Volume 70 No 4 December 2005 WM Richard Elia
The Old Year Passes busy and interesting year for Bruce Barnes, Editor Hesperians. Our website at http://www.Hesperia411.org, Happy New Year Brethren, has brought visitors from around Ladies and Friends of Hesperia the world to our Lodge for both Lodge #411! I hope everyone dinner and meetings. One of had a wonderful Holiday Sea- those visitors, who found Hes- son! Not only was the month of peria via the website, is an indi- December both the coldest, and snowiest, December of the last 63 years, but it also seemed to go by so much faster than it has in previous years. For tips on how to help save some money on those potentially large heat- ing bills, see the story on page 7 of this issue.
It seems that only a few days ago I was busy preparing the vidual who will be working in January 2005 Hesperian to be Chicago for the next two years. labeled and mailed to the mem- His name is Alberto Ramirez, bers of our Lodge, and now I’m and he does actuarial analysis in the process of completing the for an international benefits last issue of the year 2005. company with offices both here in Chicago and Mexico City. This past year has been both a (Continued on page 15)
Inside This Issue . . . Letter From The East Page: 2
T H E H E S P E R I A N The Blazing Star Page: 5 Cutting Your Energy Bills Page: 7 Oral History Project Page: 8
Hesperia Lodge #411 A F & M Christmas Treats Page 8 Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century Page: 10 Women In Freemasonry Page: 19 Letter from the East
Dear Brother Hesperian’s
The 166th annual Grand Lodge for the State of Illinois was held in Springfield the weekend of October 7th, 8th and 9th and was, as usual, a wonderful experience. It is always good to see both the familiar faces of years gone by and to meet new Masonic brothers for the first time. While in Springfield, Masons from all over the State invaded the new Lincoln Museum and Library. This venue is now high on my list of recommended sights if you will be traveling to the Springfield area at some future date. Prior to entering the actual exhibits, visitors have the oppor- tunity to see two background presentations that will both introduce and prepare you for your experience in the museum. I strongly recommend you relax and enjoy the 20 minutes it takes to view these films as they will make the rest of your experience come alive with Lincoln history. One of the exhibits includes a live actor, in period costume, handing out information and answering questions – lending to the overall interactive quality of the installation. If you have enough time during your visit, make certain you spend the time and read the information at each of the exhibits and you will be drawn in by the character of the language in use during the period Lincoln lived.
Because so much of the information about President Lincoln was written down it was preserved for both our and future generations. Like any other history, had Lincoln’s words and actions not been captured by the archivists of his time, they would have been forever lost. The same is true about any history, whether the actions and recollections of someone placed in the spotlight of history, or by common men like you and me – if we don’t tell our stories to someone, they are lost forever. Therefore, I am asking our older brethren to share their Masonic memories with us so we can place them into the archives of Hesperia Lodge #411. Whether you want to share a specific event, a Masonic experience, some- thing you remember happening in Lodge, or the reason you became a Mason in the first place, we’d like to interview you.
Perhaps some part of the Masonic ritual has changed over the years. Was the building used for other purposes? When were the many rooms constructed and why? What about the balcony, did you ever have the opportunity to sit in the balcony when it was open? What would you like to say to another Hesperian 100 years from now?
We’d like this oral history project to be as inclusive as possible. Whether you live in the Chicago area and can schedule a time before or after a meeting, want to schedule some time to meet outside of Lodge or would like to conduct a tele- phone interview, we’ll work to accommodate your schedule and record your his- tory. If you tell us when you will be coming to Lodge we will set up a quiet re- laxed area to interview you and record your memories and experiences. We are
Page 2 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M also setting up a telephone line to call for those who, for one reason or another, cannot record their history in person. When giving your story, if you do not know the exact date something happened; perhaps you may remember when a person was Worship Master or when one of the chairs had a particular person. Those records are available, and can assist us in placing your you oral history at the correct time in the history of Hesperia. We want to remember you. For more information on the Oral History Project, see page 8.
I recently spoke with Lori Cannon of Vital Bridges, and she was, again, very thankful for the cash donations received from the Lodge members. The monies collected for Cannon at the Friends Night Meeting in June of 2005 (see The Hes- perian, Vol 70 No 3), were used to purchase a 10’ x 10’ UV protected tent, with removable sides and theater style seating. This shelter will allow clients of Vital Bridges to find respite from the sun at both the annual Halstead Street parade and the an annual walkathon along the lakefront in Grant Park, as well as at events where they would otherwise be unable to attend because of medications that make their skin sensitive to sunlight or cause them tire easily from extended sunlight exposure. A big thanks to all of our Brethren from Lori.
This is what a Masonic lodge does – we help people. Because of the hurricane devastation caused along the Gulf Coast this past summer, even more help than usual is required. If you are interested in assisting those who were impacted by the storms that devastated the Gulf Coast, you can click on the link to the Ma- sonic Service Association that is on the first page of our website or by sending your check to: MSA Disaster Relief Fund, 8120 Fenton Street Ste 203, Silver Spring, MD 20910-4785.
I was at the Lodge early on the evening of Thursday, September 8, 2005, to talk with the Brethren who arrived early. As it turns out, we had a visitor that eve- ning, Brother Sean Watts, a Master Mason, from Achill Lodge No 853 in Johan- nesburg, in South Africa. He was in Chicago for holiday (vacation) and business. All present enjoyed having him sit down to share our meal and the very enjoy- able conservation. Talking to Brother Watts after the meeting, he was very im- pressed with wide variance of the ages of both the Officers and members who were present. Brother Watts commented on the willingness of one Mason to assist another in a friendly and brotherly, in spite of their vastly differing ages. He was very thankful that he had taken the time to attend the meeting.
