Two of my great-grandfathers were Masons and that is the closest relative I know of. I knew one of them and he was a very heavy influence on me as was his wife. This past Thursday night, I was raised a Master Mason and upon receiving the option to speak, I chose to share a poem I found online and speak a little. In my previous two degrees, I had not, but this time I took the opportunity to thank my Brethren. It went as follows:
If no one smiled and no one cheered
And no one helped us along,
If each every moment took care of itself
And good things went to the strong,
If nobody cared just a little for you
And nobody thought about me,
And we stood alone in the battle of life,
What a dreary old world it would be.
Life is sweet just because of the friends we have made
And things in common which we share.
We want to live on, not because of ourselves,
But because of the people who care.
It's giving and doing for somebody else-
On that all life's splendor depends
And the joy of this world, when you've summed it all up,
Is found in the making of friends.
Guys, I first came here last summer want to learn about Masonry. I had just turned 18 and had no idea what I was entering upon. A few of my great-grandfathers had been masons and I knew that they thought very highly of the fraternity. Quickly, I have learned why. I'm humbled by the hospitality with which I've been accepted. Tom (That's Tom Waden our Senior Warden) kept me interested, thank God. Then, Ed and Brett worked diligently to help me learn the work. (Brett's our instructor and Senior Deacon. Ed also works with us on memory work.) I'm ethused when looking ahead to the friendships I will continue to build as well as the new brothers I will encounter. At the last fish fry, the nice fellow who lives by Bob and Betty asked me who my mentor was. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Just about every man in this room." That's a fact. I know this has been a bit lengthy, but sitting down last night, I had to come up with some decent way to thank each and every one of your for the openness yall have exhibited toward me. So, in conclusion, thank you for your friendship, Brothers.
If no one smiled and no one cheered
And no one helped us along,
If each every moment took care of itself
And good things went to the strong,
If nobody cared just a little for you
And nobody thought about me,
And we stood alone in the battle of life,
What a dreary old world it would be.
Life is sweet just because of the friends we have made
And things in common which we share.
We want to live on, not because of ourselves,
But because of the people who care.
It's giving and doing for somebody else-
On that all life's splendor depends
And the joy of this world, when you've summed it all up,
Is found in the making of friends.
Guys, I first came here last summer want to learn about Masonry. I had just turned 18 and had no idea what I was entering upon. A few of my great-grandfathers had been masons and I knew that they thought very highly of the fraternity. Quickly, I have learned why. I'm humbled by the hospitality with which I've been accepted. Tom (That's Tom Waden our Senior Warden) kept me interested, thank God. Then, Ed and Brett worked diligently to help me learn the work. (Brett's our instructor and Senior Deacon. Ed also works with us on memory work.) I'm ethused when looking ahead to the friendships I will continue to build as well as the new brothers I will encounter. At the last fish fry, the nice fellow who lives by Bob and Betty asked me who my mentor was. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Just about every man in this room." That's a fact. I know this has been a bit lengthy, but sitting down last night, I had to come up with some decent way to thank each and every one of your for the openness yall have exhibited toward me. So, in conclusion, thank you for your friendship, Brothers.
