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Archives for November 2010

Answer To Puzzler #7 and the Presentation of Puzzler #8

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1)     Why were the FC wages corn, wine, and oil? (please explain and give biblical reference for the answers)

  1. The answers to the first question can be found in the Old Testament. This obviously comes from the FC degree. The FC were paid according to the law, given to Moses by God and enshrined into all aspects of their Jewish customs and culture. Solomon was a Jewish King, and a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Musa, etc…and therefore was going to be aware of and observant of those customs, traditions and Laws handed down to him from his ancestors.
  2. Deuteronomy 14:23 – And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
  3. 2 Chronicles 31:5 – And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly
  4. Genesis 27:28 – Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
  5. Numbers 18:12 – All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them.

How does this (particularly the corn) relate to the 1st or EA degree? (please explain and give biblical references as well.

The answer to the second question can be found by first reviewing the Book of Ruth, looking specifically to Naomi’s instructions to Ruth about how to get food for the family. This is important, because it shows that Naomi was well aware of the ancient custom among her people of caring for the sick, elderly and the needy. This reference in the 1st degree, taken from our discussion of the Book of Ruth, ties in a coupl of different ways…First, it serves as  foreshadowing for the upcoming second degree lesson of the middle chamber…”glean corn from the fields” is almost like Naomi and Ruth know that they need both physical and spiritual nourishment, that the corn can symbolize. Secondly, this story lays the foundation or “ground floor” for the story of King Solomon and the building of KST by highlighting the wisdom and goodness found in Boaz, one of King Solomon’s direct ancestors. So this is part of the layer upon layer of meaning that can be found “hidden” in plain sight in Masonry! The gleaning custom is laid out and further illustrated  the in the following biblical references (In some you will see that even the Son of God, follows in this ancient and powerful custom, tradition and law):

  1. Deuteronomy 23:25 – When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.
  2. Ruth 2:14 – And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
  3. Ruth 2:2 – And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
  4. Matthew 12:1 – At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.
  5. Luke 6:1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.
  6. Mark 2:23 – One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.

 

For a really good read on this topic, I would definitely recommend that you follow this link to read about Corn, Wine, and Oil.

Now For Puzzler #8

Brethren, How many of us have looked critically at our lives and gave an accounting for where we are? How many of us are truly living our lives like that point within a circle, bounded by two parallel lines? I coul probably go on to ask someting like, “what does the point wthin a circle symbolize?” and no doubt I would be swamped with answers. But what I would like to do is go one step further, to delve deeper and look beyond the esoteric meaning. Here are the questions for today’s puzzler:

  1. The point within a circle has a very specific masonic meaning. Is there any biblical or historical reference to this ancient symbol that should be known by us today?
  2. We all know that masonically, the parallel lines represent the Holy Saints John, but why are lodges dedicated to th memory of them today? Were there ever lodges dedicated to the memory of any other figures?
  3. What does it mean to “square the circle”? How does one use the folowing formula to “square the circle”? a2+b2=c2

Key Words: Geometry Lesson

Answer to Question 8.

What is “Right” with America?

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Now that we have survived the elections, where we were incessantly told what is wrong with America, perhaps it is time to reflect on what is right with it. I realize there are still hard feelings on both sides of the political spectrum, but we should shake it off and begin by thanking God we had a peaceful transition and not a bloody military coup like some countries experience. It proves the system works. We have had more than enough scurrilous rhetoric which shows how embarrassingly barbaric we can become, let’s try something more positive instead.

Many people see our cultural diversity as our weakness, particularly our opponents. Actually, it is our strength. First, it proves people of all religious, ethnic and racial types can live and work together. We may have disagreements because of our cultural backgrounds but it also brings a lot of ideas and innovations to the table. It is remarkable to see people of diversity work together be it in the classroom, playing field, workplace, or to defend their country. Frankly, this mystifies our enemies.

