Sweet Christmas

Last year I decided to "give up" Christmas. That is Christmas Day with the family. For various reasons I decided to go to Des Moines and work at the Jerry Marsengill Christmas Dinner. Many years ago I followed Jerry through the Grand Chapter Line. Jerry was Grand High Priest in 1979-80 and my year was 1980-81. As such we worked closely together and became good friends. I spent a lot of time listening to Jerry talk and tell stories and I still miss him. Jerry was a good man and one thing he said to me still sticks with me. This is going to be paraphrased because I can't remember the exact words but he said in essence that if he had his life to live over he would put more effort into helping people and less into Masonry. Jerry was an incredible Mason. He knew ritual and inspired others to participate. He kept the York Rite in Des Moines going for years and years and he was also a DL in the Lodge and had a KCCH in the Scottish Rite.

He was nationally known as a Fellow of the Philalethes Society the Blue Friars and to many others to mention. He was editor of the Philalethes magazine and the Royal Arch Magazine. He worked with the Prince Hall Masons before there was mutual recognition and indeed he helped to bring that recognition around. I can say without equivocation that I loved him and his wife. They were great friends. Masonry lost a giant when he was killed in a car accident.

I am not going to get the story right about how the dinners got started but I am pretty sure that Jerry was the one who started them. He saw people on the street or knew about people at home without anyone at Christmas. And probably the germ of idea was born and it was that we had a great kitchen in the Masonic Temple and the ability to feed a lot of people and so the dinners began. Today anyone who is alone or who needs a dinner can come to the Scottish Rite on Christmas Day for Christmas Dinner. Meals are delivered to folks who can't make it to the Temple. Masons and others give up their Christmas Day to cook the meals and serve them or deliver them all over the city of Des Moines to those who would not otherwise have a Christmas with others. They serve ham and turkey as well as all the trimmings.

As I said last year I 'gave up' Christmas and in so doing I had the greatest Christmas ever.

Below is a picture of Bud Erickson and Bryce Hildreth and Kris Erickson. Bud and Bryce have been organizing and running the dinners for many many years.




So I think it would be nice if we didn't have to do something like this. That everyone could have dinner in a family and no one would have to be alone a week from today at Christmas but that isn't the way of the world and since things are as they are I am glad that Jerry's wish to have done something that would make a difference in the world has come true and I salute Bryce and Bud and all the others who work to keep this Holiday Tradition alive. I am proud to be a part of it and I think that in "giving up Christmas" I have probably found the real Christmas. Enjoy the song below. It is a "new" Christmas song and I found it this morning and wanted to share it. It is called Grown Up Christmas Wish.
Thanks for stopping by. ARTUAL, Hugs - and Christmas Love to you. j-bear