National Weather Service Storm Spotter?

Are you interested in becoming a storm spotter for the National Weather Service? The NWS needs trained storm spotters for all seasons. Here's a Google doc presentation from the NWS about their storm spotter program.

The Ragains Masonic Rifle

Fall reunion 2011 pictures- first weekend

I took a few pictures at the first weekend of the Fall reunion- here they are:

Master Craftsman II Quiz #5 is here!

I just received the fifth quiz for the Scottish Rite's Master Craftsman II program in the mail yesterday. Quiz five covers the fifteenth through the eighteenth degrees. By coincidence, those degrees will be performed this afternoon by the Des Moines Scottish Rite as part of the Fall Reunion honoring Ellis E. Monk.

The Fifteenth degree was one of my favorite degrees when I was a candidate, and this time around I have a part with just a few lines in the degree. To me, it isn't a small part, however. My good friend and past Master of Operative Lodge #308 had this part. Steve, I'll be thinking of you this afternoon.

Master Craftsman Part Two: Thirteenth Degree

The Master Craftsman Two program was developed by the Scottish Rite to encourage further study of the Scottish Rite degrees. It differs significantly from Master Craftsman One, primarily in the essay requirement. As a high school social studies teacher, I've always been a huge fan of essay tests, and I'm even more so after my experience this past summer. I was fortunate to have been an Advanced Placement (AP) reader for the College Board's AP Government and Politics: US course. As a reader, I worked with a group of eight others in scoring over 250,000 essay tests written by high school students who completed the AP class at their individual schools in May. The College Board hires approximately 700 high school teachers and college professors to read and score these quarter of a million essays. After a day of training on specific questions, we read for seven days, approximately eight hours a day. Admittedly, you have to enjoy your subject and enjoy reading high school student's writing, but I had a great time; it didn't hurt that the reading was in Daytona Beach and that I had a chance to visit a Lodge there! I plan to return next summer.

In any case, here is my most recent rough draft for the MC2 quiz over the 13th degree:

The dictionary defines keystone as the central supporting piece of a larger structure. In the context of this essay, the U.S. Constitution functions as a keystone to the extent that it provides the support necessary to maintain our liberties within the framework of our political system. This framework includes both our three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, as well as legal protections including the right to trial by jury first guaranteed by Magna Carta in 1215. Pike summarizes this arrangement in Morals and Dogma: “…an independent judiciary, an elective legislature of two branches, an executive responsible to the people, and the right to trial by jury…” While the U.S. Constitution is a political document developed through a political process, it performs a significant and nonpartisan role in American democracy.

The claim that our Constitution is the central point to protecting the rights and liberties of the people is a common one, but the warrant for that claim is often ignored. Many countries have constitutions, in fact, even the former Soviet Union had a constitution, yet one would hardly argue that Soviet citizens enjoyed the same political freedoms as Americans! The explanation of the relationship between our Constitution and its power to secure our liberties is found in the classic U.S. Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, just sixteen years after the Constitution was created. In Marbury v. Madison, the Court ruled that a law passed by an elected legislature, the U.S. Congress, violated the Constitution and was thus invalid. This power of the judicial branch to overrule the legislative branch is called judicial review, and while the power is merely implied in the Constitution, the Federalist papers, a series of newspaper columns written by Madison and other framers in support of the new Constitution, contain arguments explaining how judicial review protects the minority from the “tyranny of the majority.” Marbury v. Madison established the Constitution as the fundamental law of the land, and an independent judiciary served to safeguard our liberties, even those liberties of a political minority, as written in that fundamental law. To some extent, Marbury v. Madison can be seen as the keystone to the concept of the protection of our liberties which Pike discusses.

In Morals and Dogma, Pike uses a metaphor to further explain the unique nature of the U.S. Constitution: he compares it to the Ark of the Covenant. Like most of Pike’s writing, this metaphor is not meant to be taken literally. Instead, Pike uses it as a figurative device to illustrate the special place the U.S. Constitution occupies in our political system. The Constitution is not a fixed, monolithic document impossible to change, however, as Pike writes, it “cannot be hastily changed,” as evidenced by the relative difficulty of the amendment process. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution must be proposed by a two-thirds vote of either both houses of Congress or by a national convention, and then it must be ratified by three-fourths of either the state legislatures or state conventions. That this procedure is difficult is clearly demonstrated by the few times the Constitution has been amended in the past 220 years: the first ten amendments were enacted all at once as the Bill of Rights and there have been only 17 other amendments successfully ratified since then. This political document certainly reflects our “fixed habits and settled thoughts.”