One American trait that is often overlooked or taken for granted is our philanthropy. When havoc strikes, people look to the United States first for help. We are generous to a fault and I believe this is again due to our cultural diversity. Not only do we contribute with our pocketbooks, but with our hearts and hands. How many times have you seen Americans drop what they are doing and rush to the aid of someone else? It is in our DNA. In 2010 alone we made substantial contributions in the Chilean miner rescue, the Haitian earthquake disaster, as well as the earthquake in Peru; all of this while we simultaneously cleaned up after the Gulf coast oil spill, and continued to fight the War on Terrorism.

We are a country with plenty of natural and man-made resources. Some would say we foolishly waste our resources, and they may very well be right. Our record for waste and pollution is well known, but so is our ability to overcome such problems and do what is right, not just for the United States, but the world overall.

We have some of the most intelligent, energetic, and creative people on the planet. Why? Because our free enterprise system encourages people to take risks, express themselves, and encourages innovation and exploration.

It all comes down to the U.S. Constitution, a brilliant document which defines how we are governed. Without this document, God knows where this country would be. In all likelihood, there would be no “checks and balances,” there would be no individual liberties, and no sense of empowerment in its citizens. Consequently, we would probably not be as philanthropic as we have been, nor would we be the defenders of freedom in the world.

As a country, we are certainly not perfect. For example, we are much too reactive as opposed to proactive for my liking; we still struggle between social classes, and; we are too tolerant of injustice, not to mention our social graces are lacking. Regardless, I have seen a lot of systems in other countries, and we look pretty darn good when you compare us to others.

What is right with America? Our freedoms and liberties, our people, and our system, thanks in large part to a little piece of paper called the U.S. Constitution. This is why all of us, not just our officials, must always be vigilant to preserve, protect and defend it.

Now if we could just do something about common sense…

Keep the Faith!

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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

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Masonic Study Center Reward (Competition)

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This is from a press release I found in my in-box

It comes from C.E.M. which is the Freemasonry Regular Traditional base in Portugal and provides training for the initial and continuing the Freemasons essentially Installed Masters and Master Masons to have sufficient knowledge and performance in different OO.. ‘ EE.´. EE.. ‘ (Órgãos de Estrutura) and the organizations that belong or will be associated with Freemasonry. (Translated from the Portuguese.)

The “Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa” is annually attributed and is destined to reward authors of academic essays or other investigations in FREEMASONRY matters.

Regulation

The Regulation for “Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa” coming into force for the 2011 edition is the following:

Article 1

1. The “Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa” is set up, attributed annually, and is destined to reward authors of academic essays or other investigation in Regular and Traditional Freemasonry matters.

2. The reward also includes all essays from the several social science subjects which objective is the study of world Masonic history or the strengthening of Portuguese national Masonic history.

Article 2

1. Any national or foreign author of any age may compete.

2. Essays of collective authorship will be accepted.

3. Any competitor or group of competitors can only present one essay.

4. There will only be accepted essays written in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish, which constitute the official languages of the Reward.

5. There will only be accepted the essays of the authors who present a statement which attest that:

a) Between the date of original publication in any stand and the limit of the time of delivery to this contest, there will be no more than three years.

b) The essay has not received any reward until the limit of the time of delivery of the candidature to “Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa”.

Article 3

1. The competing essays, written in spaces of two, shall be presented in four exemplars (one original and three copies) and delivered to “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa”, or mailed until December, 22nd, 2010. A CD with the essay in digital format must be attached.

2. Conjointly, and in a closed envelope properly identified, shall be mailed the statement mentioned in the previous article, the personal and scientific curriculum, the address and other means of contact of the competitor or, should the essay be of collective authorship, each of the competitors.

3. The originals of the essays, the copies and the envelope containing the statement and the identification of the author or authors, shall be entered within the term indicated in number one through traditional mail service to APARTADO 1018, 5300-999 BRAGANÇA, Portugal, in a single envelope mentioning “Prémio do Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa”.

Article 4

1. The Jury that will judge the candidatures will be designated annually by the President of “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa”, within the 30 days after the limit of the time of delivery of the essays, integrating three studious or other recognized specialists in the scientific field concerning this Reward.

2. Each member of the Jury has right to one vote.

3. The President of “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa” will also designate a secretary for the Jury who will not have any right to vote.

Article 5

1. The members of each Jury will elect a President among them.

2. After establishing the Jury, its elements will decide previously of the admissibility of the competitors regarding the thematic compatibility of the essays with the object of the Reward and the rules of this present Regulation.

