The District Light

The information bulletin June, 2017 of Niagara B District

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A Time of Reflection

Several of the previous issues of this bulletinasked for responses on your part – actions thatwould improve the masonic experience for yourselfand for the other members of your lodge.

This time there will be no goading, no preaching, no reason to feel guilty.

This time the articles are meantto be entertaining or instructive. If they nudge you towards a courseof action, that’s a bonus.

Your Duty?

"Let us still remember that the only question for usto ask is, “what does duty require, and not what willthe reward if we do our duty”.

Albert Pike

The following is taken from the exchange madeduring the opening of a Scottish Rite lodge:

What is Masonic work?

To assist, encourage and defend the Brethren; to protect the oppressed; to right the wronged; to raise the fallen; to relieve want and distress;enlighten the people; serve the commonweal and be fruitful of all good works.

Comparing Procedures

“The sign of intelligence is that you areconstantly wondering. Idiots are always dead sureabout everything damn thing they are doing in their lives.” Vasudev

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.

We are aware that other jurisdictions do someof the work differently. Comparing the differenceshas two benefits: we are reminded of the reasonswe have for valuing what we do, and we are ledto consider the benefits of other ways of presentingthe information and lessons.

What follows is the reflections by R.W.Bro.Terry Metcalf who moved here from Manitoba.

The Grand Lodgeof Manitoba has aninteresting history andclose connection toboth the Grand Lodgeof Minnesota and theGrand Lodge ofCanada. I was exposed to both:our Canadian Work,which the majority

of brethren from Ontario are familiar with, and the Ancient York Rite work which is very similar to what is followed by the lodges in New York andmost of the United States.

Early in its history, The Grand Lodge ofManitoba had a rough and tumble debate as to which work should be used because it had a mixture lodges doing either Canadian Work or Ancient York Rite work depending on the originsof its members, those from Ontario and others fromthe Maritimes and the U.S.

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The great “Schism of ’78” brought it all to a head and they eventually reached a compromisewhich permitted the use of both works, althoughthey were quite emphatic that it would be onlythese two.

So, are there differences in our CanadianWork between Ontario and Manitoba?Considering that Manitoba’s Canadian Work had its origins from the Grand Lodge of Canadawhen the Wolseley Expedition arrived during the North-West Rebellion, you would think that they would be identical. But alas, that is not true. While as a whole, the wording is almostverbatim, the ritualistic procedure itself differsin a number of ways. I will highlight what I consider to be the most obvious in what isreferred to as “The Work” in both Grand Lodges.

“Worshipful Sir” - the practice of addressing theWorshipful Master in our ritual as Worshipful Sirisn’t done in Manitoba. The Master of the lodgeis always addressed as Worshipful Master eitherwhen addressing him directly or within the ritual.

“To Order” - the practice of being brought to order with the step and sign of the degree is another ritualistic practice that isn’t followedin Manitoba. There, the step and sign of thedegree is given only after the Great Lights have been arranged by the Immediate Past Masterand the Worshipful Master has declared the lodgeopened in the degree. Similarly, in the closing,the step and sign are given just before theWorshipful Master declares the lodge in thatdegree closed and the Great Lights arranged.

“First, Second or Third Degree” - In Ontario the Worshipful Master says “assist me to openthe ..in the first D.” In Manitoba, the lodges

are opened in the Entered Apprentice Degree, the Fellowcraft Degree or the Master Mason’sDegree. Similar verbiage is used when closing.

“Ancient Penalties” - reference to the ancientpenalties were removed from the obligation by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba some time in the late 90’s with the issuance of the 1996edition of the Works. In the 1980s Masonry ingeneral had come under criticism by the profanefor alluding to the use of these ancient penaltiesrather than ancient symbolic penalties.

The United Grand Lodge of England hadremoved the wording from their obligations in 1986 and Manitoba followed suite, retaining it as part of the ritual when the candidate is beingexamined by the Senior Warden and whenproving his proficiency in the degree.

While this was done prior to my time, thosewho came before me have said it caused a greatdeal of debate and there is speculation it mayhave been ram-rodded through by some on theritual committee. Today there are still those whothink that that portion of the ritual should neverhave been meddled with.

