MasterMason

Author Unknown;

Pendant to the four corners of the Lodge Room are four tassels. These four tassels are described as referring to the four principal points;

the guttural, pectoral, manual, and pedal,
and through them to the four cardinal virtues, namely:

Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice,

the practices of which are inculcated in the first degree.

North West== GUTTERAL, From the Latin guttur, the throat.
The throat is that avenue of the body which is most employed in the sins of intemperance, and hence it suggests to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of Temperance.

Temperance refers to the entrance upon the penal responsibilities and suggests to the Mason who properly appreciates the secrets which he has solemnly promised never to reveal, by yielding to the unrestrained call of appetite, permit reason and judgment to lose their seats, and subject himself, by the indulgence in habits of excess, to discover that which should be concealed and thus merit and receive the scorn and detestation of his brethren. And lest any brother should forget the danger to which he is exposed in the unguarded hours of dissipation, the virtue of temperance is wisely impressed upon his memory by its reference to one of the most solemn portions of the ceremony of initiation.

North East== PECTORAL, from the Latin precuts, the breast.

The heart has always been considered the seat of fortitude and courage, and hence by this word is suggested to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of

Fortitude, whose excellencies are dilated in the first degree.
It not only instructs the worthy Mason to bear the ills of life with becoming resignation, but by its intimate connection with a portion of our ceremonies, it teaches him to let no danger shake, no pains dissolve the inviolable fidelity he owes to the trusts reposed in him.
Or, in the words of the old Prestonian lecture it is:

“a fence or security against the attack that might be made upon him, by force or otherwise to extort from him any of our Royal Secrets”

South East: ===MANUAL, relating to the hand from the Latin Manus, a hand.

Masons are, in a peculiar manner reminded, by the hand, of the necessity of a prudent and careful observance of all their pledges and duties, and hence this organ suggests certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of Prudence.
Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues, the practice of which is inculcated upon the Entered Apprentice.
Prudence is the true guide to human understanding, and consists in judging and determining with propriety what is to be said or done upon all our occasions, what dangers we should endeavour to avoid, and how to act in all our difficulties.

South West=== PEDAL, belonging to the feet, from the Latin pedes, the feet.

The just man is he who, firmly planting his feet on the principles of right, is as immovable as a rock, and can be thrust from his upright position neither by the allurements of flattery nor the frowns of arbitrary power.
Hence this word is suggested to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to one of the cardinal virtues,

Justice, which is inculcated in the First Degree.

The Mason who remembers how emphatically he has been charged to preserve an upright position in all his dealings with mankind, should never fail to act justly to himself, to his brethren and to the world.
This is the corner-stone on which alone he can expect
“to erect a superstructure alike honourable to himself and to the Fraternity”.

Therefore, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, designate the Perfect Points of Entrance, and are so called because they refer to the four important points of initiation.

The Gutteral refers to the entrance upon the penal responsibilities;
the Pectoral to the entrance into the Lodge;
the Manual to the entrance on the covenant;
and the Pedal, to the entrance on the instructions in the north-east.

Comment:
I have decided to share this paper in that, from my personal recollection, an explanation of these four tassels is seldom shared within our ceremonies.
My thought is that each of us, upon our next visit to our Lodge, could make a point of
asking for the opportunity to share this Education Piece with the Brethren present.

Have a Wonderful Day & God Bless,  Norm

By: Walter C.Slack, PM; Pacific Lodge, No. 16; Mission, BC;
Adapted by V.W.Bro. Norman McEvoy for use in The Educator

By far the greatest part of our conscious life experience consists in our mental or intellectual activity.

A much smaller part has to do with the physical material world around us.
This latter part we can know only partially through the medium and limitations of our five inadequate senses.

Yet, strangely enough, so many cling tenaciously to those senses and, the quickly passing experiences, they afford us. Sometimes we wonder what the world would be like if we possessed an additional sense, such as a magnetic sense.

If we think about it, we must surely ignore the changing unreliable experiences of our senses and wisely place our whole trust and faith in:- The Supreme Architect and Creator of the universe.

Is so doing we would be acting, not only in accord with a fundamental principles of Freemasonry, but also in harmony with the strong basic tendency of our real nature, implanted in us by the Supreme Being Himself.

If the three degrees of Freemasonry teach us anything at all, it is the lesson of the impermanence of life, noted here below:-
The body comes and goes, is handicapped and limited.
The body is clearly not the Real Man, nor is the mind which waxes and wanes.
It is the Spirit beyond, which alone can live forever.
This recalls to our minds that dramatic point in the Third Degree when the
Chaplain intones that well known passage from the Volume of the Sacred Law:

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth . . . “
and ending “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was;
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

This, again, confirms that the real nature of man is spiritual.
A further expression of this truth would be our belief that the four cardinal virtues:-

Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice

These are also facets of the character of the Supreme Being, and in our daily
persevering efforts to practice these virtues. we are but struggling, as we ought to do,
to realize and identify ourselves with Him.