On September 22, 2004 we had two visiting guests. Brother Carlos Reyes, of Benito Juarez Lodge No 22 in Catazaja, Chiapas, Mexico; and Brother Alberto Ramirez of the Lodge de Gral, De Division Heriberto Jara C. No 80 in Mexico City. Our own Senior Deacon, Brother John Sarabia, translated for our guests during the dinner and the meeting. Thank you, Brother Sarabia!
On a note of sadness, the Lodge was recently used for a Masonic funeral service. (Continued on page 4)
Page 3 VOLUME 70 NO 4 (From the East—Continued from page 3)
On Saturday, September 24th, a memorial service was conducted for Brother Louis Ennis. Brother Ennis was a puppeteer, and his partner, Brother Ralph Kip- ness, also a member of Hesperia, brought both an urn containing his creamains, several photographs and some of the puppets used during the shows presented by Brothers Kipness and Ennis at the Puppet Parlor, their theatre in Chicago where they based their business. While talking to one guest, who related the fact that his brother was a Mason in another state, he indicated that he never knew that a Ma- sonic Funeral Service could be so enjoyable, friendly, and memorable.
Finally, Brethren, you may have noticed that I am still the Worship Master of our Lodge. It was voted at our meeting of August 11, 2005 to change the date of our annual Business Meeting from October to the first meeting in the month January. That meeting will take place on January 12, 2006. By the time you read this, the steering committee will have met on November 17th, and the initial slate for next year will have been chosen. The first major change, under our newly changed year, will be the election of those so slated at the first meeting of both January and the New Year. Your meeting attendance is important. A complete list of the officers chosen in that initial slate is printed within this edition of The Hesperian.
So, Brethren, in parting, I ask that you mark your calendar for the very important business of selecting your new officers on the evening of Thursday, January 12th 2006. Please plan to attend this very important meeting and remember that all meeting dates and times are published on our website at www.Hesperia411.org.
Between now and then, remember these immortal words of Dr Suess:
“Then the Grinch though of something he hadn’t before, What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”
Fraternally,
Richard Elia, Worshipful Master
The Star in the middle of Jefferson Masonic Temple
Page 4 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M The Blazing Star Joseph Laiacona
Brother Pike, in his Morals and Dogma, presents a rather concise history of the evolution of the meaning of the Blazing Star, one of the ornaments of a lodge, found in the center of the lodge floor and upon which the altar is placed:
“To find in the Blazing Star of five points an allu- sion to the Di- vine Providence, is also fanciful; and to make it com- memorative of the Star that is said to have guided the Magi, is to give it a meaning compara- tively modern. Origi- nally it represented Sirius, or the Dog-star, the forerunner of the inundation of the Nile; the God Anubis, com- panion of Isis in her search for the body of Osiris, her brother and husband. Then it became the image of Ho- rus, the son of Osiris, himself sy m -
bolized also by the Sun, the author of the Seasons, and the God of Time; Son of Isis, who was the universal na- ture, himself the primal matter, inexhaustible source of Life, spark of uncreated fire, universal seed of all beings. It was Hermes, also, the Master of Learning, whose name in Greek is that of the God Mercury. It became the sacred and potent sign or character of the Magi, the Pentalpha, and is the significant emblem of Liberty and Freedom, blaz- ing with a steady radiance amid the weltering elements of good and evil of Revolutions, and promising serene skies and fertile seasons to the nations, after the storms of change and tu- mult.” (Morals and Dogma, pp 14-15).
Once again Pike gives us a multi-layered interpretation of one the Lodge’s sym- bols. The interpretation is also progressive, as we see in the above quote that the symbolism of the Star changes over time, from Sirius to Horus to Hermes to the Magi to Liberty and Freedom.
In this symbol, then, we see the progression of Masonic knowledge, that as one attains “more light in Masonry” so one’s understanding evolves and grows. Throughout Morals and Dogma there is this same progression. Though many Masons (but by no means all) often see our fraternity as Christian in nature, there are substantial references to pre-Christian beliefs and rituals. Indeed it is just this eclecticism, this openness to wisdom from all ages that both furnishes the orna-
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 5 mentation of the Lodge and the Mason’s mind with myriad ways to comprehend more light.
In his writing of the eighth degree in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, we read of another application of this symbol:
“The Degrees of this Rite are not for those who are content with the mere work and ceremonies, and do not seek to explore the mines of wisdom that lie buried beneath the surface. You still advance toward the Light, toward that star, blazing in the distance, which is an emblem of Divine Truth, given by God to the first men, and preserved amid all the vicissitudes of ages in the traditions and teachings of Masonry. How far you will advance, depends upon yourself alone. Here, as everywhere in the world, Darkness struggles with Light, and clouds and shadows intervene between you and Truth.
“When you shall have become imbued with the morality of Masonry, with which you yet are… when you shall have learned to practice all the virtues which it in- culcates… then you will be prepared to receive its lofty philosophical instruction, and to scale the heights upon whose summit Light and Truth sit en- throned” (Morals and Dogma, page 126.)
Here again we see the Masonic trio: “Brotherly love, Relief, and Truth.” Whereas one would expect that first would come Truth, followed by Brotherly love, from which Relief would ensure we see instead that the practice of “all the virtues which it inculcates” proceeds “lofty philosophical instruction.” Masons, then, are called first to practice virtue. It is for those who are not content only “with the mere work and ceremonies” but rather for those who “seek to explore the mines of wisdom that lie buried beneath the surface.”
“Therefore do you here, and for all time to come, lay aside all uncharitable and repining feeling; be proof henceforward against the suggestions of undisciplined passion and inhuman zeal; learn to hate the vices and not the vicious; be content with the discharge of the duties which your Masonic Knightly professions require be governed by the old principles of honor and chivalry, and reverence with con- stancy the Truth which is as sacred and immutable as God Himself. And above all, remember always, that jealousy is not our life, nor disputation our end, nor disunion our health, nor revenge our happiness; but loving-kindness is all these, greater than Hope, greater than Faith, which can remove mountains, properly the only thing which God requires of us, and in the possession of which lies the fulfill- ment of all our duties.” (Morals and Dogma, page 808).
