Some Masons

Tonight I went to Des Moines for the Third Degree for Brother Glenn Clark. (That is him in the middle) Brother Clark's father is Mark and is the Master of Kadosh of the Des Moines Consistory this year. His maternal grandfather is on the right and I do know his name but am not sure how to spell it. Glenn is a student at Grinnel College. He has a Masonic lineage that goes back 5 generations on the maternal side and 4 generations on the paternal. I know many members of his family- I taught school with his aunt and have known his uncle for years. I like and admire them. They exemplify the type of person that belong to the fraternity.

I have heard a lot of people criticize our fraternity. Recently a person I recommended to join the fraternity withdrew in a very public way and was very critical of our Order. I don't really know what his problem is. Obviously we are not for him. I will not argue with him. The first thought I had today is on the blog below. I am not going to worry about him or the spiritual path he has taken. I am going to say this. All of the criticism that the anti-Masons throw our way is not valid. We do not worship the devil. The Masons I know and admire are some of the finest people I have ever met and I value my relationship with my Brothers. Yes, there are a few Masons who fall short of the ideal we all strive for but it is not for want of trying.

Like Glenn I have Masons on both sides of my family. My great grandfathers and my grandfathers were all Masons and my Mother was an Eastern Star. My Father is the only one who was not a Mason. Most of my friends are Masons and because I know the type of person who is a Mason I feel fairly close to them when I meet them. It is not something I will argue about. But I know that when I am with my Brothers I am in safe company.

Tonight I also took the picture below of another very fine Mason. The winner of the T.S. Parvin award at Grand Lodge this year. You can read about it below his picture.

The 2009 T. S. Parvin Award was given to

Herbert Franklin Ramsey
Home Lodge # 370 & Capitol Lodge #110 - Des Moines

Herb told me that they got him over to grand Lodge and his wife went along and he had no idea that he was getting the award. Congratulations Brother Herb.

The spirit of the award is described in the following paragraphs written by John Harris Watts, Grand Secretary Recorder of the Grand Chapter and Grand Council.

T. S. Parvin came to Iowa as a handicapped young man, and became one of the best-known Masons in the world. He was the first Mason in Iowa to hold the office of Grand Secretary, Grand High Priest, Grand Master of the Council, Grand Commander, and Grand Recorder of the Grand Encampment (National). As founder of the Iowa Masonic Library and the State Library of Iowa, he left his mark on both Freemasonry and his adopted state. He was one of the founders of the Iowa State Education Association and served as its president.

The T. S. Parvin Award, established in 1982 by the Iowa Conference for Masonic Cooperation is presented annually to an Iowa Mason, who has not previously been honored by having been elected or appointed to a Grand office in any Masonic body. (Nor higher than the 32 degree in the Scottish Rite), and who best exemplifies the spirit of Masonry which was lived by our distinguished Brother who said, “I want to be remembered among Masons as one who gave the Fraternity the very best there was in him, not thinking of reward in dollars and cents.”

A committee composed of the Grand Master of Masons, Grand High Priest; Grand Master of the Council, Grand Commander, Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33o and Chairman of the Iowa Conference chose the recipient from nominations submitted from all parts of the state.

The recipients of the Award are listed below.

YEAR RECIPIENT LODGE NAME
1982 - J Kent Zickefoose, Capital Lodge No 110
1983 - Carl J Van Sickle, Otley Lodge No. 299
1984 - Stanley G Schreiber, Hiram of Tyre Lodge No. 203
1985 - C Warren Delk, Auburn Lodge No. 592
1986 - Donald R Hankens, Speculative Lodge No. 307
1987 - J Neil Chicken, Faith Lodge No. 179
1988 - Arthur D Alber, Southgate Lodge No. 657
1989 - Charles L Jones , Northern Light Lodge No. 266
1990 - Laurence E Kynett, Emulation Lodge No. 255
1991 - John W Mathes, Waveland Park Lodge No. 654
1992 - Delman L Bowers, Waterloo Lodge No. 105
1993 - Aaron L Lake, Davenport Lodge No. 37
1994 - Rex L Brammer , Mosaic Lodge No. 125
1995 - Paul K Mc Crea , Montague Lodge No. 117
1996 - Jerry F Monroe, Adel Lodge No. 80
1997 - George S Eichhorn, Acorn Lodge No. 601
1998 - Robert Lee Goeken, Grove Lodge No. 492
1999 -Howard H Geddes, Adel Lodge No. 80
2000 - Frank C. Osdoba, Twilight Lodge No. 329
2001 - Orrin J Oliver, Charity Lodge No. 197
2002 - Henry N Wallace, Mt. Olive Lodge No. 79
2003 - Melvin C Price, Kingston Lodge No. 676
2004 - Madison M Tomfeld, Herman Lodge No. 273
2005 - R. Wayne Stanfley, Dubuque Lodge No. 3,
Tri-State Morning Lodge No. 673,
Julien Lodge No. 551
2006 - Don Davis, Great Lights Lodge No. 181
2007 - Floyd W. Nesbit, Crest City Lodge #522
Vernon J. Van Sickle - Montague Lodge # 117 - Eldora
2008 - Glenn Lockhart, Signet Lodge No 264 - Carroll
2009 - Herbert Franklin Ramsey
Home Lodge # 370 & Capitol Lodge #110 - Des Moines

Many years ago it way my honor to have a part in establishing this award. I am very proud to have done so. Not because of anything I did in starting the award but because of twenty-nine Masons who have been honored. Without the award they would still have been recognized by their Lodges but because of it they have been honored by all of the Masonic Bodies in Iowa and we can be proud of each of them and what they have accomplished for Masonry.

Thanks for stopping by.