Speaks for itself

St. Bartholomew Conclave

Today was the Annual Meeting of St. Bartholomew Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine.

We held our meeting at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Des Moines.

I am extremely honored to be a part of this group. I was Installed into the Order in 1981 when I was Grand High Priest. It is more of an honor to be a Knight of the Red Cross of Constantine than almost anything for me. I know there are other honors in our Masonic Organization but to me to be asked to be a member of the Red Cross was the highlight of my Masonic Career.
Then I was Recorder for a number of years and was Sovereign in 1993 and then went back to being Recorder and I still hold that office.
This past summer I was Installed as Intendent General for the Division of Iowa and that was also very meaningful for me. I can hold this office for 10 years (if I continue to be reappointed.)
The purpose of the Constantinian Orders are to commemorate the first elevation of Christianity from the position of a despised and proscribed heresy to that of a legally recognized and honored religion, to cultivate the social virtues, appeal to the intellectual and moral qualities, preserve as far as possible the customs of the fraternity and bring about good fellowship and understanding between all branches of Masonry.

Knights Companions of the Order meet in Conclaves of the Red Cross of Constantine and a member must be a Royal Arch Mason in good standing and subscribe to a belief in the Christian religion as revealed in the New Testament. Membership is by invitation and each Conclave has a prescribed membership limit. The above is from the RCC Web Site.
I have never asked for any office in Masonry with the exception of the Junior Steward of my Lodge. I have always done what was asked of me if able. I enjoy Masonry more than any other activity in my life right now. I will say again (as I have said before) the men I associate with in Masonry are the finest men I have ever met. And the Knights Companions of the Red Cross are some of the finest Masons I know.

A wonderful meal of salmon and roast beef. Catered by the Gateway Cafe.

Having the ladies meet with us makes it very special and much prettier.

Below are our three new members, Rick McCampbell, Randall Crouch and William Knoll. Welcome Knights Companions, I hope you will enjoy our Order as much as I do.

Our new Sovereign, Guy Posey is from Sioux City.

And now I am going to mention that I got a piece of news today that has me walking on clouds. Come back on Monday and I will tell you all about it. Thanks for stopping by, ARTYAL. Hugs - j

Wordzzle

As always click on the button to see the guidelines.

And don't forget to go to Raven's Nest to see all the others.

The Ten Word Challenge is: family, cheese cake, 20 years ago, refrigerator, laugh and the world laughs with you, bath brush, zombies, African violets, butterflies, holding hands

And for the mini: monsters in the closet, roughly, bowling, menu, Pennsylvania

Phrog and Sallyie and Saydie were nowhere to be found. The secret retreat of the Order of the Salamanders was empty. It would remain that way forever (Unless the dragons decided to reclaim it.) After a meeting of the High Administration held in the western mountains of Pennsylvania over a menu of spiced water bugs and pureed spiders the decision was made. Since the secrecy had been destroyed it was no longer a secure place for them to meet. Phrog returned to his high rise apartment 25 floors above the White Water Bowling Alley and ordered the move to a new headquarters located roughly over the Monsters in the Closet Gorge near the Salamander River.

Sallyie and Phrog were sitting on the terrace holding hands while the butterflies flew around the African violets. They were thinking of going to the new movie Zombies that was coming out today. Saydie was in the bathroom scrubbing with the bath brush. Phrog said to Sallyie. You know it is true. “laugh and the world laughs with you.” I am going to get a refrigerator magnet with that on it to remind me that I need to laugh every day.

20 years ago I would never have believed that we would have won our conflict with the Dragons by moving to a place so secret that they will never find it. Let’s have some cheese cake and call the family and tell them the good news.


Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: plaster, cottage cheese, hallowed, hard working, food for thought, blood drive, broken finger, ceiling fan, pastry chef, production




And for the mini: the sky is falling, variations on a theme, bravery, powder puff, empty soda bottles

Found For Friday

I am having an out-of-money experience.

Don't sweat the petty things.
Don't pet the sweaty things.

Corduroy pillows are making headlines!

I want to die while asleep like my grandfather,
Not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car.
Thought you would want to know about this e-mail virus. Even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee cannot take care of this one. It appears to affect those who were born prior to 1960.

