All Things Masonic
A Masonic blog providing education and enlightenment on Freemasonry. News,thoughts in the Freemason Community Not telling the Masonic secrets just the news
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Red Wing Lodge #8 Cleans Up
Friday, August 2, 2024
2024 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Past Grand Masters Luncheon
On August 2, 2024, the Past Grand Masters of Minnesota held its 14th Annual Luncheon at the Minnesota Masonic Home.
Mid-Summer is a wonderful time when our lives slow down a little bit for all of us to come together and spend a few hours together over a nice lunch.
It is also an opportunity for the Deputy Grand Master Bob Davis (if tradition prevails) to unveil his plans for his term of Grand Master. Which will take place in April 2025.
Bob Davis presented his ideas for Revitalization of Freemasonry in Minnesota.
We were very fortunate not to have any deaths among us this year. Seventeen Past Grandmasters were able to make the lunch. There were a few others not present who were on vacation, fishing and health related issues.
It was a great day had by all.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Who is Tubal-Cain?
Two Pickleballs and a Cane |
Red Wing Lodge Education
May
6, 2024
Who
is Tubal-Cain?
Why
is his name always on our lips at every Lodge meeting?
Why
does he appear in our Masonic Ritual?
Why
is he one of the most important names in Ancient Craft Masonry?
Who
is this man shrouded in myth and legends, with his origins veiled in the mists
of antiquity?
I have these questions and I imagine you may have
wondered about some of these questions yourself.
So much of what we do in our Lodge Ritual today is
based on what our ancient Brothers did over 1570 years ago. My talk tonight is
to help us all understand the history and to meaning to our ritual and what we
do.
To find the answers to the questions above, I needed to
examine Tubal-Cain from four different perspectives: the Biblical, historical, mythical,
and Masonic.
But before we can take this journey thru the fog and
mists of time, to unravel the legends and the myths, to better understand how
Tubal-cain came to be central to Masonry, we need to take off our 21st
century eyeglasses and review the history.
If we review our Masonic history, from the perspective
of the person who wrote it, and within the time frame when it was written we
can better understand it. With an historical perspective, the knowledge of the
past becomes fully illuminated, and its strengths enriches our present
knowledge.
But first, my Masonic disclaimer, to help guide us to
gaining that perspective.
A considerable amount of Freemasonry’s nucleus can be
traced to the Judeo-Christian teaching and texts. The Bible was utilized to
develop a system of morality using those universal truths to develop our timeless
core values.
Also, we need to take into consideration, that during
the 18th century when Speculative Freemasonry was taking shape in
Europe, Christianity in its many forms played a significate role in people’s
daily lives and cultures. This proved to be fertile ground to use religious
imagery to incorporate timeless universal moral and ethical teachings into Freemasonry.
But though Freemasonry has many appearances of
religious elements, the craft is explicitly non-sectarian. Freemasonry does not
promote any doctrine, dogma or sets of beliefs. The Legend of the Craft is a
Masonic perspective of the origins of Geometry, along with their perspectives
of world history and their involvement in that history.
Disclaimer completed.
The origin of Tubal-Cain is found in the Bible or
Volume of Sacred law in Genesis 4:22.
Here are four different translations:
…Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass
and iron (King James Version);
…Tubal-Cain who forged all kinds of tools out of
bronze and iron (New International Version);
…Tubal-Cain he opened the first foundry forging
instruments of bronze and iron (Living Bible)
…Tubal-Cain he was the forger of all instruments of
bronze and iron (Revised Standard Version).
Tubal-Cain was the first artificer-a skilled craftsman
who creates or invents things.
To put all of this into more context for everyone, Tubal-Cain
appears very early in the Bible story. He is a descendent, only six generations
removed, from Adam and Eve. So, he is after the Garden of Eden, but before Noah
and the flood.
I’m going to take the time outline Tubal-Cain’s
genealogy, for this is the basis for the myths and legends and our Masonic
stories.
Now, we turn our attention to the central theme of our
story. It is about the transfer of knowledge, the death and destruction of the
world, and Two Pillars.
The first story I will discuss was written by the
famous first Century A.D. historian Flavius Josephus. He was a Jew that was
born in Jerusalem Judea, and a Roman Citizen.
Our story appears in volume one of his twenty-one
volume set titled “Antiquities of the Jews”. He outlines the history of the
Jews, starting with creation through 93 A.D., as passed down thru the Jewish
perspective.
