Official Visit Algonquin Lodge #434 – Jan., 20, 2009
By R.W. Bro. Gerald Stillar, DDGM

HARMONY AND ATTENDANCE -WITHOUT THEM, WE SUFFER

Brethren, tonight I would like to turn your attention to harmony and attendance in, and at, your Lodge.

Harmony comes from the Greek word HARMOS which literally means fitted. We as Masons are joined or fitted together in perfect concord. This union maintains order and a mutual feeling of happiness that we all enjoy. The harmony that exists within the Lodge must never be disturbed. We should strive to make our lives outside the Lodge as harmonious as the one inside the Lodge. Prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice will be your guide to that peaceful life of harmony.

We not only represent ourselves outside the Lodge – we represent Freemasonry as well! The splendid teachings of the Craft mark the pathway we need to follow in order to keep the moral dignity and principles of the order pure. This allows its members to be unstained by vice and unspotted by sin. Masonry is one of the few relevant constants in this changing world. We need to keep Masonry strong by practicing the moral teachings of the order in our daily lives. By this we can lead the world from the dark paths of apathy and discord into the light of peace and harmony. Practice the ideals and principles of Freemasonry by participating at Lodge and in your community. Show the world that Brotherly Love and friendship that exists within the Lodge can make a better life for us all. The excellence of your conduct will be an example for others who may decide to join our wonderful fraternity.

Indifference plagues our modern and changing world and perhaps as is to be expected, apathy has also crept into our Craft. To those brethren who attend Lodge regularly, I thank you for your devotion and dedication. For those of you who do not attend Lodge regularly, I have this message: “by your absence you are not only suffering a great personal loss by not availing yourselves of the opportunity to practice the great teachings of Freemasonry, but your absence is also a great loss to the Brethren of your Lodge. Think about it, they are anxiously awaiting your return so that they may have an opportunity to greet you once again, to enjoy your company, and to convey to you the Brotherly Love and Friendship that is the basis of our noble Art.

Brethren, reach out to those who are absent. They will enrich the Lodge by their presence. Those exalted lessons of morality and the personal feeling of well being need to be shared with all the members, in order that you may enjoy a companionship that you will find nowhere else in the world but in a Lodge of Freemasons”.

The baseball coach was trying to motivate his team members to work as teammates. “Men, pay close attention. Harmony is what this team needs. Harmony of our 300 hitter. Harmony is our clutch batter. Harmony is our twenty-game pitcher.”
A rookie listened intently, then asked, “If Harmony’s that good, why don’t we trade for him?”

May I remind all brethren in Muskoka-Parry Sound that we should review the lessons that our order will want to teach and if we each in our own way make a sincere effort to practice these lessons, harmony will live.

As we enter into another year of Freemasonry in Muskoka-Parry Sound, let our brethren show the people of our District what true harmony is.

Thank you my brethren.