In summary, our Constitution provides powerful protection of liberty through judicial review, and it also allows for a constant, stable protection of these same liberties due to the difficult amendment process.

Whither are we Traveling?

I came across this article on the website of the Past Grand Master of Iowa, Donald E. Mosier. Dwight L. Smith, PGM of Indiana, wrote it years ago. Here's a link if you'd like to read it again.

Master Craftsman Essay- Eleventh Degree, Elu of the Twelve

In the Eleventh Degree- Elu of the Twelve- we find King Solomon selecting twelve of the fifteen Elus to be governors in Israel. King Solomon charged these men with the responsibility of supervising their provinces, but more especially to oversee the fair collection of revenue. Hutchens writes in a Bridge to Light that “this degree should remind us of another institution necessary for true liberty- the trial by a jury of twelve men....” Most Americans do not question this fundamental right, perhaps because we are so familiar with it. But why is it so important? Why does the U.S. Constitution even list it? Why would liberty “often be but a name” without trial by jury? I will examine these questions by examining the history of this right, the significance of the redundant listing of the right in the U.S. Constitution, and how the right to trial by jury is an illustration of popular sovereignty and perhaps the ultimate example of checks and balances.

The history of jury trials can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome. Citizens rotated service on trials, in some instances for an entire year. In Rome, laymen were appointed even to serve as judges. The juries and other legal procedures were very different from what we use today in both civil and criminal cases, but the concept of a judgment rendered by citizens was a feature of these civilizations.

Magna Carta, issued in 1215, is the most significant historical aspect of trial by jury. The King of England was forced to sign Magna Carta by a group of lords and is perhaps the first instance of the power of a king being limited in writing. The document established basic liberties, including a right to trial “...by the lawful judgment of his equals....” Our founding fathers wrote the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to establish a jury trial as a fundamental right in the U.S. The right to trial by jury is also found in Article III section 2; it states quite clearly “Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury.” The redundancy of listing this right twice in our most fundamental expression of law, the U.S. Constitution, helps to answer the question of why trial by jury is inherent to liberty.

My final examination of how the right to trial by jury is a basic requirement of liberty relates to the nature of our constitutional system. The framers established a system of checks and balances in which each branch has the power to restrain the others. For example, the President has the power to veto legislation passed by Congress, and Congress also has the power to override the President’s veto. The reason for this system, which lately has created political fights on topics ranging from the national debt to Libya, is simply that it keeps one branch from dominating. James Madison wrote in the Federalist No. 47 that “ the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judicial, in the same hands...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” This system of checks and balances is well known even to high school students in American Government class. What may not be as well known, however, is that trial by jury is one of these checks, as well as an example of the principle of popular sovereignty. Moreover, the right to a trial by your equals could be considered the ultimate example of a check. Trial by private citizens operates as a check on all three branches. First, it is a check on the judicial branch because jurors determine questions of fact independent of judges. Second, it is a check on the legislative branch because jurors deeply analyze the application of statutes and legislation. While jurors cannot “veto” a law in the context of a trial, they certainly become better educated about the law and to that extent play a key role in the process. Finally, juries check the executive branch by questioning the prosecution’s case, which in effect is a check on the executive since prosecutors are appointed by the executive branch. However, the best example of how the jury system operates as a check, in my opinion, comes from the process of education and the demands it places on common people. The jury system is a hands-on education for citizens about self-government. In this sense, it is the definition of liberty and without it, liberty would be “...but a name.”

North Polk West Elementary PTA Fundraiser

The PTA of North Polk’s West Elementary is selling a “Comet Card” for $15. The card includes discounts on food and services in the area including:
$2 off Casey’s Large Pizza, all locations
10% off Taco John’s, all locations
$5 off Chilis Restaurant ($25 or more purchase) Ankeny and Clive
10% off IHOP, Ankeny
$3 off SportClips, all locations

Other merchants include Ankeny Fazolis, Palmer’s deli in Ankeny, Nelson Automotive in Polk City ($5 off oil change), Polk City Subway, TCI dining, MC Sports, Culver’s, Plaza Florist, and Texas Roadhouse.

Cost of the card is $15 (cash or check payable to West Elementary PTA) and the card expires October 2012. If you would like to purchase a card, please email me at PolkCityFisherman@gmail.com. The fundraiser ends October 13.