His writing states that Adam and Eve had two sons,
Cain, and Abel. Cain murdered Able and fled. Adam and Eve had another son named
Seth. He was wise, righteous, and had a virtuous character. Seth had many descendants
who imitated his ways.
Seths descendants discovered the science of the
heavenly bodies and their orderly array. Today we would say they discovered Astronomy. His descendants were mindful of Adam’s
prophesy or prediction of the pending destruction of the world by either a
violent fire or a deluge of water. To protect their discoveries from being
destroyed and lost to mankind they erected two pillars.
One pillar was made of brick and the other was made of
stone. They inscribed the knowledge they discovered on both pillars. If the
pillar of brick disappeared in the deluge, the pillar of stone would remain to
teach and preserve their knowledge for mankind. Likewise, if the pillar of
stone was lost, the pillar of brick would remain. They engraved a notation into each pillar that
a duplicate pillar of brick or stone was erected.
Josephus writes that both pillars still existed at the
time that he was writing, and they were in what is now Syria.
Flavius Josephus was one of the most influential
classical historians of Europe and the Mediterranean world during the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance. But from early on this story was believed to be
fictious. It was said that his story was the remaking, similar to, or
plagiarized from, the Book of Enoch.
The Book of Enoch is believed to have been written
about 200 B.C., earlier than Flavius Josephus writings, however the Book of
Enoch was not accepted by either the Jews or Christians.
Josephus two pillars story was extremely popular
across western Europe and England, especially among academic’s and chroniclers,
for the purpose to connect a lineage for the history of Astronomy to
Antediluvian Times.
Thus, the two pillars story spread across Europe and was
recorded and copied by the chroniclers. You know that image of that medieval Monk
humped over a desk, writing with a feathered pen, those were the chroniclers.
But there were several chroniclers who took great
license and made large changes and modifications to the story. Their corruption
of the story misconceives, distorts, and causes confusion around the story.
One chronicler made Tubal-Cain the inventor of music,
while another gives him magical powers, and another equates Tubal-Cain and his
siblings with the classical Greek gods.
These are just a few of the stories that have added
confusion and misunderstanding.
Now let’s jump forward in time to the late medieval to
early renaissance period in England. The
time frame is approximately 1390 to the 1720’s.
This was a time when Freemason’s Lodges were spreading throughout
England.
At this time, each Lodge was an independent,
autonomous, separate identity that governed themselves. There was no formal
regional or national affliction. This is hundreds of years before the Grand
Lodge was formed.
Many of the Lodges created formal documents. Some of
these were handwritten in the back of the Secretaries Minute Books, others were
written on paper or parchment. Some were stitched together into a book form, a
few were printed, and some placed into book form by a Bookmaker. Today these documents
are referred to as: The Ancient Manuscripts, The Old Charges, The Ancient Constitutions,
or Legend of the Craft.
Though these documents were written over hundreds of years,
and, in different places, there are many similarities in their content. They usually contained instructions
concerning the behavior of the Craftsman, praise for the seven liberal arts,
and usually a legendary fairy like tale of the Crafts creation.
The manuscripts that we call the” Old Charges” contain
the very essence of Ancient Craft Freemasonry. Today, we know of about
130 such manuscripts.
When Dr. James Anderson was preparing to write the
Constitution for the new Grand Lodge of England, he collected the “Old Charges”,
and studied them carefully. He then made
liberal use of them by incorporating them into what we know today as “Andersons
Constitution’s”.
The oldest of the “Old Charges” is the “Regius Poem”
from 1390. But it is in the Cooke Manuscript from 1450, second oldest
manuscript, that Tubal-Cain and his siblings make their first Masonic appearance.
The Cooke Manuscript is also, or the first time, that
we see the story of the Two Pillars appear in Masonry.
The manuscript begins with a very long history of
Freemasonry. The opening scene begins with the biblical character Lamech, a
direct descendent of Adam. Lamech had two wives who produced four children.
Jabel was the discoverer of geometry, the discoverer
of living in tents and houses, the first to partition land and divide flocks of
sheep.
Jubal was the inventor of music and song.
The youngest son Tubal-Cain is said to have founded
the smith trade, and other crafts dealing with metals including iron, brass, gold,
and silver.
The daughter Naamah was the inventor of weaving and
other skills.
