MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND SECRETARY: PREPARING FOR THE CONSTITUENT MASONIC YEAR

Summer is fast approaching and Lodges across Texas are making final preparations for the ensuing Masonic year. Elections are underway and installation ceremonies will be completed by July 31. In-coming Worshipful Masters and the 2010 Lodge Officers are ready to implement the plan that has been two-years in the making. Now, lessons learned through Warden's Retreats, L.I.F.E Programs, or Lodge traditions will be applied. As the outside temperatures rise, so raises the fervor of activities within the Lodge.

Among the 878 Lodges within the Grand Lodge of Texas, common goals are prevalent - increase the membership with young Masons of high character; enhance the quality of the Stated meetings using educational and interesting programs; conduct esoteric ceremonies with few errors; set new marks of excellence in the Lodge's charitable activities; and create an atmosphere of togetherness that everyone will want to experience. The installation ceremony starts the Lodge on the path to success, and is symbolically a rededication of Officers and members to accept the challenges of the upcoming year. These Officers will work for two Grand Masters- 2009 GM David Counts and 2010 GM Orville O'Neill.

Officers at all levels will be challenged by the adverse economy, and a positive attitude is essential for success. Everyone should strive to keep the Masonic lights burning bright in all our communities. The members of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America face the same challenge of membership and funding. No Grand Lodge has found a magic formula to solve the problems. A strategic silver bullet does not exist. If any single Grand Lodge had developed a solution, all would have followed suit.

Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in a crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." Written in the colonial era approaching the birth of our Nation, these thoughts might apply to the current state of Freemasonry across North America.

Every Mason is encouraged to support and participate in his Lodge's activities. If you ever have doubts about the value of our Fraternity or the actions that are taken, I recommend that you review the Charges of a Freemason that you swore to uphold. They are located within the Constitution as printed in The Laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas. These are the Masonic Priniciples that form our hallowed Fraternity.

Finally, I encourage you to listen closely to the Installing Officer when he admonishes officers and members to "have but one aim, and that be, to try to please each other and unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness." Help make the 2009-2010 Masonic year to be a pinnacle year in Freemasonry.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

Tom Guest
Grand Secretary

Printed with permission from The Texas Mason Magazine volume XVIII, Issue 2, Summer 2009