support, your corrections and gentle
admonishments to me have kept the Lodge on the proper way to go.
My time as Master has been a privilege of a lifetime and one I will
not forget.I
would like us to assist the Master elect with a State of the Lodge
Discussion next month, one that is meant to look beyond '07 and into '08.
One for sharing our visions large and small.
One to express concerns. And one to let the master elect know we
stand with him with the same love that I have received.
And one to pray to Him above for wisdom, strength and protection
throughout the New Year.
Finishing this business
to our satisfaction, we will signal to all, that we recognize the emergence
of our Lodge's new leadership with it's own peculiar strength, talent and
design cemented by Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth by a stop at Arnie's.
May your blessings be
more and your troubles be less.
Mike Sullivan
Worshipful Master
612-849-9912
mpsullivan@berkleyrisk.com
Installation of the 2008 Lodge Officers
WM elect Lew Price has set Saturday, January 12th
at 10:30 AM for the open Installation of Minnesota River Valley Lodge #6
Officers for 2008. The ceremony
will be held in the Lodge room and is open to the public.
Members of the Jobs, Bethel #85,
and the Hiawatha DeMolay Chapter have been invited to perform their
choreographed presentations as a part of the installation.
Following the ceremony a light lunch will be served.
The elected and
appointed officers are as follows:
WM
Lew Price
SW
Keith Donaldson
JW
Gary Sankary
Tr
Dick Friend
Sec
Tom Peterson
SD
Henry Schaefer
JD
Rich Hervieux
Tylr
George Miller
SS
Tom Smith
JS
Tim Bollinger
Chap
Alan Greene
Mar
Isaiah Boettcher
LEO
John Loutzenhiser
Michael J. Fox once
summed up one of the fundamental parts underlying the essentials of Masonic
philosophy.
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection.
Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business"
Submitted by Daryl Bren
Proposed Budget for Calendar Year 2008
To all Committee
Chairmen
Please submit your
budget request by Dec. 23, 2007 to the following:
Finance Committee
Charles Richter
E-mail:richter.8533@usfamily.net
Phone 507-364-5158
9 Fast-Acting Motivation Tools You Can Create in 2 Minutes
Short on time but still hoping
to make a change or two in your life? We've got just what you need. With
just a minute or two of your time you can create tools of motivation that
are guaranteed to get you moving and keep you going.
6.
Schedule reminders with your computer or
phone.
Think of one
thing you can do, just a single action, that will bring you closer to
reaching your goals. When you have it
in mind, record it into your computers or cell phone's calendar and set the
alarm to go off at the time the action needs to be completed.
Stay Tuned for item #7
next month.
Newsletter
Articles for the next newsletter will be due by January
18th.
You may send articles to me for the newsletter; by any method you desire
(email, fax, regular mail, etc…). Articles that are not received by
the due date will be held over for the newsletter.
We would also like to encourage the other organizations
that are affiliated with MN River Valley Lodge #6, such as the Jobs
Daughters, Eastern Star, Demolay, etc… to feel free to contribute items to
our newsletter and to our Lodge’s Web Calendar.
Thank You,
Steve Scheffert (news@mn-rivervalley.org)
2224 Birch Circle
Blair, NE 68008
Fax: 402-533-8344
Words of the Month
This week I received my
Masonic Light bulletin from South
Carolina.
In the Masonic Education Corner there is a short
Words of the Month section:
Entomology
– the study of word origins
Caviling – the
entomology is Latin cavillari to
jest, deceive. To raise trivial
and frivolous objection.
I have spent some time
during the last few months studying the section of our ritual where the word
caviling is used and find that the character using the word caviling is a
bit like a blunt instrument. He
knows what he wants and he refuses to be deflected from what he desires or
becoming confused by the facts.
As he pursues his course of action he hears objections which, based on what
I have learned in other Masonic work, are true.
Because the objections fail to fit his desires, they are perceived as
an attempt to deceive and deflect him from what he has purposed.
Too bad this character missed the lesson from the EA degree about the
point within the circle.
