Master’s Letter | August 2010
I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer, wherever this newsletter finds you. For those of us living in Ann Arbor, we’ve seen the end of this year’s Top of the Park season and the Arts Festival, but there are still many more local festivals and events to enjoy before summer is over. At AAF 262 we have two social events this month – our annual lodge picnic and regular Master’s Table night. As the lodge is dark, I hope I’ll see many of you there.
The July 7 MM degree proved to be a hot one. My car thermometer read 96 F. Still, we had a great turnout and a festive night despite our lack of A.C. We had a night of informal attire (Hawaiian shirts and shorts preferred) and a tropic inspired meal to make light of weather. Several guests were present, including the new Grand Lecturer. Congratulations again to our three newest Master Masons.
August 8 is the first ever “Tri Lodge Picnic,” that being AAF 262, Golden Rule 159, and St. Mary’s No. 4, Prince Hall Masons. The event will take place at 3 p.m. at the Old Picnic Shelter in Gallop Park, Ann Arbor. A reservation is required; details are available on our lodge website or by contacting our JW Clinton Bartholomew.
Solomon’s Temple is one of the most significant symbols in our Craft. We “walk” through it during our degrees and share in one of its legendary, though not historic, events. As Freemasons, we cannot spend enough time contemplating this important element of our work and what it means to each of us as individuals. A recent book, well worth reading on the subject, is William J. Hamblin’s “Solomon’s Temple: Myth and History” (Thames & Hudson 2007). Hamblin moves from a review of early Near Eastern temple architecture, to conjectures about the historic first Jerusalem temple, the history of the Temple Mount, and the significance of KST to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other groups, including the Freemasons, following the destruction of Herod’s temple in 70 C.E. The book is well laid out and nicely illustrated. It’s a little too big to take to the beach, but it is a great introduction to the subject and well worth the read.
Lastly, keep your eyes open for email notices or trestle board updates concerning our September regular meeting. As you may know, your officers are investigating alternate meeting places to Hathaway’s Hideaway. We may have a trial run coming up at the Pittsfield Grange. We are growing and need more room to do our work. The hope remains that all Ann Arbor Masonry will one day reunite in a single venue. In the meantime, we may have to make do with other cost-effective options while we grow our building fund.
Sincerely & fraternally,
Robert Blackburn, WM
UPCOMING EVENTS from Our Trestleboard
- August 8, 2010
Tri-Lodge Family Picnic
Gallup Park - August 25, 2010
Masters Table Dinner - Masons and interested non-masons are welcome! Location TBD
Master’s Table | July Event a Success!
We had a phenomenal night at Joe’s Crab Shack this past Wednesday. We had close to 30 people there, including three new candidates and visiting brothers from as far away as Detroit and Jackson! We are also receiving many requests for plural membership! Clearly we have a great thing going on at AAF262.
Master’s Letter | July 2010
July is traditionally a “dark” month for our lodge, though like many Masons, I am not keen on that term. Masonry is all about light - 365 days a year! Nor, despite our not having a regular communication, will we be anything like inactive. We will be holding a Master Mason degree on July 7, the first Wednesday of the month. There will also be the regular Master’s Table night out on July 28 at Joe’s Crab Shack, 3020 Lohr Road, Ann Arbor.
Last month we held a joint dinner and speaker night with Golden Rule 159 at the Grotto. It was a fine evening and opportunity for the two lodges to socialize and enjoy some Masonic education. Brothers from Walled Lake No. 528, St. Mary’s No. 4, Prince Hall Masons, and Redeemer Lodge No. 53, Prince Hall Masons were also in attendance. I would like to thank the JWs Clinton Bartholomew and Jim Lakin, PM Rich Wilcox and their assistants for arranging a great meal. I would also like to thank our own PM Justin Krasnoff for his very interesting talk on Freemasons and the Civil War.
I was perusing the Blue Book recently and noticed that the Grand Lodge of Michigan recognizes only three of the so-called “ancient landmarks”: 1) a belief in a Supreme Being; 2) a belief in the immortality of the soul; 3) a volume of Sacred Law is an indispensable part of the furniture of every lodge. The notion of what is or is not “Masonry” is often a matter of heated debate. Both Anderson’s 1723 Constitutions and Dermott’s 1756 Ahiman Rezon state that the obligations, rules, and forms found in medieval stone masons charges constitute “unalterable” landmarks, but neither went so far as to state which ones or how many. It is amusing to reflect that nearly 400 years later, there is still no agreement as to what these documents meant. As many as 40 “time-immemorial” rules have been deemed landmarks over the years. In 1858, Albert Mackay compiled a list of 25 that he considered to be essential; but Mackay’s list held little sway outside of the United States and even here, as in the case of Michigan, it has not been universally acknowledged. Indeed, it seems Michigan had no official opinion on this matter until 1970 when the three above landmarks were officially adopted.
