First, apologies for the calendar error last month showing Brother Sonnenberg’s Second Degree conferral on May 18th, he and his family were in Disneyland that day. The date should have been the third Thursday, June 15th, giving everyone an extra month to plan on attending.
Errors happen occasionally, things don’t always turn out the way we plan for them, and we don’t always get the response we expect from life. Nobody promised a Garden of Eden for us. Rather, I believe we are challenged intentionally to test our character and resolve to prove the true nature of each of us. We can view these barriers and obstacles positively as a sort of tempering to strengthen the values and lessons we learn from life. Masonry gives us some really good guides to help us determine the course we should take in life to become a truly good man. This fraternity has had over 300 years of trial and errors to come up with these principles, the Bible close to 2000 years. I think we’re on a good path as Masons and I constantly look to Masonry and the Bible for the help I need.
June is a wonderful half-way point of the year with the beginning of summer but also as we approach the 300-year anniversary of the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, UGLE, when the structure of our modern fraternity was formed. This date reminds us of the emergence of the age of enlightenment out of the dark ages and the benefits in society that resulted and continues to evolve in unimagined ways. Change is inevitable but how it does so to the dark side or to the force of good is a human choice. Freemasonry definitely works to the forces of good and guides us to a higher and enlightened place to that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
I’d like to remind you again of Brother David Sonnenberg’s Fellowcraft degree conferral on June 15, and encourage you to learn something new with your perspective as Master Masons. Also, a reminder that the Hall Association will meet on May 31, and the family dinner and Stated Meeting will be June 1. This would be the perfect time to visit your Lodge again, even if only for twice a year, and hear the progress that the Officers have worked so hard for, in the community, for our building in the middle of town, our ritual, and for our common enlightenment. We all have a need to be cared for in life, here in Lodge you are important, cared for and loved. See for yourself when I’ll see you in Lodge.
At our June Stated Meeting, we will be honored to receive the representative for our Grand Master, Worshipful Michael Paynter, PM, Inspector of the 119th Masonic District. He’s a terrific Brother who you’d be delighted to know, and from whom we could learn a lot. Come shake his hand and express your appreciation for all he’s done on our behalf.
Faternally,
Guy
