From the Worshipful Master

My brethren, this is a very exciting time. There is a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow as a mason. There is something in Masonry for everybody. This includes activities and service in your mother lodge or joining an appendant body. When a man first enters the Craft, he is initiated into the Symbolic or Blue lodge. This is where a man is eventually raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. There are many options for a Mason to do at this time. He can stay and participate in the Blue lodge in committees, service projects, or becoming an officer. Should a Mason desire, he is welcome to join one of the many appendant bodies. An appendant body is an organization that is connected to the Blue lodge and requires membership in a Blue lodge in order to join. It is interesting to note, that while Masons do not actively recruit, it is perfectly acceptable to recruit other Masons into appendant bodies.

Appendant bodies are very attractive to non-Masons. Many of you, including myself may have been drawn to the Craft because of our desire to join one or several of the appendants. My original goal was to join the York rite, Scottish rite, and then the Shrine. After being raised to the degree of Master Mason, I waited about a year to join the York rite. The process of going through the entire York rite was about one year for me. Although York rite occasionally has conventions where a brother can experience all the degrees in one of two days. I used to think the York rite was more for Christian Masons, and in fact this is partially true. The York rite is divided into three separate organizations, the Royal Arch, the Cryptic Counsel, and Knights Templar. The first two organizations are probably more Jewish based than anything. However, the Knights Templar can be considered fairly Christian based. The process of going through the York rite to me was both very new and yet familiar at the same time. The process of leaning through a pageant and lecture are present. The content of the narrative or story is different and offers its own unique lessons and depth into the philosophy of Freemasonry.

I spent the whole year of 2015 going through all the rituals in the York rite. This gave me time to ponder and reflect on the lessons I have learned. They have helped me build bonds with other brothers and has afforded me much greater opportunities for traveling and service. I do plan on pursuing the Scottish Rite in the future, but I’m not in a hurry. I encourage all of you to consider the appendant bodies as a means of growing Masonically

Christopher Huson
Worshipful Master

From the Senior Warden

he York Rite or American Rite is one of several Rites of Freemasonry. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority. The York Rite specifically is a collection of separate Masonic Bodies and associated Degrees that would otherwise operate independently. The three primary bodies in the York Rite are the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Council of Royal & Select Masters or Council of Cryptic Masons, and the Commandery of Knights Templar, each of which are governed independently but are all considered to be a part of the York Rite. There are also other organizations that are considered to be directly associated with the York Rite, or require York Rite membership to join such as the York Rite Sovereign College but in general the York Rite is considered to be made up of the aforementioned three. The Rite’s name is derived from the city of York, where, according to a Masonic legend, the first meetings of Masons in England took place, although only the lectures of the York Rite Sovereign College make reference to that legend.

The York Rite is one of the appendant bodies of Freemasonry that a Master Mason may join to further his knowledge of Freemasonry. But the York Rite is not found as a single system worldwide, and outside of the York Rite there are often significant differences in ritual, as well as organization. However, in most cases, provided that the Grand Body in question regards the parent “Craft” jurisdiction as regular, each distinct Order has recognised fraternal inter-relations with the respective Grand Body within the York system.

Ken Olsen
Senior Warden

From the Junior Warden

While I am not a member of some of the organizations open to me, I can vouch for how well they are run and how important they are to the craft. I would like in particular, however, to talk about the Shrine. Aside from being one of the most important pillars of our institution, I have always been amazed at the work they do for children.

I would like to tell a story. I have a friend of mine who has a child that was born with a rare condition making her bones very brittle. The family didn’t have a lot of money and insurance only covered so much, so they were not sure how they would care for their new baby. A moment of joy turned into a moment of panic when they realized just how hard this was going to be. The story as I heard it was that an anonymous tip about the family was given to the Shrine. Two men approached their home, knocked on the door, asked them to join for a ride to Houston (from San Antonio), and the child got the care she needed at a Shriner’s Hospital, at no charge, and all volunteer. Finally this family had an opportunity to enjoy their baby. And yes, this is indeed a true story of a couple I went to college with in Texas.

So as can be seen, this is nothing short of a miracle. While the Shriners are often made fun of for their funny hats, and their clown cars in parades, there is a reason why they do it all. And that is to help children.

Happy May every one.

Jason Michlowitz, PM
Junior Warden