Tri-State Festival

The 60th Tri-State Royal Arch Festival was held August 25th in Minnehaha Lodge which is in Minneapolis Minnesota. The Tri-State is composed of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan.
The turn out was exceptional this year with ninety six Side liners, and twenty one Candidates.

It was an all day event, but our organizers had prepared to ensure that we were nourished with three meals to keep us content,while we enjoyed all the Royal Arch Degrees. Minnesota Grand Lecturer Christopher Wendover did an excellent job putting together the casts needed for the degree work.

Zeb Dudek of Rochester did just a wonderful job on the Long Journey. His performance was  a pleasure to observe. Next Year the event will be held in Marquette Michigan. 

Royal Arch School of Instruction

This is the first time in a couple of decades that Schools of Instructions have been held. Except the way its being done is not what you may experience in your Blue Lodges. Instead of practicing the degree to perfection. We are going thru the degrees and explaining and going over the esoteric meanings as well. This approach brings forth the light.

Masons at Sea

Just a few days ago I was sitting in the solarium on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. I was drinking coffee and writing an outline for a Royal Arch education program. As I was twirling my pen searching for a better word to use I gazed around the ship. My eyes came upon a gentleman near me reading. Being a lover of books, and a hellacious reader I was wondering what book he was reading.
As I took a closer look I realized it was " Capitular Development Course by Piers Vaughan.
 I walked over to him and said " Brother is that Piers Vaughan book? I then introduced myself, and we shook hands. Meet Richard Petty the Right Excellent Grand King of the Royal Arch Masons ot Tennessee.Him and his wife were on vacation, and Richard was getting caught up on his reading.
If tradition prevails Richard will be elected as Grand High Priest in less than a month.
During the cruise we had a several conversations and of course they were all about our favorite subject...The Craft.
Also on the cruise I met a group of Brothers from Franklin Tennessee. They had brought their newest Entered Apprentice and one of their goals was to help him learn his ritual. I thought that was a great idea. 

HAPPY TO MEET, SORRY TO PART, AND HAPPY TO MEET AGAIN

Minnesota Royal Arch School of Instruction

Mi

The Handwriting on the Wall

The Handwriting on the Wall

By Tom Hendrickson-P.G.M.

Have you ever heard the old saying “The Handwriting on the wall”? It’s a metaphor we generally use to describe a vague feeling of pending doom or a feeling that something bad is going to happen.

The saying comes from Belshazzar’s Feast which is mentioned in the Royal Arch Degree. It is a story that has many important lessons for all of us to consider. To understand the rest of the story I will explore the source which is in the Old Testament Book of Daniel Chapters Four and Five.

The scene is in Babylon about the Sixth Century before our era (or B.C.) and King Nebuchadnezzar’s Armies had conquered Jerusalem. A sizable portion of the Jewish population of Judah including all the Nobel’s and scholars had been captured and deported back to Babylon. The Temple was sacked of all of its sacred treasures and taken to Babylon as well. Among the stolen plunder were many sacred cups made of gold and silver.

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his officials to conduct a talent search among the prisoners to find the best and the brightest to learn the local language and literature to serve within the Kings Palace. The most impressive among the group of talented young Jews was Daniel. Daniel had a very special gift as he could interpret the Kings dreams and reveal their mysteries.

In time Daniel became a trusted servant to the King, and Nebuchadnezzar did relinquish his pagan gods and acknowledged Daniel’s God, the God of the people of Israel.  Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar eventually become King and he is a different story all together.

Now before we move on to the main thrust of the story. I highly recommend you go on line and Google a painting by Rembrandt called Belshazzar’s Feast. The painting depicts beautifully the story you are about to read.

Daniel 5 Living Bible (TLB)

5 Belshazzar the king invited a thousand of his officers to a great feast where the wine flowed freely. ^2-4 While Belshazzar was drinking, he was reminded of the gold and silver cups taken long before from the Temple in Jerusalem during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and brought to Babylon. Belshazzar ordered that these sacred cups be brought in to the feast, and when they arrived, he and his princes, wives, and concubines drank toasts from them to their idols made of gold and silver, brass and iron, wood and stone.