Submitted by: Keith Donaldson
She Painted the Step
“My
wife caught me last night. When I came home late from Lodge, I usually sit
down on the top step of my porch and hunt for my latch key.
She says I never get home until after mid-night.
I say it’s before. She
caught me all right last night.”
“How was that?”
“Just at midnight she sneaked out and painted the top step.”
Submitted by: Thomas
Smith
One Day to Masonry
On October 27, 2007 the
Grand Lodge presented the One Day to Masonry at
Owatonna,
Minnesota.
Star in the East Lodge No. 33 was the host.
Three Brothers from MRV #6 participated in the Degree work.
Brothers Tom Smith and Isaiah Boettcher were Craftsmen with Brother
Paul Walker from Lebanon Lodge.
Rich Waldie and John Curlott participated as members of the Zuhrah Legion of
Honor Degree team.
It was a wonderful day.
We were able to observe excellent Degree presentations and meet many
new Brothers and also Brothers from other Lodges.
There were forty-three men who became Master Masons that day
It was especially
rewarding for our new Brothers Tom and Isaiah to observe and participate. I
would encourage you to possibly attend a “One Day” as an observer or a
participant.
Fraternally,
Rich Waldie
Brothers Raised
By: Thomas Smith
I was talking to
Doug Campbell from the grand lodge about how we have been having a great
year as we have raised 11 brothers so far and more to come so this year will
be the best in the history of the lodge.
Here are some numbers of the original Lodge's best years.
King Solomon's #44:
1944 – 9
1948 – 8
1949 – 9
1953 – 10
1954 – 10
1964 – 11
And King Hiram Lodge #31 in Jordan had a couple of high years:
1919 – 12
1946 – 11
Rough Ashlar Lodge No. 177 and Chaska Lodge No. 151
really never had any years with big numbers.
The Chaplain’s Corner
Do
You See What I See?
Thanksgiving is past and (most of) the leftovers have been eaten. But the
celebrations have just started.
In December we celebrate the gifts we have received from our gracious God
through the Festival of Lights
and the Christmas Advent season.
Christmas marks the birth of
Jesus Christ, the light and salvation of mankind. He is the gift and
sacrifice of our Lord, through which He brings His love, grace, and
forgiveness to each of us.
The Festival of Lights
(Hanukkah, from the Hebrew word for "dedication"), marks the re-building and
re-dedication of Solomon’s Temple
(considered to be the footstool of God) after its desecration by the
Babylonians. Hanukkah
commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil." According to the
Talmud, at the re-dedication following the overthrow of
Babylonian rule, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the
eternal flame in the Temple
for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the
length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.
What is one of the common themes of these religions?
Light. Islamic Law also calls
Allah the Divine Light. As Masons we understand the significance of light.
It is the reason for our journey – we are traveling toward both the light of
knowledge and the light of salvation. One of my very favorite Christmas
Carols is my theme for this week.
Said
the night wind to the little lamb,
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
with a tail as big as a kite,
with a tail as big as a kite."
Before
the time of Jesus’ birth, an old man named Simeon prayed that God would let
him live long enough to see the face of the Messiah. In those days, it was
customary for parents to bring their first-born son to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord. I can see
Mary and Joseph, coming into the
temple and walking forward to dedicate their first-born son when Simeon, who
spent most of his time in the
Temple, felt in his heart that
this was
the one. I can see old
Simeon inching up to them and asking to see the child.
The mother unwraps the baby so the old man can see, and the old man
looks into the baby’s eyes and he says:
“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace.
Now let your servant die, for my eyes have…seen.
I have seen your salvation that you have prepared for all
people, for those who are Jews and for those who are not
Jews. Lord God, I can depart in
peace for my eyes have finally seen.”
Do you see what I see?
I see
the light of the star in the east, foretelling the birth of Christ and
guiding believers to His birthplace. I see peace where men of all faiths can
gather in harmony and not battle over the name of the one God. I see the
light shining down on us from Heaven, telling us that, like a candle in the
window, He has left the light on for us when we arrive at the end of our
journey – remembering that we are traveling on the level of time to that
undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.
Do you see what I see?