The children of Lamech heard a prophecy that the Lord
was going to destroy the earth by either a great fire or a flood because of man’s
sinfulness. They determined that they wanted to preserve the knowledge of their
sciences for future generations if there were any survivors.
Since they didn’t know which one of the destructive
forces that the Lord would send. They made plans for both scenarios. They built
two pillars. One made of marble which would not burn. The other out of brick
which would withstand the flood waters. On each of the pillars they inscribed
all the information of their seven sciences for prosperity.
There was a great flood, but many years later both
pillars were found. One was discovered by Hermes the Philosopher, the other by
Pythagoras. Both taught the sciences they found inscribed on the pillars.
The Cooke Manuscript is written by a very well-educated
man who was believed to be a Mason. This is during the time that is a bridge between
the Medieval Operative Masons becoming more Speculative Freemasons of the
Renaissance era.
But this two pillars story is not a Masonic Original…
Just thirty years before the Cooke Manuscript was
written, an English Benedictine monk and chronicler who lived about 125 miles
from where the Cooke Manuscript was believed to be written, wrote the same
story.
Benedictine Monk, Ranulf Higdon, wrote his version of
the Flavius Josephus “Two Pillars” with Lamech, Tubal-Cain, founders of geometry,
art, architecture etc. in the “Polychronican”, a seven-volume set of what has
been described as the most exhaustive history of the world in medieval times. A
very popular best seller at the time.
Interestingly, Higdon’s story is found almost verbatim
within the Cooke manuscript.
In Anderson’s Constitutions, which was inspired by the
“Old Charges” and which serves as our foundational document for Freemasonry
today, there is no specific mention of Tubal-Cain and the Two Pillars story. However Tubal-Cain appears to be the forerunner
of Hiram Abiff, and the Two Pillars story certainly seems to be represented in
the symbolic and allegorical connections between Tubal-Cain and certain details
of the Masonic story, particularly in relationship to craftsmanship and metallurgy.
It appears that Tubal-Cain was the founder of the craft
that Hiram Abiff excelled in, and he was a direct link between the two earliest
pillars and those of King Solomons Temple, plus Kings Solomons pillars are not
mentioned until much later in 1696 in the Edinburgh Register.
Tubal-Cain and Hiram Abiff both serve as symbolic
representations of the virtues that we as Freemasons hold dearly, such as
integrity, the pursuit of knowledge and industry. Tubal-Cain was the first Artificer in forging
and metal work and the father of teaching. His expertise in metal work
symbolizes human ingenuity and the advancement of human development through
mastery and craftsmanship.
In summary, Tubal-Cain is a Masonic Role model for us.
For When We Speak His Name.
We should be reminded to:
Constantly be seeking knowledge and wisdom; and
To work hard and to strive for excellence in our lives;
and
To learn and develop new skills and self-improvement;
and
To share our knowledge, time, and talent, so that
others may benefit.
Recommended
Reading
“World of Freemasonry” by Harry Carr
“Freemason at Work” by Harry Carr
“The Builder” Magazine September 1923
“Jubal in the Middle Ages” by Judith Cohen-Tel Aviv
“Who Was Tubal-Cain” The Square Magazine
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Red Wing Lodge #8 Adopt a Highway 2024
On May 5, 2024, Red Wing Lodge took part in its annual event of picking up garbage, and trash for the Minnesota Department of Transporation Adopt a Highway Program.
We clean up a two mile stretch in both directions on Highway 61 on the Eastward approach into our city.
This is one of the many ways that our Lodge try's to make our community a better place to live.
This is just one bag of trash as an example of what we picked up. In 2023 volunteer's from across the state picked up 42,170 bags of trash. Volunteers like us save the Minnesota taxpayers over seven million dollars and helped make our communities a better place.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
2024 Masonic Cancer Center Annual Dinner
On April 26, 2024, the Masonic Cancer Center held its annual dinner at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Scientists, Researchers, Physicians, Medical Professionals and Masons gather once a year to celebrate the incredible partnership between Minnesota Masonic Charities and the Masonic Cancer Center. This partnership in the battle against cancer was established in 1955 and has grown and become stronger over the years. This year there were a total of 215 attendees at this year’s dinner.
All these efforts have created cancer survivors,
providing the gift of time to live life and experience the joys of life.
On such survivor is Boyd Huppert, a reporter for Kare
11, who shared with us his story. He stated that in 2021 he was diagnosed with
Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, for which there was no cure, but
was treatable.
