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Masonic News & Views -- Veiled in Allegory March 26, 2012 |
Greetings Brother, "Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morals, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols. It's Tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth." These are a few lines from the degree of Entered Apprentice. They are part of a beautiful explanation of Freemasonry that speaks to the nobler and higher aspirations of man and the fraternity. Many have heard, or even delivered, these lines numerous times, but let's slow down just a little and consider the words contained within the lines. What is an allegory All through the degrees of Masonry we are told that its teachings are allegorical, but what is an allegory? The word allegory derives from two Greek words and means story within a story. Basically, it is a story that has a deeper or more general meaning in addition to its surface meaning. Allegory, parable, fable, myth, legend, and tradition are correlative terms. The myth may be founded on fact, but the allegory, parable, and fable are not. Yet they may be “true” in that they contain truths without being fact. Why does Freemasonry use symbols in its teachings? Symbols are at once universal and very personal. Through the use of symbols Freemasons all over the world and from very different cultures share a common language. We may not be able to carry on a conversation with a Brother from a distant land, but we share a common experience and we recognize the lessons we've been taught through our symbols. Symbols are the best manner in which to teach these lessons because once studied and understood, symbols make an indelible impression upon the mind. They are an innate or natural means of conveying wise and serious truths that once learned will become and remain a part of one's soul. Its Tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. But, what is a tenet? The Latin tenere meant more than 'to take hold of'; it meant rather to seize, to grasp, to clutch, to hang on, and if necessary, to struggle to hang on. It passed into English almost unchanged in tense, tendon, tension, tenor (so called because it was the voice that held the lead), tensor, and tenacious. A tenet is a principle, idea, or doctrine which the mind takes hold of tenaciously and will not let go. In Freemasonry the Principal Tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, and they are so called because in no place or time or under any circumstance will a Freemason let them go. I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I have and I'll leave you with this quote from Amy Lowell, "Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never come." Fraternally yours, Tim Couch Some source information from Missouri Handbook of Freemasonry 2010 Now, on with the news........................
Tuesday, March 27, 2012: Henderson Lodge No. 477 will meet in Special Communication for work in the 2nd Degree of Freemasonry. Brother Jason Michael Sims will be presented for advancement to the degree of Fellow Craft. Dinner at 6:00 and Lodge will be duly Opened at 6:30 PM. Tuesday, March 27, 2012: Gate of the Temple Lodge No. 422 will meet in Special Communication for work in the 1st Degree of Freemasonry. Several duly elected candidates will be presented for initiation into the mysteries of Freemasonry. Lodge will be duly Opened at 6:00 PM and there will be nourishment following the work.
Friday, March 30, 2012: Queen City Chapter No. 226 O.E.S. is having a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Gate of the Temple Lodge building located at 1700 North Boonville in Springfield, MO. A $5 donation is requested.
Saturday March 31, 2012: The Annual Pancake and Sausage Supper hosted by California Masonic Lodge No. 183 will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
Saturday, March 31, 2012: O'Sullivan Lodge No. 7, in Walnut Grove, MO, will host a Concealed Carry Weapons class today. For more information contact Rocky Stehlik at 417-861-3931. Cost is $75 which includes lunch. Tuesday, April 10, 2012: Friend Lodge No.352 will meet in Special Communication at the lodge hall in Sparta, MO for work in the 2nd Degree of Freemasonry. Brother Rob Turrentine will be presented for advancement to the degree of Fellow Craft. Dinner at 6:30 and Lodge will be duly Opened at 7:00 PM. Saturday, April 14, 2012: Friend Lodge No. 352 will meet in Special Communication at the lodge hall in Sparta, MO for work in the 1st Degree of Freemasonry. Dean Jenks, who has been duly elected, will be presented for initiation into the mysteries of Freemasonry. Lunch at 12:30 and Lodge will be duly Opened at 1:00 PM. Tuesday, April 17, 2012: The Buckeye Ritual Club will meet at Central Crossing Lodge No. 674 located in Bridgeview Plaza in Shell Knob, MO, at 6:30 PM for fun, fellowship and education on our beautiful Missouri Masonic Ritual. This month's education will focus on Opening on the 2nd Degree, lost password, late arrival, Brother who leaves early, and Closing the Lodge. The Buckeye Ritual Club is centered in the 44th Masonic District of Missouri, but of course all Master Masons are welcome. The club will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and will travel to differing lodges within the 44th District. Click here to see the 2012 schedule. Mark your calendar and plan on coming out to have some fun with your Brethren. The Buckeye Ritual Club is also on Facebook. Click here for the Buckeye Ritual Club Facebook page. Saturday, April 21, 2012: Solomon Lodge No. 271, in Springfield, MO, will host a Concealed Carry Firearms class beginning at 9:00 AM at the lodge building, 1930 West Catalpa Street in Springfield, MO.
Upon completion of the course you will receive a completion certificate signed by the instructor. You will need to present this certificate to the County Sheriff's office when you apply for the permit. There is a fee for the permit application, which varies by county but is approximately $100. This fee includes finger printing and the FBI background check. Instruction will be by Jim Watson For more information and to reserve your spot in the class please contact Joe Scola at 417-827-3958 or by e-mail at: rampart713(at symbol)msn.com.
Saturday, April 28th, 2012: An Evening with The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE)
Saturday, April 28, 2012: Solomon Lodge No. 271 will host a MoCHIP (Missouri Child Identification & Protection) Event from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Masonic York Rite Temple, 1930 West Catalpa Street in Springfield, MO. At least 30 volunteers are needed to work this event.
Saturday, May 5, 2012: Friend Lodge No. 352 will host a MOCHIP (Missouri Child Identification & Protection) Event from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the OTC Richwood Valley Campus located on Missouri State Highway 14 between Ozark and Nixa. This event will be in conjunction with the Christian County Optimist Safetypalooza. For more information on the Safetypalooza click here to visit the Christian County Optimist Web site.
Saturday, May 12, 2012: Gate of the Temple Lodge No. 422 will host a C2A (Chance to Advance) one day class to confer the 2nd and 3rd Degrees of Freemasonry on duly and truly prepared candidates for those degrees. As you can see there's lots of Masonry going on in Missouri. See the links below to keep up with the latest or to submit information for your upcoming meeting. For help locating a lodge building visit the Missouri Masonic Lodge Map page on Masonsmart.com
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