I see you my Brothers, working toward the
common good, to make the world a better place, and by living on the square
of virtue, living Masonic virtues and demonstrating that men of good will
working together, CAN achieve worthwhile ideals and goals.
Closing this year out, Birgitta and I
want to wish you and yours a most blessed Christmas and a fulfilling New
Year.
Prayers for our Brothers and their Families
Please feel free to send me the names of any of our
Brothers and/or their family members, who may be in distress as we pray to
our creator for their comfort and relief.
Psalms.147
[1]
Praise the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is
pleasant; and praise is good.
[3] He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
[7] Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp
unto our God:
Remember those listed below in your prayers. We name the
welfare of our brethren in our petitions because we love them; and knowing
of our own need of their prayers, we realize their need of ours. “For
the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to
their prayer...”
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For Healing and Support
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For Thanksgiving
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For Comfort
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Brother
Buddy Schesso, now residing in Friendship Manor.
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For David Peterson
the father and grandfather of our Brothers
Tom Peterson and Tom Smith, who went
home
this September. He has now been healed of all earthly pain and
distress.
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For Bobbie
Wiggins (Brother Schesso’s Sister)
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Bring the
help and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brothers Tom
Peterson and Tom Smith, on the loss of their father and
grandfather.
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For Rodney
Marek of Montgomery
who went home on October 4. He has now been healed of
all earthly pain and distress.
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For our
Brother
Timothy Jacobs
and his
family at
the loss of his father.
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Bring the
healing and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brother Tom
Peterson in his time of need, and that he will be granted relief
from this passage in his journey through life.
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For Barbara
Jean
Godejohn, who went home this October. She has now been healed of
all earthly pain and distress.
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For the family of
Barbara
Jean
Godejohn, on their loss. Barbara was the beloved sister of our
Brother Gordon Bane.
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Pray for
help and comfort for our Brother TJ Berg and his family, that,
through our Lord’s grace, they will be granted relief from this
passage in their journey of life.
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For our
Brother
George Strehlow
who went home this December. He has now been healed of all earthly
pain and distress.
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Bring the
help and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brother DeWayne
Strehlow on the loss of his beloved brother George.
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Bring the help and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brother
Lou Price and his family, for the healing of his Father-in-law
who is recuperating from surgery.
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Bring the
help and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brother Paul W.
Bischof who suffers from Alzheimer. Paul is the brother of our
Brother Kermit Bischof.
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Bring the
help and comfort of our Lord’s grace to our Brother Larry Wigfield for the healing of his wife Bonnie,
who is recuperating at home from surgery. |
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Be
still – and know. . .
Respectfully submitted by
Alan
Greene,
Chaplain
Minnesota River
Valley
Lodge #6
Gambols on the Green
Carl Claudy
It's disgusting!" began the New
Brother. "Morton must think more of his stomach than he does of his Masonry.
Insisting on expensive refreshments for ladies' night. What's the use of a
ladies' night, anyhow? Jenkins is trying to start a ball game and Elliot
wants a picnic! All this isn't Masonry!"
"Why isn't it?" asked the Old Tiler.
"What a foolish question. You know that Masonry isn't just enjoyment and
foolishness."
"I've been a Mason half of a century," said the Old Tiler, "but maybe I.
don't know what Masonry is. Certainly I don't know all that it is. Who told
you these chaps who want refreshments and ladies' nights and ball games and
picnics thought these were all of Masonry?"
"But they are not dignified! Masonry is grave, impressive, grand, solemn.
Picnics and ball games and entertainments are frivolous. They can't mix."
"Go on, you interest me strangely," commented the Old Tiler. "Tell me, is it
irreligious for a church to have a picnic or a social?"
"Why-ER-I suppose not. But it isn't the church that has 'em, it's the Sunday
School."
"Where they train children to be good, love God and come to church. The
minister should know better than to try to impress children with the
Fatherhood of God by holding a picnic! Any church entertainment which makes
people come and laugh and know each other better and make money to decorate
the church is wicked. I would speak to the district attorney about it, if I
were you."
"Now you are laughing at me!" protested the New Brother.
