Happy New Year 2022

 Wishing you a safe, healthily and prosperous New Year

MSA Calling for Disaster Relief-Kentucky

Red Wing Lodge Installation of Officers and Christmas Pudding

On December 6, 2021, Red Wing Lodge held its annual Installation of Officers. Before the Installation the members and guests gather for social time, and a wonderful dinner. Gary Thomas makes his traditional English Pudding for dessert. 

The lighting of the pudding is a very fun time. You will note that this year he used a flameproof pan. A couple of years ago the flames caught the tablecloth on fire.   

Most English puddings are very small and there is just a small flame, very small. Ours is about the size of a volleyball, and Gary used a very healthy cup of holiday cheer for the flames. 

The Installing Master was WB Nick Johnson of Corithian Lodge, and the Installing Marshal was Jason Lavoi the Grand Lodge District Representative. They did just a marvelous job.

It's going to be a great year. I know everyone says that at every Installation. But Red Wing Lodge already has a full calendar of events planned, and Officers who are knowledgeable and committed to doing it.  

 

Candlelight Dinner

Red Wing Lodge Officers 2021-2022

Christmas Pudding with brandy butter

St. Paul #3 2021 Hiram Award Recieptant Christopher (Kit) Cusick

On November 9, 2021 St. Paul Lodge- Traditional Observance awarded its 2021 Hiram Award to Christopher (Kit) Cursick. The event was held in the historic Triune Lodge Room that provided an evening of Masonic fellowship, an excellent dinner and the honoring of the great work and commitment of Worshipful Brother Kit Cusick to the Craft. The Grand Master of  the Grand Lodge of Minnesota  Rolf M. Widstrand, and Senior Grand Warden Dayton Berg joined us for this great event. Worshipful Master Carl Andersen had the distinct pleasure of presenting the well deserved Hiram award.Kit has had a Masonic career that has been filled with much hard work with a keen eye to the details with every matter that he has taken on. From the position of Worshipful Master to the Manager of the Lodge building itself. His most recent accomplishment as Building Manager has over saw the massive exterior preservation project of the building. He seemed to also squeezed in enough time to design and build enough very handsome bookshelves, with glass locking doors to house 5,000 Masonic books. Last night Kit stated that he has to build a few more shelves for 3,000 more books to complete the project. Though Kit has accomplished a vast amount of work. He stated last night that he has much more planned for the Lodge building, and is waiting to talk more about it in the near future. It was a wonderful evening had by all. Everything done with that St. Paul #3 touch of class. 

Veterans Day 2021

Thanks to the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Minnesota Masonic Charities 16th Annual Gala

 

On September 25, 2021, the Minnesota Masonic Charities held its 16^th 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.

President and CEO Eric Neetenbeek  Minnesota Masonic Charites

John Schwietz Director of Institutional Advancement MMC

Happy Birthday Prince Hall

photo St Johns Lodge #5 Baltimore MD

 

Grand Lodge of Minnesota Past Grand Masters Luncheon 2021

 

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

 The Twelfth Annual Past Grand Masters luncheon was held on August 6, 2021, at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington, Minnesota (Covid prevented us from meeting in 2020). 

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.

 

 

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 4^th 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.

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.   

   

Past Grand Master-Grand Lodge of Minnesota at Sibley Lodge for Dedication 

What you Should Know about the Masonic Service Association Short Talks Bulletin

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

Tom Hendrickson-Collection

 Did you know…

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 20^th and 21^st 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”.

 

  

St. Paul Masonic Lodge #3 Building for another One Hundred Years

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. 

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. 

Red Wing Lodge #8 Table Lodge

On May 14th, 2021 Red Wing Lodge # 8 hosted its annual Table Lodge under Minnesota Covid Precautions at the St. James Hotel. The attendance was confined to just 36 people when the normal attendance is 72. The program was shortened, where normally we would honor our Scholarship Winners, remember our departed Brothers and a few other things, but a great time was experienced by all.