Have I mentioned lately what an amazing lodge we have? I know many of you are not local and its hard to keep up with all we are doing. I’ve been discussing updating our website with SW Brian Cors to include more images and articles about our activities. I’m also hoping that those of you who enjoy Masonic writing may share some of your papers for our site as well to enlighten your fellow brothers and those who visit us online. So do please check out aaf262.org from time to time for updates.
Lastly, please save the date of August 8. We will be helping to host Ann Arbor’s first tri-lodge family picnic with Golden Rule 159 and St. Mary’s Lodge No. 4, Prince Hall Masons. The event will take place in Gallup Park at the “Old Picnic Shelter”. Details will soon follow, but we are hoping to reserve canoes for those that would like to have a paddle before the socializing, food, and fun.
As always, I hope to see you in lodge.
Sincerely & fraternally,
Robert Blackburn, WM
UPCOMING EVENTS from Our Trestleboard
- July 7, 2010
MM Degree
Hathaway’s Hideaway - July 28, 2010
Masters Table Dinner
Joe’s Crab Shack | 3020 Lohr Road, Ann Arbor, MI - August 8, 2010
Tri-Lodge Family Picnic
Gallup Park
Master’s Letter | June 2010
Well, it’s hard to believe with June my “Sun” as Worshipful Master is at its meridian height. We are half way through the year! It’s amazing what we’ve accomplished so far; we keep moving from success to success. I’m also hearing that the Widow’s Sons motorcycle club is ready to ride with 9 charter members. Great work Bros. Chuck Nagy and Lowell Easton for bringing a new and fun perspective to light in Ann Arbor Masonry.
The month of May saw one of the best attended regular meetings I have seen anywhere. We had 29 brothers present, all from our lodge. It was a busy night that included 8 Fellowcraft examinations. We also enjoyed a presentation by W.Bro. Art Davidge regarding Masonic allusions in two science fiction novels, “The Revolt in 2010” by Robert Heinlein and “The Artifact” by W. Michael Gear. I think this new education component to our regular meetings is a marvelous addition; I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am.
On May 19, PM Justin Krasnoff conducted our first three Master Mason degrees of the year. “Thank you” to all who assisted while I was at Grand Lodge on May 18 & 19. On May 21, 10 members of our lodge travelled to Windsor No. 403 in Windsor, Canada, to attend a Master Mason degree and enjoy some fellowship with our nearby Canadian brothers. It was particularly enjoyable to witness a ritual so different from our own – and so well executed too. As a token of inter-lodge friendship, our delegation presented Windsor 403 with a beautiful Masonic trowel engraved for the occasion. We were given a tour of their beautiful building, constructed in 1923, and treated to a veritable feast of Vietnamese food by their acting WM Bonn Sotto, PM. We look forward to representatives from Windsor No. 403 visiting us later this year.
Our regular meeting is June 2 and we will be conducting three Master Mason degrees on June 16. Masters’ Table this month will be on June 30th at Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Ypsilanti. June 24 is the Feast of St. John the Baptist. As many of you know, Masons have held this date – which coincides with the Summer Solstice – as a day of particular observance from time immemorial. To acknowledge it, Ann Arbor - Fraternity 262 and Golden Rule 159 are holding a special joint dinner at the Grotto on June 23. The cost for the evening, which includes appetizer, soup, salad, entrée (strip steak, chicken parmesan, or veg. pasta), desert, and toasting beverage, is $20. W. Bro. Justin Krasnoff, our guest speaker, will be presenting a paper on Freemasons and the Battle of Gettysburg. The event is open to all Masons, so feel free to tell brothers at other area lodges. The deadline for RSVPs (we have to pre-order the food) is June 13. For more information, or to make a reservation, please consult our trestle board.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate our scholarship recipients for 2010 – 2011. They are George Lucero, Jr. and Bro. Jonathon Easton. George Lucero, the son of our Junior Deacon, will be starting as a freshman in an engineering program this fall (hopefully here at the University of Michigan!). Bro. Jonathon, as you may recall, will be completing his last year at Indiana University in Journalism and History. Each will receive a check from the lodge and Grand Lodge matching funds totaling $1,500.
