Memorial Day 2022 A Day to Remember and Honor

 

Poster by the United States Airforce 

Memorial Service for Past Grand Master Charles Baltos

 

Charles Baltos

Red Wing Lodge #8 Memorial Service

September 13, 2021

 Update May 20, 2022, They say a person only dies when people stop saying his name, that is the reason why I I am putting this memorial on my blog. This is the memorial speech that I gave at his Memorial. I apologize that I didn't do it much earlier.  

 

Our last living legacy of us on this earth is our tombstone. It contains a very limited information about us. Our name, the date we are born and the day we die. Those two dates are days that we as humans have no control over whatsoever. What really matters is the dash that’s between those two dates. For that little dash represents our life.

If we were to look at Chucks tombstone. We would see that he was born on July 24, 1935 and he died on June 25, 2021. For those of us who knew him THE DASH represent that He was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, he had a wonderful childhood, enjoyed sports in High School. He fell in love with Mary Virginia Christ and they were married. Chuck left his bride to join the Navy where he proudly served as a Steam Fitter and Mechanic on the aircraft carrier Tarawa. Is was filled with pride when he said that it was ship shape, never had a breakdown. Because we didn’t let it happen.

Chuck liked to work with is hands, and that required a good eye to get the job done correctly. He worked in the hot and dangerous steel mills of Pittsburg, stone mason. He went to school and learned to be a draftsman. He worked at the Prairie Island Nuclear Power station for Northern States Power. He told me he was the Supervisor of the design and drafting support group. Chuck smiled at me, and said I ran a tight ship, we didn’t have any room for errors.

Chuck and Mary had three children and moved to Red Wing Minnesota. He was an active and supporting citizen in his new hometown. He was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where he was a lay worship leader, treasurer of the church foundation, involved reading the scriptures on Sunday, and sang as a bass in the church choir.

He served on the Building fund-raising committee for the Red Wing YMCA.

He loved hockey, and eventually became the past head coach for the Red Wing Bantam Hockey Club.

Chuck was involved in the Elks and was the Past Exalted Ruler.

Chuck had a love and passion for playing the guitar, and banjo. I kidded him that he looked like Slim Whitman. He said “Thanks but I can’t yodel.

He shared that talent and joined a musical group called “Powerhouse Pals” They played as regulars at the Minnesota Masonic Home, local nursing homes, and the Veterans Hospital.

In addition to his community worked Chuck enjoyed golf, archery, weight training, motorcycling and computers.

When I was Deputy Grand Master I wanted to get in shape and lose a lot of weight. Chuck said “You need to buy a bicycle” Ya see Chuck also rode his bicycle 10 to 20 miles every day.

So, I did buy a bike, and would call Chuck for some tips. He said Come on down and we can ride together. I did and I think that Chuck and I rode maybe two hundred miles together.

One day I mentioned to him that I was going to start Running to help in my conditioning. Chuck then told me all the problems with running. Speed Walking is what you need. Ill mail you a book, and then we will get you started. All I will say is that Olympic Speed Walking isn’t for me.

Chuck and Mary liked to Winter in Texas and especially in Kerrville with its rolling hills, streams and rivers. It was a wonderful place for him.

They traveled to Texas in their RV. Listening to Chuck describe all the stuff he had to pack into the RV and the techniques he used to pack it to avoid the dreading rattling, dinging, and clashing for the thousand-mile journey. Remember Chuck ran a tight ship.

One trip he heard a very upsetting rattle. He thought he would try to ignore it. Well somewhere on 35W in Oklahoma he pulled off the side of the highway and unloaded items, and boxes on the shoulder. Chuck said he was concentrating and not paying any attention when he heard a voice. He looked up and it was two of the biggest Oklahoma State Troopers. They were very stern and informed him that he just couldn’t camp anywhere in Oklahoma. Chuck said he was pretty nervous when he explained what he was doing. They listened intently and helped him load the boxes back onto the RV. Chuck said it was pretty heart warming to see two state troopers waving good bye in the rear view mirror.

We have heard Chucks Masonic Record. He loved being the Master and Lodge Secretary and working on the Building Committee. Chuck also became the first Publisher of the Lodge Newsletter 8 News Slate.

He was appointed to the Grand Lodge as Grand Pursuivant in 1982 by Past Grand Master Jay. A. North.