The evening begun with the Grand Master of Minnesota Masons Rolf W. Windstrand himself provided the delightful music that filled the room as we gathered and talked. Everyone commented on how nice it was to "see people again" this being most of our first social gathering in over a year.

I must apologize that these are the only photos that I took of the evening. I was too busy chatting, and getting caught up with Brothers and people that I haven't seen in a long time. I even snuck in a few handshakes and hugs.

 

Celebrating the Life of Dexter C. Pehle

 

Dexter C. Pehle, a great Minnesota Mason, who I looked up to and respected for decades passed away on February 16, 2021. He was a Minnesota Mason for fifty-five and a half years.

Dexter was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 19, 1935. He was a south side kid who graduated from Roosevelt High School with the class of 1953. Just a couple of weeks following graduation Dexter entered the U.S. Airforce and honorably served until 1959. After his military service Dexter had a long career at Sperry Univac as a Systems Engineer.

Dexter was a devoted and loving husband and father. He was married to his loving wife Muriel for over sixty years. Muriel would always attend all the Masonic dinners and events at Dexter’s side.

Dexter enjoyed singing and had a very nice singing voice. I recall someone ask Dexter if he ever sang professionally one evening and Dexter said that he sang in the Keesler AFB male choir. He said he enjoyed it very much, and that he was proud and fortunate to have had that experience.

Dexter joined Minnehaha Lodge #165 when it was a powerhouse of excellent Masonic activity. He was Initiated-Entered Apprentice May 4, 1965, Passed-Fellow Craft June 1, 1965, Raised Master Mason June 29, 1965. He also affiliated with Biwabik Lodge #293 the same day he was raised a Master Mason.

Dexter was asked to join the Line of Officers within Minnehaha Lodge, and he worked his way thru all the chairs and became the Master of Minnehaha Lodge in 1997. Dexter was an active member holding various officer positions until 2014.

Dexter was also an active member of both the York and Scottish Rite. 

Dexter was not just an accomplished ritualist, but he understood the ritual, and enjoyed talking about it. His performance of King Solomon is one of the best that I had ever seem. Dexter drove 200 miles to help perform the Royal Arch Degree in which I was the principal candidate which touched me deeply.

Dexter was a passionate student of every aspect of Freemasonry. He loved to share his knowledge with his Brothers. He was always cheerfully providing Masonic Education in his lodge or any lodge that asked him. I enjoyed lively discussions with Dexter over coffee. The Grand Lodge of Minnesota recognized Dexter’s contribution and awarded him the Minnesota Duane E. Anderson Excellence in Masonic Education Award for the 2003-2004 term.

Dexter was always a welcome sight at any event. When you saw him, he always had a smile, a firm handshake, a kind word, and a genuine interest in you.

One of my favorite stories about Dexter, that I will always remember, was the evening that I asked Dexter if he would join me in the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge at White Bear Lake in January. After I asked him, his face was frozen in shock. Now this is a rare occurrence for Dexter was always poised, and relaxed. I knew I had an opportunity for some fun, so I said “Come on Dexter, a jump in a frozen Minnesota lake in January will be refreshing and fun. Come on let’s do it for the kids!”  With the look of shock still on Dexter’s face, and not wanting to lose the opportunity I said, “well if you can’t jump with me, would you like to make a donation?”  

I have never seen a man reach for his wallet so fast in my life. Dexter reached in and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Dexter gave a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face. As he handed me the money, he said, “Tom, I would love to make a contribution” and we laughed. At the next few masonic events Dexter would bring a Brother over to me and said “Tom, here is a Brother who would like to join your team or make a donation”. Dexter became my straight man, and we had a lot of fun with that project.

Dexter and Muriel moved to California to be near their daughter some years ago. Dexter was an active visitor to Blue Lodges, Royal Arch Chapters, and proudly wore his Minneapolis Mounted Commandery uniform to Commandery meetings. Dexter told me he enjoyed the California weather, and didn’t miss his snow blower.

