Back to School

Today was an excellent day. Corinthian Chapter, Royal Arch Masons and Alpha Council, Royal and Select Masters held an all day school in Des Moines. The Chapter School was in the morning and the Council School in the afternoon with a lunch between the two schools. This was the first Council School that has been held for many years and it was nice to see so many Companions there to brush up on their work.

As a past (way past) it is good to have younger men who are interested in performing ritual and taking parts.

The leader of the Des Moines York Rite is a great ritualist and is learning all of the parts in both bodies. We need to have more men like him who are willing to learn parts. I rarely do ritual work any more but some of it is still bouncing around in my head. But I am always willing and delighted to have someone else take the parts.

It was also very good to meet Brother Eric who I had had some communication with on the internets for the first time in person. He comes from New York and now lives in the eastern part of the state. I really liked meeting him and am looking forward to seeing him around the state at various events.

I find that the York Rite Masons are a really great group of guys. There is a very special bond between the Companions of the Rite. We have a history of our order that makes it as old as the Craft Masons and, in fact, the degree of Mark Master was once a part of the Fellowcraft degree and the Holy Royal Arch is really the completion of the Master Mason degree. That which was lost is found and we discover how it was saved and protected. This is all presented in a straightforward way which teaches important lessons to the Companions. The Companions are all active in their lodges and the Chapter and Council are just continuations of the work we received there.

In the Council there is a prayer which is one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard. I used to play the part that gave that prayer and today I kind of got put on the spot to help out with the degree (which I have not performed for almost 30 years). I almost had it all. I left out a couple of lines that I really like. I really miss doing this part but there are others doing it. I think I am going to work on bringing it back up to speed again. You never know when you might need it and I had it once so I should be able to get it back without too much effort. The other part of the degree is thee conversations where the candidate is discussing the meaning of death and what will happen after death. They are very moving and meaningful. It is great to have them bouncing around in my brain.

There were a couple of other guys there who haven't been around much and it was great to see them out and about again. The bonds of companionship in the York Rite are strong and I am so glad that I was asked to join and have had this wonderful experience. The Rites of the Lodge and the York Rite have made me a better person and I am grateful for being a member. Thanks for stopping by, ARTYAL. Hugs, j