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| Thanks to the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs |
Monday, October 25, 2021
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Minnesota Masonic Charities 16th Annual Gala
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On September 25, 2021, the Minnesota Masonic Charities held its 16th Annual Gala at the Heritage Center-Evergreen Hall in Bloomington, Minnesota. In the past this this event has been held at the Landmark Event Center at the Minnesota Masonic Home. Due to COVID-19 and necessary precautions to protect the Masonic home residents who reside in the Elder Service wing, this necessitated a change in venue.
The Heritage Center is a wonderful place filled with many
Masonic items which created a welcoming atmosphere for the 180 guests in
attendance.
For those of you who are not aware, the purpose of the
Minnesota Masonic Charities Gala is to gather Masons and guests for a social
occasion once a year. It is an
opportunity for everyone to dress up, enjoy socializing with old and new
friends while enjoying an evening of drinks, dinner, and conversation while
raising money for wonderful causes supported by Masonic Charities.
My favorite part of the evening was the after-dinner
program. The speaker was introduced by Masonic Charities President and CEO,
Eric Neetenbeck. Eric announced that the
Minnesota Masonic Charities has made a gift of thirty-five million dollars to
the University of Minnesota for the purpose of establishing the Masonic
Institute for the Developing Brain. This will be “an interdisciplinary
initiative focused on the early diagnosis and treatment of the
neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and adolescence.” This is cutting edge stuff folks.
The guest speaker was Dr. Damien Fair, the new
Co-Director for the Masonic Institute. Dr. Fair is a leading national expert in
behavioral neuroscience and brain imaging. He was very recently recruited from
the Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Fair is originally from
Minnesota.
Dr Fair provided an overview of his prior research and
work which lead him to his current position. He also provided some insight on
why he recently chose the University of Minnesota for his future work, while
recruited by several universities. He
gave all in attendance, a glimpse of the interdisciplinary work and research
that will occur at the new Center. This
will be a “one stop shop” for children and families. He also noted that he will
enter the new building for the first time in the coming week, which was made
possible by Minnesota Masonic Charities.
In closing, Eric Neetenbeck reminded all attendees of the
good causes supported in the past and all the worthwhile ongoing efforts
supported by Minnesota Masonic Charities which include Masonic Cancer
Center-University of Minnesota, Masonic Children’s Hospital-University of
Minnesota, Minnesota Masonic Home, the thousands of scholarships provided,
community services such as the Minnesota Masonic Home and now the Masonic
Institute for the Developing Brain.
Minnesota Masonic Charities has given one hundred
million dollars in the past ten years, and MMC is the largest contributor to
the University of Minnesota.
All of that is something for Minnesota Masons to be very proud
of and the more reason to support these wonderful endovers that impact the
lives of Minnesotans and beyond our states border.
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| President and CEO Eric Neetenbeek Minnesota Masonic Charites |
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| John Schwietz Director of Institutional Advancement MMC |
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Grand Lodge of Minnesota Past Grand Masters Luncheon 2021
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Front row: left to right Sr. Grand Deacon Robert S. Davis, Jr. Grand Stewart Bruce A. Carson, MWB David E. Olson-2013, MWB Jack Benson-1995, MWB John R. Gann-2015, MW Grand Master Rolf M. Widstrand, MWB Eric J. Neetenbeck-1996, MWB Steven R. Johnson 2006, MWB Roger M. Taylor 2001, Junior Grand Warden Foster D. Solem, MWB Jeffrey N. Lewis 1999
Back row; left to right Grand Treasurer Frank Spevak, Deputy Grand Master Tony R. Kroll, Junior Grand Deacon Shawn R. Carrick, MWB Thomas Jackson-2008, MWB Thomas E. Hendrickson-2011, MWB Andrew Rice-2005, Senior Grand Warden Dayton L. Berg, MWB Eathan A. Seaberg-2019-2020, MWB Robert L. Darling-2016 |
It is an occasion for all the Past Grand Masters along with the current Grand Master and his Officers to celebrate our heritage and honor our traditions, embracing the present while looking to the future.
We have gathered since 2009 in the mid to late Summer when things are more relaxed, and it’s easier to travel. It’s also a more convenient time for the Grand Master and his officers to attend before their calendars become filled with Lodge events.
It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us to escape our daily activities for a time and to gather together in one place for just a couple of hours to share past memories and discuss the future with the newest officers.
There
were many who could not attend due to health issues, work and family
commitments and we missed them, we were able to receive updates from those
familiar with their circumstances.
There
were three deaths in our Masonic Family this year:
Past
Grand Master George W. Christie 1952
Past
Grand Master Charles Baltos 1991
Past
Grand Master Charles J. Luman 1998
This
year was an especially satisfying year to meet after being isolated from our
Masonic Brotherhood this past year due to Covid. It was good to be able to give
each other a hearty handshake, and look into each other’s eyes, and share with
each other what’s happening in our lives. It was also a good reminder to
appreciate and remember those who served before us, celebrate their lives, and enjoy
the time that we have together.
