Qualities of Truly Confident People
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From the Grand East Qualities of MW WILLIAM J. THOMAS Truly Confident People Grand Master [email protected] Confidence is not bravado, or swagger or an overt pretense of Truly confident people don’t care—at least they don’t show bravery. Confidence is not some bold or brash air of self-belief it. Inside they may be proud, as well they should be. But truly directed at others. Confidence is quiet: It’s a natural expression confident people don’t need the glory; they know what they’ve of ability, expertise and self-regard. Learn the qualities: achieved. They don’t need the validation of others, because They take a stand not because they think they are always true validation comes from within. So they stand back and right…but because they are not afraid to be wrong. celebrate their accomplishments through others. They stand Cocky and conceited people tend to take a position and back and let others shine, delivering a confidence boost that then proclaim, bluster and totally disregard differing opinions helps those people become truly confident, too. or points of view. They know they’re right—and they want They freely ask for help. (actually they need) you to know it too. Their behavior isn’t a Many people feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. sign of confidence, though; it’s the hallmark of an intellectual Implicit in the request is a lack of knowledge, skill or experience. bully. Confident people are secure enough to admit a weakness. So Truly confident people don’t mind being proven wrong. they often ask others for help, not only because they are secure They feel finding out what is right is a lot more important than enough to admit they need help but also because they know being right. And when they’re wrong they’re secure enough that when they seek help they pay the person they ask a huge to back down graciously. Truly confident people often admit compliment. they’re wrong or don’t have all the answers; intellectual bullies Saying, “Can you help me?” shows tremendous respect never do. for that individual’s expertise and judgment. Otherwise you They listen ten times more than they speak. wouldn’t ask. Bragging is a mask for insecurity. Truly confident people are They think, “Why not me?” quiet and unassuming. They already know what they think; Many people feel they have to wait: To be promoted, to be they want to know what you think. So they ask open-ended hired, to be selected, to be chosen—like the old Hollywood questions that give other people the freedom to be thoughtful cliché, to somehow be discovered. Truly confident people and introspective: They ask what you do, how you do it, what know that access is almost universal. They can connect with you like about it, what you learned from it…and what they almost anyone through social media. Everyone you know should do if they find themselves in a similar situation. knows someone you should know. They know they can attract Truly confident people realize they know a lot, but they wish their own funding, create their own products, build their own they knew more. They know the only way to learn more is to relationships and networks, choose their own path. They can listen more. choose to follow whatever course they wish. And very quietly, without calling attention to themselves, they go out and do it. They duck the spotlight so it shines on others. Perhaps it’s true they did the bulk of the work. Perhaps they They don’t put down other people. really did overcome the major obstacles. Perhaps it’s true they Generally speaking, the people who like to gossip, who like to turned a collection of disparate individuals into an incredibly speak badly of others, do so because they hope by comparison to make themselves look better. The only comparison a truly high-performance team. Continue on page 4 Passing the Gavel It’s time for me to leave. It’s time to pass the gavel. Our My most sincere thanks go to all our brethren, their TEAM has worked diligently on our Trestleboard. Not families and our youth. And special thanks go to my wife everything has been completed, but I am proud of all Susan Taylor Thomas, who inspires me and without whom that you have done as we walk together along that path, nothing would be possible. illuminated by those Golden Rays of Truth. I leave with no regrets, no burdens. If anything, I leave Throughout the past two years I have encouraged you to the way I started. I’m just a regular Mason, humbled by the prepare your successor for what is to follow. I have followed chance to do a big job. my own advice and I know that our Deputy Grand Master May God bless us, every one. is competent and confident to pick up where we have left off. Of that I am very proud—and these are the wages of a Bill Thomas, Grand Master Grand Master. 