Arcana Lodge #187
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons 

News From the East - Summer Degrees

I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer. The officers of Arcana Lodge deserve a round of congratulations for giving up so much of their time during this wonderful time of year. With a full set of degrees scheduled for the Summer months we’re going to be very busy.

Until next time, may the blessing of Heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Hunt, Wor. Master

News From the West - Eat and be Filled

While working on this issue of the Trestleboard I was also making preparations for the steak dinner I was serving for the June 23rd stated meeting. Since both activities were running through my mind I thought I would tie them together with this article by including one of my favorite Masonic poems. "Eat and Be Filled" was recited at a Red Cross banquet by Robert Morris, L.L.D., Masonic Poet-Laureate.

Eat and Be Filled

Eat and be filled, no scarceness here;
Welcome, brave Knights, to ample cheer!
This hand divine hath blessed our bread,
Freely partake – for you ‘tis spread!

Eat and be filled, come thickly now,
"The more the merrier," we vow!
This night to us is blest and bright –
Praise God for such a goodly night!

Eat and be filled, let merry jest
Betray the joy of every guest;
Let mirth abound, and lightsome song
Our glad festivities prolong.

Eat and be filled, may He who fed
Ten Thousand with His fish and bread
Enlarge our knightly store to feed
Earth’s starving millions in their need.

"And they did all eat and were filled" – Mark vi, 42

I again thank all the brothers who have helped with the preparation and clean-up of the dinner. I also thank the companies and individuals for their generous contributions, both financial and in the form of articles, which support the Arcana Trestleboard.

Fraternally yours,
Doug Roswold, Sr. Warden

Freemasonry & Refinement
by Brother Gerard T. Lyle, Phoenix, AZ

My brothers, the floor of our Masonic Quarry is covered with our Rough Ashler chips. Each chip represents the result of the proper use, by a worthy brother Mason, of his Common Gavel. Each chip represents the intense personal striving of a worthy brother Mason to purify his heart. Each chip represents a discarded character flaw of a worthy brother Mason.

Masonry is demonstrated by the condition of its Quarry floor. When an E.A.M. works our Quarry, he observes and senses these chips, and thus catches a glimpse of the invincible commitment to the virtuous life that each Mason has in his heart. He also catches a glimpse of the sizes of these chips and is curious about the manner of their distribution throughout the Quarry.

The larger and heavier chips make their way to the bottom of our Quarry, the lighter chips not so far down, and the smaller pieces higher up in the Quarry. This goes on until in the higher Quarry we observe only Ashler particles, again, in varying sizes right down to Ashler dust.

Yes, the worthy brother Mason refines his character from the cruder aspects of personality right down to the subtlest flaws. This ultra fine smoothing of the Rough Ashler requires the accurate use of the Plumb, Square, and Level, which if used with an ever-increasing discernment, are like powerful magnifying glasses which show the subtlest flaws in the stone.

Does this mean that every brother we meet will have the same level of character refinement? The answer is absolutely not. Each of us, as a result of our free-will, has accumulated various habits and ideas which, at the time, we adopted as beneficial; however, experience has taught us that some of these habits and ideas are not as beneficial at present as when we first created them. (As a result of our free-will, we also have varying degrees of interest in and application of the Craft.).

Therefore, since each and everyone of us is still in the process of smoothing our Ashler, and doing that in varying degrees of insight and intensity, then it is for certain that it would be an unrealistic expectation that each Mason we meet will be at the same degree of character refinement. This, however, does not stop us from ever-striving to meet on the level, act by the Plumb, and part upon the square.

Would it be incredible to speculate that we deposit more Rough Ashler chips in our Masonic Quarry in one year than there are stones in the Great Wall of China? Perhaps it is a far greater number than that, for the simple reason that when the chips, (flaws), start flying, the quality of our lives dramatically improves due to the increased light of understanding and application of virtue. Thus we are encouraged by our efforts to strive-on and use our Common Gavel with greater wisdom in order to produce the strength and beauty of a smooth Ashler.

We have all been presented with the working tools. The more we master their use, the more we can be of service to our Craft, which may just be the most magnificent Craft in the entire universe, (on all levels of life).

Outstanding Mason of the Month

Senior Warden
Douglas R. Roswold

Arcana Lodge is proud to acknowledge the outstanding Mason of the month for July, Senior Warden, Doug Roswold. In the fifteen years he has been a member of Arcana Lodge, he has become the epitome of a Mason. He also has become known as a "chef extraordinair," for preparing the fantastic monthly dinner. He not only is encouraging new membership, but is adding some weight to our members.

Arcana Lodge Committees

Sunshine Visitation Committee for the Ill or Homebound

Attention all graduates of Minneapolis Edison Senior High School:

Edison 75 Year All Class Reunion
will be on October 9 - 12, 1997

For more information contact Dick Anderson, Chairman, at 788-9771

This publication is issued with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M of Minnesota.

Send stories, ideas or comments to:
Doug Roswold, Editor at webmaster@arcana187.org

This page was updated on May 02, 2003 by Doug Roswold