Symptoms:

1. Causes you to send the same e-mail twice. done that!
2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail! that too!
3. Causes you to send e-mail to the wrong person. yep!
4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you ("re-gifting"). Aha!
5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment. well darn!
6. Causes you to hit "SEND" before you've finished. Oh, no - not again!
7. Causes you to hit "DELETE" instead of "SEND." and I just hate that!
8. Causes you to hit "SEND" when you should "DELETE.." Oh No!

IT IS CALLED THE "C-NILE VIRUS"
Three Women in Mexico‎

by Grandmère Mimi
Three women go down to Mexico one night to celebrate college graduation, get drunk, and wake up in jail, only to find that they are to be executed in the morning, though none of them can remember what they did the night before.

The first one, a redhead, is strapped into the electric chair and is asked if she has any last words. She says, "I just graduated from Trinity Bible College and believe in the almighty power of God to intervene on the behalf of the innocent." They throw the switch and nothing happens. They all immediately fall to the floor on their knees, beg for forgiveness and release her.

The second one, a brunette, is strapped in and gives her last words. "I just graduated from the Harvard School of Law and I believe in the power of justice to intervene on the part of the innocent." They throw the switch and again, nothing happens. Again they all immediately fall to their knees, beg for forgiveness and release her.

The last one (you knew it), a blonde, is strapped in and says, "Well, I'm from the University of Kentucky and just graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and I'll tell ya'll right now, ya'll ain't gonna electrocute nobody if you don't plug this thing in."

Thoughts on Marriage

You have choices in life:
You can stay single and be miserable, or get married and wish you were dead.

At a cocktail party, one woman said to another, 'Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?'
'Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.'

A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds:
'Husband Wanted'.
Next day she received a hundred letters.
They all said the same thing:
You can have mine.'

When a woman steals your husband,
There is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

A little boy asked his father, 'Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?'
Father replied, 'I don't know son, I'm still paying.'

A young son asked, 'Is it true Dad, that in some parts of Africa a man doesn't know his wife until
he marries her?' Dad replied, 'That happens in every country, son.'

Then there was a woman who said,
'I never knew what real happiness was until I got married,
And by then, it was too late.'
If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say talk in your sleep.

Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.

First guy says, 'My wife's an angel!'
Second guy remarks, 'You're lucky, mine's still alive.'
'A Woman's Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for: Wisdom, To understand a man, to Love and to forgive him, and for patience, for his moods.
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength
I'll just beat him to death'

You have choices in life:
You can stay single and be miserable,
Or get married and wish you were dead.

South Dakota Indians

It's late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like.


Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,' the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more
firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again.
'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'

'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'it's going to be
a very cold winter.'

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every
scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. 'Are
you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?'

'Absolutely,' the man replied. 'It's looking more and more like it is going
to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen.'

'How can you be so sure?' the chief ask.
The weatherman replied, 'The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy.'

Remember this whenever you get advice from a government official!

Did I read that sign right?
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Pictures from Specialis Procer Chartering and Installation

These were taken by Rt. Wor. Brother Bill Crawford, Grand Secretary. Enjoy!

Puppy Pictures

Ginny complained that she had not seen any pictures of Miles lately so here they are. You can see he has grown, And pretty well trashed the place. Jon picked up all the toys (obstacle course) that make my walking around so much fun because the cleaning lady is coming tonight.
"Big Dog" - Remember Lucile and her sister? - Well Mandy wasn't so big but this one is going to be.

He is elegant...but messy

Bailey is looking for a place to escape. Miles likes to play and he is making Bailey's life difficult.

"Please Dad, Can I come up?"

Safe Now!

I went to Des Moines last evening and Jon was here with the Puppy. There were accidents. I think that Miles has me trained better than Jon because there are seldom accidents when I am here. Perhaps I just watch him more closely. He is delightful and getting over his clumsiness (some of it) but he still galumphs around - (Remember the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carrol?) - that is what he reminds me of when he lopes around. He likes to be outside and Jon takes him for runs and he keeps up.

BTW, I am not in Las Vegas, My friend Bob Kelly is there for a Photoshop conference (I could think of other things to do in Vegas besides attend a conference but we won't go there!) He is the one who took the photos of Luxor and the Neon Museum. I think there was some confusion. Also to whoever it is from China or wherever who keeps trying to post on Las Vegas Churches. I have comment moderation turned on just so I can reject your post every day. Keep it up. I am so happy to fantasize what I will do to your comment as I reject it. Of course, I have no idea what you are trying to put on there and that is the reason it doesn't get on but we can play this game forever. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs,,j