Monday, January 15, 2007

Happy New Year!

I see that it has been a very long time since my last post, so much so that we have lived through another holiday shopping season. Beyond that, let me wish all of a very "Happy New Year!"

In my district here in Syracuse, NY, I offered up the following Masonic New Year Resolutions (adapt them, as you will for you own jurisdiction):

  1. Improve your Ritual work. Our AGLs are available to assist with your upcoming Degrees – remember: a candidate’s first real impression of Freemasonry comes with his Initiation in the Entered Apprentice Degree. 1) Improve your Ritual work. Our AGLs are available to assist with your upcoming Degrees – remember: a candidate’s first real impression of Freemasonry comes with his Initiation in the Entered Apprentice Degree. RW Dick Gilbert & VW Kevin Parker can help you make that first impression. Let them help you. They are also planning a Lodge of Instruction & Ritual Competition in March. See their column for more details.
  2. Further your Masonic Education. The job of the Grand Lodge Staff Officer is to attend to the Masonic Education of the Brethren in his District. RW Larry Egnaczyk will finish the “Masonic Development Course” this month & will soon follow it with either “The Road to the East” or the new edition of the “Leadership Development Course”. If you would like to learn more about Masonry and improve your leadership skills, plan on attending one of these courses. Watch his column for more information. You can also take advantage of the Livingston Masonic Library or the Masonic University of New York (MUNY) – you can find their links on the Grand Lodge website (www.nymasons.org)
  3. Attend Masters, Wardens & Deacons sessions. This meeting on the 4th Wednesday of each month is an excellent opportunity for you to learn what is happening in the other Lodges of the Onondaga District and to discuss issues that are important to Masons & Masonry. This meeting is not just for the Masters, Wardens & Deacons of our Lodges – anyone who is interested is more than welcome to attend. Our next meeting is on January 24th at the Memorial Masonic Center in North Syracuse at 7:30 PM.
  4. Make an effort to attend Masonic Funeral Services. There is nothing more embarrassing than having only a couple of Brothers show up to a service after a family has asked for it. Freemasonry obviously meant a lot to the deceased Brother & his family because they have asked for the service. Make an extra effort to show them that it means a lot to you as well. Worshipful Masters: if you know of a Masonic Service, please email the details to me at rjpowell@arsmasonica.com and I will forward it onto the other Masters, who, I would hope, will forward it onto the Brothers for whom they have email addresses, and get the word out.

After my post about Esoterika Lodge, I received calls from a Brother from that Lodge and another in Minnesota offering their encouragement. So far, I haven't heard from anyone in this District interested, but I will see.