“Duties of the Deacons” – in Manitoba, theWorshipful Master queries the Deacons andInner Guard rather than the Wardens as to their duties. And the response is given by those officers. Personally, I do rather like this, as it involves the junior officers in the ritual rightfrom the start.

“Working Tools” - in Manitoba, all the workingtools are displayed for all degrees rather thanhaving only the tools of the present degree

displayed.That’s some of it. Amongother differences are thesigns sign of fidelity andThe Grand Honours.I can demonstrate thosewhen we meet.

Terry Metcalf

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Comparisons

Masonry shares themes and ideals with manyspiritual movements. Consider the following:

The Lotus Flower

"The lotus flower bloomsmost beautifully from the deepest mud" Buddhist Proverb

The lotus flower is one of themost remarkable creations ofnature.

Its beauty lies in its purity, because thismagnificent flower emerges from the dirty and muddy bottom of a pond, yet still remainsuntouched and unstained by its soiledsurroundings.

This notable feat has ensured that the lotus is considered an embodiment of perfection in various Asian religions and cultures, withparticular reference to Buddhism and Hinduism.Its unique quality is said to symbolize the humanwho rises from the darkness of the world into anew way of thinking and living.

In the Buddhist tradition, the flower that risesabove the muddy waters represents the act of ascending above all desires and attachments.According to Buddhism, this is the key to achieving spiritual enlightenment. Despite the flower having its roots in the mud, it grows upward in the direction of light. This is believed to represent the aspiration to riseabove and move towards light. The lotus,therefore, symbolizes the journey from darkness(as depicted by the muddy pond) to the light of knowledge or wisdom.

In the Hindu tradition, the place in which the lotus flower blossoms (its dark and dirtywaters) represents a wise and spiritually-enlightened person, who performs their dutywithout any material or emotional desires. The ability to detach oneself from such desiresenables one to remain unaffected by allworldly pleasures and gain, thus achievingspiritual perfection. At its centre, the lotus budis compared to a folded heart or soul, whichhas the ability to blossom or awaken to divine truth.

Growing from the mud and bloomingtowards the sky, a lotus symbolizes purity,spiritual awakening, revival and fortune.

The blue lotussignifies wisdom and knowledge, and represents victoryover the senses. It depicts a person'scontrol over their mindand spirit, enablingthem to let go of thematerialistic aspirations in life.

Our Tenets

A tenet is a creed, a principle, or a belief.

Here are three of ours: [author unknown]

Brotherly LoveThis duty is expressed as, quite simply,

loving everyone on the planet and treatingthem as equals in the way that our Creatorintended. We are not to quarrel needlessly, or display bigoted and racist behaviours. We are to hold every human being in thehighest regard possible, for they are ALL the handiwork of the Deity.

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ReliefThis is where the concept of Masonic

charity comes into the picture. Put simply, we are to relieve those in distress if it is within our power and capability to do so.

Although it is true that at times financialassistance is in order, far more often are the timeswhen we are obliged to “soothe the unhappy, to sympathize with their misfortunes, tocompassionate their miseries, and to restore peace to their troubled minds”.

The notion of Relief is really just being a goodfriend and Brother!

TruthThe last of our tenets is Truth. The definition

in the lecture is rather wordy, but I can tell youthat it ultimately just boils down to not only“talking the talk” but also and most importantly of “walking the walk”! Brethren, actions DOspeak louder than words!!!

Truth is the element that holds everything elsetogether and makes it all tick! This is where wewalk uprightly before God and man, holdingnothing back. I would encourage all to bethemselves, and to make damn sure that thisprojection of themselves is something to be proud of.

Another Analogy

An analogy is a comparison between two things showing the similarity of certainfeatures or details.

Let’s assume that you havean ice cube. If you place it inyour hand, you would transfersome heat to the ice to melt it. This change from solid toliquid is called a change of state.

Heat was needed to make the ice alter its ‘reality’ to another form, although itretained the same chemical composition.

Now a comparison can be made with a man who joins masonry. He comesto us as a complete person, but through an influx of information and the experience of association with other masons, he goesthrough an internal change of state. He is the same person, but different.

That alteration is a personal experience for each of us. We continue to journey,working to make the change happen.

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My term as DDGM

Brethren of Niagara B District: I just wanted to say a heartfelt Thank You

to all of you who came out to any official visitthroughout my term as your district deputy grandmaster. It really meant a lot to me to have all ofyou present at these meetings. It was an honourto be your district deputy and I hope I representedthe district in a fine fashion.

