Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Obituary: Alfred E. Garner
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
Friday, April 21, 2017
From the East
Since I was initiated as an entered apprentice I have been blessed with a new bunch of family (brothers). I know that I can count on my family no matter what and they can count on me. I never knew that that kind of trust and devotion could extend from my blood family to my masonic family. Over the past few years I have seen first hand exactly what masons can do to help a brother or his family. While taking my journey through masonry. My brothers have picked me up when I have fallen, Pushed me back on the path when I have started to wander,and taught me that I can be better than I ever imagined I could be. My brothers have taught me what love and charity truly are. I love being a mason and I love seeing how masonry as a whole can make great changes in our communities and our states and our country. We need all of our brothers who can to join us in the lodge so we can do more to help our community.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
From the South
Hello Brethren and greetings from the South,
I am proud to say that we had a very successful 2nd annual
community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 14th. This event’s success was
evident by the smiles seen on the children’s faces and the jubilant laughter
heard throughout the park. There is no greater joy than to see a smile on a
child’s face. The good we provided to the community through this charitable
event was obviously noticed by other parents in the crowd, as we had 2
different men approach, ask questions about Masonry, and ultimately asked for
petitions! It is nice to know that our light is bright and the community sees
what we do. A special thanks to all brothers that donated and helped with this
event.
Please know that we have another opportunity to shine for
our next upcoming event on May, 20th @ 6:00 p.m. This completely free Spaghetti
Dinner for the community will be a first for us, and a great way to give back
to the community.
I would like to share a recent experience of mine with you.
As a relatively young Mason I had not yet, until recently, had the opportunity
to travel to another lodge. Quite frankly, I was a little apprehensive to do
so. I have listened to the teachings of Free Masonry by the Past Masters in my
lodge, and I have heard their various stories. They taught me that Free Masonry
is a brotherhood that reaches the 4 corners of the Earth. That we are all
brothers regardless of our lodge. I did indeed believe all this, but as a young
Mason I had developed a certain comfort and familiarity with being at my own
lodge with my “own brothers”. So there came a time in early March where a group
of Past Masters (Joe Mencer, Shane Lowe, and Mark Dixson) strongly urged me to
travel with them to visit another lodge. The purpose of the visit was to meet
the brother that had the great honor of being the 4th living person raised to
the sublime degree of Master Mason on the floor of the Tennessee Grand Lodge.
As Rockford Lodge No. 469 hosts this event, meeting with the brother and
speaking to his lodge is needed as part of the pre-event planning. It turns out
what I had agreed to was not just to travel across town and visit another
lodge, but rather to pack my bags and travel across state. Union City Lodge No.
538 is the farthest point from Rockford while still being in the state. On the
long drive there, the other brothers seemed calm, but I was more than nervous.
I asked myself many questions such as: Would they be nice to us? What would
their lodge look like? Would they open the same way as us? Would they say the
same things? Etc… It was a long trip, I was tired, I was hungry….but upon
arrival, my wants were relieved by a brother who had prepared a wonderful meal
for us. We were greeted, fed, talked to, catered to and treated with extreme
friendliness. We also had the tremendous honor of meeting and talking at great
length with Casey Hood, the about to be installed MWGM of the state of
Tennessee. I felt the same comfort as I
did when I was at my own lodge. It was like going to a family reunion where
everyone knows you and loves you, but just hadn’t seen you in a few years. I
was amazed and relieved……The Past Masters were right. Masonry is a brotherhood
that extends past your own lodge. For me, a trip to another lodge solidified
this very important lesson. I strongly encourage you to travel to another lodge
if able…..and of course, give the same brotherly love to those that travel to
our lodge. Your single smile, hand shake, or kind word may be the very thing
that helps a visiting brother realize a valuable lesson as I did.