Surely our endeavours to live such lives, are focused on the intellectual assurance and satisfaction of being in harmony with the will of God.

But then we ask ourselves, what is the practical usefulness of such

Truth & Knowledge?

especially in our times when everything seems fated to be measured in
terms of dollars and cents?

Surely it is not right that truth should be measured by such standards, never-the-less there is in fact, the highest utility, of a different sort, to be had and enjoyed in the knowledge and practice of Truth itself. It creates that state of happiness, that peace of mind which:-

“passeth all understanding”

& which, after all, is really what everyone is seeking, and rightly so.

Unfortunately, for lack of light, the majority seek it in things that are not real, but evanescent and passing. No true  happiness was ever found in the senses, nor has any person ever found happiness in the same,

“Happiness is to be found only in the Spirit”.

Therefore, we must conclude that for mankind the highest utility, the highest good to be sought after life, is this happiness in the Spirit.

And the wonderful fact is that, the tools and means for achieving this highly desireable state of being, are readily available within Freemasonry.

Namely, by the thinking, the believing, and the living practice of the great and fundamental Masonic principles which, in addition to the four cardinal virtues mentioned above, are

“Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth”.

These are the criteria and the guide lines to be thought about, believed in, meditated upon, and then acted out in our daily lives to the utmost of our power and ability.

Comment
This is another one of those papers that I uncover in my research, and having found, I feel
I must share will you all. The message is extremely clear to those of us who are Freemasons & I see no need to add anything further.
Have a wonderful Day & God Bless, Norm

By: M.W.Bro. Rev. Raymond C. Green, PGM; undated;  GRBC & Y.

How important is the future to you?
How much time do you spend thinking or dreaming about the future?
How good are you at predicting the future?
For many people the future is important.
They are the ones who like to know the future of shares or land or home prices. Some people spend all their professional working lives trying to manage the future, and invest large sums of money on the outcome of the future they have speculated.

We have come to the beginning of a brand New Year.

This is a time to reflect on the past, and an opportunity to prepare for the future.
How that will ultimately work out is not yet known, but we do know that change will be on the daily agenda.
We have no way of knowing just what the future of our lives, our relationships, our work, or our Lodges will be. There is though, an inevitability that change will occur. Life is a dynamic, and we can never go back to what was, as attractive as we think it might have been.

Many of us in our own personal lives have had to undergo many changes, new ways of doing things, new perspectives on life and living, adjustments to new technology, and we have coped. It was not always to our liking or convenience, but we managed to adjust and embrace the future.
We can never remain in one place.
Stagnation in this living universe means death.

This disturbs many of us. It annoys others, saddens some and excites the adventurous. Time surely does fly and its flight brings change, in the community, in society, in our homes, and as part of our Masonic involvement.

Think of the immense changes that have occurred within our lifetime.

The fusion of the atom, two world wars & numerous other conflicts.
Global depression, inter-planetary exploration, the man on the moon, and the magnificent advances in medical science. All of these and many more, too vast to list.

If we really think about it, all this has occurred in our lifetime and more importantly, most have been benefits for good and for the advancement of humankind.

You see, the future for all of us will be vastly different.
We must change our way of thinking and living, and doing.
We must find keys to unlock doors into vast new opportunities that present themselves for human beings.
We must find resources within our Masonic tradition that will demonstrate to society that we are people who can make a difference for good.
We need to be proactive in our presentation of Masonic values so that men will want to join, to show that what we do and who we are, is morally and spiritually worthwhile.
We need to focus on a positive future, not on our problems and difficulties.

So how do we take hold of a positive future?
Be optimistic about the future, not pessimistic.
Discover what can be, not hang on to what was.
Make some high resolutions about your own life and future.
Dream some dreams, seek the impossible.
Hope for a vital future.
Put your hands into the hands of God.
This is the safest and surest way to have a vital, enthusiastic life and a productive, positive future.

Comment
Please; I know I am a month late in the beginning of a New Year, however
I discovered this wonderful paper and felt I MUST share it with you, in these difficult times.

It’s beauty to me, is that it applies to all of us, no matter where we live on this planet
and admonishes us to look to the future with positive thoughts & prayers knowing we are in the hands of GOD.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

The magnificent Temple built and furnished by King Solomon at stupendous cost of thought, labour, and of treasure was not blessed with long life (covered in Kings 1)

Solomon was surrounded by pagan peoples, and the Jews themselves tended from time to time to fall away into idolatry; indeed, ten of the twelve tribes broke away soon after Solomon’s death to form an independent kingdom, which later made the fortified city of Samaria its capital.

