Volume: XLVI Edition: Spring May 2012 The Texas Mason Magazine The Texas Mason Table of Contents The Texas Mason Magazine is an official publication of the Grand Lodge of Texas A. F. & A. M. It is published four times a year for the members of Texas Lodges and subscribers. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Opinions expressed by the Editor and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Grand Lodge of Texas Copyright 2012, by the Trustees of the Grand Lodge of Texas. All rights reserved. Page 1 …………... The Grand Master’s Message Publisher The Trustees of The Grand Lodge of Texas Page 2 …….. Masonic Children and Family Svc. Editor Page 3 ………..Deputy Grand Master’s Message Benjamin Franklin Linduff and the Grand Senior Warden’s message Copy editor Clinton M. M. McKenzie. Page 4 ……...…. Grand Junior Warden message The Texas Mason Magazine encourages submission of articles and name badge order form and photographs of general interest to Masons in Texas, re- serving the right to edit and use the articles and pictures as Page 5 ………..………2011 Masonic Family Day needs and policies dictate. News and articles from around the state will continue to be Page 6 …………….. Grand Secretary’s Message published in a web based format on the Grand Lodge of Texas website The Grand Lodge website is accessible at http:// www.grandlodgeoftexas.org Page 7 ……………………….…Brother Nichols Please continue to send your articles and Lodge events and news to the Editor of The Texas Mason Magazine. Page 8 ……………….………... Circumbulations The preferred method of submission is via email with an at- tached Microsoft Word document. Pictures should be sepa- Page 13 …………………….....Wardens Retreats rately submitted in JPEG format to [email protected]. If you do not have email, submissions may be sent to the Grand Lodge of Texas, Attn.: The Editor of Texas Mason Page 14 ………………2011 Merchandise Sales Magazine, PO Box 446, Waco, Texas 76703. All materials become property of the magazine and cannot be returned. Subscriptions $6.00 per year U.S. and Canada, $15.00 for three years; $10.00 per year in foreign countries, $25.00 for three years Permission to reprint Permission to reprint original articles appearing in The Texas Mason Magazine is granted to all recognized Masonic publica- On the Cover tions, provided that credit is given to the author and attribution The Grand Lodge to The Texas Mason Magazine. of Texas Auditorium. Volume XLV, Edition: Spring P a g e 1 The Grand Master’s Message Brethren: I bring you greetings from the Grand Lodge Trustees and hope all is going well in your lodges. I can't tell you how much we are enjoying going all over this great State Of Texas. We have been afforded the nicest hospitality you can conceive. At the time of this writing, we have completed eleven of our sixteen Conferences. We have had great attendance at each and expect the same at the next five. I want to remind all that we are going to have the same type Workshop as we had last year and they will be after mid-year. The program for the workshops has been written by R:. W:. Leonard Harvey and they will be very enjoyable. I have a number of concerns and the one on my mind all the time is our 'image'. As I read the DDGM reports it is amazing how many lodge buildings are in need of repair. We have two images over which to be concerned. One is the image that we display to the public when they pass by our buildings. We sure hope that they say "that’s a good looking building" The other image to be addressed is the one that we have when we attend lodge. Are we proud of our facility, does it look good to us? Think about our image and let’s clean up as needed. Fraternally James F. Brumit, Grand Master P a g e 2 The Texas Mason Volume XLV, Edition: Spring P a g e 3 Deputy Grand Master Brethren of the Grand West the same time would challenge each of you to “Lead I begin by saying once more; with compassion and Humility”. Remember, you “How good and how pleasant it is for are elevated for only a chosen time and must Brethren to dwell together in unity”. eventually return to the fold only in the capacity of a “Master Mason”. How can it be May 2012? When I began this journey in I am so appreciative of each and every one December 2008 My wife, “Miss Ardith” and I decided to be of you Texas Masons allowing me to be in the nominated for the Grand South in 2009. Taking it one day at a position I am in and I pinch myself daily and thank time, where have the days, months and years gone? the Supreme Architect of the Universe for allowing The 2012-2013 Grand Lodge year is progressing me to do what I am doing. according to plan and I would guess we are 98% complete. Finally, Brethren, as Masonry requires In reference to the talent bank we have created, we have each and every one of us to believe in a “Supreme received well over one hundred responses to this appeal and we Being”. Thank Your “Supreme Being” for allowing have appointed several of these brethren to Grand Lodge you to be “a Master Mason”. committees, etc. I continue to ask all Masons in Texas to remember your obligations and live your lives according to the requirements of Sincerely and Fraternally each obligation. Always remember “You are someone’s example of Freemasonry daily”. It is approaching time for election and installation of Walter W. Rogers Lodge officers. I would congratulate each new Officer in every Deputy Grand Master Lodge in Texas on your being chosen to “Lead your Lodge” and at Masonic Grand Lodge Of Texas Grand Senior tasks, and keep a scheduled follow up on the pro- W a r d e n gress of the committees, you will have a successful year. For the incoming Wardens, now is the time From the Grand Senior Warden: to be developing your plans for the things you want to accomplish for the good of your Lodge. Brethren, as we approach the time of year for election Last minute planning, more than often, does not of Lodge Officers and the installation thereof, I trust come off as planned. As is often said in the that the incoming Masters have made solid plans for Wardens Retreat training session on planning, their year of governing the Lodge. One year sounds “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.” like a long time until that year comes and passes before you realize it is almost over. Believe me I Let’s all plan on making next year and every year know. My year as your Grand Junior Warden seemed a great one for Texas Masonry. to go by faster than my year as Master of the Lodge. However, I have been planning since the first day I Jerry L Martin Grand Senior Warden was elected, and have enlisted the aid of my Planning Team members in the development of plans for the year 2014. If you have a sound plan and implement it at the very beginning; delegating those plans to vari- ous committees for the accomplishment of the various P a g e 4 The Texas Mason Grand Junior Warden’s M e s s a g e Brethren, winter is gone, spring has arrived, and people are cultivating their flower beds, fertilizing the yard, and trimming trees and shrubs in preparation for the new growth to come. It seems we all want our neighbors and passers by to approve of the way our property looks because it says a lot about who lives there. This is even more important about our Lodge property. When the public does not know who Masons are and what they do, they sometimes judge us by the way they see the outside of our buildings. If it is neat and clean, then we can hope that they assume that we are also. We should all do our best to ensure that the exterior of our Lodges are well cared for and kept neat, for after all, as Masons we are taught to be good neighbors and citizens of our communities. Likewise, spring is an excellent time for each of us to clean ourselves up, so-to-speak, and make sure we present the right image of Masonry to not only all that those that we come into contact with, but those who observe us from a distance and know us only by the emblems on our cars, belt buckles, rings, hats, etc. Think about that old saying that is posted over the door of so many Lodges, “Remember, you are someone’s image of Masonry.” Just as spring is a time for preparing for new growth in nature, it is a great time to “bloom” new growth in Masonry by getting out into the community. Lamar Medal presentations and scholarships are part of this season and an excellent opportunity to either get the students, family, and school personnel into our Lodges or us into the school facilities to make these awards. A well planned presentation ceremony can bear much fruit for our gentle fraternity, and as we all know, that “fruit” can easily become membership. So let’s all get out and promote the oldest and greatest fraternity the world has ever known. Michael Wiggins Grand Junior Warden P a g e 6 The Texas Mason M e s s a g e from the Grand Secretary LODGE OFFICER INSTALLATIONS Queries continue to be asked about the implementation of Article 276a regarding the additional qualifications of the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, and Junior Warden prior to installation.