For my Father

This last several months in my life have been a rough and hard road. I tore my MCL just two days before Christmas and couldn't see my doctor until after the new year. While waiting for the new year to pass so I can get my knee taken care of my daughter started having more pains and problems.

She was diagnosed with Kawasaki's Disease 3 years ago and the doctors told us our biggest concerns would be cardiac related (increased stroke risk and artery problems). So low and behold she has been having leg pain that just keeps getting worse and worse.

The good thing is they have finally ruled out Leukemia and Bone Cancer after a long week of x-rays, MRI's and drawing blood. The bad part now is the waiting. They want to do a couple weeks of physical therapy, then off to a doctor in the next town over and then downstate to Detroit to see an Endocrinologist. During this whole time, I am still waiting for them to decide what they are going to do with my knee.

That brings me to the purpose of my post today. 5 years ago I tore my ACL in half. After my replacement/reconstruction surgery and time off work for therapy, my father lost his battle with cancer. The only blessing of all that tragedy was my ability to travel to his house and spend the last two weeks caring for him.

Today is the fifth anniversary of his journey to the Great Celestial Lodge. My father was a Mason for just over 40 years making him a Life Member at his Lodge here in Michigan. That was one of his final goals, getting to that 40 year mark. His other goal, from a Masonic stand point, was to raise all three of his sons himself. That he accomplished in each of our Lodges and I never saw him so proud for a long time before that or ever again after.

My father was an incredible man. He had 9 kids, was able to keep us all in line and made sure we never went without anything. Every year we went on vacation, all over the country by the time I graduated. He was a police officer, starting as a patrol officer and working his way up to the big seat. During his 32 + years there he also graduated the FBI Academy and the Secret Service Academy working as a local contact for them. After retiring he ran the Police Academy at the college passing on his knowledge.

Through the way he lived his life and the way he treated his fellow man, his wife, his family and his God, he was an incredible example for his children and those around him. Public service is predominate in the lives of my brothers and sisters as we followed his lead of taking care of our fellow man. This example I try to follow in my own life both in my profession and as a Mason and community member. In my professional life I became a Paramedic right out of high school and then followed with becoming a volunteer firefighter for my township thereafter. In my Masonic life I dove into learning after I was raised by my father in front of one of my brothers, a big smile as he was able to complete his wish of bringing all three of his sons to light. Becoming Master of my Lodge in just under three years and then District Deputy Instructor, I received a lot of support from my new found Brothers and quickly putting myself in a place to support them.

I have a loving wife that supports my decisions and is behind everything I do and three beautiful daughters that are incredible at anything they set their minds too. This alone makes me a blessed man, but adding to it the support through the Lodge, from e-mails and phone calls to Brothers that have drove out of the way to stop in at my house, just to see how we are doing and offer every kind of help under the sun as we work through the current concerns with my daughter. From this I see that living my life the best I can to be a just and upright person returns ten-fold.

For this I thank my Brothers, all my Brothers, as I know if I was in your Lodge you would be the ones on the phone or on my porch offering to help.

I especially thank my father for showing me this path and taking the time with each of us. He made sure that we all turned out to be good kids. I will never forget him, I miss him every day. I love you Dad.

UPDATE:

The doctors have ruled out the bone cancer and leukemia. We are still trying to figure out what is wrong, but I am more than happy that those major ones have been ruled out. Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words.

Veteran's Day

We showed these clips last night at our Blue Lodge Meeting as a tribute to our Veteran's. After I turned off the screen and turned up the lights, there was not a dry eye in the room. As it turns out, our newest Brother, so new he received his lambskin that night, was part of the 173rd battalion.




Thanks to all our Veteran's for their service and sacrifice for this great country.








Here is the link to the website, there is an additional video there and you can order a copy of it direct from them.


http://www.hififusion.com/ecard/bigandrich/acm2007/1/

ALL DEGREE DAY

UPDATE: This all degree day has been postponed. Lack of Brothers to help with the degrees. My guess is opening weekend causing the problem. I will update when we get another date set.

Cheboygan Lodge will be hosting an all degree day on Nov 8th starting at 9 am. There are 5-6 candidates scheduled many of whom are active duty in the military. Lets try to give them a good show for their raising before they are off.