Boyd described his initial diagnosis, made complicated
by the state of his blood, which required 45 bags of donor plasma to stabilize
him, to his experience of receiving treatment at the Masonic Cancer Center and
his subsequent bone marrow transplant.
Boyd found inspiration for his journey, from the story he told about Kelly Klein, a Kindergarten Teacher at Falcon Heights Elementary, who instructed her class from the hospital while receiving chemotherapy. Kelly attended the annual dinner and was introduced by Boyd.
Boyd said that he will continue to receive treatments
for his cancer, but that being a survivor has given him time to continue to work,
enjoy his family and hold his new grandchild.
His description of holding his grandchild for the first time following
this bone marrow transplant, was a powerful reminder of the emotions and joy that
accompany the “time” that is given to cancer survivors.
It was an evening of celebration and learning about the
continuum of care that supports all cancer survivors, from childhood to older
adulthood, at the Masonic Cancer Center and to renew the shared pledge to between
the Masons and the University of Minnesota, to eliminate Cancer from our world.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
We Lost a Good Friend and Brother Bill Peterson
Bill Peterson is one of the reasons, so many years ago that I joined the Craft. |
Willis "Bill" Delano Peterson
November 3, 1933 — March 31, 2024
There will be a Masonic Funeral at 7:30 pm on Sunday April 7, 2024 at the end
of the visitation (5:00-7:30PM). The Masonic Funeral will be at the Olson Funeral Chapel next to Jasper Lodge in Rush City. Jerry Oliver will be the presiding WM. For those wishing to attend and participate, please arrive at Jasper Lodge by 7:00 pm.
https://www.funeralandcremationservice.com/obituaries/willis-bill-peterson
Full obituary and church service details below:
Willis "Bill" Peterson of Cambridge, MN passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2024 at Ecumen of North Branch at the age of 90.
Willis Delano Peterson was born on November 3, 1933 to Hilding and Blanche (Osell) Peterson in Harris, Minnesota. He attended grade school in Harris, high school in North Branch, and college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Bill married Elaine Swanson in 1957 and they had 4 children. He began working for Keebler Co. in 1952 while going to college. In 1954 he was drafted into the Army. He served as the training NCO for the 65th AAA in Okinawa. Upon his discharge, he went back to Keebler Co. and went into Sales. He was promoted to Sales Manager in 1963. After 38 years at Keebler he retired and moved to the lake home on Goose Lake near Harris.
In 1964, he joined the Masons, Scottish Rite and the Shrine. His 2 daughters became active in Jobs daughters and his 2 sons were active in DeMolay. Bill was Associate Guardian for Jobs daughters and was an Advisor for DeMolay. He was also the President of the local Boy Scout troop and was a Webelo Leader.
While in the Shrine, he held many positions. He joined the Legion of Honor and was both Captain and Commander. He held numerous offices in the Shrine over the many years, interfacing with multiple Shrine Clubs, and was also on the Shrine Board of Trustees. In 1998 he was elected as the Zuhrah Shrine Potentate. He was active with the Shrine for 60 years.
After his retirement from Keebler in 1990, he drove school bus for North Branch schools for 8 years, and then started teaching Driver Safety classes in Rush City for the next 12 years.
Bill is survived by his significant other Theresa Pearson; sons Steve Peterson (Jenny), Mike (Stacey) Peterson; son-in-law Larry Schlagel (Bonnie); grandchildren Ryan (Lindsay) Schlagel, Jamie (Zach) Dingmann, Jordan (Anna) Shearer, Sam (Charsi) Shearer, Jenna (Austin) Grazier, Jason (Alexandria) Peterson, Austin (Emma) Peterson, Logan Peterson, Mikala Peterson; step-grandchildren Emily (Nate) Sleck, David Ruthven; great-grandchildren Jackson Schlagel, Julia Schlagel, Weston Shearer, Wade Shearer, Paxton Sleck, Rowan, Sleck, Salem Peterson; brother-in-law Vern Reideger; many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents Hilding and Blanche Peterson; wife Elaine Peterson; daughters Lori Schlagel, Joni (Dan) Shearer; grandson Alex Peterson; siblings Wendall (Harriet) Peterson, Eleanor (Dale) Erickson, Alden (Joyce) Peterson, Vernie (Ruth) Peterson, Don Peterson, Arvin (Harlean) Peterson, Dorene Reideger.
