 |
|
 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The first major event of each year is the Installation of Elected and Appointed Officers for the ensuing year.
Following the Installation a Social Receiption is held so that you can meet and greet the new leadership of the Scottish Rite Bodies.
The Dinner and the General Meeting of this night is set aside to Receive, Welcome, and Honor our Grand Lodge Officers.
This is a TUX night so trott out the good stuff for the evening. It is a Grand event and well worth attending.
It is hard to conceive any ritual more beautiful and inspiring or any ceremony in Masonry more soul stirring and profound, that our Maundy Thursday Service, which includes the Tenebrae (Extinguishing of the Lights) and the Feast of the Paschal Lamb, or as it is often called, the Mystic Banquet, or Feast Obligatory. to our Jewish Brethren it signifies the Feast of the Passover, which is an annual reminder of the priceless heritage of freedom and a call to struggle for it by eternal vigilance. To our Christian Brethren it signifies the Last Supper Jesus and his Disciples attended to celebrate this ancient festival , after which there followed His death an resurrection, which is commemorated by the Relighting of the Lights.
This beautiful ritual is usually presented as a drama in full regalia and usually includes both the Extinguishing and Relighting of Lights during the ritual. However, some Chapters of Rose Croix observe the Relighting of the Lights in a separate ceremony on Easter Sunday.
"A
new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another."
[John 13: 34] These are the words of Jesus of Nazareth,
words spoken as he broke bread with his Disciples. They
are simple words. Yet they express the most sublime truth:
all men are brothe4s. We share one origin and one common
obligation. The Great Teacher in this mandatum novum, New
Commandment, summarized the highest wisdom of all ages.
He knew his time was near, that in a few hours he would be betrayed,
humiliated and crucified. Despite this knowledge, he loved
and taught love as the one absolute rule that can measure life.
In commemoration of this truth and
of its central relevance to the Scottish Rite, all Rose Croix
Chapters observe Maundy Thursday (its name, a corruption of the
Latin word mandatum - commandment) on the middle day of Holy Week.
It has been called variously,"Holy Thursday," "The
Day of the Supper of the Lord," "The day of mysteries."
Traditionally, the Christian world fixes it using the date of
Easter Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the full moon which
happens on or after March 21, the vernal equinox. Also traditionally,
Freemasonry has remembered this special day, and Brethren have
gathered throughout the world to reaffirm their faith in the universal
fraternity of mankind.
On Maundy Thursday, Jesus spoke the truth and lived its words. So we of the Scottish Rite in observing Maundy Thursday honor its message and recommit ourselves to its fulfillment. Fraternally, we love one another, and we extend that New Commandment the Great Master gave to all mankind, everywhere, at all times. This is the meaning of Maundy Thursday, This is the message of Masonry.
Tenebrae:
(Latin, Darkness)
Light-dark. Good, evil. Life, death. Hope, fear.
These are the polar opposites of life. They represent the
ends of the spectrum of existence. In their dynamic juxtaposition,
their external combat we can see life as a creative, developing
force. "More Light!" We seek more light.
Even when faced with the darkest of times, with apparent
death itself, we know that light and life will triumph, that the
myriad demons of ignorance, prejudice and hatred cannot overcome
the forces of knowledge, fraternity and love. The dawn will
come. "That was the true Light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world." [John1: 9] It will never
go out.
These are the concepts represented in our ancient ritual of Tenebrae, the "Extinguishing of the Lights." One by one, we see the candles quenched. Bit by bit, the darkness gathers. Evil strengthens. The forces of chaos come together. Despair looms and seems to triumph as the last light disappears. we are cast into utter darkness. There seems no hope, no salvation, no rekindling of life possible.
THEN, miraculously, the splinter of light shatters the darkness. It flickers. It seems to vanish. Then it glows with a renewed brilliance, all the brighter it seems for shedding its beams in total darkness. Feeding upon hope and courage and compassion. it flares forth reigniting the candles that had been extinguished. Our lives reflect this light and we kindle within ourselves renewed confidence and joy.
Christian, Jew, Parsee -- each keeps the festival of the vernal equinox in his own manner whether it is the observation of Holy Thursday, the Passover, of Jamshedji Nauroz. Each event (appropriate to its special significance) is combined in the Mystic Banquet which the Brethren of the Scottish Rite celebrate on Maundy Thursday. Here the Rite commemorates the dignity and divine origin of man. It see the essential truth which structures each ritual. In the diversity of image, place and detail that each observance affords, the Rite brings into clear focus the elemental lesson of rebirth, freedom and fraternity.
* Excerpts taken from the book "Practice and Procedures for the Scottish Rite," By Ill. Henry C. Clausen, 33
The Annual Reunion is a great event where all elected petetioners for the degrees of the Scottish Rite get what they most desire. The schedule of the conferral of degrees is published in a special program and made available from the Scottish Rite Office before the event.
It is also a grand opportunity to meet and greet many of your Masonic friends of many years and from many jurisdictions. It is also a wonderful chance to see great work and refresh your memory of the degree work. All Scottish Rite Masons are invited to attend and enjoy.
This picnic is an annual Family affair that is held indoors in Air-Conditioned Comfort of the Masonic Temple's Garden Room. Starting at 1:00 PM and running on till 5:00 PM all Masons, their entire famlies and friends are invited to feast on hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads, beans, watermelon, soda pop, beer, and wine.
Admission is $3.00 per person, All children under 12 years are free. It is not necessary to wear the ole Tux... Dress Comfortably.
It would be helpful if we knew how many will be attending so please Responde Pleezzz to 382-4631 and give us a warning.
Preliminary Note:
The origin of the Feast of Tishri traces its roots to the Book of Leviticus where it is said that the Lord spoke unto Moses saying that on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (the first month of the Hebrew civil calendar) when, "ye shall have gathered in the fruit of the land , ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days ....[and] Ye shall dwell in booths seven days ..... That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."
The origins and significance's of the Feast of Tishri make it the most Scottish Rite of Festivals. No other occasion epitomizes the character and purpose of the Rite more wholly than this historic celebration of the dedication of King Solomon's Temple. To marshal the meanings of the feast is to summarize the principle ideals and traditions of our Fraternity.
First of all, we observe the Feast of Tishri because it is an age-old custom which now has power of law. Under the Statutes of The Supreme Council the feast is "obligatory," a sacramental sharing of our fraternal spirit. Freemasons have always revered order since we recognize that there is a Supreme Order that structures all creation. Masonic Law reflects this divine order, and we serve the purposes of the Great Architect of the Universe when we observe this vow of obedience to the Rite.
Secondly, the rich legendry of the Temple's dedication which is celebrated in the Feast of Tishri is an essential part of the Fourteenth Degree. The symbolic details of the Temple's position, design, construction, furnishing and decoration carry intense meaning as they apply to the spiritual temple of Freemasonry built in the soul of every Brother. Through the symbols of the Temple we gain enlightenment and we recommit ourselves to building Freemasonry "in the hearts of men and among nations."
Significantly, a king of peace and wisdom built the Temple. The Lord forbade David, a warrior and a man of blood, to construct the Temple and, instead, delivered this responsibility and glory to Solomao whose very name means peace. Thus in observing the Feast of Tishri we reaffirm our dedication to human concord and brotherhood of all men in a world of peace. As individuals and as Brothers in the Rite we resolve to build, as Solomen did, through harmony and cooperation ever seeking peace for all mankind.
Lastly, the law, legendry, peace, equality, unity and fellowship of the Feast of Tishri combine to make this the Masonic feast of feast. At the Reflection Table all men --Jew, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and others -- join in a common voice of thanksgiving to God. The feast of Tishri is a Masonic Feast of Thanksgiving where every man can share his gratitude and express his sincere thanks to Him who made all things.
* Excerpts taken from the book, "Practice and Procedures for the Scottish Rite," by Ill. Henry C. Clausen, 33
To combine a great time of eating delicious Bar-B-Que, socializing with our Masonic Families, and the fund raiser for our Scholorship Program is superb. This annual event that is enjoyed by many. Please join us and help us raise a record amount for our scholorship program. After all, there is no more worthy cause or important task.
To end each year we elect the Officers for the ensuing year. Every member is strongly urged to come and exercise your right and obligation to use your power to vote for a Strong and Capable Leadership of our organization.