Corinthian Lodge #67 of Farmington will be hosting a Friendship Night at 7:30 pm with a potluck at 6:30 pm. Our featured speaker is Brother Olaf Kuhlke, an assistant professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He will be presenting, "Why Geometry Matters: Masonic Rituals, Lodges and Cities and the Importance of Order". Brother Olaf is also a very active Freemason and maintains a website about his experiences and thoughts of the Craft. He will also be selling copies of his book, GEOGRAPHIES OF FREEMASONRY: Ritual, Lodge, and City in Spatial Context, at a special publisher's discount. Supplies will be limited so be sure to arrive as early as possible.
I saw Bro. Kuhlke at the 2008 Minnesota Grand Lodge Communication in Duluth and found the subject of Geography and Freemasonry to be fascinating. I am very excited to see such an interesting and knowledgeable speaker and I would like to encourage all brothers in Minnesota to attend this great event.
For those who don't know what a Friendship Night is, it is a way for our Lodge to open up to perspective candidates and give them a chance to meet Brothers and allow them to make an informed decision on joining. If you know any men who live in the Southern Suburbs of Minneapolis-St.Paul who are interested in Freemasonry or you yourself are interested in joining and you live in the area, please contact me and I will give you directions to the Farmington Masonic Temple. Friendship Night will also be a potluck so be sure to bring a dish for all of us to share. I hope to see you there.
Wow, I'm going old school for this Pop Culture and Freemasonry installment. Today's entry is the Opera, "The Magic Flute" by brother Amadeus Mozart. Many scholars have acknowledged that the Magic Flute has very overt Masonic overtones. Edmond Masonic Lodge #37 has presented a very good article in regards to the Masonic meanings. I have also posted the first Act of the Magic Flute preformed by Northwestern University. Enjoy!
The Internet is one of the best methods to aggregate information. Whether it be an online phone index or dictionary, the Internet has made organizing, finding, retrieving and using large amounts of data simple (well, relatively simple). Thankfully, Brother Abraham Nasser has put together a wonderful new website called Lodge Tracker. Before, if a brother was looking at Lodges to visit, he would have to get out the phone book or go to the Grand Lodge website (if the Grand Lodge had a website) just to find an address. Now, brothers, in many jurisdictions, can now enter their Lodge's information into the site and can peruse the records for other Lodges that have been added. I have added my Lodge, Corinthian Lodge #67 and found the process incredibly easy. The site includes an area to put a photo of your Lodge building, contact information and a Google Map of your Lodge's location. I would encourage all my brothers to add their Lodge information so as to create one great central resource when looking for a Lodge to join or visit.
Corinthian Lodge is officially starting up after the long, hot Minnesota summer with our annual Dusty Square and Compass program. For anyone unaware of what a Dusty S&C program is, it is where a Lodge goes through the work to rub out the kinks, to inform brothers that have not been around for awhile what goes on in the Lodge and to inform the brethren what the upcoming season is going to bring. It is a really great way for a Lodge to come out of darkness to help brothers that may have been away to get back into the fold. For me personally, I desire Masonic knowledge and this really helps get me and other brothers excited for the new year.
At this particular Dusty S&C program, we have planned a good program. We will be having a meal and fellowship at 6:30 pm while the program starts at 7:30 pm. We will be practicing the signs for the degrees, learning their meanings, and working on our degree work. As I have mentioned before, I have memorized the Long Lecture for the Fellow Craft degree and will be presenting a portion of it for the brethren and explain its meaning. Here is to great fellowship and Masonic learning.
I assume that everyone is aware of the Republican National Convention is being held at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN.
To all those that are coming to Saint Paul, whether you are a delegate, protester, reporter or just a curious person, welcome to my beautiful state. While most of the coverage is on Hurricane Gustav, the Convention will still go on in some fashion. In this highly charged politically time, when the blood boils over perceived differences, I would like to call everyone's attention to Minnesota's other great attractions, including our Masonic treasures.
Are you a Mason? While most of the Lodges are "dark" during the summer, a few Lodges continue to meet during the summer. To find a complete list of Lodges in Minnesota, including if they are open and contact information, visit the Grand Lodge of Minnesota's website or the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Minnesota's website. Also, we have one of the few Scottish Rite Valleys that perform all 29 degrees, the Minneapolis Valley. To find out more about the history of this building downtown, here is a link to Heritage Preservation page on the City of Minneapolis' site.
In all, Minnesota Freemasonry is extremely robust and exciting.
Do you like really large gatherings of people eating crazy fried food on a stick? The Minnesota State Fair is just right for you. The last day is today, Labor Day, so if you need to get your Pronto Pup, Cheese Curd, Sweet Potato Fries fix, you gotta do it today.
Do you like the arts? In Minnesota, we have a lot of great venues for you to enjoy. For the performing arts, we have the world famous Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis (in a beautiful, new building facing the Mississippi River),
the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Saint Paul,
and the Hennepin Avenue Theatre District. Also, Garrison Keillor's MPR staple, "A Prairie Home Campanion" continues to be recorded at the Fitzgerald Theater (named after famous author and Minnesotan, F. Scott Fitzgerald) in downtown Saint Paul. Maybe you would rather see an Orchestra or Opera performance. We have them here as well. If fine art is more your cup of tea, we have the Minneapolis Institute of Arts which has some wonderful pieces, from beautiful Asian art (don't miss Jade Mountain Illustrating the Gathering of Poets at the Lan T'ing Pavilion, it is an amazing piece) to Impressionism and much more. Here is one of the many videos that the MIA has posted on Youtube.
Do you like to fish? With 11,842 lakes of 10 acres or larger, you've come to the right place. To find a good resource for knowing the rules, regulations and much more, visit the Minnesota DNR's website.
Do you like sports? We have professional sports teams in the four major leagues. The Minnesota Twins are remaining hungry in the AL Central Pennent race, just behind the ChiSox. The next home games will be on Friday. Sadly, my favorite baseball team, the St. Paul Saints, is done for the season. The Saints are owned by Mike Veeck, son of famous owner Bill Veeck, who runs the team with the same crazy and goofy stunts that highlighted his tenure as Major League owner. The Minnesota Vikings, with Adrian "All-Day" Peterson tearing up the turf, are playing Green Bay on Monday. Both the Twins and the Vikings play at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. (Pictured Below)
Sadly, I cannot mention everything in the state but my advice is if you are in the state, even if it does not involve the convention, go and explore. Minnesota has so much to offer and you will never be bored. Wow, I guess I should apply with the Minnesota Tourism Department.
Corinthian Lodge #67 of Farmington will be hosting a Friendship Night at 7:30 pm with a potluck at 6:30 pm. Our featured speaker is Brother Olaf Kuhlke, an assistant professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He will be presenting, "Why Geometry Matters: Masonic Rituals, Lodges and Cities and the Importance of Order". Brother Olaf is also a very active Freemason and maintains a website about his experiences and thoughts of the Craft. He will also be selling copies of his book, GEOGRAPHIES OF FREEMASONRY: Ritual, Lodge, and City in Spatial Context, at a special publisher's discount. Supplies will be limited so be sure to arrive as early as possible.
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