2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
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38 GRAND LODGE OF MINNESOTA<br />
sincs each r€qulr€s th6 w€ighing <strong>of</strong> altomativgs. And v{s are are constanty prosented wir| othef<br />
equally valid teaching that stresses the bEn<strong>of</strong>ils <strong>of</strong> ,'good judgemgnt., .your own b63t<br />
iudg9ment,"..., and the lisl go€s on. So what do€s this old adage rn€an to mo? | thlnk lt €fels to<br />
hlerance more lhan judgemgnL I am lucky to have few regrets in this tife, but somo ol the on6s I<br />
was<br />
li:l<br />
t|at I<br />
chanc" lo h6lp, ald or assist th€m by walklng away.<br />
Th€r€ is a corollary to lhis "Judge not'adage, also. lf you do mak€ a judgsrn€nt <strong>of</strong> your tellow<br />
rnan, and ws all do at on6 time or anothor, fl6n ke€p it lo yours€tf. A judgmsnt rasAry€d in )our<br />
mind alone is oaslly r€v€rs€d. Bul once shared wit| someone etss, it spreads and can n6ver ba<br />
lttcilptured. A rspuhtion v{hich it has taken a rnan an entire titedme to cr€ats and strenghen can<br />
b€ destroyed in iust a lew minutes by a comlination <strong>of</strong> hasty iudgement and an Int€mporab<br />
t0ngue.<br />
The other old lriend I met in the Blu6 <strong>Lodge</strong> was he lesson ry\rhat you gtvg, glv6 fi€sty, lbr the<br />
Lord lovetl a che€rful giv6r'. h fact tt ts ths lesson ol the v€ry lirst degrs€ so lt must b6 <strong>of</strong> primary<br />
importance. But what does it rsa y mean? Thg cheerful distribution ol on6,s matedal w6alh ls<br />
@sy for a Rockgfgllgr or a Ford Mro has pl€nty left ov€r. The totat uns€lltshnsss <strong>of</strong> a Mother<br />
Teresa who gave her 6ntir6 life and belng to thg poor is incrsdibt€ bul not realtsllc lor most <strong>of</strong> us<br />
who undertake lo fssd, clothe and €ducale a family. Wo can a[ suppon chadfl€s flnancially and<br />
do so, aach to his own levsl <strong>of</strong> comfod or even votuntary discomfort, bul I b€llevo the glving<br />
alludod to in lhls adsg€ is mor€ than just that <strong>of</strong> mon6y. Ol equal irportanco and sometmos e\€n<br />
mor€ pr€cious deavor Is pai ol a llnits supply<br />
given to each but you cannot get mo€ time<br />
beyond your o it even more wlsely lhan your<br />
rnoney.<br />
WhOn it comes right down to it, though, lha adage roally adm<strong>of</strong>lishes us to share whatevor bounty<br />
we havg been fortunab enough lo attein ln our lives, with ohers who may b6 struggllng or thos€<br />
who have ened along ths way. And trro rnost sublime class ol sharing that on6 can achleve i6<br />
when it is done completely anonymousty. Seolng one's name in prjnt, or ftrstvtng applause and<br />
plaudits lor a slmplE act ol sharing ditutos thal act. ls onty in anonymity that w6 can b€ truly sure<br />
lhat we ar€ in the words ol th€ adag€ "a chegrful giver."<br />
Well, back at the beghning ol this llttle talk, I said I was going to tejt ),ou what my <strong>Grand</strong>rnother<br />
and Masonry had in common- Th6 fact that two important t€ssons in my tif€ came fruT hos6 two<br />
Sourc6 is not lhg answor to that question. ThE answor iS lhls: you can atways tell sffn6on6 what<br />
b dO, but you cant tell lh€m what to thlnkl LeSSOns suoh as those I hav€ emphastz€d h6r6 can b€<br />
pt€rsgted rsp€aledly, bul individual impl€rFntialion Cannot b€ diciated. We ars s€nflent b€thgs<br />
and rnist always rnold and shape lhe lesson to fit what we know is right . no one elso has rre<br />
righl,0r the omnipotonco to do that. What a pity that so many totatitedan socteflss and much ol<br />
oEaniz6d religion have never g€sped such a Simple lact!<br />
So that is what my <strong>Grand</strong>mother and the Inslitution <strong>of</strong> Fcemasonry have in common. They both<br />
underslood lhat lsssons are not rul€s. They should be olfered but never entorc€d, and lt is to the<br />
student, not lhe l€acher, that ths responsibility must la .<br />
Worshipful <strong>Grand</strong> Mast€r Ph[, I hope I have finally eamed lhat breaklast you bought m6. The next<br />
one rs mine,<br />
Thank )'ou alllor Your att€ntion!<br />
J. Kenneh Allsen. <strong>Grand</strong> Orabr<br />
qrand Master So(brborg then catled W. B. Mark Campb€ , pr€sidsnt <strong>of</strong> th€ Mtnnesota Masonic<br />
Foundation, to the East. On b€half <strong>of</strong> ihe Masons ol <strong>Minnesota</strong>, <strong>Grand</strong> Master Soderborg<br />
presented him with a ch6ck in th€ arnount ol $57,480,00, represanting ths ltrst paymont <strong>of</strong> f6€s<br />
and por capita payments €ar-mafi€d tor the n6w "H€lp, Aid and Assist Fund' at the Foundation.<br />
The <strong>Grand</strong> Master lhen called upon Bother George Jordan, a memb€r ot Unlon Lodgo No. 45 in<br />
Lesueur. Brother Jordan th6n presenled lhe Orand Master, on behatf ot the Orand <strong>Lodge</strong> <strong>of</strong>
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