The two faithful tribes, Judah and Benjamin, held the mountain stronghold of Jerusalem, which, commanding the great trade route between Syria and Egypt, had brought Solomon both wealth and power; but for some hundreds of years to come the position was a difficult one, for in the long wars between the Assyrians and the Egyptians Palestine was often ravaged from many different points.

In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign the Egyptians sacked Jerusalem and carried away the gold from the Temple.

Then, in the year 722 B.C., the Kingdom of Samaria fell, Israel became an Assyrian province, and the Ten Tribes were taken captive.

But in Jerusalem itself Hezekiah paid tribute to his conquerors, and was able, to some extent, to restore the Temple worship.

Eighty years later Josiah repaired the Temple, refurnished it, and it was at this time that Hilkiah found the Book of Law in the House of the Lord.

What appeared to be the end both of Jerusalem and of its Temple came in 586 B.C., when, under the orders of Nebuchadnezzer, who was founding his Babylonian empire, Jerusalem was sacked, the Temple treasures were stolen, and the two faithful tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were carried off to Babylon, the only people left in the country of Judea being peasants and others whose enforced duty was to till the land.

In Babylon the Jewish exiles lived in small colonies, and, although they had no temples, they were able to form worshipping congregations which served to keep alive in at least a section of the people their love of Judea and their faith in their God. Their lament is set forth in emotional language in Psalm 137:

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us require of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth;
if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

The empire that Nebuchadnezzar had brought together had short shrift when the Medes and Persians came against it.

About seventy years after the Jews went into exile Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon and extended an empire which covered the countries of West Asia, for the next two centuries.
Only a few months after Cyrus had reached Babylon he issued an edict permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Palestine and inviting the two faithful tribes to rebuild the city and the Temple of Jerusalem.

His motives in doing so are unknown, but what matters is that he gave the two tribes his protection, supplied them with treasure and materials for carrying out their work, and promised to restore the riches carried off from the Temple some seventy years before.

The invitation was not at first warmly or widely accepted, for most of the Jews, having been born in exile, had never seen Palestine, and it was only a small group that at first availed itself of the permission and made the journey to Palestine.

A band of Jewish pioneers under Sheshbazzar returned to Jerusalem in 537 B.C. and started the work.

Seventeen years later came a much stronger contingent under Zerubbabel, but the returned exiles were mortified to find that they could occupy only the ruins and immediate vicinity of Jerusalem, for tribes of mixed blood had moved into Judea during the years of exile.

Comment:
This paper is simply a broad outline of HOW the Children of Israel (Jews) were permitted to return to Jerusalem and build a Temple there.
Our RAM rituals make frequent referral to that Temple and the events in and around its construction, so the intent of this paper is simply an introduction as to those happenings and WHY they were necessary.

MEC Norman McEvoy

[Freemasons’ Monthly Magazine – 1842]

WHATEVER is founded in nature is permanent; and although it may frequently be blended with transient combinations, it still remains a part of creation. The plant may be cut down by the frosts of winter, or by the ruthless hand of the destroyer, but the root still lives in all its inherent strength and natural energies.
It waits but to receive the warmth of a genial sun, to put forth anew its stalks and branches, and its fruit and flowers.

We need not say, how many times Freemasonry has been conquered and disgraced for such has been asserted of it in every civilized country, and still, it lives.

In common parlance – it dares to live. Whatever is founded in nature, cannot but live. Its chief principle is life – and whatever constitutes life, is morally good – as whatever is evil, is essentially death.

Therefore, it is not optional with men, whether good things shall be permitted to exist; for it is not within the power of human agency to destroy them.
Such is the wise provision of nature, that though the evils of this world appear many, the blessings are more.
The balance of moral power is on the side of goodness, and the cause of right and justice does not depend upon conventional decisions.

Politicians of every age and country, have denounced the Institution of Masonry, as fraught with evils unnumbered and unlimited!
But time has cut down these prophets and their prophecies as transitory and unnatural.

Excitement is incident to party movements; and party measures are seldom dictated by that judgment. which is guided by reason.
Passion results in confusion, and confusion leads to error.
Party discipline is never based upon the immutable principles of justice; and, therefore, no party succeeds in all its views and measures.
There may have been many errors in the conduct of Masons, and in the administrations of Masonry; but the principles of the Institution are permanently good, and will forever remain so.