⁵ Suddenly, as they were drinking from these cups, they saw the fingers of a man’s hand writing on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand. The king himself saw the fingers as they wrote. ⁶ His face blanched with fear, and such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him.

⁷ “Bring the magicians and astrologers!” he screamed. “Bring the Chaldeans! Whoever reads that writing on the wall and tells me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor, with a gold chain around his neck, and he will become the third ruler in the kingdom!”^[a]

⁸ But when they came, none of them could understand the writing or tell him what it meant.

⁹ The king grew more and more hysterical; his face reflected the terror he felt, and his officers too were shaken. 

So the Queen-Mother heard the ruckus and ran into the banquet hall and told the King to calm down. She told him to call Daniel for he could interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems and he would know what the writing on the wall means.

So Daniel is summoned and rushes in…..

²² “And you, his successor, O Belshazzar—you knew all this, yet you have not been humble. ²³ For you have defied the Lord of Heaven and brought here these cups from his Temple; and you and your officers and wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not praised the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! ^24-25 And so God sent those fingers to write this message: ‘Mene,’ ‘Mene,’ ‘Tekel,’ ‘Parsin.’

²⁶ “This is what it means:

“Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign, and they are ended.

²⁷ “Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed in God’s balances and have failed the test.

²⁸ “Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was robed in purple, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom.

And that very night King Belshazzar was killed, and Babylon was conquered.

Quite a story.  If you googled the picture as suggested, the story comes to life within the painting.  The morale of the story is clear: remember that our days on this earth are numbered and the time we spend here will be weighed and judged. So, live each day to the fullest, do good works and appreciate every day for it may be your last.

Remember -”The Hand Writing is on the wall”.

The Chapter Penny and Book of Marks

The Chapter Penny and Book of Marks

By Tom Hendrickson-P.G.M.

The Mark Master degree is the first of the Royal Arch Degrees. It is the completion of the Fellow Craft Degree, adding considerably much more insight and detail about our ancient craft.

There are many valuable lessons in the Mark Master Degree, but this paper will cover the areas surrounding the Chapter Penny and the Book of Marks.

The Mark Master degree is believed to have been originated by the ancient operative masons as a ceremony whereby the craftsman selected his unique personal mark which was recorded in the Chapters Book of Marks.  This unique mark would be the masonic signature for the mason’s lifetime and the operative stone mason would place his mark on the stones he prepared.  The mark would identify his work, served as a means of quality control and allowed the mason to receive his wages for the work he performed.

During the building of King Solomon’s Temple there were two classes of Fellow Crafts. The advanced masons were promoted based upon their diligence and skill level to the Mark Master. The Mark Master was paid in coin by the Senior Warden instead of being paid with corn, wine or oil. A week’s wages were a Penny or a half-shekel.

It is tradition in the Royal Arch Chapters that they create their own uniquely designed Chapter Penny. Each candidate who completes the Mark Master Degree is presented with the Chapter Penny as a worthy token of the rites of friendship and brotherly love. No, it’s not just another piece of Masonic Bling.

The new Mark Mason then selects a distinctive mark that he will keep for his lifetime and register’s the mark in his Chapter’s Book of Marks. This mark is then inscribed on his Chapter Penny within the Keystone side of the coin.

The remainder of this paper will examine many of the common characteristics of various Chapter Pennies and half-shekels from Minnesota Chapters.

I will also review some registered marks from various the “Book of Marks” from Royal Arch Chapters and look at the designs from the simple to ornate and beautiful works of art.

Now let’s take a look at some examples of Penny’s and Marks.

The most common Chapter Penny is having the obverse side-the front of the coin (in Minnesota we call that heads) is divided into three spaces by two circles. The inscription found in the outer most consisting of the name, number and location of the Chapter. The middle space contains the date when the charter was granted. The center space contains the word One Penny using two lines.

The reverse side(tails) will have the keystone bearing the letters H.T.W.S.S.T.K.S arranged in a circle. The center of the keystone is reserved for the Mark of the owner.

The letters represent the Mark of our ancient Grand Master. On the right a mallet, on the left a chisel.

  

This version of the Chapter Penny is fashioned to appear like an ancient half Shekel. The Chapter information is contained on the reverse side. 