As always, hope to see you in lodge brothers.
Sincerely & fraternally,
Robert C. Blackburn, WM
UPCOMING EVENTS
- June 2, 2010
Regular Communication
Hathaway’s Hideaway - June 13, 2010
RSVP DUE! | Festive Board with Golden Rule No. 159 - June 16, 2010
MM Degree
Hathaway’s Hideaway - June 23, 2010
Festive Board with Golden Rule No. 159
W. Bro. Justin Krasnoff | “Freemasons and the Battle of Gettysburg”
Zal Gaz Grotto - June 30, 2010
Masters Table Dinner
Sidetrack Bar & Grill | Ypsilanti, MI
Master’s Letter | May 2010
Spring has arrived and I, for one, couldn’t be more thankful. The trees have leaves and the flowers are blooming. We’ve even had some marvelously warm days. With all the snow gone now, we may even see a few more faces at lodge that we’ve been missing.
April 17, our FC degree day in Dearborn, will go down as one of the most memorable Masonic days of my life. I could not have been more proud of our lodge and the degree team. We passed 15 (!) candidates in the Scottish Rite Cathedral lodge room. Fourteen of these brothers were from AAF 262; one was a guest from Walled Lake No. 528. We had Masonic guests from many area lodges, including Prince Hall, and two young Masons from the Bowling Green, Ohio area. Sharing the East with me was Grand Lecturer R.W. Bro. David Hutton. Far from an anonymous, mass affair, each candidate was individually conducted through the degree. The spirit of Masonry was palpable in the room and watching it unfold from the East was a rare gift - “Thank you” Brothers.
While I’m doling out “thanks,” such are also due to W. Bro. Seymour for again arranging this year’s Ladies Night out at the Hunt Club in Plymouth. This is always a fine dining experience and this year was no exception. “Thank you.”
The annual Grand Lodge Communication is taking place in Mount Pleasant on May 18 and 19. I will be discussing all legislation under consideration at Grand Lodge at our regular meeting on May 5. Brothers, I value your input and look forward to your thoughts. May 19 is also a degree night for our lodge. Because I, and perhaps one or both of our Wardens, will be absent, immediate Past Master Chris Fultz will be presiding. I hope to assist him by scheduling all the necessary degree parts, but I would like everyone’s help in providing a good sideline turnout for him and our candidates.
On Friday, May 21, we have been invited by Windsor Lodge No. 403 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada to attend a Master Mason degree. In order to arrange this event, both our lodge and Windsor Lodge had to obtain dispensations from our respective Grand Lodges. Though Ontario and Michigan were once contained, albeit briefly, within the same grand lodge jurisdiction (the First Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Ancients)), this relationship necessarily ended with the conclusion of the American Revolution and the withdrawal of British forces from Detroit. Windsor’s Masonic work continued and developed along lines similar to those current in England today; the work here in Michigan, though divided only by the Detroit River, evolved along lines consistent with other American jurisdictions and its own needs. Those able to attend this special Master Mason event, therefore, will see a form of Masonry quite different than that practiced by AAF262. W.Bro. Lowell Easton is renting a van to drive 9 brothers over for the evening. Anyone else attending will need to make their own arrangements. The cost for the van ride will be approximately $18 per person and everyone who wishes to go will need a passport for the border crossing. Space is almost full for the van, though brothers can also car pool; please consult the trestle board for more details.
Brothers, we are doing great things. I hope that you all are having as much fun as I am. See you in lodge.
S & F
Robert C. Blackburn, WM
UPCOMING EVENTS
- April 28, 2010
Masters Table Dinner
Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti, MI | Trestleboard - May 2, 2010
Regular Communication
Hathaway’s Hideaway - May 19, 2010
MM Degree | Conducted by Chris Fultz, PM
Hathaway’s Hideaway - May 18 & 19, 2010
Annual Grand Lodge Communication
Soaring Eagle Casino | Mount Pleasant, MI - May 21, 2010
Official Lodge Visitation & Master Mason Degree Presentation
Windsor Lodge No. 403, G.L. of Canada in the Province of Ontario - June 23, 2010
Festive Board with Golden Rule No. 159
Zal Gaz Grotto | Speaker to be announced