Nations may rise and fall – parties organize, re-organize, and disorganize – great minds act and re-act upon one another, till the last hour of mortal strength – injustice and cruelty may reign during the common period of human life; – still, the elements of all the fundamental laws of our moral nature, remain unchanged. Institutions based upon these laws, may be opposed and even suspended in their operations. But never destroyed. We consider that evidence complete, which is confirmed by the scrutiny of the wise of past ages. The good men of different ages are independent of those prejudices which influence the good men of the same age. Whatever is the result of united wisdom, thus collected, may be regarded as in harmony with the laws of nature, and not in opposition to the will of nature’s God!

Masonry has been tried, judged and proved. She has risen superior to her enemies, in every age; and it is because her inherent energies are truth, love, justice, and mercy.

All parties, powers, circumstances, and events, in opposition to these, are but the poisonous vapors of evil passions, which flit in momentary glory, and then sink back to unsubstantial confusion. Masonry is adapted to human nature; and so long as nature is true to herself, so long will Masonry prove true to man.

Col. Ian M. Donald,(KY)
PM. Hillcrest Ldg. #594 GRC.
Ensor Ldg. #729 Grd Ldg. Kentucky
Goel Chapter #104 OES Ky.

Comment
For those who know me well, they know that I do NOT believe in circumstances but
feel that the GAOTU will provide each of us with his gifts & guide us to share.

I ask you, the readers, to take a look around us at today’s circumstances & know, appreciate
and act on the principles shared with each of us as Freemasons.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

PS Please take note of the date of this paper

By: Bro. J. McKay; Oyen Lodge, No. 104;
Adapted for use in this format by V.W. Bro, Norman McEvoy

No man can draw a free breath who does not share with other men a common and worthwhile ideal.

Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, But, in looking outward together in the same direction.

There is no comradeship except through union in the same high effort.

One of the first necessities to bring about this union is leadership, and contrary to the old saying that leaders are born, the art of leading can be taught &/or developed.

The qualities or characteristics necessary are, First of all is confidence in one’s self.
If a leader, does not believe in himself, it is quite probable that no one else will.
There must be teaching, experience, and skill in his development.

The next requirement is energy, a leader must be willing to do everything he asks of his followers, and even more.
Following these he must have a firm unshakeable faith in the principles, he stands for, and in the Masonry we have in place.

Those principles are beyond any doubt, worthy of that faith.

One of the first principles in Masonry is faith in one Supreme
Being, faith in the teachings of the V.O.S.L. from which is derived the tenets and precepts of our Order.

Following faith we have love, love of our fellowman regardless of race, colour, creed, or station.

I am sure all will agree that this principle is not practiced to the extent that it could and should be in the world today, but, were it is practiced to its fullest, all the bickering, squalor, and misery will soon disappear.

In a lodge a man need no longer be a stranger, he finds that there are other men, who, like himself, are eager to establish friendships, engage in social intercourse, and pool the resources of all for the needs of each.

The fraternal tie redeems a man from loneliness and a sense of helplessness.
In the fraternal circle is the warmth and security which every man needs.
Brotherly love is the substitution of a friend for a previous stranger, it is a spirit that circles around a man and adds the comforts and securities of love.

When a worthy Brother in distress is aided, it is not as a pauper, but the kindly assistance which one neighbour/brother is always glad to extend to another.

Masonic charity is strong, kind, and tender, and not charity as seen to be in some narrow grudging sense of the word.

Friendship, Fraternity, Fellowship, this is the soul of Freemasonry.
The man who understands that brotherhood is one form of wisdom, and that
it is necessary in the world today, will not be troubled by sentimentalism.

Neither will he permit a few accidental private experiences to sour him of all brotherly love ; striving & assistance.

It may be that my neighbour and I, have personal natures that are entirely different, and what I may admire he detests, & what I love he hates & my vocation is one that is opposed to his interests. We cannot hold social intercourse because we have too many differences. Such a matter has nothing to do with brotherhood.

Brotherhood does not demand that we privately like people who are obnoxious to us, or that others should like us even though they find our company distasteful.

Such things are of one’s intimate likes and dislikes and speak to private friendship, rather than brotherhood.

If I cannot like, this neighbour of mine, I can still be a brother to him.
I can give him exact justice in all my dealings with him.
I can refuse to do evil to him, or speak evil of him,
I can always maintain an attitude of good will to him,
I can wish for him good fortune and happiness.
I can stand ready to help him to the fullness of life so far as circumstances
make that possible, and I can always refuse to place any obstacles in his way.
I can differ as one man to another, honestly and openly, without argument.
Such an attitude is the brotherly spirit, and it can flourish when private friendship
is not possible.

Comment
It is quite common to find Masonic papers which speak to the fellowship of one brother to
another, and so, when I discovered this paper which deals with everyone, I felt that it could act as an education paper for each of us to open, absorb, and apply as and where we see the need.

Have a Wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm