Solomons DDGM visit                                                         April 16, 2009

Rebuilding our Buildings

My Brothers, although I stand before you in the East this evening, I feel as if I am actually standing someplace else.  As I conclude the first half of my term as your District Deputy Grand Master, it is truly the middle of my day, when the sun is at high noon.  As such, it is a perfect time to pause and assess the work we have done so far, as well as a perfect time to give thanks.

There is no better place to give thanks, than in this very building.  As one of the only two Temples in our District, Tarrytown Temple is a gift that the Brothers of Solomon’s Lodge have always given so freely.  Whether it be for meetings of the Masonic Charities Corporation, the various Grand Lodge education programs, or for other special purposes, the hand of brotherly assistance is always extended by Solomon’s Lodge.

Yet as most of you know, these very same Brothers are in dire need of our help.  The very future of this building may be in danger if we do not help the very Brothers who have so often helped us.  That is why it is also a perfect setting to assess our progress so far.  Their predicament only highlights the necessity of our constantly attending to every aspect of our Craft.  So tonight I want to thank you twice; for the things you have done, and the things you will do next year for our Craft.

I want to thank you for the things that you did within your own Lodge.  Thank you for striving to open, conduct business, confer Degrees, and close in the correct manner and with the correct ritual. I want to thank you for remembering your Brothers who are unable to join you in Lodge with calls and visits.  I want to thank you for remembering their widows and loved ones after your Brethren have laid down the working tools of life, ensuring that their families know how well-placed their commitment was to their Lodges.  I want to thank you for your redoubled efforts in educating your Brothers, in serving on important committees, in supporting your Master and your Lodge with fervor and zeal.

I want to thank you for supporting your District.  I want to thank you for supporting the other Lodges of our District at their Degree conferrals, when new Brothers see Masonry for the very first time.  Thank you for staffing our Child IDs.  Thank you for taking ads in the fund-raising journal and attending the Masonic Charities Annual Fall Ball.  Most importantly, thank you for remembering the importance of the Lodge of Remembrance, the one time a year we pause to honor the fallen Brethren of our District.

Thank you for showing our commitment to our Grand Master with your donations to the Brotherhood Fund, your attendance at the annual dedication breakfast and the Grand Lecturer’s convention.  Personally, I want to thank you for coming out the ten nights of my Official visits, unique nights which gives all of us the opportunity to meet on the level with so many of our Brothers from so many Lodges.  These are only a few of the things that I want to thank you for this past year.

But like the Brothers of Solomon’s, we cannot just assume that our foundation is firm and our Temple always safe.  This year, I have highlighted many of the basics of Masonry, and I thank you for attending to those basics.  Next year, we must take those basics as given facts.  So, there are a number of additional things I want to thank next year’s leaders for in advance.

I want to thank next year’s Masters for attending the Ceremony of Investiture next month.  I want to thank them also for being available for a Saturday at my home this summer, when we will break bread, exchange trestleboards and plan another successful year in our District.

And while it is only a little more than four months away, I want to thank you for being ready to hit the ground running come September.   I want to thank you for formatting your meeting notices now, so that you will be able to issue them in advance of all of your meetings.  Please remember to make sure that every Master and every Secretary of every Lodge in our District is already on your mailing list, as well as the Grand Sword Bearer, the Assistant Grand Lecturer and me.

Yes my brothers, I am thanking you for giving even more next year than this year.  I promise you that I will try to do even more for you as well.  Because Masonry by its own definition is a living, breathing, growing activity; I thank you in advance for your renewed commitment to making this year even more successful than last year.  Some of you will be repeat Masters and some will be serving for the first time, but each of our Lodges is simply continuing to build on an honorable and valued history.  I thank you for considering every year as a year for improvement and growth.

I am planning on doing even more myself next year.  While I have tried to attend Degrees at every Lodge, I hope to begin more unannounced visits to your Lodges on regular meeting nights.  I know that you will be working your hardest to be the best Lodge that you can and I want to honor that commitment by making sure the Grand Master knows of your efforts.  I look forward to the reports that I will make to him.

Finally, I thank you in advance for helping me to raise the next leaders of our District.  If there is a Brother in your Lodge who feels called to the unique honor of serving Grand Lodge and our District, please bring this to my attention.  I will soon have blank applications for our next District team and I wish to thank our district in the best way possible – by recommending the best possible Brethren to bring our District to even greater heights and greater accomplishments.  In our world which is always about doing the work of today for the benefit of tomorrow, it is never too early to plan the next phase of building.

Currently, the Brothers of Solomon’s Lodge face a new challenge, a new danger that threatens not just their Lodge, but the very existence of Masonry in our District.  My Brothers, now is the time for us to express our thankfulness, with unity of purpose and voice.  Worshipful Master, I thank you for the courtesies extended to myself, the Grand Sword Bearer, and the Brethren in attendance this evening.  May you and the Brethren of Solomon’s #196 always know how much your brothers are thankful for all you have done, and may all of us have so much more to be thankful for, when we meet again in September on the level, ready to work again.  Thank you.