"That's more than anyone else will, if you keep on chattering," went on the
Old Tiler. "Masonry is all you have said it is, and a great deal you haven't
said. Religion is more than going to church. If God call stand seeing His
ministers, and those who love and follow Him, having innocent enjoyment in
an entertainment or a ball game or a picnic, it should not hurt Masonry to
do tile same thing.
"Masonry is strong only as its bonds are strong. Its greatest bond is not
charity, relief, knowledge, learning, ritual, secrecy-but brotherhood. The
feeling you have for one who has sat in lodge with you is brotherhood. You
have sworn the same obligations, seen the same work, experienced the same
emotions-there is a bond between you. Whatever makes that bond stronger is a
help to Masonry.
"A picnic brings Masons together informally. It brings children together to
play. You learn that Smith is different from what he appears in the
lodge-there he is shy, retiring, almost insignificant. On a picnic lie is in
his element; playing with the children, having a good time with the men,
helping the women-and you like Smith better. There are a thousand Smiths and
a thousand of you, and it is a picnic or a ball game or an outing of some
sort which brings you together.
"Ladies' nights show women that Masonry is innocent, happy, good. They learn
what sort of men their husbands and brothers and sweethearts and sons see
every week. They learn to associate a name and a personality with a
position; they discover that the Master is human, the Secretary is nice, the
junior Warden decent, the Senior Warden delightful. Such contacts spread the
good repute of the order. Some men don't get as much out of the lodge as
they might; it's their fault, perhaps, but we are not supposed to look for
our brothers' faults. If the ladies' night makes the come-but-seldom brother
feel that his lodge is doing something for him, it is worth while.
"There are other uses for money than hoarding it. There are better ways of
spending it than upon new costumes and furniture. One good spending is to
make someone happy. If this lodge has spare funds to provide some pleasure
for it’s ladies, we should so spend it. If we have cash to finance a picnic
or a ball game, it's wise to use it so. The gravity and solemnity of the
third degree will not be hurt by the fun you have, any more than our
reverence for the Creator is damaged by a Sunday School picnic or a church
entertainment.
"Son, Masons are human. We arc not better or different or larger, finer or
more learned than our fellows. We strive toward perfection by means of a
fraternal vehicle which the years have proved to be strong, well made, able
to carry us to happiness and honor. If it could be damaged by picnics and
ladles' nights, it would have fallen to pieces long ago. If its dignity was
so slight that it was injured by a Masonic ball game, it would have been a
laughing stock the day after baseball was invented.
"Get outside of Masonry and look in on it; see it for what it is, not for
what it merely appears to be during a degree. When you see Masonry as love
for one's fellow, brotherhood between men, charity to all, and reverence for
God, you won't think that gambols on the green of life can hurt it."
"I have to go in lodge now," the New Brother announced.
"What's your hurry?" asked the Old Tiler.
"Got to support the motion to spend enough to give the girls a real feast!"
grinned the New Brother, as he retied his apron strings.
Submitted by: Thomas Smith
Interesting Stuff
Regardless if they are
true or not it is kind of interesting:
Many years ago in
Scotland,
a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies
Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
Every day more money is printed for
Monopoly
than the U.S . Treasury.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
LEO Corner
Last month's question
was:
Why do we use "So mote
it be" instead of "Amen"?
"So mote it be" are the
final words in the Regius Poem. "Mote" is old English for "may".
Masons have used the phrase since the beginning of the written history of
the craft. Freemasonry includes many other words, now obsolete, which
brings sanctity of age and the continuity of ritual from ancient days to
modern times.
The question for
December is:
Why is a Master addressed as "Worshipful"?Email -
leo@mn-rivervalley.org
Mailing Address:
John Loutzenhiser
5154 Edgewater Drive
Savage,
MN 55378
Submitted by John Loutzenhiser
The View from the South Gate
With this being December and the year end when present
offices and duties come to a conclusion and new ones are taken on in the New
Year, this will be my last “South
Gate” column.
As most of you know I will soon be vacating this post (after 2 years) and
continuing on my Easterly journey.