Dexter last gift on this earth demonstrates how thoughtful, and compassionate he was about people. Dexter donated his body to the University of Minnesota Bequest Program for Medical Research. Even in death Dexter is providing opportunities for future doctors to gain in depth knowledge of the human anatomy, and medical researchers in developing new surgical procedures.

Dexter walked with us on this journey during his life. He celebrated the craft’s success and happiness and provided a steady hand of support when the trail was rough. He shared his light, when our light was dim, to illuminate the path.

Though my Brother Dexter has now taken a different path and has gone home. His light continues to shine in our hearts. We enjoyed each other’s company while laughing and sharing along the way.  I shed no tears, for I have smiles of joy for that time that we shared on this earth.

Until we meet again…Alas My Brother

 

 

 

To Wait with Patience

Photo from Red Wing Lodge by Tom Hendrickson

 

To Wait with Patience

Tom Hendrickson

Past Grand Master Grand Lodge of Minnesota

 

There are many great and valuable lessons within Freemasonry that can be applied to our everyday lives to improve our daily living and enrich our lives.

During this pandemic, for us Freemasons, it is almost like déjà vu again, for we have been living the very beginning of the Entered Apprentice degree, where the Master of the Lodge directs the candidate to “wait with patience” in a sequestered space.  We are all like that candidate who is sitting in the candidate room waiting for the pandemic to dwindle so we may gather again.

I cannot think of a timelier lesson to explore more closely during this time of chronic uncertainty than patience. The past months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a very test of patience in the extreme. Living under self-quarantine has disrupted the structure and rhythms of daily life, as well as the predictability of our daily lives.  All those events, that as humans we crave, such as family holiday get togethers, birthday celebrations, masonic events and gatherings have all been put on hold until the virus is contained.  We anxiously wonder what the future may look like or what the new normal is going to be.  There are many similarities that can be drawn between that Entered Apprentice and our lives today.

I have not seen any masonic education about patience or waiting, so it must be assumed that all masons possess this trait, which may be true, but by observing society today, maybe this is a good time to give patience more thought and attention.

What is patience? Official definitions vary, but I prefer the Cambridge Dictionary definition: The ability to wait, or continue something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or being annoyed.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines wait, “to allow time to go by, especially while staying in one place without doing much, until someone comes, until something that you are expecting happens or until you can do something”.  If you don’t have one of those three goals in mind at the start then it’s just indecision, procrastination, or you are killing time.

The first three degrees of the Blue Lodge contain lessons for us to build upon to be master of ourselves. Patience is an exercise in self-control; you can say patience is the neglected virtue, but patience is the foundational virtue that supports the development of other great moral strengths such as wisdom and courage. Patience is also needed before we take on our serious obligation of learning to subdue our passions.

I mentioned patience as a foundational virtue. What is a virtue? A virtue is a behavior displaying high moral standards. So, does patience show a high moral standard? You bet it does. Patience is essential to self-control.

We are not born with patience. Patience is a learned skill that takes practice to master, but it is a skill that is essential in our daily lives. Patience has been described as like a muscle that needs to be exercised on a regular basis for it to be effective. The more we exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

Having patience means we can wait calmly in the face of frustrations, difficulties, obstacles or struggles.  This ability to continue, despite adversity, is a skill all of us need on during our lives. Whether stuck in a traffic jam, standing in a long line at the grocery store, or even in lodge when the secretary reads the electric bill.  We certainly have needed this skill during the past year with the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic.

Patience is a state of mind, where you deal with your thoughts and emotions, between the experience and your reaction. To have patience, ultimately means dealing with your own thoughts and emotions. Patience requires you to control your thoughts, words and deeds.

Patience, on the surface, appears to be passive, but it is an active and purposeful state. Patience is a decision-making process that allows us to make better decisions. Patience allows us to take a pause that allows us to gather our thoughts and manage our feelings. Patience allows us to observe more intently, ask questions to understand the situation more clearly, communicate better with a tempered response, and most importantly, find peace in situations that are outside of our control.

