Greetings From The East!

Transcription

1 a publication of Beaverton Masonic Lodge #100 AF&AM Volume 122, Issue 3 In This Issue: From The East.1 From The West...2 From The South..3 News & Notes.4 Congratulations To Our Newest FellowCraft Mason: Benjamin Tripp /16 Upcoming Events: Stated Communication.....3/1 Dinner - 6:00 PM Lodge - 7:00 PM Masonic Education Night.3/8 6:30 PM W.M. s Family Outing....3/10 The Lorax Movie Time TBD Widow s Dinner.....3/15 6:30 PM Officers Meeting...3/29 6:00 PM Basic School of Instruction..3/31 Beaverton #100 9 AM - 1 PM Greetings From The East! D uring the reign of David and his son, Solomon, there stood a vast forest in Lebanon. David considered these trees to be from the Lord Himself, as he wrote in Psalm 104:16, "The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted." The cedars were awesome, growing to tremendous heights and huge diameters. On Cypress, Pliny the Elder recorded some of these cedars as tall as 130 ft and as wide as 8.2 ft. They lived to be quite old, some living more than 2000 years. But Solomon's appreciation for the trees caused more than just admiration. Solomon's desire for a palace made of cedar wood caused the destruction of the forests as he knew them. Today, the Cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) are an endangered and protected species, currently listed as vulnerable. They March 2012 are no longer used for lumber or for extraction of their essential oils. In Biblical times, this cedar wood oil was used for many purposes. The lumber from the cedar trees used to build King Solomon's Temple contained cedar wood oil, and essentially perfumed the air inside of the Temple. King Solomon would have had the benefit of inhaling cedar wood oil while in his palace. Cedar wood essential oil was valued for increasing the ability to think clearly and increasing awareness for more effective prayer and meditation. As a king, this would have helped Solomon immensely while making his many decisions. Cedar wood essential oil has the greatest amount of sesquiterpenes (98%) of all the essential oils in the world. Sesquiterpenes are molecules that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and oxygenate the brain

2 Page 2 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 122, Issue 3 after they are inhaled. This is why they help create awareness and clear thinking. King Solomon was a very wise man, and showed that wisdom in choosing cedar wood to build his palace and the temple. However, he failed to show wisdom in conservation of the forests of Lebanon. If only King Solomon would have listened to the strange little man called the Lorax, who claimed "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." Witness the elusive Lorax give his deforestation warning with my family and I at our next outing on Saturday March 10th. The Lorax is rumored to appear at Cinetopia in Progress Musings From The West Y ou don't need to remind me, the "Sun is setting in the West"...and I probably do qualify at least as "enfeebled by bodily infirmary" (and perhaps mental). But bear with me for a moment. Many of you have heard the middle chamber lecture, and my, at least, enthusiastic recitation. But did you know that there is a part that bothers me, EVERY time I deliver it? The seven liberal arts and sciences are correctly defined in the lecture as Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music. These are the classical "schools" that were founded by the Greeks, and are listed as curriculum in the Platonic schools. The third subject is Logic. I strongly believe the word really needs to be at least coupled with the word "Dialectic". I wonder if, in the original Greek school, a single word was used that covered both. Perhaps because of rude translation, have we lost an important point? Certainly, to the Greek philosophers, Logic and Dialectic were considered closely related. Ridge on that day; time to be determined. You can catch a preview here: Information about Cinetopia in Progress Ridge is here: We hope you can join us! A very important part of the theme of the film is about taking responsibility for the world around you. I believe this is something we as Masons need to keep in mind. Nick McKimmy WM Every time I hear or say the lecture, this is the thought that jars me: "Where is dialectic? How can this important facet of education be overlooked?". The Dialectic method of discourse is extremely important, was highly stressed in early Greek thinking, and it is worrisome that it is not highly stressed as a form of discourse today. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle did not believe that one learned grammar to express himself, then immediately learn rhetoric to convince others that one's ideas were correct, by beautifying and adorning one's grammar, then learn logic to "think and reason". It is logic that was used to move a student to the truth, and this was done by Dialectic interchange of ideas. They strongly believed that the correct way to proceed in presenting an important point was by "posing the right question", or "posing the right sequence of questions", so that both student and teacher can learn, and agree on a conclusion. Let me give an example: Socrates asks Euthyphro to provide a definition of piety. It is very important that we agree on the idea of "what is piety" or what is "Reasonable Masonic behavior" (I'm sure you agree). Euthyphro replies that the pious is that which is loved by the gods. But Socrates also has Euthyphro agreeing that the gods are quarrelsome and their quarrels, like human quarrels, concern objects of love or hatred. Therefore, Socrates reasons, at least one thing exists which certain gods love but other gods hate. Again, Euthyphro agrees. Socrates concludes that if Euthyphro's definition of piety is acceptable, then there must exist at least one thing which is both pious and impious (as it is both loved and hated by the gods) which Euthyphro