Copyright 2005 by Joseph Laiacona.
Editor’s Note: Brother Joseph Laiacona, who currently sits in the West of Hes- peria Lodge #411 AF&AM, is also a writer, who is working on a new book about Freemasonry.
Page 6 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M Surviving Energy Price Increases by Cutting Your Energy Bills
As most of us are all too well aware, last summer’s hurricane season not only caused significant damage to both the homes of those living along the Gulf Coast, and to the oil refineries and natural gas transport systems that pipe heating gas to the northern states. Since then, we have all watched in horror as the poten- tial cost of heating our homes and businesses, with either oil or natural gas, sky- rocketed. At a holiday dinner party which I attended early in December, one of the individuals in attendance, an investor in natural gas futures, was gleefully exclaiming that he had recently doubled his investment in those futures when the price of natural gas increased from his initial investment of $7.50 per million British thermal units (BTU) to more than $15.00 per million BTUs.
Those comments imme- diately turned what had previously been mere speculation into reality.
The room in which we were standing suddenly became unattractively quiet, and our Hostess, stunned at her guest’s bravado, and in an ef- fort to further prevent her other guests from being insulted, turned to him and asked both him and his wife to please collect their coats and leave the party. Imme- diately thereafter, the discussion in the room turned from conversations about what had taken place in each of our lives since the last time we had seen each other to how we could, no matter our financial position, conserve on the cost of heating energy in our homes and businesses.
Start by Turning Your Thermostat Down: At today’s higher energy prices, for every one degree you turn down your ther- mostat, you can save close to 2% on the total cost of your heating bill. While many people are accustomed to keeping their homes heated to 72, or even 75, degrees, this is neither good for the wooden furniture, as it dries the wood out; (Continued on page 9)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 7 Brother Secretary, Ron Ehemann at Oral History Project [email protected]. You can also mail your story, old newsletters or col- Why did you become a Mason? Was lected correspondence to Hesperia 411 there someone important in your life Oral History Project, %Chuck Renslow, that helped you in your journey towards 5015 N Clark St, Chicago IL 60640 or the craft? Was there someone who was call Brother Barnes at 800.982.0839 a role model to you eventually asked X221. about Freemasonry who became your guide and mentor as you sought further Christmas Treats light? Hesperian’s always enjoy excellent Even with all the advancements in com- meals before each of our meetings, but puters, recording formats and other the December meal is consistently a electronic equipment, the stories and special treat, and was no exception memories of our Brothers still die with again this year. them each and every day. Families, hard pressed to clean out collections Our Holiday dinner consisted of Prime accumulated within libraries, often Rib, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans throw away memorabilia that would be cooked to perfection by Brother Chuck extremely valuable to both current and Renslow. Desserts, of cookies and can- future Brethren and members of a lodge dies, were supplied by Brother Paul because they don’t know the value of Laws who now resides in Milwaukee. what they have or they just don’t have Many thanks to both Brother Renslow room to keep it all. and Brother Laws for their fine contri- butions to our Holiday Dinner meal. We’d like to connect with those Breth- ren of Hesperia Lodge #411, AF&AM Remember, Brethren, there’s always a and give them an opportunity to tell good meal to be had before our Lodge their stories or donate items. Whether Meetings. Dinner starts promptly at you write your story into a letter or e- 6:30 PM every meeting night and mail, create a word processing docu- there’s always plenty of food available. ment on your computer, record your Guests are always welcome! memories onto tape, or call and ask Hesperia Lodge #411, AF&AM, meets someone to assist you with a vast col- the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each lection of old newsletters, notices and month at the Gale Street Temple, 5814 other Lodge correspondence, we’re W Gale St, Chicago Illinois. Driving interested in hearing from you. directions, meeting times and dates are For more information on the Hesperia also available on the Hesperia website Oral History Project, contact Lodge at http://www.Hesperia411.org. Historian Chuck Renslow at [email protected], Hesperia It is only when a man becomes a Newsletter Editor, Bruce Barnes via e- teacher that he realizes the mail at [email protected], extent of his ignorance.