Grand Lodge of Iowa Officers for 2011 - 2012

Officers of the Grand Lodge of Iowa for 2011 - 2012

photo courtesy of Jay at Bailey's Buddy.

Lodge Night September 2011

Monday, September 12 Operative Lodge #308 held its Stated Meeting for the month of September. Eighteen brothers were present, including a visitor from Missouri, Bill Cox, a member of Forsyth Lodge in Forsyth MO. Brother Bill is originally from Iowa and was in the area camping at Saylorville Lake. It was interesting to discuss differences in Iowa and Missouri’s ritual with our visiting brother.

Among other Lodge business, Worshipful Brother Darrell G. Fremont, Senior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, gave a short educational talk on symbolism in the three degrees. The date for the fall pizza sale was set for October 22. Members also approved action to establish a Lodge Facebook group; Brothers Chris Millholin and Scott Nemmers are in charge of this effort.

I uploaded a few pictures from the evening into a Picasa album below.

New Master Mason at Logic Lodge #636 Ankeny, Iowa

Logic Lodge #636 in Ankeny, Iowa raised Scott Lilly to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason Tuesday night. Over twenty brothers assisted in the effort with visitors from many Lodges including Arcadia, East Gate, Daylight, Waveland Park, Operative, and others.

The Third Degree is an exciting ceremony to watch and in which to participate, at least in part due to the significance it has in a man’s life. But it’s not just the candidate who experiences this significance. Every time I have been at a Third Degree I’m reminded of my own raising at Operative Lodge in Polk City. I remember the feeling of being the candidate, talking with the Tyler, Terry Burke, just outside the Lodge room, and especially the sound of the bagpipes! Other Freemasons experience the degree in their own way. Scott’s dad, Don Lilly, is the Treasurer of Logic Lodge and he participated in the ceremony last night; I’m sure the degree had a great deal of meaning for him. Worshipful Brother Darrell G. Fremont, Senior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F. & A.M. presided over the second section of the degree. He commented that this was his last opportunity to represent the Grand Lodge since his term as Senior Grand Steward is ending in just a few days; he certainly experienced the degree in a unique way.

Freemasonry is a brotherhood which draws us closer together and builds community. We each experience this in different ways, even when we are engaged in a common goal. The Third Degree is one way to extend the meaning of this brotherhood simply by participating together as a community of men in a common work for an uncommon purpose. And for Scott, last night was definitely uncommon.

New Chief of the Tabernacle

I’m a little late with this post, but I wanted to add my thoughts about the Des Moines Scottish Rite’s one day summer reunion last week. The reunion was held in honor of Ivan L. Johnson 32° KCCH and Richard J. Noyce, 32° KCCH and conferred eight degrees: 4th, 6th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 23rd, 30th, and 32nd. Asa Moeckly, a brother from my Lodge, was one of the candidates and I was pleased that he served as the exemplar for the degree I help perform: Chief of the Tabernacle (23rd degree). This is only the second time the Des Moines Valley has performed the degree, ever, and from what I understand, we are the only Valley in the State that has attempted it.

As a new Scottish Rite Mason, it’s exciting for me to be a part of a degree team and I’m looking forward to our Fall Reunion; we’ll perform the 23rd and also the 24th degree- Prince of the Tabernacle.

...loitering by the wayside...

I finished part one of the Master Craftsman II (MC2) course after months of delay. I answered the multiple-choice questions the same day the test arrived in the mail, but I have been delaying the essay. The MC2 course requires both multiple-choice questions and an essay for each degree and the essays are 500-1000 words, each.

My motivation for completing part one, finally, was something I heard in the Des Moines Scottish Rite's One Day Summer Reunion held August 27. The Reunion was held in honor of Ivan L. Johnson 32° KCCH and Richard J. Noyce, 32° KCCH and conferred eight degrees: 4th, 6th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 23rd, 30th, and 32nd. As I was listening to the degrees on Saturday morning, one phrase stuck in my mind: loitering by the wayside. Well, I am loitering no more. Part one of MC2 will be in the mail early Monday morning and I am already anticipating the questions for part two.

Presentation at Specialis Procer #678 Festive Board

Specialis Procer #678 held their festive board Friday night at the Scottish Rite Temple in Des Moines. The menu featured Beef Wellington and it was delicious! This was only the second SP 678 festive board I've attended and I hope to attend more in the future. My first festive board was back in early 2010 before I had been raised to the Third degree. A brother of the lodge made a presentation on Freemasonry in Turkey. I was impressed both with the presentation and with the concept of gathering with brothers to eat, enjoy each others company, and talk about Masonry. Too often it seems like our meetings focus on the business details of the Lodge, but festive boards highlight the social aspects of our fraternity- and good food!