Each Royal Arch Chapter maintains a Book of Marks. This is the master registry of all of the members Marks or their masonic signatures. As our ancient brethren before us. It is very possible to leaf thru the pages and gaze upon the marks of all of your Chapter members going back to the very founders themselves. This is a great place to look at what your Father or Grandfathers Mark may have looked like.

These books come in all shapes and colors. From the handmade leather bound to a three-ring notebook.

   

When you examine the individual Marks you will see, some were made by an artist directed by the member or some scratched out by the member himself.

I have elected to show you a few ordinate Marks from the mid-1800s.

The form that each Mark Master is presented with to complete.

 Completed Forms.

  

                                                                                

The Chapter Penny and the Chapter Book of Marks are just a few of the interesting and valuable lessons in the Mark Master Degree.

The lessons in the Royal Arch completes and fulfills the degrees that we received in the Blue lodge. It is often said that the Master Mason doesn’t fully grasp the whole story until he has completed his journey through the Royal Arch.

If you are interested in learning more about your ancient craft and wish to participate in its long traditions the Royal Arch is the only place where you can do that. 


I would like to say Many Thanks to the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center and Doset Mark Anderson for helping me with this project

The Rest of the Story

                                                                         

                                 By Tom Hendrickson-P.G.M.

Have you ever not received all of the facts?  Not heard the entire story on something?  Have you only heard part of the story?

I can say that I have sure have been in that situation, and I believe you may have as well.

I used to have season tickets for the MN Gopher Hockey games.  There were times I would miss the first minutes of the game because of work.  After I would arrive and plop down in my seat, all of my friends around me would try to catch me up on the game or would say ahhh Tom, you missed all the action or you missed a great goal.  So of course I would rush home from the game to try and catch the highlights on the 10 o clock news.

I love to read.  I find reading to be a great stress reducer, especially after a tough shift (I am a retired cop).  I was reading a Tom Clancy novel and was riveted in the story.  Just as I got to a major plot development spot in the story I discovered that the printer had made a grave error in the printing of my book.  When I arrived on page 377 I discovered that every page thereafter was a repeat of page 377.  The book had 100 pages of page 377, like a never ending loop.  I had to know how the story ended, so of course, I had to buy a new book to read the ending.

Some years ago my buddies and I went to see a movie at the theater (remember those days when you only could see movies in the theater).  I cannot recall the title now, but I remember that it was a fantastic movie until three fourths of the way through the movie it stopped and we saw nothing but a blank screen.  The movie theater did not have the last reel of the film to finish the movie.  I had to see the ending, so another night I had to go back to the theater and watch the ending.

When the entire story is missing or it feels as something has been missed, this can lead to feeling a little lost, a little confused, or even a little frustrated.  

This same thing happens to those of us who receive the first Three Degrees in lodge and are now are Master Masons.  We did not get the whole story

After completion of my third degree I asked myself---first they lost the Word….then they gave me a substitute!!!  There were some big gaps and there were big pieces missing.

I knew with the months of studying and memorizing that I had to find the rest of the story which I did and you can too.

You will find the completion of the story only in the Royal Arch. Nowhere else.

If you are interested in getting the rest of the story and completing your Masonic journey you should consider talking to a member of the Royal Arch to learn how.

Get the rest of the story - don’t accept a substitute.  Join the Royal Arch.

Masonic Knowledge and Some Advice

Last evening I had the wonderful opportunity to go to my Minneapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite. It was the big Summer event. After meeting a large group of perspective members, and a great dinner of bar-b-q. I was presented my certificate for the completion of the Master Craftsman-History and Ritual.

It took me maybe 10 or 11 months to complete it. I took last Summer off so that's partly why it may have taken me so long. This course covered all of the Scottish Rite degrees and historical perspective.
The Questions were clear and easy to understand, and the people correcting them did a very good job in trying to mail it back as soon as possible.
.

 Now here in Minneapolis we do all the degrees TWICE a year in the full form. Oh its a beautiful pageant with all the Actors in full costume and make up. There are stage back drops, with a sound committee, and lighting so its a full theatrical performance.  It truly is a treasure! I often brag about it, and when I met Sovereign Grand Commander Ronald Serle I  reminded him of the great work we do.
And in Minneapolis we have dinner before the degrees so you have time to talk and make new Brothers.