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Sibley Lodge #209 Dedication Ceremony
St. John the Baptist Day June 24, 2021
On June 24, 20201, St
John the Baptist Day, just a few hours before a full moon, Sibley Lodge #209
held a Dedication Ceremony and Open House at their new Masonic Temple in
Arlington, Minnesota.
Sibley Lodge #209
has been in continuous service in Winthrop, Minnesota for 127 years and they
had owned and occupied the same two-story brick building for 100 years. The
lodge had occupied the second floor but there were 25 steep steps to walk up to
attend lodge meetings.
Several years ago,
the lodge members conducted a needs assessment of the lodge building. The members carefully examined the needs and
repairs of the building to continue its functionality. The costs of rewiring
the entire building, up grading the electrical system, and potentially installing
air conditioning they found the costs were staggering.
The members
determined a better solution would be sell the building and locate a new building
or space that was structurally sound, modernized and on one floor for easy
access for all members.
Approximately a
year and a half ago they learned that a building at 105 4th Ave NW
in Arlington, Minnesota was going up for sale. Many of the members of the lodge
were very familiar with the building and the most recent tenant has been light
technology manufacturing company. Past Grand Master Tom McCarthy used to walk
past the building on his walk to his high school when it was a Dry Cleaners. The
building size, condition, and location was a great fit for the lodge. The
members considered the layout a blank canvas and they have created a wonderful
and purposeful Masonic Temple.
While a move is not easy, much credit should be given to the membership themselves for a successful sale and relocation. The entire project was only made possible by the generosity of the donation of time and financial pledges. Many members pitched in did a lot of painting, cleaning, and moving furniture.
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| Grand Master Rolf M. Winstrand |
The Dedication Ceremony began with a two-block parade by the Brothers of Sibley Lodge down Main Street. They were followed by six Past Grandmasters, and the current Grand Master of Minnesota Masons, Rolf M. Winstrand and his Officers.
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Once assembled in the Lodge the ceremony was begun by the Honorable Mayor of the City of Arlington Richard Nagel, as he welcomed everyone and made the opening comments.
The Grand Master and Officers moved to the center of the lodge room near the alter. The Grand Master then employed the ancient application of the square, level and plumb to demonstrate that the cornerstone of the physical building was well suited to promote good men to strive for knowledge and truth, to learn and be involved in universal benevolence.
The Grand Officers poured Corn, Wine and oil on the cornerstone. Each of them has a special significance. Corn is the emblem of plenty, Wine is the emblem of joy and gladness, Oil is the emblem of peace.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, all attendees were free to tour the building while enjoying lemonade and cookies.
I hadn’t been to Sibley Lodge for a few years, and it was a great time to catch up with many Brothers and after the pandemic isolation is was great to be able to socialize, see so many and take pictures.
I have seen lodges that are struggling, lodges merging, lodges surrendering their charters. I see our Masonic edifices being torn down, sold or turned into event centers for weddings. From my corner of the world, attending the Sibley Lodge Dedication for a new Masonic Temple was very uplifting and encouraging. It is a testament to the members that they found a winning solution to continue to prosper.
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| Past Grand Master-Grand Lodge of Minnesota at Sibley Lodge for Dedication |
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
What you Should Know about the Masonic Service Association Short Talks Bulletin
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| Graphic by the MSA |
What
you should know about:
The
Masonic Service Association Short Talk Bulletin
By
Tom Hendrickson P.G.M. Grand Lodge of Minnesota
Lodge Education
Tonight, I’d like to talk about the Masonic Service
Association and the Short Talk Bulletin.
How many of you know what the Masonic Service
Association is?
Did you know…
It was during World War I that various Grand Lodges,
and influential Masons approached the federal government and offered their
support to the American Troops. It was determined that the Masons would be able
to serve a very useful purpose in helping the armed forces, however the government
did not want generals and other officials “pulling their hair out” in dealing
with 48 separate Grand Lodges (the United States only had 48 states then). So, in 1919, at the Conference of Grand
Masters in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the Masonic Service Association was created to
coordinate the U.S. Masonic efforts to provide aid to the American servicemen.
The mission of the MSA, was and is, to provide
services to the Grand Lodges that they would find difficult to provide for
themselves. In 1919, the association developed four functions that are still in
effect today.
Disaster Relief
When a natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs the MSA will make an appeal to all the Grand Lodges and act as the central collection point for funds. All the money received by the MSA is sent to the Grand Lodge in the affected state. No portion of the money is kept by the MSA but is passed thru at 100% of the amount collected. I have personally seen the MSA efforts after the 2008 Iowa Flood and again after the 2011 North Dakota Flood.