Last night at SP 678 I made the presentation. I have been working on a paper about symbolism and the Perfect Ashlar. I started work on the project over a year ago, in part to fulfill the requirements for the Ashlar Award. The Ashlar Award is a program from the Grand Lodge of Iowa in which a first year Mason accumulates points for active participation in Freemasonry. Points are earned by learning speaking parts in degrees, being a mentor, attending a Lodge of Instruction, and for writing a paper.

Parts of my presentation have been posted on this blog and can be found by clicking on the "Ashlar" topic on the right side of the screen. I enjoyed researching my "innocent little catalog" of different ways to interpret the Ashlar and hope to continue to learn more about Masonic symbolism with additional research in the future.

Jay Simser has some pictures of the festive board at his blog Bailey's Buddy.

George Washington's Tomb

I have spent the past week living and studying at Mount Vernon with Dr. Gordon Wood, the preeminent scholar of Washington and the Revolutionary era. Twenty teachers were selected to participate in this seminar and I feel fortunate to have been one of them. Dr. Wood is an incredible teacher and has answered every question, no matter how naive, although no one asked him about the bar scene in Good Will Hunting in which his name comes up!

Today was our last day at Mount Vernon. Dr. Wood started us off with another incredible session. We also had tours of the gardens and the Mansion. Just before dinner, we participated in laying the wreath at Washington's tomb. If you can't see the pictures below, click on this link to go to the pics at Picasa.

The tour of the Mansion was incredible, by the way. We spent over an hour in the building including a trip up to the cupola!

Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Mount Vernon Gardens Tour

Here are a few pictures from our garden tour this morning. Use this link if you can't see the slide show.

Washington's Mill and Distillery

Today we toured George Washington's Mill and Distillery just down the road from Mount Vernon. Not only was Washington a Freemason, but he was also the owner of the largest distillery at that time in colonial America. In 1799, the year of his death, his distillery produced almost 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey. There are no records of any other distillery of that size in 1799.

A few pictures of our tour are below in a slide show, or click here to go to the album at Picasa.

National Treasure tour pictures

If you can't see the slide show, click here and you'll go to the pics at Picasa.

Basement of Mount Vernon on the National Treasure tour

More pictures at Mount Vernon

Here are a few pics of the Mansion from early this morning.

Dr. Gordon Wood, Brown University

Dr. Wood is a professor at Brown University and a Pulitzer prize winning author of a book on the American Revolution. He is the featured lecturer this week for our seminar at Mount Vernon. Stephen Bullock, author of Revolutionary Brotherhood, was his student.

Mount Vernon: tomb, gardens, and sheep on the loose

Here are pictures from this morning's stroll around the estate. I visited both tombs, the gardens, and even saw some sheep enjoying breakfast on the back lawn of the Mansion.

Click HERE to go to the pictures.

Mount Vernon at sunrise before the crowds arrive

Here are a few pictures from my walk around the estate this morning.

If you can't see the pictures in the embedded slide show, click here to go to the pics.

Sunrise from the back porch of the mansion at Mount Vernon

Picture Slideshow from George Washington National Masonic Memorial visit 24 July 2011

If you can't see the slide show, click here to go to the pics on Picasa.

My room at Mount Vernon for this week

I'd sit on the left!

THE Chair...

From the observation deck

GW Masonic Memorial

Fourth floor at the Memorial

At the George Washington Masonic Memorial

Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, VA

Masonic dues may not have increased much over time, but the price of breakfast sure has!

This is a picture of Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, VA. George Washington often ate here and today Gadsby's still serves breakfast lunch and dinner...if you can afford it. I settled for a picture of the sign and my bike; I'll save my money for the gift shop at the Masonic Memorial.

George Washington National Masonic Memorial

Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words in this case. Even if he had 200 minutes, Lincoln couldn't do justice to describing how Freemasons must feel when they first see this memorial.

House of the Temple in DC

Gettysburg National Cemetery

This is the site of Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address. I was fortunate enough to spend some time today at the Battleground's Park and the Cemetery. This was my first visit to Gettysburg and I was surprised at the size of the Park. The suggested automobile tour takes over 3 hours. I planned to ride my bike, but given the weather there this afternoon I stayed in the car. The National Cemetery, however, is accessible only by foot.