Did I learn anything during the course? No not really.I described it to my Masonic Scholar friends as a wonderful tour thru Albert Pikes immigration.Yes I would be more than happy to buy you a Cup or a Pint and explain my reasons.

I have just sent off  for the next Master Craftsman Esoterika. I truly enjoy learning and will give me another chance to look at the Blue lodge thru another tint of glass. Now Im using the next course only to warm me up for the York Rite Companion Adept program. Im working up to my Masters in Masonic Knowledge. Oh and  Ill sign up for French lessons and my Winter will be complete.Well a little Cross Country sking will be in the mix as well.

So if you are looking to expand your Masonic knowledge. I highly recommend you continue on and join the Royal Arch and finish your education. For the York Rite is Ancient Craft Freemasonry in the purest sense.For in the Royal Arch you will learn the rest of what was intended for you to be a full Mason. The Royal Arch completes the circle.

Think about it.... in the Blue lodge you learned a substitute word..The Royal Arch will give you the true word.So if your interested in learning the true Anchient Craft Freemasonry consider joining the Royal Arch.The Royal Arch is the authority. Everything else may teach you like things or similar or resemblances of  the Craft Freemasonry, but why accept imitations.
You may want to join my Royal Arch Chapter. We don't just have a meal before the meeting..We eat like Men! and everyone one of my fellow Companions and I enjoy very lively fun conversations and true Brotherhood.

If you want to go to a school of philosophy, and learn in the Albert Pike fashion I highly suggest you join the Scottish Rite. I highly recommend you don't fool around but join the Minneapolis Valley for its not just done right but its magnificat.A little dinner two plays the evening is complete.

Mark Master Degree - The Operative to Speculative Connection

Mark Master Tracing Board

Mark Master Degree

The Operative to Speculative Connection

Tom Hendrickson P.G.M.

The Mark Master degree is the first degree in the Royal Arch Chapter.  It is an extension of the Fellowcraft degree.

The Fellowcraft degree contains a great amount of wisdom and knowledge.  Its symbols and lessons can take a lifetime to learn.  Though the degree itself may stand on its own merits, the candidate can be left with many unanswered questions.  The Mark Master degree compliments and illustrates, in a practical manner, many of those questions.

The Mark Master degree takes the candidate to a time immediately before the death of Hiram Abif at a setting within a working stone quarry near King Solomon’s Temple.  The candidate is now a workman as a Fellowcraft laboring in the quarries and presenting his work for inspection. 

The Mark Master degree is explicitly related to working and building with stone.  It takes its name from the medieval term Masons Mark. The Mark Master degree explains the moral and ethical lessons of life such as the values of integrity, honesty, charity, taking pride in your own work and individual responsibility.  The working tools of the mallet and chisel are introduced along with the wages being paid by coin. 

When the Operative Mason became a Fellowcraft, he selected a distinctive symbol known as the Masons “Mark”.  This mark would serve as his signature, logo or trademark.  This unique mark would be recorded and registered in the lodges “Book of Marks” and this mark would be used for his lifetime.  It was and remains common that a father would pass their mark onto their son.

In a historical context, the Masons Mark had many practical purposes.  The Mason’s employment was effectively piecework.  He was given credit for the work completed and paid based upon his marked stones.  He was also held accountable for the quality of this work as each Mason’s stones were marked

.

Without exception Freemasonry has always been associated with stone masons.  It has borrowed much from the medieval operative stone masons such as the symbolism of the working tools, gauges and the use of marks.

In the ancient records of operative masonry, dating back over three centuries, there is mention of the Masons Mark.  As early as 1598, the Lodge of St Mary’s Chapel Scotland speaks of a Masons Mark and of the Mark Degree.

By reviewing old Scottish records it is clear that the speculative masons selected their marks just as the operative masons chose marks.  In the Mark book of the Masonic Lodge of Aberdeen dated 1670 it shows forty nine marks and the members names opposite the marks.

