Arcana Lodge #187
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons

920 Lowry Avenue NE
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55418, USA

News from the East

Brethren, it's with great regret that I start this months newsletter with the announcement of our Senior Warden Brad Almen resigning from his office. The friendship and brotherhood I share with Brad goes back to our youth when we first met at Lincoln Chapter DeMolay. When I joined DeMolay Brad was a very active older member in the chapter and a role model for a lot of us younger members. I remember how excited I was that he asked me to be on one of his degree teams when he became Master Councilor. Brad's outstanding leadership has stayed with him through Masonry and life. Although Brad will be stepping aside for a while I know that his devotion to the fraternity will bring him back to Lodge soon.

Membership looks good in the coming months. We have a number of prospects out there that will be joining our ranks in the Fall. We held our first Entered Apprentice Degree of the term with one candidate. I would like to welcome Brother Kevin R. Mattson as our newest Entered Apprentice Mason. Our Junior Warden Brother John Fosdick was presiding as Master in the East that night, and again he did an outstanding job on the degree work. Thank you Brother John!

The Fellow Craft Degree is scheduled for Monday, June 21st, 1999 at 7:00 PM, and WB Doug Roswold will take the Oriental Chair that evening. On Saturday, July 24th, 1999 starting at 4:00 PM, I will be in the East to raise our new Brother to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. Following the first section of the degree (at approximately 5 - 6:00 PM) a roast beef dinner with all the fixings will be served on the second floor. The cost for dinner will be $5.00, after which we will continue with the second section of the degree.

We are looking at having a Fall class starting in August. We do have one petition already handed in so if you know someone who want's to join our great organization please turn in their petition or contact one of the Lodge officers.

I would like to take a moment to thank Henry Maday for his outstanding work with the Coffee Club and the Sunshine Committee. Without his sense of humor and antic dotes I know there would not be such a great turn out by all those senior members who otherwise can't make it to our regular stated meetings, or are home because of illness. Also, thanks to all of you that attend coffee club every other week to keep informed of all the Lodge activities. If you haven't been to coffee club go on down and join them. The door is always open and the coffee's fresh. Thanks Henry!

At this time we are looking at another fundraiser for the Lodge to do in the Fall. If any of you members have a fundraising idea please come down to one of our stated meetings and give your suggestions. There are a number of Masonic Lodges that have merged together to consolidate their assets, and other lodges that have had to sell their buildings and are now meeting under the same roof with another, if not several other, Masonic Lodges. Arcana too may soon succumb to that fate as we are deeply in need of funds to continue our renovations in order to keep our building open and running efficiently. So come down and give a hand because the more we do for the Lodge the less chance there will be that we too lose our wonderful building.

May brotherly love and friendship prevail.

Fraternally yours,
Dave Sibben, Master

Further Light in Masonry

I believe that educated and intelligent men are not being admitted in the proportion we would like. This would indicate that something is lacking in the showing made by the institution to the outside world. Men of the class we most need are not attracted by vague claims, they must see results, and discern the possibility of advantageous action from their affiliation. It is a pity that matters are as they are, for we surely need a large, and active and intelligent membership. We need the best men to be gathered into our Lodges, and thus can we aid as we should in insuring free thought, free speech, freedom of religious belief and a preservation of free government. I hardly think that papers having first appeal to prejudice, can best serve the cause, or gain any real results. If Masonry can be made a real educational factor; if all the energy of Lodge, Chapter, Council, Commandery and Consistory could be consolidated into a basic Masonic Fraternity, where all men could find their common belief, and where one's wives and daughters could take part, I think that Freemasonry would come to its own and be a great power for good in the world. Meanwhile, our Masonry for men only, must find some way to attract and hold the leading men of each community, the thinkers rather than those who are just socially or politically prominent. The so - called "mysteries" and "secrets" do not appeal to the well- read men of today. These catch the young, the inexperienced and the uneducated ones mostly, and especially those who think that Masonry may advance their own interests. If we had less degree work, and more numerous lectures on the symbols, the ends and aims, the philosophy and history of Masonry, our meetings would be better attended, and men of the most desirable class would be attracted to membership. I wish our Grand Lodge would have lecturers expound the degrees to the candidates. I would have the attainment of knowledge compulsory before one could go to other degrees - and by this I mean real knowledge, not some smattering of a catechism. Of course all this makes up a big problem, yet I think that from its discussion good will result. As for myself I am taking refuge more and more in Masonic study and reading, so far as l can gratify my leanings in such direction.

The preceding comments are excerpt from The American Freemason - February 1914. It's funny that as we approach the new millennium and we look back upon our collective accomplishments and desires over the past century, we realize that some ideas, like a good wine, only improve with age.

Arcana Lodge Outstanding Mason of the Month

Arcana Lodge is proud to acknowledge the outstanding Mason of the month for June, John Fosdick. John has been a long time fixture at Arcana having been a DeMolay with Lincoln Chapter where he held several offices including Master Councilor. John was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on March 20, 1993 and since that time he has been one of our most active members. John is on his way through the line of officers and is our current Junior Warden. At our recent Entered Apprentice Degree John was presiding and as we have come to appreciate about him, he did an excellent job with all the ritual work of the Oriental Chair for that degree. John is also active with the Zuhrah Patrol, and has always been one of hardest workers to be found at every Shrine, or Masonic function he attends. It’s devotion like this that makes John a winner in our books!

Special Announcements

THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN

Wives and Masonic Youth are Invited

Proceeds to Masonic Youth Scholarships

W.B. Terry Armstrong - 1277 Goodrich Ave, St. Paul, 55105

50 Years