3 Volume 122, Issue 3 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM admits is absurd. Thus, Euthyphro is brought to a realization by this dialectical method that his definition of piety is not sufficiently meaningful. Greetings From The South! A s Masons, we are instructed (or admonished, if we forget) to walk in straight lines while in lodge, and to make precise, square corners when we turn. Where does this tradition of square corners, or "squaring the lodge" come from? In earlier times, Freemasons did not own private lodge buildings as we do today. Early brethren gathered and assembled in any convenient room where they could meet privately to work, often above taverns or in private residences. The brethren would remove the furniture, exposing the floorboards, and then draw a diagram of the "lodge" on the ground using chalk or charcoal. (As a side note, this may help explain why chalk, charcoal, and clay are alluded to in many craft rituals today.) The drawing displayed the working tools and other items necessary for the lecture of the degree to be conferred. Members of the lodge stood around the drawing's border during initiations, and while the symbols were explained. At the end of the meeting, the youngest Entered Apprentice used a mop and pail to clean up the floor. By the 1720's, physical objects had been added to the lodge drawn upon the floor, and some lodges had replaced the drawing on the floor with tape and little nails, to prevent the chalk marking or staining the floor. Later still, the design ceased to be applied directly to the floor, and was instead sketched or painted upon canvas or other cloth, or woven into carpets. The portable design of a drawing which could be rolled out enabled the Page 3 It is very important that, as Brothers, although we might not discuss our particular beliefs about The Deity, we are at least compelled to discuss "what is right", thus implying that we are also being judgmental about something else "that is wrong." In these discussions, we must not preach, we must not orate, we must not express our ideas by clever rhetoric and cold logic that bludgeons the listener to our point of view. Far better that we focus on asking the right question, asking the right series of questions, asking about the premise of the Brother's answer, and in this way, both sides of the conversation are lead to a conclusion that both agree upon. Enough rhetoric on this subject, the Trestleboard is not a good place to perform Dialectical debate, is it? I am, however, looking forward to those "brilliant questions" coming from you that might be elicited by this little article, and we all can then grow wiser and be better Masons. Dan Gray, SW quick formation of a "lodge" around which Masons could assemble. However, since these canvases and carpets were large, beautiful, and often quite valuable, no one was to walk on them. Thus, anyone walking around the room had to step around the cloth. The fashion quickly became to square the corners when walking around the lodge. These lodge drawings were eventually taken off the floor entirely, and made into cards or boards, called tracing boards, which could be easily set up on easels or mounted on walls. Most lodges today use slide shows or PowerPoint presentations instead of a carpeted rendering of the lodge. The tradition of square corners, however, remains. Brandon VanDyke, JW References: de Hoyos, Arturo. The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide. Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Council, 33, Southern Jurisdiction, Hodapp, Christopher. Freemasons for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2005.