I was reminded of something about Lincoln's famous speech that I had forgotten: he spoke for just about 2 minutes. Two minutes! We should learn many things from President Lincoln and one of them should be that simple fact!

I wonder if we should introduce a "Lincoln Rule" in our Stated Meetings: no one can speak for more than two minutes, total, during a meeting. That is, unless they can do a better job than Lincoln did at Gettysburg.

Seminar at Mount Vernon

I'm off to D.C. this morning for a Gilder Lehrman seminar at Mount Vernon. The seminar is held at Washington's estate and focuses on Washington and the political/social events of his time. Twenty teachers will participate and we'll actually stay at the Estate.

I'm driving so that I'll have flexibility to see some sights. On the way, I plan to stop at Gettysburg. Other Masonic sightseeing plans include the George Washington Masonic Memorial, The House of the Temple, and a museum in Alexandria with a special exhibit on Washington including the bible on which he took his Presidential oath.

3rd Annual BBQ at Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa

Polk City's Operative Lodge #308 hosted their Third Annual BBQ on Saturday, July 16. Honored guests included Past Grandmaster Jack Butler and Stacy Layton. Even though temperatures approached 95 degrees, a good time was had by all. Operative Lodge Senior Deacon Keith Gordon prepared the ribs and Worshipful Master Lane Shaver cooked the pork chops. After supper, the central Iowa band Monkey Monkey Monkey entertained the crowd.

Za-Ga-Zig Shriners at Gowrie Fourth of July Parade

Haywood- Studies in Blue Lodge Symbolism

Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and Library distributed this link to a May 1919 article by Harry Haywood in The Builder. Click on the title of this post to go to their site and read Haywood's short article.

Haywood marker in Cedar Rapids Cedar Memorial Cemetery

Harry Haywood's grave site in Cedar Rapids

Let There Be Light- Harry Haywood

I'm in Cedar Rapids this weekend for my nephew's wedding and I had some free time so I thought I would write a quick note about Harry Haywood. Haywood Is the author of one of my favorite Masonic books, The Great Teachings of Masonry. He has written many books including several on the Iowa Masonic Library's list of recommended books for new Masons. His writing style is easy to follow and understand, something not always true of Masonic scholars!

Haywood died in 1956 and is buried in the Masonic section of the Cedar Rapids Cedar Memorial Cemetery. Be careful though if you look him up in Wikipedia: he wasn't born in Omaha nor was he a communist!

Sent from my iPad

A visit to Halifax Lodge #81 in Daytona Beach

I visited Halifax Lodge #81 in Daytona Beach, Florida yesterday evening. Worshipful Master John Hamblett gave me a warm welcome, as did all of the brothers of this Lodge. I was impressed with the friendliness of the members there as they made me feel truly at home in their Lodge. 

W. M. Hamblett is an energetic leader and the Lodge is involved in an extensive remodeling program of their beautiful older building. The brethren are refinishing the wood floors and restoring many parts of the lodge room. One part of the lodge room which stood out to me was a small removable section of the floor which is used during the 3rd degree. I just recently played the part of the 2nd C. in my home Lodge and I can say that resting on the brow of a hill near this shallow section of removable floor would certainly add to the impact of the drama! I remarked on this feature of their lodge room in casual conversation after the stated meeting and the brothers were kind enough to show it to me in detail.

I enjoyed my visit to Halifax Lodge #81 and I hope to visit again. My experience was more than just a nice break from my temporary job here. Freemasonry unites brothers from all walks of life and from all areas of the world into an uncommon brotherhood. The brothers of Halifax Lodge #81 exemplify this and I will never forget their expressions of friendship.

Pizza Sale at Operative Lodge #308

Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City held its semi-annual Pizza Sale on Saturday, May 7 2011. Proceeds of the sale go towards assisting the North Polk Elementary Band program and the Lodge's College Scholarship fund.

Freemasons from Operative Lodge prepared to make over 300 pizzas by chopping green peppers and onions Friday evening. The basement of the Lodge was turned into a pizza assembly line and covered in plastic. We started making the pizzas at 8 AM Saturday and finished just after noon.

Thanks to everyone who purchased a pizza and helped with the sale, especially the North Polk Elementary Band parents. The next pizza sale will be this fall.

The duty is performed

Pictures from the funeral of Worshipful Master Steve Layton, Operative Lodge #308, Polk City, Iowa.

Pictures of Steve Layton at the Des Moines Scottish Rite's Robert Burns Night

Pictures from Jan. 25, 2011 at the Des Moines Scottish Rite. Photos courtesy of Jay Simser.

