So?....... How's Your Winter?

Scottish Rite House of the Temple which is located at 1733 16th ST

Washington DC

I hope no one is inside.......................................My back hurts

just thinking about shoveling it out.

The Grand Lodge of Minnesota Bowling Team

The 2010 Dave Lee Gutter Ball was held on January 22 in Brooklyn Park Minnesota. The Grand Lodge put together a six person team to compete in this annual Bowling Tourment to benefit the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital.

We bowled four complete games and Trophies were awarded to the top teams...don't worry, we were awarded a prize, and we were not exactly in the top winning bracket. More later.

This is the Grand Master of Minnesota Masons Thomas G. McCarthy being interviewed by Host Dave Lee. It was pretty cool to hear our Grand Master on the radio.

Junior Grand Deacon Dave Olson and Senior Grand Steward Jim Christensen
Senior Grand Warden Tom Hendrickson, Grand Master Tom McCarthy, Deputy Grand Master John Cook

Deputy Grand Master John Cook just saw his score
John Cook, Steve Johnson, Grand Master Tom McCarthy, Doug Campbell, Jim Christensen, ME

Can you pick out the two people who own their own bowling ball in this photo?

It was a good day had by all..................................

Just in case you're wondering how we did. We took second to last place and won a case of Schlitz beer. We all had good frames and bad.........it was more bad. I am happy to report that I never bowled below 100 and had a personal all time high of 188.

I'm very proud to say that we were able to help such a noble cause such as the University Amplatz Childerns Hospital. Did you know that they are one of the three largest kidney transplant programs in the world that specialize in infants and children? Did you know that they have two floors devoted to treating children for cancer?

I was able to meet and talk with the President Kathie Taranto and I was impressed! Kathie said that it was the goal of the hospital to be recognized as one of the top children's hospitals in the nation. She is sharp and very personable.

That's an effort I'm going to support. But then again why not? That's "Minnesota Excellence."

Art Work From Rite to Ritual

This artwork is the winner of the 2009 Australian Telstra National Indigenous Art Award. The artist is Danie Mellor. It is a large drawing created on paper done with crayon, pencil and glitter pen.
The name of this work is "From Rite to Ritual." This work explores the encounter between the Indigenous people of Australia and the Settler Cultures. The meeting of the two very different cultures takes place in the interior of a Freemasons lodge. This is a comment on the importance of secret and public cermony in both cultures. It also speaks on the differences in spiritual beliefs.
I think you could call it a clash of cultures with similarities.
I've included the link to a very nice Australian website to give you a much better description and look at it.

New Portrait of Geroge Washington to be Unveiled

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association has commissioned the painting of a new portrait of George Washington as a Freemason. It was painted by Christopher Erney, an artist from the Alexandria Virginia area.

Chris's first love is sculpture. He has created sculpture for the the US Olympic Team, and the US Treasury. Chris is no stranger to painting George Washington. He spent two years painting a mural the length of four football fields in Alexandria Virginia. This giant mural is a 12-scene montage of George Washington's life. This mural project was designed to replace a ten foot chain length fence to beautify a bike path to cover a controversial electrical generating power plant. Go here for interesting information about the artist and his work.

I am planning on being in attendance at the Conference of Grand Masters when the painting is unveiled on February 22, 2010 celebrating George Washington's 278th birthday. I am looking forward to seeing this new interpretation of Brother Washington. I am hoping that I will be able to return home with a print.

While I am there I am also looking forward to seeing the White House Stone Exhibit. There are fifty stones that will be on display. Each of the stones were marked by the Scottish Masons who helped build the White House in the 1790s. It was during the during the Harry S Truman presidency that they were discovered during the restoration of the White House. Brother Truman sent one stone to each Grand Lodge. The Minnesota Stone will be on display among the others. I am excited because the Minute Book from Edinburgh Lodge #8 will also be displayed.

This Minute Book will provide the the names and marks of the Stone Masons who had gone to America. Matching those names with the Minute Book from Federal Lodge #1 will show the Scottish Masons who formed the First Lodge in Washington DC on the White House grounds. I am expecting to identify the name and Mark of the Mason who marked the Minnesota Stone.

Then I will attempt to create a biographical paper on him.

The Grand Master of Alaska Is Offering You a Free Beer

The Grand Master Of Masons in Alaska, Bo Cline, is busy making home brew beer to offer you a sample at the upcoming Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Alaska. Their Annual Communication will be held on Tuesday February 2nd and go to Friday February 5th in Anchorage.


This Grand Master brew is going to be offered in the Hospitality Lounge for those who wish to stop by for a taste. Grand Master Bo has made two types: the one on the right is a India Pale Ale in the making and the on one the left is going to be an Amber.


If you would like to get more information on attending the Annual Communication click here.


Here is a haiku that might describe why people home brew:


Hobbies fill my time
Ales and lagers fill my glass
Home brewing does both
.

Weigh, mash, boil, pitch
All good fun, but happiness
Is smiling friends

I think I'd like to have a batch of the Grand Master's Brew for a Table Lodge.

We meet by the Light of the Full Moon

In the early days, many Masonic lodges used to organize their meeting nights to coincide with the phase of the full moon. This had a lot to do with the fact that transportation was very poor then. Getting from home to lodge was often a problem. Having lodge the same night as a full moon was to help ensure the brothers traveling to and from lodge would have the advantage of the bright moon to aid them in navigating on the rough country roads and footpaths.

As transportation and roads improved, and since many Grand Lodges insisted that lodges meet upon fixed dates, many lodges gave up the old practice.

I understand that there are less than 500 "moon lodges" in the United States today.

My first experience with a "Moon Light Lodge" was a very memorable one. I was making a Grand Lodge visit to Accacia Lodge #51 in Cottage Grove Minnesota. As I was driving to the lodge the moon was big, full and shining brightly over the pine trees. The light of the moon allowed me to see a large jack rabbit and pheasants in a field covered in snow. It was one of those beauitful sub-zero Minnesota nights.

Following the stated meeting and a wonderful dinner, the Worshipful Master and Wardens presented me with a key fob. On the back side all the dates of the full moon were printed on it to help the brothers remember lodge night dates.

So I have added a Moon Phase indicator icon to the blog. This is to aid any brother in planning his Calendar and is reminiscent to the days of Freemasonry before us.

U.S. Congressman Refuses to tell if Freemasons wish to rule the World

Sorry I couldnt help myself...........Happy New Year