Page 8 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Surviving Energy Price Increases— must be perfectly level to transmit the Continued from page 7) temperature you set on the control with not good for our bodies, as it dries both the way the switch inside the thermostat our skin and the linings of our noses; reacts to changes to the actual tempera- and not good for our finances, as we ture of the heated space. They use a can save significant money by simply combination of a bi-metal spring and turning our thermostats down to 70, or mercury switch, to sense the tempera- even 68 degrees. ture and control the furnace. As a result
My parents, now both in their 70s, have of both their design inefficiencies, and gradually turned down the thermostat in in some cases, improper initial installa- their house over the last 15 years and tion, older analog style thermostats may now keep their home at only 60 degrees allow temperature variations of up to 5 during the winter months. They are degrees from their setting. In addition perfectly comfortable at that tempera- to the temperature variations, the ineffi- ture, putting on a sweatshirt or sweater cient design of the bi-metal spring in when they are cold. Such an extreme older thermostats can cause the furnace lowering of your household tempera- to cycle on and off more frequently, wasting a great deal of energy. ture may not be for you, but you can also turn down the overall temperature If you have an older thermostat with a within your house, close the doors to non-digital dial or lever on it, it’s unused rooms, and supplement the heat probably time for a replacement. in the room you are in with an electric When replacing your thermostat, con- space heater. Make certain you read sider installing an automatic "setback" the manufacturer’s safety instructions or programmable thermostat. Digital supplied with any electric or space thermostats are not only inexpensive heater, never leave them unattended and easily installed, but while you with small children and never put them might forget to turn down the heat be- too close to combustible materials such fore you go to bed, or leave for work in as drapes or furniture. the morning, a properly programmed digital thermostat won't. Replace Your Old Thermostat: All thermostats, even digital electronic Programmable thermostats can also models, are essentially an on/off switch help save energy because many of them for the heating system. When a ther- can store and repeat multiple daily tem- mostat senses the room temperature has perature settings. If you will unexpect- dropped below a pre-set level, it signals edly be home on a day you normally your furnace to turn on the burner and work, or stay up later on a particular provide heat until the temperature in- night, you can manually override the side your home or business rises to the programs on most models without af- selected temperature. fecting the rest of the daily, or weekly,
Older, analog or non-digital, thermo- program. Many models can even store stats are inefficient by their design. six or more temperature settings a day. They are also difficult to install as they Digital thermostats are extremely accu- (Continued on page 11)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 9 that one-third of us wolf down lunch at Preserving the our desks each day. We're talking on our cell phones while rushing to work, Craft in the answering e-mails during any available 21st Century free time, frequently waking up hours Bruce Barnes before our normal time to call Europe or Asia, and generally multi-asking our During the last decade, much has been brains out as we attempt to juggle our written about both the decline in mem- commitments to both our employers bership of Freemasonry and the preser- and our families. Our free time is vation of our Craft. Both verbal and rarely free and frequently merges with print discussions banter about “actual work-related activities. figures”, attempting to prove how many men did, or did not, become Masons, In addition to working more hours than comparing the numbers of new members ever before, we have a significantly to the numbers lost, and debate the higher number of leisure activities to “reasons for the decline in the numbers choose from. The largest portion of our of the Craft”. In general, these conversa- leisure time, an average of 45% across tions and articles have attempted to cre- the board according to the graph on ate a dialogue about both how to find, page 18, is now spent watching televi- and keep, new members in our Frater- sion, DVDs and videos; about 24% of nity. our leisure time is spent socializing, including participation in organized According to the US Department of La- religion; less than 10% of our time is bor, Americans are working longer hours now consumed with reading; and a than ever before. In 1980, we worked an mere 4 to 5%, on average, of our leisure average of 1,883.4 hours per year. A time is spent volunteering. decade later, in 1990, the number of hours worked per year had jumped to According to one graph, supplied by the 1,946, and by the end of the last century, Masonic Service Association, the num- average American’s work-year had risen ber of Masons in the United States to more than 2,000 hours, an increase of peaked at an all time high of slightly more than 6% in twenty years. more than four million during the early 1960s and has steadily declined ever More than 31% of college-educated male since then. workers are now regularly logging 50 or (Continued on page 17) more hours per week at work, up from 22% in 1980, and according to the Na- tional Sleep Foundation, 40% percent of “My definition of a free society American adults get less than seven hours of sleep per night on weekdays, up is a society where it is safe to from only 31% in 2001. Approximately be unpopular.” 60% of us are either “sometimes” or “often” rushed at mealtime; and the Adlai E Stevenson Jr American Dietetic Association tells us (1900-1965)
Page 10 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Surviving Energy Price Increases— Replace Your Furnace: Continued from page 9) If your furnace or boiler is more than rate as well — frequently maintaining 20 years old, consider replacing it the temperature to within half a degree with a new high-efficiency heating of the of the actual temperature setting. unit. Most older heating units are
Setback The Thermostat When Sleep- only between 50 and 60% efficient. ing or Not Home: By purchasing a new furnace, you According to the US Department of En- can increase that efficiency to close to 95%. ergy, turning down the thermostat 8 to 10 degrees, for eight hours a day, will Debunking Myths about save between 9 and 15 percent on home Setback Thermostats: heating costs. Turning down the thermo- One common misconception linked stat while you are away at work will with programmable thermostats is the accomplish some of this. Turning down myth that a furnace or boiler will your thermostat while you are sleeping have to work harder than normal to will not only save you additional money, bring the heated space back to the but will help you sleep better as well. temperature you are accustomed to
During the winter when your house when you are awake or home, result- doesn't need to be heated to 70 degrees ing in little or no savings. Many at night, or while you are at work, setting years of research have shown the fuel back the temperature in your home or required to reheat a home is roughly business when sleeping or not in the equal to the fuel saved as the home building can save significant money on drops to the lower temperature. your heating bill. Modern digital ther- Thus, the longer the setback period, mostats are simple to program. Setting a the greater the savings in heating program to turn down your heat to 60 energy costs or, to put it another way, degrees from 11 pm to 5 am, and then the longer the house remains at the bring it back to 70 degrees, a nice warm lower temperature, the more energy you’ve saved. temperature to wake up to, will shave significant money off your heating bill. Another common misconception is If you are not yet retired, you can also that the higher the thermostat is program an additional setback during the raised, the more heat the furnace will period of 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, while you put out and the faster the house will are working, and save even more money. warm up. Furnaces put out the same If your home is well insulated you may amount of heat no matter how high not even notice the changes in tempera- the thermostat is set. The difference ture as you sleep. is the length of time it must stay on to