VA Hospital Visitation Program
I could talk an entire hour about the good work and
services that this program provides, including visitation and personal services
for disabled or lonely veterans. Last year, in 2020, this program provided
500,000 volunteer hours provided by Masons to 150 VA Hospitals and state
veteran homes across the United States.
Masonic Information Center
The MSA has created a wide variety of pamphlets,
booklets, and brochures that tell the public about Freemasonry. These materials
have been sent to more than three million people in the past twenty years.
Education
The MSA also publishes the Short Talk Bulletins, and
Short Talk Podcasts.
How many of you know what a Short Talk Bulletin
is? Raise your hand-ok
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| Tom Hendrickson-Collection |
Every month the MSA sends via the US Mail the Short
Talk Bulletin to every Grand Lodge as well as every Lodge in the United States
and Canada? They even have subscribers in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Japan,
Mexico, England, Ireland, and Scotland. A whopping 16,000 are sent every month, making
the Short Talk Bulletins the most widely distributed masonic publication in the
world.
When was the last time you read one?
Did you know…
The Short Talk Bulletin covers sixteen different
subjects or categories? The subjects range from the workings of the lodge,
leadership, Esoteric Symbolism, philosophy, charity and famous Masons, just to
name a few.
Did you know…
The Short Talk are written by some of the most
noteworthy Masonic Scholars of the 20th and 21st Century. Influential thinkers as well as ordinary
masons who have valuable insights to share. The very well-known and admired
Masonic Author, Carl H. Claudy, wrote 350 Short Talk Bulletins and has been
referred to as the “Father of the Short Talks”.
When was the last time that a Short Talk was read, and
discussed in a Lodge Meeting?
Did you know…
They are designed to be read in Lodge during a meeting.
Each Short Talk is designed to be a maximum five-minute read. A short
discussion is encouraged following the reading. This method will produce a fifteen-to-twenty-minute
Lodge Education Session at every lodge meeting for twelve months.
Do you know…
Where the Lodge stores them?
As Grand Master and in the Grand Lodge I had the
opportunity to travel and visit all the Lodges. I still do. One of my favorite
questions I would ask the Lodge Master and Secretary is, “where do you keep
your Short Talk Bulletins”?
One Lodge Secretary proudly said, “I have every Short
Talk Bulletin since I’ve been the Secretary here for the last seven years. I asked,
where are they? He said, “in the safe”. He walked over to the lodge safe and
opened it. Inside I saw a neat stack of
the Short Talk Bulletins kept together with red and yellow rubber bands. I
asked him why he kept them in the safe. He replied, “I don’t want the Masonic
secrets just laying around for anyone to see”.
Another Lodge Secretary said, “oh, I have them right
here”. He then opened a drawer of his desk. I peered into the drawer and saw
this mass of unopened envelopes containing the Short Talk Bulletins. The secretary
said, “I thought they were junk mail; we get a lot of junk mail you know”.
One Worshipful Master replied, “well our Junior Warden
was interested in them, so we had them mailed to him”. The Lodge Secretary
replied that the Junior Warden wasn’t the Junior Warden any longer because he demitted
two years ago.
For my last story, the Lodge Secretary said that every
meeting he announced that he has received the new Short Talk Bulletin and
places it on the corner of his desk for anyone who wants to read it. He said
that “it just disappears, and I never see it again, so I know at least one
person reads it”.
Did you know…
The MSA has published The Short Talk Bulletin continuously
every month since January 1923. Let’s see 12 issues a year for 98 years equals
a total of 1176 bulletins.
I think it’s easy to see why most, if any, Lodges
don’t have a complete set of the Short Talks. I know that there are many Grand
Lodges that possess a complete or near complete collection of The Short Talk
Bulletins. Most of those are under lock and key which greatly restricts
accessibility.
Did you know…
The leadership at the MSA displayed the advance vision
to ensure the entire collection would be available. They embarked on a daunting
task to collect all of the Short Talk Bulletins and they had the wisdom to
select S. Brent Morris, Editor of the Scottish Rite Journal, to get the job
done.
In 2013 the MSA began the colossal undertaking of
collecting all the Short Talk Bulletins and placing them in chronological order
and editing the typeface to give or more modern font. Then the bulletins were bound
into a volume that includes an index in the back of the book for easy reference.
The complete set is six volumes covering the years from 1923 to 2017. Each
volume averages 700 pages.
Initially there was a choice of two different
bindings. The Master Mason Edition sold for $98.00 and the Grand Master Edition
for $158.00. In reviewing the MSA website, the price has dramatically decreased
and there is an extremely limited availability.
How many here know what a Podcast is?
Listening to a podcast is like listening to a radio
program, but the podcast has many advantages. The radio program is usually
live, and you need to tune in at a specific time. The Podcast is a prerecorded
digital audio recording that is made available on the internet. You can
download it to your computer or your phone, and listen to it, anytime,
anyplace, anywhere you wish.