RIP Steve Layton

Steve-
-You're the first Mason I recall meeting at my very first visit to a Lodge
-You're the first Santa my son ever sat on...
-as the most inexperienced Junior Steward ever, you're the first Warden who taught me what to do...

Although I knew you just a little over a year, I owe you so much, good friend. You will be greatly missed.

Fellow Craft degree at Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City

Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa passed Jeremy Whitlatch to the degree of Fellow Craft on Monday evening April 18. We had a light crowd with fourteen brothers witnessing Jeremy’s second degree, however the quality of the ritual and floorwork was excellent. The Middle Chamber lecture is one of my favorite parts of all of the craft degrees and once again, brother Dave Aves from Mount Olive Lodge #79 in Boone did a fantastic job on this challenging lecture.

Jeremy and his mentor used the Grand Lodge of Iowa’s new on-line Mentor’s Assistant tool and both said they found the new internet-based resource useful. The Mentor’s Assistant features separate elements for each of the three degrees which allow the new Mason and his mentor to review each degree interactively. It works in conjunction with Iowa’s Systematic Masonic Enlightenment Course.

Jeremy’s third degree is scheduled for Monday, May 16 at 6:30 PM in Polk City.

New Chief of the Tabernacle

The Des Moines Scottish Rite 2011 Spring Reunion continues today with the Marvin A. Pomerantz, 33˚, class completing degrees twenty-three through the thirty-second. This was the first time the Des Moines Scottish Rite had ever performed the twenty-third degree, Chief of the Tabernacle, and I was proud to be a part of the degree team. Ten brothers had parts to play on the floor including James R. McOwen, Ernest L. George, Jeffrey L. Vandewater, Daniel L. Beyer, Darrell G. Fremont, Nathaniel A. Hedin Schmidt, Russell E. Saffell, Ryan G. Williams, Nicholas J. McGahan, and myself. Our candidate for this degree was Matt Noble from Specialis Procer Lodge #678. Mark Cook took care of sound for us and W. Charles Smithson led our team as Degree Master. This was my first role on a degree team and I truly enjoyed it, especially since seven of the members of the degree team are from my fall 2010 class.

Brother Charlie was a tremendous help to us and deserves special thanks- it may not have been his first rodeo but it surely was mine, and most of the other members of the team, as well.

If you missed the degree, you’ll have a chance to see it at the reunion this fall. I posted a few pictures of the set-up and degree team members below.

Des Moines Scottish Rite 2011 Spring Reunion

The Des Moines Valley’s Spring Reunion opened Friday, April 1 with the fourth degree- Secret Master. Twelve candidates began work at 4:00 PM and finished for the evening before 9:00 PM, well ahead of schedule, thanks in part to the efficient degree teams and the effective direction of the class marshals.

This year’s Spring Reunion is designated the Marvin A. Pomerantz, 33 Degree Memorial Reunion. Work continues Saturday, April 2 with the eighth degree and concludes with the Knight Rose Croix degree late Saturday afternoon. The Reunion continues April 15 and 16.

I was able to attend three of the degrees Friday: Perfect Master, Confidential Secretary, and Provost and Judge. The Seventh degree, Provost and Judge, remains as one of my favorites. The set and costuming are simple yet the message of the degree is profound.

The Fifth degree, Perfect Master, had special interest for me this time due to my work in the Master Craftsman course. I’m working on part two of the course and my current assignment is to write a 500 – 1000 word essay on the lessons of this degree. Seeing the degree performed complete with props, costuming, and special lighting inspired my thinking and led to several ideas for my essay.

New Entered Apprentice at Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa

Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa held a First Degree for Jeremy Whitlatch on Monday evening March 21.Brothers from Star Lodge, Adel Lodge, and Nevada Lodge assisted in the work. In all, twenty-one brothers were present for Jeremy’s initiation. Operative Lodge's Senior and Junior Stewards did an excellent job with the floor work in their very first Entered Apprentice degree.

Special thanks go to visiting Worshipful Master Brain Ahrens for sitting in. Best wishes go out to Operative Lodge’s Worshipful Master Steve Layton who is voiceless due to illness.

Lodge Night

Members of Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa gathered for their regular monthly meeting Monday, March 14. Before the meeting began, families met together for dinner courtesy of Dean and Ron Ringgenberg in the Lodge basement. Brothers Dean and Ron (father and son, too!) served chili and oyster stew. Both were delicious; if I had gone back for a third bowl I don’t know which I would have chosen! After dinner, the stated meeting began at 7:30.