2 THE EMPIRE STATE MASON MAGAZINE T–E–A–M: Together Everybody Achieves More SPRING 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 65 / Number 1 / SPRING 2016 Cover - Collage photos of the Masonic Military Outreach Committee Cover credit: Lisa and Michael Peters, West Point Lodge 877 IN THIS ISSUE featured HigHligHts: Candidates for Grand Lodge . 5-9 Mission to Havana . 16 Grand Secretary’s – Golf Tournament . 10 St. John’s Day Schedule . 22 Sojourners Picture Page . 13 Convention and Grand Master’s Dinner . 24-26 Officers and cOmmittees: Grand East . 2 Camp Turk . 31 Deputy Grand Master . 4, 15 Webmaster . .32 Senior Grand Warden . .11 Acacia Village . .34 Junior Grand Warden . .11 Masonic Medical Research Laboratory . .36 Grand Treasurer. .12 Masonic War Veterans of State of New York . 37 Masonic Brotherhood Fund . .12 Grand Lodge Educational Assistance Program (EAP). .38 Membership Development . .14 Grand Historian. .39 Masonic Hall & Home Trustees . .18 Years of Service. 40-42 Masonic Care Community. .19 Dates to Remember and Submission Guidlines . 45 Masonic Ambassador Program . 20 Grand Lecturer . .46 Youth Page – DeMolay, Org. of Triangles and Rainbow . 28 Masonic Bomber Jacket Order Form. .47 Awards Committee . 30 Grand Master’s Cruise . 48 TRUSTEES OF THE MASONIC HALL AND ASYLUM FUND Publisher THE EMPIRE State MASON is an Official Publication of the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund. Edited by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York for the members of the Masonic Fraternity and their families. CONSULTANTS POSTMASTER: WILLIAM J. THOMAS JEFFREY M. WILLIAMSON CHARLES CATAPANO Please send address changes to: Grand Master – Editor in Chief Deputy Grand Master Grand Treasurer The Empire State Mason Circulation Department JOAN C. BOWER CHARLES P. UHLE PAUL M. ROSEN 71 West 23rd Street Assistant Editor Senior Grand Warden Grand Secretary NY, NY 10010-4149 Periodicals Class Publication No. 56874 STEPHEN L. ZABRISkIE RICHARD S. MORLEY LORAINE DIBLEY 1-(800) 362-7664 Article Editor Junior Grand Warden Graphic Designer Website at www.nymasons.org Subscription $6.00 Domestic, $15.00 Foreign per year. Subscription free to all members of constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge F. & A.M. State of New York. Copyright ©2016 by the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund. All rights reserved. Reproduction by recognized Masonic organizations is permitted with credit. All others must obtain written permission. Published quarterly in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter months by the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund, 71 West 23rd Street, NY, NY 10010-4149. THE EMPIRE STATE MASON (ISSN 0013-6794 Published at 71 West 23rd Street, NY, NY 10010-4149). Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Deputy Grand Master RW Jeffrey M. Williamson, deputy Grand Master MORI (aka) Masonic Online Registry Interface During our recent Meet the Deputy Grand Master Town email through our Constant Contact service. Hall Meetings we offered a look ahead at several upcoming Question: Are you receiving the “Hiram’s Highlights” initiatives, goals and objectives that will be a point of focus for newsletter? If not, it’s most likely attributable to our not this Grand Lodge over the next few years. For almost eleven having your proper email address in our records. years the Grand Lodge has integrated the MORI (Masonic Online Registry Interface) as a statewide administrative Brethren, it is vitally important that our Lodges adopt management system for its Lodges. MORI is the latest modern business practices and technology. We simply need to Windows generation Registry System, replacing the old DOS move this jurisdiction into the 21st century. All Lodges should workhorse known as the MLSS (Masonic Lodge Secretaries’ have a Secretary or Assistant Secretary capable of operating a System). For the most part, Lodges who adopted the MORI computer and qualified to use our MORI Secretarial System. system have found it to be an indispensable tool and a great As we approach a new Masonic year we are asking all of our benefit to their Lodge. Although it has been repeatedly Lodges to comply with this important requirement. recommended and encouraged that this tool should be used To assist those Lodges who desire to implement the MORI in all Lodges, we discovered that a distressing number of system in their Lodge management procedures, and for those Lodges are still not using this important, user-friendly and Lodges seeking additional training, the Grand Lodge is offering time-saving administrative tool. We also discovered a number multiple MORI training seminars across the jurisdiction over of Lodges who are registered as users of the program have the ensuing year.