I would also like to mention your District teamas well, in the work they did in making my termso successful and rewarding. Without the Districtteam by my side through it all, I would neverhave been able to conquer it alone.

Last but not least toyour district secretaryand my personalfriend, WorshipfulBrother Chris Wright,a deep and humblethank you to you forworking on all thebehind-the- scenesmatters and making metake centre stage ineverything.

Your work and efforts did not go unnoticed and I just wanted to say thank you so much for beingthere for me, not only as a secretary and brother,but as my friend as well. I would never havewanted anyone else by my side other than you.

Freemasonry, brethren, is a great organization,but what makes it a great organization is thebrethren, their families and the commitmentlevels of everyone. Without our families’ supportthrough it all, it is definitely a tough road toclimb, and without the brethren showing up andbeing there it also makes it difficult to endure,and finally without the commitment and supportfrom the brothers to keep learning the work andhelping others learn it and taking charge in lodgewould once again make it a tall tree to climb.

This is why workingtogether as a team, and not letting the same peopledo the same work, takingon extra charges and doinga few extra jobs in thelodge will take some of the burden off brotherswho have done these tasks for years.

We are all brothers of this great organization,not just selected ones. Let's do everything as a team, as brothers, as Freemasons.

Let's encourage the younger brothers comingthrough that we are all a team and we do thingstogether. We all do this to keep freemasonry a strong and vital organization that we can beproud of here in the Niagara B District.

In conclusion brethren, it has been mypleasure to serve as your district deputy grandmaster this year, and I hope my talks at myofficial visits have helped you to become thatbetter man, better husband, better father andbetter man in society. I also hope the Districtteam was able to assist you in every which waypossible. They were there for you.

Thank you so much in believing in me and I look forward to seeing many of you in the future along my Masonic travels.

Take care and thank you once again for lettingme be your representative for our great Districthere in Niagara B.

Fraternally yours,Right Worshipful Bro. Nicholas I. AndrasDistrict Deputy Grand MasterNiagara B District 2016-2017

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Civility

"As citizens we have to be more thoughtful and more educated and more informed. I turn onthe TV and I see these grown people screaming at each other, and I think, well, if we don't get our civility back we're in trouble."

Emmylou Harris

“It is no secret that the world about us has become increasingly uncivil. As Masons, we have the ideals and the tenets, the symbols and working tools, and the language of civility. As such, it is our duty, in my opinion, to do all we can to restore civility in society."

Russ CharvoniaPast Grand Master 2014/15, Grand Lodge of California

MasonicCivility.org, is a forum to share resourcesand ideas for restoring civility in society utilizingthe Masonic values, tenets, language and workingtools. It provides video, document, andcommunity resources. For access, click here.

Belief in God

Why do Freemasons believe in God?

The absence of God removesfrom the universe and fromhumanity its moral foundation.

The notion of God as a moralbeing offers humanity thefoundation of indiscriminate solidarity.

The ethical foundation of the universe and humanity rests on love, expression of the Great Architect of the Universe, The Divine Being that gives birth toeverything! This necessarily implies the realization that the correlation that bindsman to mankind is connected to theunderstanding of a higher correlation which binds man to God and God to man.

It is only on the relationship with ourneighbour that we are complete, and only God offers the foundation for the unity of humanity.

WB Luciano M. Azevedo

We use the euphemism of the “GrandLodge Above”, which stands in for whateverversion of the afterlife we happen to endorse.

The expression is not the name for someMasonic vision of paradise, but it is aplaceholder for whatever such vision anyindividual Mason might have.

Masonry in Manitoba

“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness thatI can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now,

and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

William Penn (1644-1718), founder of Pennsylvania

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A Dialogue About Relevance The following conversation is reprinted from

The Manitoba Mason. It appeared many years agoso some of the language may seem dated, but the views expressed are very current.

Jack: What part has Freemasonry to play in themodern world in which we live? Will Freemasonrysurvive in its present form? Will Freemasonrycontinue to be a force in an age as different from the present as ours is from the past?