4 Page 4 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 122, Issue 3 Widow s Dinner To Be Held On Thursday, March 15 W orshipful Brother Tom Binkerd, Senior Deacon of Beaverton #100 and Worshipful Master of Esoterika #227, warmly extends an invitation to all Masonic families to attend our Widow s Dinner on Thursday, March 15th. Doors open at 6:00 PM, dinner starts at 6:30. After dinner there will be entertainment upstairs. Tickets for this event are $15 each, or $25 per couple. Please RSVP for this event so we can get an accurate head count. To RSVP, contact Tom Binkerd via at: tombinkerd@comcast.net or call him at (503) Please RSVP no later than Monday, March 12th. Hope to see you there! School Of Basic Instruction At Beaverton Lodge On Saturday, March 31st From 9:00 AM 1:00 PM O n Saturday, March 31st, Beaverton Masonic Lodge will be hosting a School Of Basic Instruction. It is from 9:00 1:00. All Master Masons are invited to attend. This is a great way to improve your masonic knowledge. After the School, you will have the opportunity to test for your Proficiency Card. Also, this event is Mandatory for Beaverton #100 Officers, as we will be testing for the Blue Lodge Proficiency. This requires all officers be present to perform parts of the ritual. This will be a fun, educational day for everyone, and all Master Masons are encouraged to attend! HAPPY ST. PATRICK S DAY 'Tis the glorious day of Saint Patrick, Sure, the patron Saint of our land, Today is a day of rejoicing, Come, Irishmen, give us your hand. We rejoice we belong to old Ireland, The land which St. Patrick has blessed, 'Tis the home of the rich green shamrock, To Irishmen surely the best. O sad was the day we divided Our emerald green Isle, Och hone, Bad cess to the men who decided To break up our little sweet home. We're Irish, but loyal to Britain, And fighting for her just the same, Britain will safeguard our freedom, Then may we ne'er go down in shame. There's Scotsmen, the Welsh and the English, The Irish the best of them all If we would all stick together, Begorra, we never could fall. And the men who are bred from this bloodstream, Being a mixture of the four, Bedad, bejabers, what a blending, Could anyone ask for more? W hat better time of year than St. Patrick s Day to expand our Masonic knowledge a touch by delving into Irish Freemasonry? Check out the Grand Lodge Of Ireland online at: There you will find links to the Grand Lodge of Ireland and other Masonic bodies such as the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter, Grand Council of Knight Masons, Great Priory, Grand Chapter of Prince Masons, and Supreme Council 33rd Degree..and go ahead and sip a pint whilst browsing if the mood strikes you!

5 Page 5 THE TRESTLEBOARD BEAVERTON #100, AF&AM Volume 122, Issue OFFICERS Nick McKimmy Worshipful Master Daniel Gray Sr Warden Brandon VanDyke Jr Warden Wayne Ford Treasurer WB Art Geary Secretary WB Tom Binkerd Sr Deacon Dave Potter Jr Deacon Dustin Miller Sr Steward Doug Pringle Jr Steward WB Bruce Dyar Chaplain Bryan Bukin Marshal WB Rick Komraus Tyler Dave Potter TB Editor/Webmas ter BeavertonMasonicLodge@gmail.com Lodge Phone Our Stated Communications are the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM, Dinner at 6:00 PM Officer meetings are open to all Brothers - The last Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM. Keep our Legacy going, please remember our Lodge in Your will. Contact our secretary or Master for more details. We re on the Web! Calendar of events is available online: src=beavertonmasoniclodge@gmail.com Grand Lodge of Oregon OUR MASONIC FAMILY Order of DeMolay Donald B. Berntson Beaverton Chapter (currently inactive Boys meeting at Tigard DeMolay) Order of the Eastern Star Beaver Chapter #106 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 8:00pm Contact: Claudette Scheller International Order of Job s Daughters Bethel #20 1st and 3rd Mondays 6:30pm Guardian: Ginger Bedford mrsgbedford@gmail.com / Guardian Secretary: Rachel Soule rachel.e.soule@gmail.com / International Order of the Rainbow for Girls Meridian Assembly #80 2nd and 4th Mondays 7:00pm Contact: Janet Lovelin LODGE RENTAL INFORMATION Vera Jackson veraj@comcast.net Beaver Nile Club 4th Thursday 10:30am Contact: Lorraine Garde BEAVERTON MASONIC LODGE #100 AF&AM 4690 SW Watson Avenue Beaverton, OR Richard Martin Grand Master of Masons in Oregon