When Chuck was Grand Master he had 35,000 Members, and 205 Lodges. His first act as Grand Master was to merge eight lodges. His Deputy Grand was Ed Walton who was a great help to him. He encouraged his Officers to travel the state. They traveled mostly with their wives as companions 129,000 miles together. Most of it was at their own expense.

Chuck was the kind of guy who wasn’t looking to be in the spotlight, looking for honors, medals or plaques. Chuck said that he just wanted to make the world a better place.

 

It was just a couple of years ago at our Scholarship awards dinner in the St. James hotel. Chuck knew he was slipping, and we said our goodbyes.

I think that we could all take a lesson from Chuck and try to make the world around us a better place.

When we look at Chucks tombstone or any tombstone. We don’t learn much about the person expect the day they were born and the day they die. We can only keep them alive when we speak their names and tell their stories. For when we stop doing that. That is truly the day they become forgotten and die.

Believe it or not. Our own Tombstone is already half complete. Our names and the date of our birth on upon it. We are now” Living the Dash on our tombstone.” This is now a good time for us to think about how we want to be remembered. This will want us to Own the Dash, Embrace our Dash. To make good decisions, on how we will make the world around us to be a better place. Just like Chuck did.

There is a nice poem by Linda Ellis called “The Dash” and it was the inspiration for this talk

 

Thank you

 

                                                                                                                       

Masonic Cancer Center Annual Dinner-Igniting the Imagination 2022

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

The Masonic Cancer Center annual dinner was held at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on April 29, 2022. 

It was our first gathering since the COVID-19 isolation. Two hundred attended the dinner which include donors, researchers and many whose lives have been touched by cancer.  Those gathered received updates on the progress at the Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. 

The attendees were a most honorable and distinguished group as you could ever find. There were past and present Grand Lodge of Minnesota leadership, the CEO of Masonic Charities and its various board members, the President of the University of Minnesota, the Director of the Masonic Cancer Center, as well as staff, scientists, researchers, and medical professionals as well as donors and those interested in the current research. But probably the most important guests were any cancer survivors as they represent the progress that has been made in treating and curing cancer.   

During the social gathering before dinner there were five interactive exhibits where everyone could speak with an expert in the represented field. 

 

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Director& CEO Minnesota Masonic Charities and President of the University of Minnesota Joan Gabel

Joan Gambel, the 17th President of the University of Minnesota and the first woman to serve in that position, began the dinner with her opening remarks. 

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She stated that with an accelerated gift from the Minnesota Masonic Charities, the University of Minnesota has just recently been able to kick off "The 10,000 Families Study". The goal is to study the health of 10,000 Minnesota families, to better understand the influences of genetics, lifestyle and environment on their health. 

photo by Tom Hendrickson

I was very happy to hear the update regarding the Masonic Discovery Lab which was started in March 2020. The university has brought together over 30 researchers under one roof to find the next breakthrough in cancer research. 

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

The seating arrangement for dinner was carefully crafted to ensure that staff from the Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center were seated at each table along with a variety of individuals to ensure meaningful dialogue as well as learn more about each other.  At my table we had an Epidemiologist and I the opportunity to learn more her job in investigating why some people are more susceptible to cancer than others. 

Photo by Tom Hendrickson

The Masons of Minnesota relationship with the University of Minnesota began with a one-million-dollar gift to build the Masonic Memorial Hospital in 1955. 

In April 2008, I had the opportunity to be present at the luncheon when Minnesota Masonic Charites presented the University of Minnesota with a gift of $65 million dollars. This was the largest gift ever made to the University. The message with the check was simple, seek a cure for cancer. In recognition of that gift, the name of the University's cancer center was changed to the Masonic Cancer Center -University of Minnesota. 

Since 2008 the Minnesota Masonic Charities has provided $160 million dollars to the University, President Joan Gable announced at the dinner. Minnestoa Masonic Charites is the largest donor to the University. 

There has been great improvement in the survival rate for the many different types of cancer since 1955 when the relationship began between MMC and the University. That is due to the improvement on the research on the causes, prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. 

To those of us who have lost loved ones from this terrible disease, attending this annual event and hearing the progress that is being made give us great hope.  While the fight to eradicate cancer is not over, the survivors of today give us all hope for tomorrow. 

One day, at this annual dinner, we all hope to hear that the cure for cancer has been found. Minnesota Masonic Charities will have been instrumental in making that happen, when it does.

Photo by Tom Hendrickson