Setting back your thermostat for as little reach the set temperature. If a house as four hours per day can result in sig- is extremely cold, it will take longer to heat up. nificant savings on your annual heating bill. Setting back for longer periods of time will save you even more. (Continued on page 12)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 11 (Surviving Energy Price Increases— link to “The Energy Bill and You”. from page 11) Stop the Drafts: Insulate, Insulate, Insulate: If your home is several years old and Having enough insulation, in both your you have drafty windows, you may attic and walls, is the key to keeping be loosing as much as another 10% your house warm. If you’re attic is not of your heating costs to the leaks properly insulated, all you’re doing it around your windows and doors. To allowing that expensive heat to rise up see how drafty your windows are, through your ceiling and melt the snow light a candle and move it slowly on your roof. To check the insulation around the glass and trim of your in your attic, go up there with a ruler. windows. If the flame on the candle If the thickness of the insulation in your flickers, you should think about ei- attic is 6 inches or less, you probably ther replacing the windows or sealing require more. According to the R- up the drafts that are allowing the air Value calculator on the US Department from the outside to blow into your of Energy website at http:// home. Remember to be careful with www.ornl.gov, the proper R-Value for the lighted candle so as not to ignite the attic space of a gas heated home in any drapes or furniture in the area of the Northern Illinois area is R-38. the window you are checking. While that typically translates into at least a foot of insulation, the insulating If the window’s drafts are not signifi- value of the thickness of different va- cant, you may be able to purchase rieties of insulation varies by the type peel-and-stick weather stripping at of material used to make the insulation. your local hardware store. In some R-values vary widely in different areas cases, you may want to purchase a of the country, so be certain you prop- plastic insulating kit for a few dol- erly calculate the requirements for your lars. These plastic insulating kits area, insulation and heat type. The contain double-sided adhesive tape insulation calculator at http:// that allows you to place clear plastic www.ornl.gov will help you make the over the entire window and frame. proper decision. With some kits, you can use a port- able hair dryer to shrink the plastic If your attic is unimproved, you can and make it easier to see through the probably install additional insulation plastic. It may not look as nice as yourself. If your attic is finished, or you’d like it to, but it will help to you are not able to do this kind of work keep out the cold air. In a pinch, duct yourself, it will cost you a little more to tape will also do the trick. have a contractor do the work for you but will save you significantly on your Don’t just look for air leaks around energy bills. Remember to follow the your windows, those small holes insulation manufacturer’s instructions, around dryer vents, outside electrical and remember to check for a potential outlets, outside water faucets, and gas tax credit for adding insulation at www.energy.gov by clicking on the (Continued on page 13)
Page 12 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Surviving Energy Price Increases— that might go from a boiler to the radia- Continued from page 12) tors of your home or business.
pipes can allow significant cold air to Insulate Your Electrical Outlets and enter your home. Those small leaks Switches: can be just as significant as the larger Significant heat can also be lost via cracks around your windows and electrical outlets and switches located doors! Small cracks can be filled on outside walls. This is especially true with silicone or acrylic caulk, larger if the walls in which they are located are gaps should be filled with expanding un-insulated or there are connections to foam sealant. outside electrical fixtures from the de- Insulate and Seal Duct Work on vice. Fortunately, there’s an easy way Forced Air Heating Systems: to prevent that cold from entering your If your heating system uses forced air living space. You can purchase precut to push the heat throughout your foam gaskets from your local hardware home, then you should inspect the store, remove the cover to the outlet or duct work that runs through cooler switch, install the gasket and then rein- areas of your home like the basement stall the cover. The difference on what or a crawl space. Use duct tape, or used to be cold outlets and switches will metal duct sealant tape – sold at hard- be significant.
ware stores – to seal each section of Run Your Ceiling Fans: heating duct to the next and prevent While running your ceiling fans during the winter may sound counterintuitive, there’s usually a lot of unused heat sit- ting on the ceiling of your home. This is especially true if there is a poorly insulated attic above the ceiling. By setting your ceiling fans to updraft, while running on the slowest speed, you will recirculate that heat from the ceil- ing down to the area where it will do you the most good without creating a draft. Recirculating heat from your ceil- ing may also allow you to turn down your thermostat even more.
Cool Down Your Hot Water Heater: that valuable heated air from escap- By turning the temperature of your hot ing from your ductwork. You should water heater down from a scalding 140 also consider wrapping a thin blanket degrees to an adequately hot 120 de- of insulation around all ductwork in grees, you can save about $50.00 per unheated areas as the loss of heat can year. Most electric water heaters can be significant. The same applies to also be wrapped in special water heater the steam pipes or hot water pipes (Continued on page 14)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 13 (Surviving Energy Price Increases— Continued from page 13) insulating blankets to help save additional money.
Get an Energy Audit: None of us likes it when we think about the IRS auditing our taxes, but when it comes to an energy audit, an audit can actually be a good thing. You can do an online audit yourself, on the Home Energy Saver website at http://hes.lbl.gov/. The potential savings for those in the Chicago area, who have taken the audit, and implemented the recommendations of the audit, is $646.00 per year. You can also contact your local energy provider and who will either do an energy audit of your building using infrared photography and something called “blower door” testing. Energy audits, done by both utilities and private contractors, range in price from $15.00 to $400.00, depending on both your utility and your location. Many en- ergy companies are now offering free energy audits to low income individuals.
Need Help Paying Your Heating Bill?
Do you, or does someone you know, need assistance paying their heating bills?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! No one should ever be cold in their own home or to be forced to make a decision about whether they should buy food or pay for heat!
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP is a federally funded program designed to help low-income households pay winter heating bills. Con- tact: 866.674.6327 or on the web at http:// www.liheap.ncat.org/profiles/ energyhelp.htm
Weatherization Assistance Program or WAP may help to pay the tab for your insu- lation or weatherization. Contact: 877.337.3463 or on the web at http:// www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/
The National Fuel Funds Network offers assistance from a group of over 300 nonprofit agencies, utilities and government agencies. Contact via the web only at http://www.nationalfuelfunds.org
It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear to be stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. (Mark Twain)
Page 14 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Happy New Year! — very important and will affect both Continued from page 1) the structure, and decisions of your Brother Ramirez is currently a Fel- Lodge for the next year. If you are lowcraft and member of General de not present to vote, you won’t have a Division Heriberto Jara Corona # 80 voice in the decision making process!