And finally, the Mark Master degree uses symbols, scriptures, links to other degrees, lectures, rituals and some drama to communicate a very powerful message that the Brother experiencing the Capitular Degree is going to be transformed from a Master Builder to a Spiritual Builder.  The Mark Master degree is his first step towards the revelations of the Holy Royal Arch Degree.

The Mark Master degree is another valuable piece of the puzzle you need to become a complete Freemason.  You have already started your journey in the pure and ancient craft by joining your lodge and advancing through the degrees.

If you are interested in learning more, and completing you journey, you may want to consider talking to a member of the Royal Arch for more information.

 How the Royal Arch Completes the Story

By Thomas Hendrickson P.G.M.

In the 1700’s the Royal Arch was regarded as the Root, Heart and Marrow of Freemasonry.

For those of us in Freemasonry, symbolism is part of our way of life.  It causes us to take an extra moment or two to reflect upon something to find the greater meaning which is far more personal and meaningful than having it spoon fed to us in a 20 second sound bite.

We all interpret things differently so for me this is how I interpret these symbols.

The Root is a symbolic representation of our origins and in unseen ways the tree is supported and finds nourishment.

The Heart is used to symbolize the flow of life itself.  In ages past the heart was believed to be where the soul resided

.

The Marrow refers to the essence of life. Bone Marrow is a spongy tissue found inside the bones.  It produces the red and white blood cells along with platelets and adult stem cells which are essential for humans to live.  When I would visit the blood center to donate blood, I heard it referred to as the very essence of life.

So after reflecting on the descriptive words of Root, Heart and Marrow I believe the Brothers of our ancient craft believed strongly that the Royal Arch was important, essential and indispensable to the craft degrees.

My question is, how did the Royal Arch become so important?  What was the purpose of the Royal Arch?

We know that in England during the 1600’s, there were two degrees.  The Entered Apprentice and The Fellow Craft.  Up until 1717 some lodges were working one comprehensive degree, while others were working two degrees.  The Master Mason degree started appearing around 1730 (we know that the legend or Hiram was known around 1700).

It was determined by many that the Master Mason degree was incomplete. The candidate was left with an unfinished temple and a substitute word.  The candidate is left with more questions than answers.  I know that when I left the lodge room I said to my Masonic mentor, “How did they lose the word”?

It is easy to see that some speculative degree writers may have seen an opportunity to carefully weave the completion of the story from the same Hiramic legend used in the craft lodges to provide the completion of the story.  Thus the Royal Arch was born.

In England there were two major factions of Freemasons, the Ancients and the Moderns.  The Ancients considered the Royal Arch essential to Freemasonry. The Moderns officially disavowed the Royal Arch and in their official announcements they were very straight forward and blunt of their dislike for the Royal Arch.

As time went on the Moderns discovered many of their lodges were working the Royal Arch degree and many of their members

were belonged to Royal Arch Chapters. They were in amazement when they learned that many of their prominent members were Royal Arch Masons

.

Both sides come to understand the situation needed a solution and they stopped the infighting and developed a workable idea.  In October 1809 the Ancients and the Moderns agreed to create a Special Lodge called “The Lodge of Promulgation”.  The purpose of this lodge was to find a common ground and negotiate their differences.  In November 1813 they agreed to merge and signed the “Articles of Union”.

The actual union took place on St. Johns Day on December 28, 1813 at Freemasons Hall, creating the “United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England, the very same Grand Lodge that we know today.

Both the Ancients and the Moderns felt that the Royal Arch was such an integral part of pure ancient masonry that it was written in their constitution.

By the solemn Act of Union between the two Grand Lodges of Freemasons of England in December, 1813, it was “declared and pronounced that the pure Ancient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more, viz those of the Entered apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and Master Mason including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch”.

The union clearly defined what pure ancient masonry was and created the Royal Arch as an Order to ensure the proper regulation of the Capstone of the Craft degrees.

So the Royal Arch stands on authority to bring the Master Mason into the full Masonic light, by the completion of pure ancient masonic degrees.

So if you completed the first three degrees and desire to be a Master Mason with the complete and intended purpose of the ancient craft you should seriously talk to your local Royal Arch and consider joining.