President Roosevelt

One of the websites I frequent, The art of Manliness, had this article from Brother Roosevelt. Maybe something we should share with our Brothers as something to keep in our minds as we interact with our schools through the Beacon Projects and our Boy Scouts.

In a speech, Roosevelt extolled the manly virtues that every boy and man should develop: hard work, courage, and a disposition to do good. The lack of men of character in the world today makes this speech relevant even today. As fathers or mentors, let us seek to raise up a generation of boys like the one TR describes. As men, let us seek to develop these traits ourselves.

What we have a right to expect of the American boy is that he shall turn out to be a good American man.

The boy can best become a good man by being a good boy–not a goody-goody boy, but just a plain good boy.

I do not mean that he must love only the negative virtues; I mean that he must love the positive virtues also. ‘Good,’ in the largest sense, should include whatever is fine, straightforward, clean, brave and manly.

The best boys I know–the best men I know–are good at their studies or their business, fearless and stalwart, hated and feared by all that is wicked and depraved, incapable of submitting to wrongdoing, and equally incapable of being aught but tender to the weak and helpless.

Of course the effect that a thoroughly manly, thoroughly straight and upright boy can have upon the companions of his own age, and upon those who are younger, is incalculable.

If he is not thoroughly manly, then they will not respect him, and his good qualities will count for but little; while, of course, if he is mean, cruel, or wicked, then his physical strength and force of mind merely make him so much the more objectionable a member of society.

He can not do good work if he is not strong and does not try with his whole heart and soul to count in any contest; and his strength will be a curse to himself and to every one else if he does not have a thorough command over himself and over his own evil passions, and if he does not use his strength on the side of decency, justice and fair dealing.

In short, in life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard: don’t foul and don’t shirk, but hit the line hard.

Heres the link to the webpage: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/10/19/manvotional-the-american-boy-by-theodore-roosevelt/

MASONIC RECORD

Initiated: January 2, 1901, Matinecock Lodge No. 806, Oyster Bay, New York. Brother and President Roosevelt visited the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (in its present home, the Masonic Temple at One North Broad Street) on November 5, 1902, for the Celebration of the Sesqui-Centennial of Brother George Washington's Initiation into Freemasonry. Governor of New York, 1899-1901. Brother and President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order, dated, October 17, 1901 changing the name of the "Executive Mansion" to the "White House".

Leadership Training overview

This month the Indian River Lodge hosted John Maxwell's 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership taught by MWPGM Robert P. Conley.

This class was held over two weekends during the month and is well worth it if you have any desire now or in the future in furthering yourself and developing your Lodge or your professional career.

The class is taught via video of John Maxwell followed by group discussions on each by Bro. Conley and workbook segments to be done, some then and some for homework.

In Michigan, this class is provided as a service from the Grand Lodge with the only cost to us being the purchase of Johns book. This was a great class and well worth the time commitment.

I highly recommend speaking to your GL about programs like these. Why not invest in ourselves to better our Leaders now and create new ones for the coming years.

As part of our Masonic education during Lodge meetings, we plan on presenting one law every meeting and discussing it for those that couldn't make the classes.

Pythagorean Theory

I found this video today with a simple explanation of the darker side of the triangle.
Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6vzK2ULRTs&eurl=http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2008/08/darth-vader-exp.html

Upcoming events and updates

On Friday, August 22nd, we will be hosting a travel rest at the northbound rest area on I-75. We will be providing free coffee and homemade donuts to those heading up for one last weekend vacation and those attending the Mackinaw City corvette show. This will be a great opportunity for us to meet and talk with those that we usually don't get to meet through the breakfasts and MICHiPs programs.

Also times were set for our leadership training courses put on by the GL. 9 am start time on both the 16th and 30th of August. Those interested in attending need to purchase the book and let us know so we can plan right for lunch.

At least 10 petitions were handed out during the OES flea market and Summerfest, so keep studying up on your degree work as we are finishing raising our newest Brothers and hopefully will be starting on some new ones. Cheboygan Lodge also reports several new canidates for the EA are in waiting.