in Mexico City, Mexico. In order to The slated officers and chairs for the allow him to continue his Masonic 142nd Hesperia Lodge #411, journey, Brother Secretary Ron Ehe- AF&AM, 2006 Business Year, as mann is in the process of coordinat- recommended by the Steering Com- ing formal discussions between the mittee during the meeting on Novem- Grand Lodge of Illinois and the ber 17th 2005 are: Grand Lodge of Mexico to poten- tially allow Hesperia to raise Brother WM—Joseph Laiacona Ramirez to a Master Mason as a SW—Charles Renslow courtesy to the Grand Lodge of Mex- SEC—Ron Ehemann ico. Brother Ramirez comes to all of TRE—Rodger Frazier our Lodge meetings for dinner and, SD—Robert Harvey whenever possible, is invited to sit in JD—Bruce Barnes on our meetings. SS—Marion Pallotta JS—Jim Stevens Marshall—Jim Voss Chaplain—Richard Elia Organist—Dennis Costanza Tyler—Al Mechnic Assistant Tyler—Gil Orijudos Lodge Instructor—Rick Tamen
The Installation of the Brother Joseph Laiacona as Worshipful Master, along with the rest of the Officers and Chairs, pending the outcome of Annual Business Meeting the scheduled election during our Mark your calendar! The 2006 An- meeting on January 12, 2006, is ten- nual Business Meeting for Hesperia tatively scheduled for Sunday, Janu- Lodge #411, AF&AM will take place ary 15th, starting at 2:00 PM. on January 12th, 2006 at 7:30 PM, and it is very important that as many Light refreshments will be served members as possible are present. As after the installation. The installation usual, dinner will be served begin- will be a public meeting, so bring ning at 6:30 PM. We’d like to see as your significant other, your family, many of our members as possible at friends and anyone else you know this very important meeting! who might be interested in Freema- sonry. Jackets and ties will be appro- Brethren, the decisions made during our Annual Business Meeting are (Continued on page 16)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 15 (History and Rededication — payments to him as soon as possible. If Continued from page 15) you haven’t already received your dues priate for this event. payment card, please let us know so we can make certain we have your correct Newsletter Schedule Changed address on file. Have you been wondering where this edition of The Hesperian was? Were Address and E-Mail Updates you beginning to think we had forgotten Brethren, Brother Marino Pallotta is to include you in the mailing? As we getting ready to update our Lodge begin a new Lodge calendar year, we Membership Directory and we are ask- also begin a new Lodge year. If you are ing you to send him any mailing ad- a regular visitor to the Hesperia Lodge dress, e-mail address and telephone website at http://www.Hesperia411.org, number corrections before he does a and have been reading the minutes final review, prints and mails the up- posted in the member’s only area of that dated directory to everyone. website, you probably already know the The cost of a first-class postage stamp Brethren of Hesperia voted to modify is going up another 2 cents in 2006, so starting date of the beginning of the it’s important we begin communicating Lodge business year back in August with as many of our members as possi- 2005. This means that our annual Steer- ble via e-mail. Our postage expenses, ing Committee meeting is now held in which currently run about $1,800.00 November with Officers and Chairs per year, are generously underwritten slated for election at the first meeting of by an one of our Lodge Brothers who January the following year. If you can- prefers to remain anonymous. This not gain access to, and require a pass- covers the mailing of both our meeting word for, the member’s only area of the notices, and this newsletter, to all of our website, please let us know. Once members. While we realize the impor- we’ve verified your membership status, tance of having a printed copy of the we’ll send you the pass. meeting notices and newsletters, any Because of the change to our Lodge non-correspondence we can send via e- business year, we’ve also decided to mail will help reduce our postage costs. make changes to the newsletter sched- You can send your e-mail and address ule. This newsletter will now be on a changes to Brother Marino Pallotta, via quarterly schedule of December, e-mail, to [email protected] or March, June and October to more com- via snail mail to Marino Pallotta, 5015 fortably accommodate the Lodge busi- N Clark St, Chicago IL 60640. ness year.
Dues Cards Sent Religious Tolerance By now you should have received your Political Freedom annual dues card notice and payment Personal Integrity envelope. Brother Secretary Ron Ehe- mann asks each of us who haven’t al- Freemasonry, ready done so to please return our dues It’s Not For Everyone!
Page 16 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century — Continued from page 10)
Figure 1— Percentage of Leisure Time Devoted to Activities
Figure 2 – Total Number of US Masons by Year – 1924 – 2000 Source: Masonic Service Association
(Continued on page 18)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 17 (Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century — Continued from page 17) Between the demands of our families, the additional demands of our work and the competition of television, cable and satellite services, is it any wonder quali- fied men are either abandoning Freemasonry or not joining in the first place?
Reversing the Downward Trend: So, how do we go about reversing this downward trend?
If we are truly competing with only 4% of the leisure time available to Ameri- cans, as suggested in figure 1, this appears to be a daunting task. If we are to categorize Freemasonry within the area of Social Life, shown to currently take 24% of our free time, then we appear to have a slightly easier task, but still have a substantial amount of work to do to capture the ever greater demands placed on the time of those men who are qualified to be part of our great Fraternity.
In addition both to the work and family pressures placed on our individual time, there are more worthwhile charities and causes today than ever before. Freema- sonry is directly competing with everything from saving the environment, to aid for the victims of hurricane Katrina and the other storms and events of this past summer, to affordable housing for low income families, finding cures for AIDS and breast cancer, feeding the hungry, helping people pay their utility bills and many others. On top of the myriad of worthwhile charities, churches of all de- nominations are both better attended, and more socially involved, than they have been in decades.
These trends all compete for the time of good men who might otherwise seek out, and stay involved with, Masonic activities. So how do we, as Masons, compete with the demands for what little time our potential Brethren have available?
