Nooksack Valley #105 or The NW Masonic Museum!

Officers and the newest member of Freemasonry!

Candidates first view of the Lodge!

Those old theatre seats are damn comfy!

3 aprons that are at least 100 years old!

Reception Room!

Foyer greets you with antiquity!

Last night I had the pleasure of witnessing an Entered Apprentice degree put on by the gentlemen of Nooksack Valley Lodge. What a show! The work was flawless, and the Lodge itself is amazing! The ceremony was done in full costume, and must have taken an incredible amount of effort and time to get it to that level. As the pictures show the Lodge is a museum of Masonic history of this little slice of the Valley. From the foyer to the Lodge room the whole building has a great feeling of comfort, warmth, and welcoming.

Ever have one of those days?

Well it started off great following a stellar degree presentation at Nooksack #105 last night(story and pics to follow) and quickly began running down hill at light speed, engine light came on in the car on the way to work, short two guys and all hell was breaking loose at the counter.......then he came in. I saw him perusing some chrome stacks, some bling for the dash....then I saw it. The pendant dangling off his gold chain..the S&C! Thinking back to another encounter with a buckle wearing impostor I scanned this fellow for even more clues, and spotted the ring and a watch!!!!! Boom, gotcha! 'Are you a travelling man' I asked. 'What' he said, I work with truckers all day so I know it can be a bit of a loaded question, but I knew he heard me and I repeated the question anyway, to which an answer in the affirmative was given. 'Mt.Zion #120', I said. 'Saskatchewan #92' he replied. We exchanged tokens. BSed about the pros and cons of modern day diesels vs their more aged counter parts while he waited for his ride. It was one of the coolest experiences I have had since joining, and one I have really looked forward to. Meeting an otherwise perfect stranger only to realize the brotherly bond of Masonry and dwell peacefully within it! The rest of the day was a cake walk, couldn't even remember how much of a crapfest it was to start off. Hope to see you again real soon Brother Heinz! Come back anytime!

http://www.saskatchewan92.org/component/content/article/40-articles/46-first-masonic-lodge-outside-the-boundaries-of-manitoba

Having a great time!

We just had our final meeting for the year and I just wanted to say what a great time I am having so far. So far every meeting I have been to I meet someone new, and true to form they are all great guys! And....I've been found out! One of my Brothers came up to me tonight and commented on my blog and how much he liked it! I wondered when someone would catch on to my musings! I guess it was just a matter of time. Some of my favorite moments to date have been the time after Lodge is closed tyle when we as Brothers can sit around a table and speak of how we try and make Masonry more than just a few hours every couple of weeks. How these men truly try and apply the principals of Brotherly Love, Truth, and Relief every day! In my everyday life I am usually the boisterous clown, quick with a line, or sarcastic quip. But within the walls of my Lodge and the company of my Brothers, I keep quiet and just absorb everything I can. I love to hear the stories of how Lodge was back in the day, and listening to members laying out their hopes and plans as they contemplate holding senior positions. I always come from Lodge feeling recharged and peaceful.

Memory work is going great, FC obligation down solid, just working on the QA now! A little tougher for this degree. Feel a bit guilty about moving so quickly through the degrees but I think doing the memorization certainly helps me to understand the work so much better. As I did the EA work it was amazing as I worked on it line by line, how the meaning and the weight of the statements make themselves clear and sensible even though the language can be a bit awkward. The FC work has been a bit different because of the slight historical twist that has proven at times a bit difficult for your author to research it to his own satisfaction. But I shall press on!!

Have a great day Brothers!
J-P aka Lightseeker!