From the West
To all the brothers out there in the masonic world and
Rockford Lodge No. 469,
I hope you had a great Easter holiday. To those of you
that missed out we had a great Easter Egg Hunt at Rockford Park for the
community. There was good participation and the children really loved it. A
special Thanks goes to JW Kevin Kirkpatrick for all the hard work. If it were
not for Kevin and the help of the brothers of Rockford Lodge, this Easter Egg
Hunt event would not have happened. A special thanks to all the brothers of
Rockford Lodge that wish to attend some of or all of our events.
For more pictures of the 2017 Easter-egg Hunt click HERE
Here are some
upcoming events: The spaghetti supper on May 20th at 6:00p.m.. We will also
soon be having a barbecue dinner and if that's not enough we will have a steak
dinner that cannot be beat. More details on these events coming soon. Not only do we like to eat we also have
scheduled turkey shoots for Saturday, April 22nd and 29th at 8:00 a.m. at the
Rockford football field….and don't think this is all we have to do this year,
we also have scheduled the very first car show for August 12th at Rockford
Park. Needless to say we need all participation from all members that would
like to come out and help and be part of our events. As you know, we have
practice on Thursdays and stated meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month. We
eat at 6:00 p.m.. God bless you, be safe, and come out and play.
Friday, January 27, 2017
From the East
Brethren,
I am honored to serve this year as worshipful master. I am looking forward to a great year, and seeing you my brothers at the lodge this year. We have a lot of good things planned for the upcoming months. Again I hope to see you at the lodge. I wanted to begin this year's trestleboard with an Old Tyler Talks that I find particularly interesting.
Your's in the light,
Thomas Kittrell W.M.
"I am almost through!" The New Brother displayed a sheaf of cards to the Old Tiler. "Soon I will have joined them all and become every kind of Mason there is."
"What do you know about the kinds of Masons there are?" asked the Old Tiler, interested. "You have not been a Master Mason long enough to gain all that knowledge!"
"That's not hard to gain, with all the brethren poking petitions at you. There are Scottish Rite Masons and York Rite Masons and Templar Masons and Chapter Masons and Council Masons and..."
"Oh!" the syllable said much. The Old Tiler added, "I didn't understand. I thought you couldn't have learned yet."
"Learned what? Are there some more kinds of Masons?"
"Indeed, yes! answered the Old Tiler. "A great many kinds. But seven you haven't mentioned stand out more prominently than others."
"Do tell me! I thought I had joined most of them..."
"You don't join these. You become one, or are made one, or grow into one of them. For instance, there is the King Solomon Mason. He thinks that everything that Solomon did as a Mason is right and everything he didn't do is wrong. To him Masonry was conceived, born and grew up in the shadow of King Solomon, and every word of the legend is literally true, much like the man who refuses to believe the earth is round, because a verse in the Bible refers to the 'four corners of the earth!' The King Solomon Mason lives his Masonry according to his light; perhaps it's not his fault it is so dim.
"To the ritual Mason the importance of Masonry is the form of its words. A good Mason in his belief is one who can repeat a lecture from end to end without a slip. A man may do battle, murder, or cause sudden death, commit arson or run away with a neighbor's wife; if he knows his ritual letter perfect, it 'was all a mistake!' The man who doesn't know his ritual letter perfect is not, in this man's eyes, a good Mason; not though he give to charity with both hands and carry love for his fellowman in both head and heart.
"The practical Mason looks at life from a utilitarian standpoint. He prefers electricity to candles for Lesser Lights because they are simpler and prefers candles to electricity because they are cheaper. He thinks a choir impractical because it produces nothing permanent, and would rather spend the money for printed matter or a new carpet. He is at his best when raising money for a new temple and at his worst when asked to express himself upon the spirit of Masonry. His hand is in his pocket for charity, but never for entertainment. He is usually on the finance committee, and recommends a budget in which rent and heat and light are bigger than relief.
