THE INITIATED EYE EXHIBIT IN NEBRASKA
The Initiated Eye Exhibit in Nebraska Editor’s note: The following address was given at the Joslyn Museum, Omaha, Nebraska on April 29, 2007.
The Grand Lodge (of Nebraska) first requested The Initiated Eye Exhibit as a part of our 150th anniversary celebration three years ago at the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America, held in Calgary, Canada. It seemed to be a natural part of our celebration for at least a couple of reasons:
Dean Skokan, Grand Master Grand Lodge A.F.&A.M. of Nebraska
value to our families, our communities and ourselves. This exhibit celebrates the value of Masonry in the founding of our country and implies that those values never go out of fashion, never become dated and can never, never die.
I’ll again make a point I’ve stressed before. There is an First, we wanted to raise the awareness of Freemasonry indissoluble tie between our military and Freemasonry. among a part of the population that really doesn’t know Many of the men depicted in this exhibit are in uniform, if those who served other branches of service will forgive much about us. Nebraska Masonry is not now the elite organization it once was. me the generic term, they That’s not a bad thing; we were soldiers. Many of us all know that Masons meet have been. Men in combat on the level and that our are forced to rely upon ritual is constructed to each other, to trust each determine the qualificaother, and at times to tions of the inner man, as place their lives in the opposed to his political or hands of another. Most economic status. While we Masons today are not retain a presence in the called to such life and political arena, our ties to death realities, but that the business community same bond exists among have waned. When my us should we ever need to father was raised in 1948, rely upon it. My first order most of Main Street in our as Grand Master was small town belonged to the designed to reinforce that lodge. These men, though tie between patriotism business competitors, and Freemasonry. This worked together in Lodge, exhibit does that as well. they got to know each It is fitting that we gather other there and learned to today to receive this trust each other there. exhibit. 218 years ago the That sort of business netevents depicted here working in lodge used to were the news of the day. be commonplace. I think The anniversary of Washthat those outside our fraington’s first inauguration An Auspicious Day: Washington dressing in Masonic ternity are jealous of that regal-ia for the Capitol cornerstone laying, September 18, is tomorrow. It took place trust and have actively 1793. Painting by Peter Waddell. on April 30, 1789. The worked to undermine it. oath of office was administered by Robert Livingston, This exhibit commemorates that Masonic relationship. It Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York. The marwill demonstrate to those who visit and reflect upon it, shal of the day was another Freemason, General Jacob that there is a value to brotherhood, and that the bonds Morton. Yet another Freemason, General Morgan Lewis, of brotherhood, in the most honorable way, are a part of was Washington's escort. When he was inaugurated the foundation of our country. Brother Washington, at the time, was Master of AlexanSecond, we need to rebuild our own pride in the Fraterdria Lodge No. 22, Virginia. nity. Our Masonic history provides proof of Masonic
The Voice of Freemasonry
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