Our Lodge meeting featured an educational practice of floor work and ritual in preparation for an upcoming First Degree Monday, March 21. In addition, several brothers commented on the successful reception the Lodge hosted, in cooperation with Star Lodge, for Darrell Fremont, Senior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F. & A.M. Fifty-eight brothers gathered in Operative Lodge last Saturday for Brother Darrell’s reception and over one hundred brothers, friends, and family celebrated at lunch. Brother Keith Gordon did an excellent job grilling the meat for Saturday’s lunch. Operative Lodge’s Pizza Sale also was discussed. The sale is coming up at the end of April and all proceeds go towards two charitable gifts to the North Polk Schools: a scholarship for a graduating North Polk senior and a donation to the North Polk Elementary Instrumental Music Program.

Grand Lodge Reception at Operative Lodge in Polk City

Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa hosted the reception for Worshipful Brother Darrell G. Fremont, Senior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F. & A.M., on Saturday, March 12, 2011. He is a member of Operative Lodge in Polk City and Star Lodge in Madrid.

Fifty-eight brothers including past and present Grand Lodge officers and the Grand Master of Masons in Iowa Most Worshipful Craig L. Davis were present at Operative Lodge as Worshipful Master Steve Layton opened the Lodge. The ceremony featured bagpipe music and a brief speech by Worshipful Brother Fremont. Brian Ahrens, Worshipful Master of Star Lodge #115 also served as Master during the ceremony.

I took a few photos and one video from my place in the far West of the Lodge room:

Chief of the Tabernacle

We had our first practice for the Scottish Rite 23rd degree, Chief of the Tabernacle, last night. I have a small part in the degree with just a few lines and it’s been easy to memorize. For our first practice, we focused on placement and movement of the cast members during the degree. There are about nine of us on the degree team.

This is a new degree for the Des Moines Valley: it’s never been performed here. For me, it’s exciting to be a part of the team performing a degree. Memorizing the lines hasn’t been difficult, but I think the opportunity to play a small part in the entire process is what I’ll enjoy the most. And since this degree has never been done here, that makes it even more of a unique opportunity. I know it will be the best performance of the degree Des Moines has ever seen…!

Master Craftsman Part Two is Here!

(photo courtesy of Scottish Rite)
Master Craftsman II is now in progress. I ordered the program early last week and lesson one arrived just four days later. The program is a continuation of the Master Craftsman I. The Scottish Rite describes it as a “by-mail Masonic education correspondence course.”

I enjoyed the first part and am excited to begin part II. Already I notice that it is significantly different. First, the multiple choice questions are definitely more challenging. I write multiple choice test questions for a living (sort of- I’m a high school Social Studies teacher) so I have to claim credit for being able to recognize a good test question when I see one! Second, the essay questions in Part II require more analysis of each specific degree. And there are more of them. In my first quiz for Part II, there are two essay questions with each being 500 – 1000 words. That’s two to four pages of double-spaced, typed text…each! Oh my: I’m starting to sound like my students again.

New Master Mason on President's Day at Operative Lodge

Operative Lodge #308 in Polk City, Iowa raised Brian Bever to the sublime degree of a Master Mason last night. Seventeen brothers participated in the raising, including the Master of Star Lodge #115 in Madrid, Brian Ahrens.

Yesterday was President's Day and I especially enjoyed playing a role in Brian's raising on such a day. The ceremony he went through hasn't changed much since George Washington became a Master Mason. Operative Lodge has a large painting of President Washington in Masonic regalia, in fact, our newest brother was seated next to it at the end of his degree.

Congratulations Brian!

Master Craftsman Part One is Done!

(picture copyright Scottishrite.org)
Master Craftsman Part One is done! The administrators of the program emailed notice of my completion of the program this past week. I started the series of six quizzes back in November and it took me a little more than three months to finish. Finish part one, that is. There is a Master Craftsman II program. I’m eager to start!

New Masters of the Royal Secret

Members of the Robert E. Derby, 32° KCCH and Karl H. Killinger, 32° KCCH one day reunion class completed their work yesterday afternoon. Congratulations to the thirteen new Masters of the Royal Secret! I was excited to attend this reunion in part because it was my first; I was a member of the November 2010 Glen W. Lamb, 32˚ KCCH and Eugene L. Smith, 32˚ KCCH class.

