january - Grand Encampment, Knights Templar

parking and Depends dispensers.Since that revolution, those of us whodidn’t succumb to its excesses and debaucheryhave pretty much settled intoconventional lives. For many, what weremembered most was the idea of ourfathers kissing our mothers, of runningamuck at the reception after an installation,of the elegance and solemnity ofwhat we experienced that we remember,of seeing our neighbor taking his Commanderyuniform and sword out to hiscar, or an uncle wearing his Fez while ridingsome contraption in a parade. It wasthen that the Masonic seed was planted.It is a seed that is in others we talk to everyday.It just needs cultivating.Of course, there were a good numberof us who looked beyond the turbulenceof those times and wondered whatwould become of the world and of theorganizations that so many men held insuch high regard. Knowing, to some degree,the good that these organizationsdid, the pleasure that these honorablemen experienced, and the pride theytook in their efforts while seldom sayingso, many of us wanted to join them andbe a part of it.This concern and admiration naturallybled over into the Eastern Star, theAmaranth, and a host of other organizationsunder the umbrella of our fraternity.Many members of our familieshad belonged to any number of them,worked hard at maintaining them, andenjoyed themselves. A good numberof their issue joined DeMolay, Job’sDaughters, and Rainbow, wanting tobe like their parents or their friend’sparents. In the process, they learnedof civic responsibility, family unity, andservice to God.Have you ever spoken to your sonabout membership in the Lodge or toyour daughter about the Eastern Star?Does your wife belong? Have you mentionedit to your son-in-law or grandson?If your response to these questionsis any of the following: “Well I haven’tbeen very active myself and as a resulthe doesn’t have an interest,” “I haven’tfound the time to sit down and talk tohim about it,” “He’s never expressed aninterest in it,” then you are at fault! Yourfailure to be active, to take sixty secondsto incite their curiosity, to talk to yourchildren and know them is your fault!We have to set an example, an examplethat others will want to follow andto emulate, or there will be no “others.”This all starts with our families, thepeople that we would give our lives for,the ones we spend so much of our timewith (or should), and the ones that wewant to make the world a better placefor. We should want to share with theones we love our passion and joy forour Fraternity and show them the goodit does for society.I see the same problems and the sameapprehension and lack of involvement inother organizations to which I belong,all which have tighter membership requirementsthan the aforementioned“drinking clubs.” I am vice president ofour union local which has ninety-onemembers, and we average ten membersat our monthly meetings. I am a pastCommander of my VFW Post, which hasapproximately 1300 members. At ourmonthly meeting we average twentyfivemembers present. Even our VFWPost Ritual Team that marches in thelocal parades, performs dedication ceremonies,and renders honors at funeralsfor veterans lacks attendance. There arethirty-one members on the team, yet at26 january 2013