I would guess that hardly a day goes exactly as we planned, free of any intrusions or without any adjustments. Who plans to have a car accident on the way to work? Accepting the fact that these intrusions or difficulties are part of normal life and exercising calm will help us all be more patient. If we can work to accept and tolerate a situation, without becoming upset or angry, that helps us manage our emotions and choose what behavior that we wish to respond with.  We cannot choose our feelings, for our feelings just happen, but we can choose what behavior we wish to display.

Other times, patience is needed for those daily hassles or obstacles that are beyond our control. Like, when your boss tells you must work late but you must also drive your kid to soccer practice, you walk to your car after lodge and discover you have a flat tire, the air conditioner breaks down on the hottest day of the summer, or your computer crashes and neither you, nor your teen age kid, knows how to fix it.

A critical time we need patience, is to overcome setbacks or hardships in life, like the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing a divorce, medical treatments such as cancer treatment, or especially when we are helplessly waiting to see if those treatments are working for a loved one, or coping with the death of a family member. Patience for the long term is essential to life.

For parents’, patience is an absolute necessity, during even the best of times. During this global pandemic, life is more stressful with this forced togetherness and so many unknowns. With working from home and the kids schooling from home, this can result in a lot of clutter, noise, fear and confusion. We adults can become irritated and feel like we are “losing It” or simply feel overwhelmed. We also need to model patience for our children and help them cope with changing situations.

When needed, give yourself the “quiet time” to take a step back, take a breath, and collect your thoughts before losing your patience. The entire household is in this together so patience and understanding of each other are essential, as hard as that can be some days.

Sometimes, in what may be the most difficult challenge we face, we need to be patient with ourselves.

In this fast-paced chaotic world that we live in, it seems there is always the constant pressure to do more with each minute of the day or that nagging voice in the back of our minds is telling us to do more, and do it perfectly.

We make notes in our phones at odd hours of the night. Our pockets are filled with sticky notes and scraps of paper. Our to do list becomes a never-ending monster that is never satisfied leaving us frustrated, restless and impatient. It can become overwhelming and can lead to being highly self-critical of ourselves for our self perceived failures. This may lead us to become angry and frustrated with ourselves.

Again, as with our loved ones, we just need to take a step back, and be patient with ourselves first.  To realize that we are all human and no one is perfect.  We all do the best we can and be kind to yourself as well as to others.  

Patience when practiced, can calm our minds, preserve positive emotions, and it can guide us to view life’s’ daily struggles in a better way. Developing the skill of patience can help accepting life’s daily frustrations and can help us to not lose our temper.  There is no real point in losing your temper over the things we cannot control.

The flip side of patience is impatience.  Impatience usually happens when we refuse to accept a situation that we have no control over, like getting stuck in traffic or a meeting being delayed because someone is late.

Rebbetzin Chana Heller in her article, Developing Patience: The Foundation for All Relationships describes impatience like this.

“Impatience is a form of anger. There is a continuum. On the one end we are impatient or slightly irritated and then we start ramping it up to being annoyed, indignant, angry, exasperated, furious, and finally totally enraged. In each case we are angry because our will is not being done and we can’t tolerate the pain that causes us. It’s just a matter of degree”. (Heller, 2021, aish.com)

I have observed so many impatient and angry individuals since the pandemic officially began.  It made me stop and reflect, in general, on why our society has become so impatient, and the importance of patience.

I believe that one reason that has contributed to our society becoming more impatient can be traced to technology and the internet.  The speed and amount of data available to all of us has led to a sense of instant gratification.  Today, we live in a world, that because of technology, we can instantly connect with our friends and loved ones in real time although they are thousands of miles away. We can connect while canoeing the Boundary Water Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota, climbing mountains in Colorado, or enjoying a cruise in the Caribbean.

