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