Masons

[JohnP]

Are there any other Masons out there?

I've been a Master Mason for about 2 years. I've met several that have come from Military Lodges and I’m interested in finding out if there are any from Military Lodges located in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[mtnsldr]

I have recently considered joining. Perhaps I could speak to you in detail regarding specifics offline...

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by mtnsldr

I have recently considered joining. Perhaps I could speak to you in detail regarding specifics offline...

PM inbound.

[steelplateinmyhead]

I am a Master Mason with Bingham Lodge 272 AF&AM Mebane NC.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMJ5W

I was raised in 1988.

I need to affiliate here in Tennessee and quit just carrying a card.

After thought***

John are going thru the chairs?

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by steelplateinmyhead

I am a Master Mason with Bingham Lodge 272 AF&AM Mebane NC.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMJ5W

I was raised in 1988.

I need to affiliate here in Tennessee and quit just carrying a card.

After thought***

John are going thru the chairs?

Frontier Lodge 766 AF & AM Alpine, TX. I was Raised in 2006.

http://frontiermasoniclodge.org/

I'll be in the South this annual year. I'm the SD at the moment. Does your Grand Lodge have proficiency certificates?

[steelplateinmyhead]

Originally Posted by JohnP

Frontier Lodge 766 AF & AM Alpine, TX. I was Raised in 2006.

http://frontiermasoniclodge.org/

I'll be in the South this annual year. I'm the SD at the moment. Does your Grand Lodge have proficiency certificates?

No, not when I was going thru the chairs back in the late 80's and early 90.

I got to the South and put on the 1st Degree.

Alot of work in store for you.

I moved away from Mebane, NC because of work and settled here in Tennessee to be closer to my wifes parents and mine.

My dad is a PM at Chilhowie Lodge 250 AF&AM Chilhowie Virginia.

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by steelplateinmyhead

No, not when I was going thru the chairs back in the late 80's and early 90.

I got to the South and put on the 1st Degree.

Alot of work in store for you.

I moved away from Mebane, NC because of work and settled here in Tennessee to be closer to my wifes parents and mine.

My dad is a PM at Chilhowie Lodge 250 AF&AM Chilhowie Virginia.

I really enjoy the work. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t learn something new. I’ve been on several degree teams. I’ve sat in the South on a couple also, but I really like my current position. You are in the middle of the action the whole time. I’ve been an instructor to a newly made Mason through his 3rd degree. The work sticks in your head after that. We also have training meetings every Tuesday and I attend faithfully.

In Texas, instructors from the Grand Lodge along with the committee on work visit various lodges and test the members on proficiency. You get a “C” certificate for knowing how to open and close all the lodges. A “B” certificate for that and knowing all the questions and answers for the proficiency examination. An “A” for that and knowing all the lectures for all the degree work.

I got my “B” certificate 6 months after I was raised. I’m working hard to get my lectures down, but I don’t think I’ll get an “A” until at least next year.

My lodge is a very active one. In the history of the Grand Lodge of Texas, we have had 3 Past Grandmasters from it. When you go to my lodge’s website, you’ll see a very tall, older gentleman in the middle of the officers. That’s Graham Childress, Past Grand Master. He has a memory like anyone’s business. I’ve attended 2 Masonic Funerals conducted by him. All from memory and the most solemn affair I’ve ever seen. It ties in well with military honors. I’ve already re-written my desires to include both services.

I see you have a family history with Masonry. I’m proud for you. I hope you due go to a local lodge for plural membership. I find it a very rewarding experience.

[MOM]

I of course, was not a Mason, but my Daddy was a York Rite and my Grandpa was a Scottish Rite. They deposited me in the Scottish Rite Dormitory while I was in college at UT Austin (they called your parents if you were out past 10 on weeknights or midnight on weekends. MOM made friends with Moe, the night guard and used to bring him a Whopper burger & fries when she'd miss the curfew - never got turned in)

Grandpa was born in 1899, and I have somewhere around here his Masonic Lodge card from Okinawa in like 1921 or so. I'll see if I can dig that out and post a picture - it's pretty neat. Both are gone now and I have all their Masonic books and things like that. My son told me he had thought about it as he works with some. I've encouraged him to look into it and then I can pass those things along to him.

I love reading the political history surround the Masons (real true history). Very interesting.

PS Paul - I didn't realize you were in Alpine. That's fairly close to me by West Texas standards, I'm in Midland.

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by MOM

I of course, was not a Mason, but my Daddy was a York Rite and my Grandpa was a Scottish Rite. They deposited me in the Scottish Rite Dormitory while I was in college at UT Austin (they called your parents if you were out past 10 on weeknights or midnight on weekends. MOM made friends with Moe, the night guard and used to bring him a Whopper burger & fries when she'd miss the curfew - never got turned in)

Grandpa was born in 1899, and I have somewhere around here his Masonic Lodge card from Okinawa in like 1921 or so. I'll see if I can dig that out and post a picture - it's pretty neat. Both are gone now and I have all their Masonic books and things like that. My son told me he had thought about it as he works with some. I've encouraged him to look into it and then I can pass those things along to him.

I love reading the political history surround the Masons (real true history). Very interesting.

PS Paul - I didn't realize you were in Alpine. That's fairly close to me by West Texas standards, I'm in Midland.

As I said in the PM, Midland Lodge 632 will make you proud.

Have you thought of Eastern Star?

[MOM]

Originally Posted by MOM

PS Paul - I didn't realize

Who the heck is Paul? I don't know where I got that from, my apologies JOHNP.

My Mother was in the Eastern Star and I still have her ring. I've just never had time or the interest to get into it myself.