Due to some special circumstances my journey will not be stopping off in the
west for a rest but will take me on a direct Easterly heading.
I am honored to have the opportunity to be
able to serve the members of this great Lodge as your Master for next year.
I am very grateful that our current Master,
Mike Sullivan, is leaving the Lodge in excellent shape as
he takes a long and well deserved rest.
He has been a tremendous and effective leader over the last two
years, with the Lodge experiencing remarkable growth and for that I want to
personally thank him for all of his time and dedication to the craft.
When he signed on, he thought it was only for one year, but that
somehow turned into two – and he took in on without the blink of an eye.
He has set the bar high for me.
I will do my best to sustain this quality he has established for the
office.
Brother Gary Sankary will assume the South post and Brother Keith Donaldson will be taking the West post.
Both of these gentlemen possess strong leadership skills and I feel
that we are so lucky to have them as part of the 2008 leadership team.
Two more great leaders have accepted appointments to the Deacon
positions for next year. Bro.
Henry Schaefer
will be your Sr. Deacon and Bro. Rich Hervieux will be your Jr. Deacon for
the 2008 term. Please join
me in welcoming these Brothers to their new stations and positions.
The main themes I want
to focus on next year are Communication, continued Growth and Focus on our
newer members. The younger
generations that have and will be joining the craft are our future.
I ask everyone, if you haven’t already, to get to know these Brothers
who are part of the “Y” and “X” generations.
They are remarkable individuals with plenty of energy.
A couple of dates I
would like to remind you of before I close out this column the last time.
Ø
2008 Officer
Installation will be on Jan 12, 2008 at 10:30 am at the Shakopee building
Ø
Annual Table
Lodge is on also on Jan 12, 2008 at the American Legion in Montgomery – Social Hour starts at 5:00 PM and
Dinner starts at 6:00.
See you soon.
-- Lew
List of Upcoming Events:
December
17th
- Bethel
Event - Bethel
Mtg
24th
– Christmas Eve
25th
– Christmas Day
26th
–
6:30 P.M.
Steering Committee
Meeting Light Supper
Provided
27th
– 7:00 P.M.
Reserved for Ritual Work at the Lodge Hall
29th
– 4:00 P.M. – Bethel Event - Bag Groceries at the Cub Foods in Savage
off County Rd 42
31st
– New Years Eve
January
1st
–
New Years Day
2nd
– 7:30 P.M. Stated
Communications Meeting
3rd
– 7:00 P.M. Reserved for Ritual Work at the Lodge Hall
5th
– 9:30 A.M. First Degree Lodge of Instruction - Location: Compass Lodge
#265 Street Address: 4228 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale,
MN
5th
– 3:45 P.M. – Bethel Event - Last meeting of this term
6th
– 2:00 P.M. – Bethel
Event -
Bethel
#85 Installation of
Officers
12th
– 10:30 A.M. – Open Installation of Minnesota River
Valley Lodge
#6 Officers for 2008
12th
– 10:30 A.M. – Bethel Event - Shakopee Lodge (MNRVL#6)
Installation of Officers
12th
– 2:00 P.M. – Bethel Event - Bethel #39 Installation of Officers
12th
– 3:00 P.M. – Bethel Event - Bethel #48 Installation of Officers
12th
– 5:00 P.M. -
MN River
Valley Lodge #6 Table Lodge (See Website or mailed invite for more
details)
14th
– Bethel
Event - Council Mtg & Lodge Cleaning
18th
– Articles Due for Newsletter
19th
– 1:00 P.M. Bethel Event - Bethel #32 Installation of Officers
21st
– Martin Luther King Day
22nd
–
6:30 P.M.
Steering Committee
Meeting Light Supper
Provided
24th
– 7:00 P.M.
Reserved for Ritual Work at the Lodge Hall
29th
– 6:30
P.M. – Metro West Masters and Wardens -
Location: Anoka Lodge #30 Street Address: 1900 3rd Ave
South, Anoka, MN
Visit the
Lodge Website and view the Lodge calendar for our complete list of events.
http://my.calendars.net/mrvl_6
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