We hear so much of other organizations whosenames are common and whose activitiesare widely publicized. They have greatachievements to their credit, have collected vast sums of money for human betterment. The worthwhile accomplishments of theseorganizations and favourable publicity aredisturbing factors in the life of Freemasonry. We hear dissatisfaction expressed by some of our members at the failure of the craft to put its principles into practice.

Heb: This is true; we hear these criticisms and alsothat Freemasonry is suffering by comparison withthese other organizations; that it is losing to themmany of its keen young members who are attractedby the more colourful activities, and our influencemust decline if it continues to remain within its tyled walls. Maybe today we try to makeFreemasonry do too much. We must haveeducation as to what Freemasonry should not do,as well as what it should do. The purpose ofFreemasonry is so clearly defined that as long aswe draw the line distinctly between our duties asan organization and our duties as an individualthere should be no danger of our going astray.

Jack: Perhaps we would do well then to consider what Freemasonry really is, what are its fundamental principles and teachings, as wellas the purpose or objective toward which thewhole organization is directed. In the Masonicdesign the major effort is directed toward thedevelopment of character in the individual man.By a system of rituals and ceremony, the greatprinciples of morality and virtue are inculcated to build him into a better man and citizen.

Heb: Freemasonry, then, deals in principlesrather than in projects. It tries to apply its age-old and proven philosophy to the cause of the source from which most evil comes. It tries to put men of high principles into society where they will then make a contribution to a very high standard.

Jack: Men can agree on principles and ideals,but not always agree on the particular methodby which they may be applied. Rivalries andcontentions could develop over the merits of various projects to be undertaken while it is the very essence of Freemasonry thatunity and harmony prevail.

Heb: Let us compare a Masonic Lodge to a school or university. The Masonic Lodgeteaches honesty, integrity, tolerance, equality,charity, and brotherhood – a way of life to belived day by day. Masons then go out into the world and give practical effect to theprinciples and ideals that have been acquired.The school or university teaches engineering,agriculture, law, medicine, and other subjects,and after graduating, the student goes forth toapply his knowledge in a world of commerce.

Jack: And no one suggests that the schoolitself should enter into the field of engineeringor build a factory or practice law.

Heb: No, nor could it do so without detrimentto its usefulness. As the student carries hisskill into the world of commerce and industryso the Freemason carries his skill into theworld of thought and ideas, of life andconduct, where men may see and be inspiredby his example.

Jack: Then why do some of us expectFreemasonry to sponsor projects or embark on adventures outside the scope of itsorganization? Why resort to novel schemes?Why risk itself in new experiments? I thinkthat rather than consider wider fields ofendeavour, we have unlimited work andopportunity if we follow the designs alreadylaid down.

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Heb: Our Craft has grown in stature downthrough the ages. It spans the world in strengthand unity of purpose, and this strength is builton the acceptance of every Master “that it is notin the power of any man or group of men tomake innovation in the body of Freemasonry.”

Other organizations may find opportunitiesfor service in helping to alleviate suffering and hardships but it is not in the plan ofFreemasonry, as a body, to select and fosterthese causes with the help of the public. It is laudable that members of the craft alignthemselves with these other groups and practicethe principles of honour, truth, virtue, justice,and charity that is instilled in them by our order.

Benevolence [author unknown]

As Freemasons, we profess to make goodmen better. We strive to be a better persontomorrow than we are today, and that there’s no better realization of fulfilment than thegiving of yourself. This can, and should beachieved, both inside and outside of ourfraternal organization every day.

In this modern day and age, people arefeeling more time constrained than ever. Peoples sense that time is scarce often decreasestheir willingness to give time to others, be itindividuals or worthy organizations. There isone thing we all share, that is the most preciousgift in every person’s life, and that is giving ofyour time. It is because it is something we cannever get back. We all only have a limitedamount of it here on earth.

For example, when summoned to Lodge,show up 15 minutes early to assist the stewardsto set up the Lodge, or better yet help clean upat the end of the night when others are hurryinghome. Become a mentor to the youngerbrethren. Join one of your Lodge committeesand help your Lodge or fraternal organization.You do not have to lead it, but your input isimportant. When others are busy, ask how youcan help. Many hands make for lighter work; itwill be appreciated.

Outside the Lodge, the opportunities arecountless to make a difference. In the widerspectrum, you can join and/or become avolunteer in many other community-orientedorganizations. They often service a variety ofworthy causes. They need your help toaccomplish their goals.