"The heart Mason is the opposite. He is full of impractical schemes. He wants to start a new temple which will never be built. He talks much of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, but is absent when the hat is passed and the committee on funds needs a few workers to go out and gather in. The heart Mason is the lodge sob-sister; he usually seconds any motion to spend any amount of money for flowers or to send a brother away for his health, and always makes a little tear-filled speech about the fatherless loved ones, even if the dear departed died a bachelor.
The business Mason belongs because he thinks it helps his job. He usually sits next to the solid businessman in lodge and likes to tell people what he does. If he is a Past Master, he never comes to lodge on time, so that he can get a special welcome at the Altar. His favorite speech is about the man who tried to advertise his business in lodge and how evil this was; in the speech he always mentions his own business. He wears an extra large sized pin and prints squares and compasses on his letterheads.
"We dominate another kind by the expressive term of belly Mason. He is most faithful in attendance at lodges where there may be a feed. He will cheerfully spend twenty cents carfare and a long evening to get a fifteen-cent sandwich. If there is to be a sit-down meal he will sit up all night to be on time. If the affair is in another lodge and needs tickets he will take time off from his job to hunt a brother who has a ticket and doesn't want it. He usually manages to cross the lodge room while the cigars are passed so he can dig into the box twice. If the crowd is small, he is the last man to get a smoke, so he can take all that are left. If the crowd is large, he is among the first, to make sure he doesn't get left.
"And then there is the regular Mason - the fellow who does his best with the time and brains he has. He is the great bulk of the fraternity. He pays the dues and fills the chairs and does the work. He is seldom a fine ritualist, but he is usually an earnest one. He is not very practical, and would spend more than we have if it wasn't that he is too sentimental to permit the charity fund to be robbed. He passes the sandwiches and coffee, and if there is any left he gets his; but he doesn't care so long as the evening is a success. He isn't a student, but something in the heart of Masonry has reached deep into his heart, and so he comes to lodge and does his best. He is not learned, but he is not stupid. He is not hidebound, and yet he is conservative. He loves his lodge, but not so much he cannot see her faults. He is most of us."
"And what class of Mason am I?" asked the New Brother, uneasily looking at his sheaf of cards.
"You have cards enough to be considered a Mason for almost any reason," answered the Old Tiler. "But I'll take your word for it. What kind of Mason are you?"
"I don't know for sure, but I know what kind I am never going to be!" answered the New Brother, putting his many cards away.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
From the South
Brethren,
With warmest greetings and brotherly love, I wish each of you a Happy New Year and hope your holiday season was filled with the joys of peace, family, relaxation, and of course good food.
It is an exciting time for Rockford Masons as we start this new year. Our calendar is filled with various fund raisers, community service events, and family nights that I am certain will be successful, rewarding, and fun for all of us. As we have always done, I encourage each of you to continue to participate in whatever way you can. Rockford Masons are known for their dedication, hard work, charity, and the good we provide for the community. I am proud of each and every one of you!
January and February will be relatively slow months as we plan, prepare, and ramp up for our full schedule throughout the rest of the year.
We will have our Awards Night Saturday, February 25th at 6:00 p.m.
This is a pot luck dinner and family are encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!
Yours,
J.W. Kevin Kirkpatrick
From the West
Brethren,
It is with the greatest honor that I serve as your Senior Warden for the 2017 year. As Senior Warden one of my duties is to pay the wages to those brothers who have been participating in the great work that your lodge is involved in, as well as informing you of that work.
Last month we held the installation of officers where your new Worshipful Master (Thomas Kittrell), Junior Warden (Kevin Kirkpatrick), and myself took our posts and receive our instruction of duties. The Worshipful Master's banquet preceded the event with chicken provided by the Eastern Star. I personally would like to thank those ladies for the wonderful food as well as all the help and services they provided over the last year. Pictures of the event will be posted as soon as they are returned.
On the same day as the installation, the officers, wives, and children participated in the Rockford Christmas parade. As is the case every year, we gave away a lot of candy and it was a great time.
Again to all our members: Thank you for your work and I look forward to a wonderful new year.
Yours,
S.W. Randy Jackson
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