Time for an Update!

      Ok, after a couple of months of silence i am finally ready to update this here blog. And it has been a busy couple of months!

       At the end of February a friend and I attended an open house at Cloverdale #168 of the GLBC&Y. They had a great program, with several speakers including the editor of our GL newsletter VW Bro. Trevor W. McKeown, who gave a fantastic power point presentation on Freemasonry in the movies! He had over a hundred examples showing how the perception of the Craft has changed through the years goning from positive to the negative and how it has been slowly making its way back to the positive side of the spectrum. One of the Brethren also gave the crowd gathered that night the 'Address to the Brethren' given at our installations, he did it word perfect while strolling about the Lodge, it was amazing! It was also cool to find out that the WM of the lodge, Guy Olsson, was a fellow I had met years before when we both worked for the same company! Great to see him again under such cool circumstances!

       Nooksack Valley Lodge #105 conferred their first FellowCraft degree in 14 years and I was there to watch. Again it was in full costume! Wor. Bro. Mike Beaudry and his officers did an amazing job in making this degree a memorable one for all involved! I hear the Lodge's Degree Team will be putting their hard work to use at some other Lodges this summer, surely a testament to their devotion to great ritual!

        And last but not least my Lodge's Installations took place this past Saturday! First, I have never seen more Masons at my lodge until then, every seat was occupied, with about 60 - 65 men in attendance. About 10 different Lodges including the GL were represented. Our outgoing WM Jonathan Miller was replaced by Bro. Ivan Hamilton who had spent a great deal of time getting the whole day organized, and every bit came off without a hitch! I was installed as Chaplain, and gave my first grace........ever, that night. I found a nice old one from a UGLE handbook I found on-line. Dinner was great and I got to meet alot of 'significant others' that night. I am looking forward to a great year in my chair, and really being an active participant in Lodge workings!

Newly Raised!

On Tuesday night I was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. It was an unbelievable night! The Past Masters did an incredible job, and made it a truly unforgetable event!

Me on the lower right!

At the festive board I was asked to say a few words. I presented this poem  I wrote.

With a deep breath and steeled resolve
he walked to towards the door
Met a man with a square on his hand
And a petition he did have

Months go by and questions pry
as the investigators visit
to query the man and comfort his bride
about the road ahead

Members call and keep in touch
as the decision day draws near
nerves on edge and patienced tested
as he waits for the word he wants to hear

the word is good, and a day is set
all the priciples are there
strange clothes, a cable tow
and hoodwink blocks the light

round and round the lodge he's led
on shakey knees the oath is said
first steps, unfamiliar words
grips and tokens are exchanged

a new family of brothers
gained from otherwise strangers
a fraternity born in antiquity
that survived the trials of history

entereds passed and fellows raised
past masters at the ready
to help the new man find his way
to keep his path strong and steady

and then the day comes to pass the test
and recieve his masters apron
the heavy burden upon his waist
he's learned to wear it proud

begin to put the lessons learned
to good and useful work
and bring good report to his Lodge
from all of those he serves

and one day when he is called
to be the master of his temple
he will have learned all he knows
from the best example.

One Closes and Another Begins..

Well this will be the last weekend before I am raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Every lunch hour has been spent studying for my FC proficiency. There are still a couple of parts where I leave off a word, or I twist a couple up, but overall I'm feeling really good about delivering a solid performance of the work that has been assigned to me. Tomorrow morning will be our practice and my first chance to run through the work with the officers of my Lodge. I am much more at ease this go around than I was for my EA proficiency. It will also be a Past Masters night, so from what I understand all the officers chairs will be filled with PMs and of course all the work done by them as well. I think it will make the night and experience just that much more special.

This Tuesday night does come with a sense that this important and emotional step into Freemasonry will be coming to an end, and for that I am a bit sad. It has been a very cool experience and eye opening. As I enter a society of men who prize honor and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune, I plan on being a foot soldier for Masonry in this new millennium, and as one of my bros. put it 'Time is my ally'. There is no reason why Freemasonry cannot have a resurgence in popularity in these times, and there are many reasons why it should.

On Tuesday night I will be receive my master's apron and the first chapter of my Masonic life will come to a close. This past chapter is one that, has been for the most part set in stone, with a very distinct set of steps and work that follows rules and guidelines that have been laid out for hundreds of years. The next chapters are mine to write, and with help of my fellow brethren I hope to have a long and fruitful career as I explore the history and create my own, within this wonderful institution!

Please stand by!

I am experiencing techinical difficulties! The power adapter for my laptop died and I have been without my computer for about 2 weeks nows. The new one should arrive Monday or Tuesday, new post to follow!

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!