Did you know…
That the MSA has a Short Talk Bulletin Podcast?
The Short Talk Podcast was the brainchild of Brother
Michael A. Smith of Freeport Lodge #23 Grand Lodge of Maine. His inspiration
came to him one night as he was serving as Tyler of his Lodge. As he was out in
the ante room, performing his Tyler duties he discovered a dusty bookshelf
containing many old Masonic books. The book that caught his eye was “Short
Talks on Masonry” by Joseph Fort Newton. He found that the” book was made up of
short, deep yet digestible, independent chunks, disseminating the history,
allegories and meanings to be found within Masonry”
The discovery of the old book took Michael on a new
Masonic adventure for two reasons. Michael was a new Mason and he found the
information contained in the book meaningful in his Masonic Journey.
After some conversations with Brothers, he also discovered
the MSA Short Talk Bulletins. He saw that the almost of a hundred years’ worth
of Short Talk Bulletins had been placed in six massive books. He said that “all
that wonderful information is not accessible to the average smartphone savvy
Brother on the go, and that the majority of the Craft today had little exposure
to its excellent content”.
The second factor that prompted Michael was his day
job is a Producer and Publisher of Audio Books.
He felt the material in the Short Talk Bulletins would be perfectly
suited for a Podcast. He could get those “thousand-plus-faceted jewels of
Masonic light” out to a broader audience from those forgotten lost leaflets and
he could professionally produce them as a spoken audio file. His vision of the
Short Talk Bulletin Online Audio Library was born.
Michael approached the Masonic Service Association and
discovered that “Apparently, no one had seriously considered producing audio
from the publications, so I composed a contract that brought profits back to
the Masonic Service Association of North America to directly support their
worthy campaigns”.
Michael Smith has also engaged many other Masons to
help narrate. You will hear the voices of various Grand Masters, Grand Lodge
Officers, and even notable Masons such as Chris Hodapp Author of Freemasons for
Dummies. Another interesting dimension is that Michael has ask authors who had
written a Short Talk to narrate it for the podcast. Many times, when an author
who reads their work, it can make it more of a personal experience.
The podcast is just another way to help those that are
searching for a pathway to help them towards self-improvement.
Did you know…
In January 2020, the Grand Lodge of Minnesota
presented a donation of $12,000 from the Col. James B. Ladd Fund to the MSA to
continue the production and improvement of its Podcast program. The MSA greatly
appreciated the generosity of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Did you know…
The Short Talk Bulletin Online Audio Library currently
has 282 podcasts that have been produced and are available to download and
listen to. There are another 100 episodes that have been recorded and are being
prepared to be released. There are approx. two to three new releases every
week. Its easy to see that it’s getting a lot of use, for there have been 207,000
downloads. The first podcast was released on November 30, 2018.
You can subscribe to the podcasts for $20.00 and
remember that all profits directly help the MSA. You can subscribe at the
following link.
https://shorttalkbulletin.com/subscribe-to-podcast/
Did you know…
Once
you subscribed you can get those timeless lessons of masonic light and it can
be as easy as shouting, “Hey Alexa” or asking Siri, “find me the Short Talk
Bulletin”.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
St. Paul Masonic Lodge #3 Building for another One Hundred Years
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| Past Grand Master of Minnesota Prince Hall Masons and Lodge Secretery Joe Gonzalez |
With the Covid Restrictions just being released by our Minnesota Governor it was my pure pleasure to get back to Lodge. Tonight I went to St. Paul #3 one of my very favorite Lodges to visit. This smiling Brother who met me is Past Grand Master of Minnesota Prince Hall Masons Joe Gonzalez. Joe is also the Lodge Secretery.
St. Paul #3 celebrates its Freemasonry in the Traditional Observance style. You will often just see the initials T.O. after the Lodge name. St. Paul #3 resides in Triune Masonic Temple built in 1911. It was built as a Masonic Building, so when you walk in; you walk into a real tradition.
They had the front worked on in 2017-2018, and now they are under going a major restoration for the rest of the building.
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The building is undergoing a tuck point, and replacement of parts of the wall. The steam heat boiler system was 105 years old. The exterior windows and doors will be replaced as well.
The Lodge is planning a major fund raising to help pay for it. The cost is just alittle over $400,000 to restore this Masonic Treasure.
We live in a time, when every month we see in the news that another Masonic Lodge is demolished by the wrecking ball, or a Lodge is sold to a event planning company to hire out for weddings, and bachelor parties. It is heart warming that a Lodge under 80 members are under going fundraising to make an investment in their Lodge, so Freemasonry may be practiced for another 100 years. That's Love and Dedication for the Craft
I hope you have a chance to visit the Lodge, and if you have an opportunity to help with their fund raising in the future I hope you will.
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