My...How Times Have Changed

MY… How Times Have Changed

Tom Hendrickson P.G.M.

Arch Chapter Minneapolis

Many years ago I wanted to discuss the meanings and messages hidden within the symbols used in our ritual.  My request for more information was often met by a blank stare.  I was informed, that the point of ritual was to memorize it, regurgitate it for the degree work, and then hope to become a monitor or a custodian someday.  I was highly encouraged to follow that path when I began and I started with the lectures.  I would often ask my partner what a certain item or phrase meant and they usually responded to me with “Tom, I don’t know, I just memorize the stuff”.

I knew though that there was much more to Freemasonry than chicken dinners after a Third Degree, the once a year barbeque, the debates over whether or not to put ceiling fans in the dining room and should we offer orange juice at the next annual pancake breakfast.

Today, times have changed and we must change with them.  We now find many young men standing at our doorstep, knocking at our door, that are seeking education, enlightenment, spiritual growth and meaningful experiences.  These new men come to us better informed about the craft than some of our current members.  They have accessed the World Wide Web and mined the vast information available there.  They have watched the History Channel and seen the countless television shows about Freemasonry.  They have read the books written by Dan Brown and “Freemasons for Dummies”.  These men come to us well versed in information, some of it accurate, some not so accurate.

Never the less, they come with a hunger to seek further light.  We must be ready for the challenge to help lead them to what they are seeking.  If we wish to attract and retain these men we must have more to offer them than a once a year weenie roast, poorly read ritual work, a boring business meeting and another dues card to put in their wallet. But the Royal Arch – Our Craft and our ritual are the perfect means to satisfy their hunger.

Our ritual is important.  It offers lessons so a companion can lead a life that is rich and fulfilling.  The ritual is the vehicle that our principles can ride into the hearts of men.  However, the words of the ritual are not enough.  It is the meaning of those words that will lead men to live our teachings.  Studying the rich history and symbolism of the ritual is essential to the understanding behind the words.

Our ritual contains beautiful poetry along with words of wisdom to live by.  It is filled with history and religion.  It is a treasure trove of symbols and analogies that are worthy of introspection and meditation.  Finally, the words contain profound truths and a unique perspective on life for those who are willing to make the conscious effort to uncover them.

Over the next several months I will be offering various articles or papers on various subjects in our ritual.  Don’t worry, I am not revealing the secrets.  The information I will be sharing is already in print or may be found by doing a Google search on the internet.  Feel free to use these articles in your Chapter Convocation or for Chapter education.  Feel free to make copies of them and talk about them.  Use parts of them in your newsletters or if you wish, use them to start a campfire.

The information that will be shared is just an example of what can be done by any willing companion who is willing to take some time to read and re-read the ritual.  I encourage all of you to try your hand at it.

Every man becomes a Mason for their own reasons.  Some seek light while others seek friendships.  Some may seek wisdom or direction. Others may seek all of these. The Royal Arch – Our Craft and our ritual can meet all of these needs if we step up and gain a better understanding or our rituals.  In order to teach our craft, and pass that knowledge on to the next generation, we need to understand its lesson ourselves.

Lastly, there are secrets hidden in plain sight awaiting your discovery.  My wish for you is that you discover them all.

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.