Several other of my November classmates attended as well. Two participated in the degrees as candidates to complete work missed due to family and other obligations back in November. Four members of the November class, in addition to me, were in attendance, two of whom participated in the ritual. In total, five of the seventeen candidates from the November 2010 Glen W. Lamb, 32˚ KCCH and Eugene L. Smith, 32˚ KCCH class attended, not including the two candidates who needed to finish up some of the work. That’s about 30% of the class from the most recent reunion. I am curious how that compares. I hear and read about membership numbers and activity, and this makes me wonder if there is research regarding the participation of new Scottish Rite members. Do other Valleys track participation rates? How would participation be quantified? It’s easy to count the members of the class or even the numbers who attend banquets, but are there other elements of participation in reunions that are tracked by Valleys?

The most interesting part of the day for me wasn’t the numbers or what they might mean. The best part for me was this: I felt like I was seeing some of these for the first time! As a candidate back in November, I was excited, anxious, and maybe even a little nervous so I wasn’t really concentrating on the degrees. The significance of the lessons of the degrees overwhelmed me then, and it still does, but watching the degrees yesterday I feel like I learned much more than I did as a candidate. I’m looking forward to the April reunion even more now!

One Day Reunion

The Robert E. Derby, 32° KCCH and Karl H. Killinger, 32° KCCH one day reunion is today and I’m looking forward to my first opportunity to attend a reunion. I was a member of the Glen W. Lamb, 32˚ KCCH and Eugene L. Smith, 32˚ KCCH class this past November and I can still recall the excitement I felt those two weekends. I’ve learned a lot from participating in the Blue Lodge degrees, or just watching them from the sideline, and I’m eager to experience the Scottish Rite degrees again as well.

The most valuable item in the Iowa Masonic Library?

Where is the largest Masonic Library in the U.S.? According to Masonic scholar Paul Bessel, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society, it's right here in Iowa! I visited the Iowa Masonic Library this weekend during the Masonic Education Conference in Cedar Rapids. Brother Bill Krueger, the librarian, is always friendly and helpful, and this past weekend with more than a hundred Freemasons wandering in and out was no exception. Many Iowa Masons know about the library, but I wonder if they know just how unique our library is?

I wrote back in August about one of the resources we have at the Library- Index Rerum. It is an index to periodical literature (magazines and journals). Nothing special, you say? I used those old, green covered Reader's Guides when I was in high school, huh? My son uses EBSCO on the school's internet to find magazine articles so what's the big deal? Just google it? Well...

Masonic magazines and journals are not indexed by EBSCO, Reader's Guide, or other commercial on-line or paper indexes. A google search will bring up many sites with lists of periodicals and even a few on-line indexes. But if you spend more than a few minutes examining these links, you find that most are just links to the home pages of magazines; the few indexes that are available are not nearly as comprehensive as Iowa's. For example, I searched the topic symbolism of the Ashlar at the on-line index for London's Library and Museum of Freemasonry. There were three hits. Three. The Iowa Masonic Library has 96 separate entries on this topic referencing articles back to the 1850's.

Comprehensive, professionally maintained indexes to Masonic periodical literature just aren't readily available. Except...you guessed it...at the Iowa Masonic Library in the form of the Index Rerum. This index covers Masonic periodicals back to at least 1857 and probably further; I know it goes back at least to 1857 because I used the Index to find an 1857 article. The Index Rerum was created by librarians of the Iowa Masonic library over the years. Each index card is done by hand. Now, other Masonic libraries might have an index similar to this, but the sheer volume and age of the material indexed makes this one unique. It truly is one of the most valuable resources we have in our Library. There are tentative plans to digitize the Index Rerum to make it available to scholars world-wide, and to protect this one-of-a-kind research tool from damage.

The Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Rapids

The Lighthouse is a Cedar Rapids restaurant with a long history and great food. I arrived in CR the night before the Masonic Education conference so I could visit with my brother and his family. He suggested we try the Lighthouse for supper and I’m glad we did. I had a New York Strip steak with blue cheese and it was delicious and perfectly cooked. My brother had the Filet and it was also cooked just the way he ordered it. His wife ordered scallops and said they were wonderful.

The history of the Lighthouse goes back 99 years to 1912 when it first opened. During prohibition, gangsters from Chicago would retreat from the city to “beat the heat” and stayed in cabins behind the restaurant. The cabins are long gone, as is the bullet hole in the restaurant’s wall near the lounge where John Dillenger’s gun went off, but the history of the place lives on along with great food.