3. The essays that are not admitted to this contest will be returned to its respective authors.

4. The essays received and admitted to this contest will not be returned to its authors, but will integrate the pile of “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa” ’s Library after the Jury’s deliberations.

Article 6

1. The Jury will appreciate the essays admitted to the contest, classifying them by order of quality.

2. The classification which the previous number is referring to will account for the originality and the scientific quality of the essays, the nature of the sources, as well as the methodology of its treatment and the expositive capacities of the authors.

Article 7

1. The Jury will attribute the Reward to the first classified and an Honorable Mention to the second classified. Their names and the titles of the winning essays will be revealed to public in September, 2011.

2. The Reward or the Honorable Mention will be able to attribute ex-aequo. In the first case, or in case of the winning of a collective authorship, the respective quantitative will be divided among the winning competitors.

3. The Jury will be able not to attribute the Reward, justifying it an official report.

4. The Jury’s decision, which is by majority of votes, is final and unchangeable.

5. The members of the Jury have the duty of secrecy in regard of the content of the meetings and the sense of vote of the rest of the members.

6. The final official report, written by the Jury’s secretary and approved by the Jury, will express the result of the deliberations taken, and will be able to be shown to the competitors who apply for it under a justified motive; as component of the official report there are all documents which contain elements of proof regarding the decisions of each of the Jury members every time there should not be unanimity in the attribution of the Reward or the Honorable Mention.

7. The “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa” will be able to, freely, publish the winning essays, as they became part of its pile. The authors, from the moment they put in for the competition, will allow this to happen and will have no rights over the winning essays.

Article 8

The “Masonic Study Center Reward Fernando Pessoa” is set up by an amount of money, 250 (two hundred and fifty) euros, eventually being brought up-to-date.

Article 9

The delivery of the Reward and the Honorable Mention to rewarded authors will take place in a public ceremony within thirty days after the publication of the Jury’s decision.

Article 10

1. The regulation of the Reward can be altered by initiative of the Grande Loja Nacional Portuguesa (National Portuguese Grand Lodge) that supports legally the “Centro de Estudos Maçónicos Fernando Pessoa”, in terms of the following numbers.

2. The alterations that may be introduced in the regulation during the period between the limit of the time of delivery to a contest and the final decision of the Jury, will not be able to be applied to that edition of the Reward.

3. The alterations that will occur are automatically integrated in the text of the Regulation of the Reward let out in the electronic mail www.cemfp.org, starting on January, 31st, of each year.

The Great Canopy of the Heavens is falling.

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Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Mark Twain - from the North American Review

I was plugging in some numbers from the MSANA recently to update myself on the trend in membership from my original analysis in 2007, the results of which I published in the piece “So what? The Dynamic of Masonic Membership.”

In it you may, or may not want to, recollect the trend of membership numbers from 1960 to a projected 2010. In the piece, the numbers ran in a more or less steady declination of 20% per decade at an increasing clip.

Given our proximity to the fiscal 2010/2011 calendar, I wanted re-calculate the numbers for 2010, and there is some good news to report, but not without a dire observation.

In the last 10 years, the original work projected a 29% decline, but a recalculated 2010 projection (adding in 1999 in lieu of 2010’s numbers) value comes back at only 26% declination. A 3% change is not enough to turn the tide, but it may offer a glimpse of a changing trend which might push out further projected losses based on continued work to increase that change. Or, the 3% change might just represent a smaller pool from which to pull total losses from, reflecting the overall drop in membership – Fewer members to lose from equating to a lower members loss.

