Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Corinthian #67 Friendship Night Recap

As I have posted recently, Corinthian Lodge #67 hosted what is known as a Friendship Night. I would like to congratulate Brother Paul, our Senior Warden, for putting together such an interesting program for the evening. Our Lodge was fortunate enough to host three prospective candidates, one petitioner and two guests from Carnelian Lodge #40 in Lake City, MN. We were also fortunate to have Worshipful Brother Olaf Kuhlke present, "Why Geometry Matters" and a presentation from Minnesota Masonic Charities. Also in attendance were many brothers from our Lodge excited for the night's program.

After the presentation from Minnesota Masonic Charities, the floor was then opened to myself and Brother Steve, our Senior Deacon, who gave our impressions of Masonry. Brother Steve's comments can be summed up by this story that he told:

"My Sister and Brother-in-law were visiting us, but I was called to the SE area conference. We were all disappointed, because we enjoy each other's company. There was a lot of talk about 'secret societies' and costumes and old men behaving strangely. They could not understand why someone like me, who has been a notorious NON-joiner, would be taking a day off to go to anything Masonic. But, I took the good natured ribbing with a smile, and promised to be home by evening.
While I was away, they went to the Gopher game. During the halftime show, there were some announcements about people helping out the U of MN; My sister said that most people in the crowd were not too interested in the lists of thousand dollar gifts from so-and-so...
...but then, the announcer changed tone a bit and said that the Masons had just made the largest single donation in U of MN history - $65 MILLION to the Masonic Cancer Clinic! They said that the auditorium went a little crazy! Needless to say, they looked at Masonry a little differently by the time that I got home.
I am in no way claiming any bragging rights about the donation, but it was sure a different attitude around the supper table that night. Now my sister and her family have heard one more 'truth' about the Craft!"

Image:DCmontage.jpgAfter we had brothers in the Lodge discuss what Masonry meant to them, we turned the presentation to Professor Kuhlke who presented a very enlightening presentation on the meaning of Geometry in Masonry. What I can say with true certainty is "Wow!" He was able to present an interesting description of the effects that Freemasons had on the city of Washington, D.C. without conspiracy theories, cutting lines down imaginary streets or adding credence to upside pentagrams and hidden squares and compasses. I won't reveal what he describes because it is just so amazing and I don't want to spoil the surprise for everyone else. His explanation was clear and simple and made sense in ways that the History Channel or any other media outlet could never accomplish. If you have the chance to hear him speak, attend. His theories are amazing simple, concise and as he explained, can be seen in many other cities including Indianapolis. He has recently written a book entitled Geographies of Freemasonry: Ritual, Lodge and City in Spatial Context which unfortunately is not available at Amazon but can be purchased at Mellen Press.

The Friendship Night at Corinthian Lodge #67 has helped to create excitement in the Lodge after coming out of darkness. I also think that potential candidates were also able to feel comfortable about Masonry. Here is looking forward to the new season.

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