One potentially effective way to compete is to develop a well thought out mar- keting plan. The most important part of such a marketing plan might involve the “branding” of Freemasonry. Good branding can also create a more positive im- age of Masonry. If every Master Mason is both well versed in the tactics of our detractors, and truly knowledgeable in Masonic information, then we can both cast off the shadows of those attempting to undermine Freemasonry with their anti-Masonic hatemongering and knowledgably respond to the questions of po-
(Continued on page 20)
Richard D Johnson School for Masonic Instruction Gale Street Masonic Temple., 5418 Gale St, Chicago 7:30PM to 9:30PM on the Second and Fourth Mondays a schedule of meetings is posted at www.Hesperia411.org e-mail: [email protected]
Page 18 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M Women in Freemasonry
The position of women within Freema- sonry is complex. Traditionally, only men could be made Freemasons. While this has been slowly changing, espe- cially over the past century, there were exceptions to the rule as early as the 18th century.
Perhaps the most authoritative account of a woman being admitted to Freema- sonry in these early years surrounds Elizabeth Aldworth (nee St. Leger), who is reported to have viewed the pro- ceedings of a Lodge meeting held at Doneraile House, the house of her fa- ther, first Viscount Doneraile, a resident of Cork, Ireland.
In the early part of the 18th century, it was customary for Lodges to be regu- larly held in private houses; this Lodge was duly warranted as number 150 on the register of the Grand Lodge of Ire- land. Apparently, she removed a brick and saw the ceremony in the room be- yond. After being discovered, Eliza- Building Elevator Fund beth's situation was discussed by the King Oscar Lodge #855 is spearheading Lodge, and it was decided that she the drive to raise money to install an should be initiated into Freemasonry. elevator in our newly remodeled Jeffer- The story is supported by other ac- son Masonic Temple Building. counts that record how she was a sub- Anyone contributing any amount to the scriber to the Irish Book of Constitu- Temple Building Elevator Fund will tions of 1744 and that she frequently have their name added to a plaque in attended, wearing her Masonic regalia, recognition of their donation. If you entertainments that were given under would like to help bring back the Breth- Masonic auspices for the benefit of the ren who have a hard time climbing the poor and distressed. She afterwards stairs to our Lodge meetings, please married Mr. Richard Aldworth of New- send your check, in any amount, to market. It is also reported that when King Oscar Elevator Fund, c/o Brother she died she was accorded the honor of Secretary Ron Ehemann, 4535 N Bea- a Masonic burial. con St, Chicago IL 60640.
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 19 (Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century — Continued from page 18) tential petitioners when they express a desire to know more about the Craft.
Before we can begin to develop a plan to effectively market Masonry however, we need to define what Masonry is. Here’s a quote from Freemasons for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp:
“Becoming a Freemason is a spiritual journey that takes a man on a path to make himself stronger and wiser, and what he does with those gifts to himself reflects upon both him and the community around him. Just look at the various lists of no- table men who are, or have been, Freemasons. You could be on that list someday, you just have to allow your full potential come to fruition.”
Before any man can ask us what Freemasonry is, he has to know we are Masons! Therefore, before we can begin to market Freemasonry we, ourselves, must be visi- ble as Masons. Hiding our Masonic affiliation from the rest of the world only lends to the further rumor that Freemasons are part of a “secret society”!
The results of a survey taken just a couple of years ago indicted that 85% of all American men don't belong to any type of organization and only 25% of those sur- veyed knew anything about Masonry. Of those surveyed, a full 22% responded positively when asked if they might be interested in learning more about Freema- sonry. With only 15% of American males even being aware of Freemasonry, there is obviously a substantial need for a more pronounced visibility of our Craft, an even greater need for more public information about who we are and what we do, and a clear thirst for more knowledge about Freemasonry.
According an article written by David W Miller, Most Worshipful Past Grand Mas- ter of the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois, and published in a recent edition of Illinois Freemasonry, only 3% of all Illinois Masons have Masonic license plates on their automobiles. Not only does the display of Masonic license plates increase our overall visibility by announcing to everyone who sees us that we are Master Ma- sons, but 100% of the additional $25.00 annual cost of those Masonic license plates benefits the Illinois Masonic Foundation for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Children! Applications for Masonic license plates are available for download on both the Hesperia website: http://www.Hesperia411.org (see either the home page or the links page), and the website of the Grand Lodge of Illinois: http:// www.ilmason.org/.
Every one of our Lodge buildings are already clearly marked. The Shriners have started to place billboards on the streets of Chicago and surrounding communities telling people about the services provided by the Shrine Hospitals, and indirectly about Masonry, and hundreds of thousands of people see Shrine clowns and cars in parades every year. Once we’re visible as Masons, we need to let people know what a Mason is. So how can we educate the public?
(Continued on page 21)
Page 20 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M (Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century — Continued from page 20)
We’ve all seen, and quoted from, those long lists of well known men who were, or are, Masons. Men who include George Washington, Harry Truman, Wolfgang Mozart, Theodore Roosevelt, Dave Thomas, Lewis & Clark, Edward Jenner, Davy Crockett, John Hancock, Harry Houdini, Mel Blanc, Louis Armstrong, John El- way, Eddie Rickenbacker, George Marshall, Booker T Washington, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and thousands more. While we can used these lists of well known Masons, and drop their names as part of the openings of our conversations with potential Brothers interested in learning more about our craft, merely reciting from this list of well known men will probably not give the busy candidate reason enough to submit his petition.
It’s also not enough to tell potential candidates we are a world-wide Fraternity with centuries of tradition, or that we are a network of Brothers who can provide mutual friendship and aid to one another or that we provide help within our com- munities, college scholarships for young people, and that we maintain both Ma- sonic Retirement and Children’s Homes in every state of the Union. Again, we provide no direct reason for him to modify the use of his time.