The numbers trued up like this:

1999     to     2000
1,902,588   1,841,169   -61419   -3.2%

2000    to    2001
1,841,169   1,774,200   -66969   -3.63%

2001    to    2002
1,774,200   1,727,505  -46695   -2.63%

2002    to    2003
1,727,505   1,671,255   -56250   -3.25%

2003    to    2004
1,671,255    1,617,032   -54223  -3.24%

2004    to    2005
1,617,032    1,569,812   -47220   -2.92%

2005    to    2006
1,569,812   1,525,131    -44681   -2.84%

2006            2007
1,525,131     1,483,449  -41682   -2.73%

2007    to    2008
1,483,449     1,444,823  -38626  -2.60%

2008    to    2009
1,444,823     1,404,059  -40764  -2.82%

Total Decrease -498,529
– 26% 1999 – 2009

Equating to a 26% net loss – less than the two preceding decades, 1990 – 2000 and the projected 29% at the time of writing the original piece in 2007, which is good news. However, before celebrating, the total loss still represents the overall change in data to fall into the established parameters of an in excess of 20% loss moving into the second decade of the 21st century.

An interesting note, the Grand Lodge of New Mexico and the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island both held positive gains in the 2008/2009 fiscal years with increases of 16 and 143 new members (respectively) over their loss, so clearly these two states are doing something in the right direction.

In the original, I made this observation:

The overall calculation led to an extrapolation, if the fraternity lost on average 560,152 members, per decade – from 2010 to 2020, our national number of members would be under 1 million members at 738,303. In ten more years 2020 to 2030 our national member base would be 178,151.

With the data trending in that manner from 1999 to 2009, it would seem that the observation is bearing out with little change, the 20%+ drop rate is trending right as predicted.

So what do we do about it?

Masonic Weekly Digest: 11/05/2010

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RECENT MASONIC NEWS:

Florrisant police announce MOCHIP event
St. Louis Globe-Democrat – MO, USA – Oct 29th

Masonic Building project moves forward
Osceola Sentinel Tribune – IA, USA – Oct 29th

Masonic lodge turns 200
Auburn Citizen – NY, USA – Oct 31st

Haunted Hawaii: Masonic Temple
KHON2 – HI, USA – Oct 31st

Girls scoop £5000 for Wye Valley School
Buckinhamshire Free Press – UK – Nov 1st

Masonic Lodge hosts children’s party
Tehachapi News – CA, USA – Nov 1st

Union Lodge No. 5’s “The Mason’s Secret Ball” a smashing success
ShorelinePlus.com – Stamford, CT, USA – Nov 2nd

Exhibition gives peek inside the lodge
Otago Daily Times – New Zealand – Nov 3rd

Low turnout disappoints
Community Press – ON, Canada – Nov 3rd

Local Masonic Brothers provide food, sun and fun
Hudson Valley Press – NY, USA – Nov 3rd

Free cancer screenings offered in Louisburg
Miami County Republic – KS, USA – Nov 3rd

Feeding the haunted spirit
River Falls Journal – WI, USA – Nov 3rd

Firework equipment donated to Flint RNLI
Flintshire Chronicle – UK – Nov 4th

Councillors declare Masonic membership
Salisbury Journal – UK – Nov 4th

NOTICES:

Web Site – Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia
http://www.rgls.org/sr.html

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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

All the Best,
Tim Bryce, PM, MPS, MMBBFMN
timb001@phmainstreet.com
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
“A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry”

P.S. – Check out my book, “The Freethinking Freemason”
http://cornerstonepublishers.com/freethinking.html


A book that turned a man into a Mason

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OK, maybe the title is presumptive, but I couldn’t resist the hook especially given its coming from the Scottish Rite.

Where it comes from is a review that mentions the iconic Bruce Dickinson, of Iron Maiden fame, and the intelligent and modern Alchemist – Timothy Hogan, both very good company to be in.

You can find the review in the Scottish Rites Holiday Book Review list written by Jim Tresner published in the upcoming November-December 2010 edition of the Scottish Rite Journal.

From the review:

This is a great little book. A non-Mason friend saw it on my table and asked to borrow it. He brought it back two days later, asked some questions, and told me he was going to petition the lodge in his home town. I enjoyed all the essays in the book, but especially XVII, on the E.A. Tracingboard. I am a bit more optimistic (or perhaps a bit more in denial) than Bro. Stewart when it comes to the future of the fraternity, but no one can deny his essays are thought-provoking and powerful.

My thanks to the AASR and to Br. Tresner for the kind review and, from the sounds of it, the soon to be brother it will make.

Imagine what it could do on your coffee table.  The Masonic Traveler is available on Amazon.