In this modern high-tech era that we live in, where almost everything that we desire is just a click away, technology had caused a cultural shift in our society and has conditioned us to expect immediate answers 24/7 all at our fingertips. With the click of a mouse, we can access information, download movies or entire seasons of television shows, and order any kind of consumer merchandise. We have come to expect information in a second, orders to be delivered within hours or the same day, and the movies and entertainment to appear within seconds. The problem that this high-tech era has fostered is the expectation of instant gratification or instant solutions.  Expecting instant gratification for everything is counter to having patience and can get in the way of us coping with problems or other things in our lives that require more time or obtaining things that may require more time. Do you want to have that serious discussion with your wife or just send an angry tweet to her twitter account?

Certainly, the pandemic caused added stress to everyday life, which can add to impatience. For those fortunate to continue working remotely during the pandemic, there is the stress of trying to find a reasonable line between work and home life.  We may be working longer hours or find it difficult to disconnect from work.  Many feel pressured to show increased productivity while working remotely, believing if they do not, their job could be in jeopardy.  For those with children at home, there is added pressures of wearing multiple hats throughout the day.  We are checking and responding to emails at all times of the day and sleeping with cell phones to be always “available”.

Another area where I observe impatience is while driving.  Over the years, it seems that all streets and highways have become more congested, making it more difficult to reach out destinations or the potential for all of us to become more impatient while driving.  There appears to be a dramatic increase in negative driver emotions leading to honked horns, rude hand gestures, tailgating, aggressive driving and ultimately road rage.  If ever there is a time exercise patience it is while we are driving.

For thousands of years theologians and philosophers have exalted the qualities of patience and identified it as an important virtue and important component of moral excellence.

There has been quite a lot of scientific research conducted on patience and the researchers have found that there are health benefits of being a patient individual. Impatient people are often angry and stressed, resulting in stress related illness such as hypertension and heart disease to name a few. Patient people tend to, overall, have lower stress levels and fewer physical illnesses related to stress. According to a 2007 study by Fuller Theological Seminary professor Sarah A. Schnitker and UC Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons, patient people enjoy better mental health, can cope better in stressful situations and tend to experience less depression.

Patience is a decision-making process that can allow us to make better decisions. Patience allows us to take a pause, gather our thoughts and feelings, before expressing ourselves. Patience allows us to temper our response, preserve relationships with those we care about and interact with people more pleasantly. Patient individuals are viewed more positively by their employers’ co-workers and by lodge brothers. Patience allows us to be approachable, to learn, conquer a complex task, accomplish long term goals.

If you are perceived as being impatient people may perceive you are impulsive, insensitive, and even arrogant. Others may think you are a poor decision maker, someone who takes short cuts and of being short tempered. At lodge, if you gain a reputation of having poor people skills and being insensitive, you may find yourself sitting alone or that your voice may not be heard as loud as you would like.

In our Masonic life, patience is a necessity. From our relationships with our Lodge Brothers, learning our Ritual and its meaning, working on committees or projects and especially while leading the Craft.

Patience makes us better leaders and mentors. As Masonic Leaders we need to establish relationships and work with our Brothers to develop their skills and understanding of the craft. As leaders, we may need to spend extra time with our Brothers to help them learn and them to develop that sense of belonging with other Brothers.  For the Masonic tradition to continue there should be allowance for Brothers to develop and grow while passing out knowledge to the next generation of leaders.

With the vaccines being expanded to more individuals, this gives me hope that our lives will be returning to normal soon. One of my friends, he wishes the isolation to end because he had watched everything on Netflix. Another friend wishes to find a different family to quarantine with.

Given the prolonged period of self-isolation and uncertainty, it not unexpected that we are growing tired or frustrated. I think I can say that we are all suffering a bit from limited human contact and Zoom fatigue.

I think we all look forward to the day when we can all return to our lodges and experience, in person, the sound of the gavel, announcing our meeting is to begin. Although, some of us may need a refresher on getting dressed, combing our hair (for those that have hair) shave and wear a suit instead of sweatpants.

We just need to be patient a bit longer. 

For, like the Entered Apprentice, we will find the door to our Lodge and enter, leaving the darkness, anxieties and helplessness of the world behind for the light and warmth of our Brotherhood. 

For, we have waited with Patience.