We may also want to be careful about boasting to potential candidates that we give away almost four million dollars every day to charities, because doing so may make us sound as if the only reason we want him to become a Mason is to tap into his personal financial resources for the purpose of supporting our benevolent pro- grams. Telling a potential brother he should become a member of our Fraternity because he might increase his business opportunities may not only make us sound more like the Chamber of Commerce than an organization that’s been helping men improve both their personal and spiritual lives for centuries, but also places an undue mercenary influence on him, clearly against the rules of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. In today’s litigious society, such a statement could also potentially force us into defending ourselves in a court of law.
So what can we do to explain who we are and what we do? How can we present our Fraternity in both a positive light and make the already overly busy potential Brother become interested enough to ask for a petition?
Actually, that’s the easy part. If we live our lives by Masonic example, we’ll cre- ate a natural interest. Once we’ve sparked that interest in a deserving man, all we need do is to talk to him about how Masonry has enriched our own lives and made us better men in all we do. Ever done sales work? Sell him on how the Craft has benefited your life, and you can sell Masonry! How many of us, upon seeing the potential interest of a worthy man, have taken that opportunity to discuss Masonry at our place of work, or even within their own families? If you haven’t done so in the past, consider doing so the next time the opportunity arises! Remember, too, in Illinois, we can now initiate the conversation. (Continued on page 22)
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 21 (Preserving the Craft in the 21st Century — Continued from page 21) If presented with an opportunity and you don’t know where to begin, how about explaining to him why you petitioned your own Lodge — tell him why you be- came a Mason. Let him know that you are surrounded with like minded individu- als in whom you place implicit trust; that Masonry provides you with unlimited opportunities to associate with people who have similar interests and share genu- ine friendship towards each other. Let the prospective candidate know that, as a Mason, you have a chance to build upon not only the life knowledge and moral values of every Mason you associate with, but have the opportunity to learn from the knowledge of hundreds of years of Masonic experience that came before you, using that knowledge to spiritually grow and become a better person in both your business and personal life.
Remember not to monopolize the conversation and be a “good listener” as you talk to him. The potential Brother will probably ask lots of questions. Questions like, “What is a Lodge?”; or “What goes on at your meetings.” As a Master Ma- son, you’re probably already prepared to respond to those questions, but keep in mind the fact that you can take advantage of the collective knowledge of the Brethren in your Lodge by inviting the prospective candidate to continue his quest for knowledge about Freemasonry at dinner. During his visit you can introduce him to the other members of your Lodge.
Most importantly, as you his respond to his questions, remember not to initiate an argument. The potential petitioner may have previously received misinformation or negative information about Masons and may be looking to you to help him re- solve conflicts in his understanding of the Craft Remember, too, that just because a man doesn't look, or dress like you, doesn’t mean he doesn’t adhere to the same principals as Masons and wouldn’t be a good Mason if given the opportunity.
So what does all this tell us about the branding and marketing of Freemasonry?
It tells us that we must somehow learn to convey to a group of very busy potential candidates that we are the oldest world-wide brotherhood in the world who’s main purposes are charity and moral self improvement. It tells us that we must some- how convey to him that we support a wide variety of organizations, from chil- dren’s hospitals to cancer treatments, to bursaries for needy students and somehow make them feel they also want to be involved in this process.
Most importantly, this information tells us that we must also attempt to educate potential candidates to the fact that we try to live up to a moral code which is con- tained in a form of ritual made up by Freemasons hundreds of years ago; a moral code which, if practiced by all men, would lead not only to better morals in our personal lives, but in every business transaction in which we are involved, in every organization in which we are a part and within every government and nation in the world.
Marketing ourselves is our most effective tool available to market Freemasonry!
Page 22 HESPERIA LODGE #411 A F & A M Chairs and Substitutes of the December, 2005 Meeting of Hesperia Lodge #411. Photo by Brother Justin Torres Newsletter Submissions
We need to hear from you! Thoughts, ides for future stories, grievances, memo- ries or comments . . . Whatever’s on your mind. Whether it’s Masonic in nature, some Lodge or personal history from the past, your thoughts on Freemasonry in general, a correction to something you read here, or something special from your life you’d like to tell us about, we’re always looking for articles of interest for The Hesperian.
No newsletter can consistently come up with material on his own. Articles can be any length, but articles around 500 words usually work best. Don’t forget to include pictures as well. If you can’t scan a picture, contact us and we’ll arrange to scan and return them to you. Newsletter items can be submitted as standard text files, Microsoft Word documents, e-mail messages, or in written form.
Send your articles to the newsletter editor, Brother Bruce Barnes, via e-mail, to [email protected] or to our Lodge Secretary, Brother Ron Ehemann, PM, via e-mail to [email protected]. Submissions can also be mailed to Hesperia Lodge #411, Attn: Newsletter Editor, %Ron Ehemann, Secretary, 4535 N Beacon St, Chicago IL 60640.
Credit will be given to the author of the article. Please write soon, thanks!
VOLUME 70 NO 4 Page 23
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● January 15 January 26 January 23 February9 January 12 February23 February15 For a complete meeing listing, see www.Hesperia411.org www.Hesperia411.org see listing, meeing Foracomplete T H E H E S P E R I A N
Hesperia Lodge #411 A F & A M
2006 Trestleboard % Ron J Ehemann, Secretary 4535 N Beacon St th th th th rd th Regularly Scheduled Meeting Scheduled Regularly rd Regularly Scheduled Meeting Scheduled Regularly Regularly Scheduled Meeting Scheduled Regularly Chicago Illinois 60640-5518 MarchHesperianDeadline Regularly Scheduled Meeting Scheduled Regularly RD Johnson School of Instruction RD JohnsonSchoolof ofOfficers Installation FIRST CLASS MAIL Address Correction Requested ●