Pastor Andy Romstad will officiate at Bill's funeral service: 11 AM; Monday April 8, 2024 at the Cambridge Lutheran Church in Cambridge. A time of visitation and reviewal is planned from 5-7:30 PM Sunday, April 7, 2024 with a Masonic Service at 7:30 PM at the Olson Funeral Chapel in Rush City and additional visitation time one hour prior to the service at the church. The interment with military honors will take place in Oak Grove Cemetery, Harris at 2:15 PM.
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Wear the Apron in Everything We Do
Wear the Apron in
Everything We Do
By Tom Nash, Grand
Marshal
Grand Lodge of
Iowa
You
now stand as a just and upright Mason, and I give it you strictly in charge,
ever to walk and act as such. This is our first instruction as a Mason. Perhaps
one of the most overlooked parts of the Ritual.
When
we are in lodge, we all should be following the rules of conduct of the lodge.
We should be subduing our passions and treating each other with Brotherly Love.
Even in disagreement, Masons should be able to remain respectful towards each
other. We all wear the Apron, We are all brothers.
When
the apron comes off, when we are conducting business outside the lodge, are we
still remembering the lessons of the First Degree? Many Masons are proud of the
Fraternity. They wear the square and compasses on shirts, hats, jackets, car
windows, tattoos, and social media. We like to think we are representing the
Fraternity in a good light. But are we? Are we being rude to people, cutting
them off in traffic, arguing on social media, or any other numerous things that
might give Masonry a bad name? With the political season in full swing, there
are many passions guiding the discourse in the country. People disagree, that
is unavoidable in human nature.
As
Masons we are taught certain tenets and maxims that teach us to be respectful
of the opinions of others, even if we disagree. There are plenty of examples of
people or organizations that seek to foster such strife in the world. Masonry
is not one of them.
The
Grand Lodge came up with a set of guidelines for social media postings a few
years ago. They are found on the Grand Lodge webpage. Here is an excerpt.
• A Mason should conduct himself with the same
courtesy he would in front of the general public.
• As a Mason, he must be aware that his
postings are a permanent record; therefore, his conduct may influence the world
with a positive or negative opinion about him personally and about the
organizations to which he belongs.
•
A Mason should never use disparaging comments, profanity, etc. when posting;
including, but not limited to, graphic, video, and audio recordings.
•
A Mason should not post “ritual” or “tyled” information.
•
Masonic pages are to be supportive of the organization and its members, promote
upcoming events, discuss past events, video sharing, and discussion of times of
fellowship and promotion of Masonic bodies.
•
A Mason should not use social media to obtain personal advantage in promoting
political, religious or business activities by targeting other Masons.
• A Mason should not use social media to
contact other Grand Jurisdictions unless you are a member of that jurisdiction.
Remember that all inter-jurisdictional communication is, by Masonic protocol,
conducted by and between Grand Lodge offices.
• No discussion or other information regarding
to an application, background, or investigation of an applicant is ever
appropriate or condoned.
•
There should never be discussion regarding the ballot on a candidate.
•
Nothing should ever be written or discussed relative to the business of a Lodge
or of any discussions/actions which have occurred behind Tyled doors.
•
Information about lodge or district social activities must comply with the
Grand Lodge regulations already in place for them (for example no reference to
alcohol or games of chance).
•
Masons should advise a brother if something he has posted is improper within
the framework of our Grand Constitution, Rules and Regulations, etc.
Ultimately,
your actions as a Mason online should promote the highest standards of morality
and integrity. You should always be mindful of the penalties as described in
the Grand Constitution relating to trial, suspension, and/or expulsion for any
un-Masonic behavior. Posting a comment related to the Fraternity and then
posting a disparaging comment about a social or political stance can easily be
misconstrued by readers that your stance is representative of Masonry and all
Masons. Remember that the public and members of the Masonic Fraternity are
reading your posts online.
When we take off the apron, that is the most important time to remember the lessons of our ritual, for that is what building our spiritual temple is all about. The image we project to the non-mason does indeed have an effect on the whole Fraternity. Peace and harmony is the strength and support of all societies. Respectful discourse is more important than any social issue, for when you become disrespectful, you harm yourself, and possibly Masonry as a whole.
Remember, Live the Ritual, whether you
Special Note of Thanks