2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
36 GRAND LODGE OF MINNESOTA<br />
tt being 11:55 a,m., <strong>Grand</strong> Master $od€rberg called lhe <strong>Grand</strong> <strong>Lodge</strong> from labor to relr6shrnenl,<br />
until the sound <strong>of</strong> the gavel al 1:15 p,m.<br />
Allemoon 96S0lon<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> lvaster called the <strong>Grand</strong> <strong>Lodge</strong> kom reireshfi€nt to labor at 1:20 p.m., followlng a l€w<br />
announcemenls.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> l\4aster then call€d for the <strong>Grand</strong> <strong>Lodge</strong> Ar€a D6puli6s, olstrlct Rdprosentatlves, and<br />
Custodians <strong>of</strong> the Rilual Work to b€ introduced as a group. He thanked them all lor lhe tlme and<br />
sflon that th€y €xp€nd on behalf <strong>of</strong> th€ <strong>Grand</strong> <strong>Lodge</strong> ol <strong>Minnesota</strong>.<br />
Th€ <strong>Grand</strong> l'laster th€n cslled for all sitting <strong>Lodge</strong> MastaG to b€ introducod and be /ecognlz€d.<br />
Ths crand Master th€n called lor any lodg€ represont€d by lheir threa pfincipal <strong>of</strong>ficers (no<br />
Proxi€s) to stand and be r€cognized.<br />
The crand Master th€n asked lhat all Hiram Awad recipionE shnd and b€ recognized.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> Masl€r th€n asked that all Fitty-ygar memb€rs and all Lila Members stand and bB<br />
rgcogniz€d.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> Master th€n asked that all who had b€en members ot ute one-oay-to-Masonry golps<br />
stand and be recogniz€d.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> Master thsn called lor lhs <strong>Grand</strong> Lodg6 Area <strong>Lodge</strong> Education ollicors to bo<br />
introduced and be recognizod,<br />
Lastly, ths <strong>Grand</strong> Masler recognizsd W. B. Norrin StorelEg rrvho was attonding his 25th<br />
@nsaculive <strong>Grand</strong> Lodg€ ol <strong>Minnesota</strong> annual communication. The <strong>Grand</strong> Master asked it<br />
anyone p€ssnt could top that rscord but no ong came bn/ad.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> Mastsr then put the Grartr <strong>Lodge</strong> <strong>of</strong> Minngsota at ease and calld upon orand oraior<br />
J. K€nneth Alls€n lor his oralion.<br />
<strong>Grand</strong> Orgdon - J. Kennslh All3en<br />
<strong>Grand</strong> Mastsr Sodsrberg, M€mbsF <strong>of</strong> the Orand <strong>Lodge</strong>, Ladles and G€n[emon:<br />
A bit more than one year ago, Phil sodertgrg and I mgt lor breaKast at a restaurant here in<br />
Fochoster. He picked up lhs check which told m€ | was In some kind ol trouble. Atbr b€ing<br />
otreBd the iob ol <strong>Grand</strong> Orator, I <strong>of</strong> cours€ asked vrhat my dulies tyould be. The pfimary ons was<br />
tc pr€pare and delivs this oration, secondarily to appear and speak at corne6ton6 ceremonies<br />
and slsewhere as requested by the Gtand luasler. Afler agreeing lo serv6, I then ',vent home to<br />
expain to my wile just what a Gaand Omtor was. As usual, she cut right lo E|e chas€, elQress6d<br />
her support, then inlormed m6 thal she always knew that I was a big talk6r!<br />
I th€n tun€d my thoughts as to what I might say in an Oralion.,. Oration... he word conjures up<br />
lmages ot 19th century sp€akers such as William Jsnnings Bryan, bgguillng audiences with a<br />
tourds.forcs ol v{ords, gsshiros and he powor ol their voices. Wow.<br />
W6ll, foks, this is not that kind ol a sp€ech nor am I thal kind <strong>of</strong> an orator. I am just going to take a<br />
little time to share with you a couplo ol lossons lhat occur in our toachings, though they ar6<br />
certainly not sxclusivoly ours ... a coupl€ <strong>of</strong> simple adag€s that ar6 anything but simplo lo<br />
implement. One is "JudOo not lsst yo be judged,' the other is "What ye give, give kegly, lor fro<br />
Lod lov€th a ch€erful giver.' Now lh€ro is a reason why lhsse two mean so much lo me givan all<br />
the oth6r lessons we leam as ws move thrcugh lile, ll I had given this talk a lomal titls, it would<br />
have been 'What do my <strong>Grand</strong>mother and l\rasonry havo in Common?'. Catchy, righl? And<br />
prcbably sort <strong>of</strong> obvious to som€ <strong>of</strong> you who I am sur€ have had someons in you own life who<br />
lnfluenced you ln your chosen path.<br />
My <strong>Grand</strong>motheis story begins 120 y€ars ago in Donmark. She glgw up, lnarried and bore two<br />
chlldr€n on€ ot v,,hom was my fath€r. Thsn at age 26, hor world fell apan when my <strong>Grand</strong>father<br />
dled sudd€nly and she was left alon€ in tho world with two small children. She made her way to<br />
Arneica as so rnany hopeful peopl€ did in thos€ dsys, bdnging ons son and leaving the other vtith<br />
tiamlly rnembers. In Rockford, llllnois she met and married another recenl immigranl, ffom Sweden<br />
Instead ot D6nmark, and was finally abl€ to brino ovsr h€r olh€r child from Denmaft and reweld<br />
h€r lamlly into one unil. By th€ tims I enl€r€d the picture, sh€ rvas alroady in her sixti€s, a slrong<br />
hll woman slill sr8ct and full ol unconditionsl love lo] my broth€rs and me, but with a stemn€ss
Change language