Who Did You Cheat Today? These words were uttered by MWB Max Carpenter, Past Grand Master and Past Grand Secretary of Indiana. MWB Carpenter is also Missouri’s newest Honorary Member of our Grand Lodge. Max and I were together in Washington, DC this past February, at the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, and I am sure my face mirrored my surprise when Max spoke those biting words. I had not even had a business dealing that day except for buying a soda at the hotel where the conference was being held. The prices charged at the Hotel left no doubt that I had cheated no one. Max explained that he had a friend who had come into Masonry late in life. That friend had enjoyed the Craft for only three years or so before he passed to the far side of the river. Max felt hugely remiss and troubled that this friend had been cheated out of a lifetime of enjoying our gentle Craft because he had not approached him about Freemasonry early on. This disturbed me as well. How great is the number of men absent from our fraternity because we did not make the extra effort it took to get them to ask a question? Even when we were unable to solicit members, there were dozens of ways to maneuver a conversation. Did we go that extra step? In 1974, I became acquainted with a man who was to be my best friend for nearly thirty years. Although he quickly learned I was a Mason, I did not actively pursue his membership until the 1990s, when he petitioned and became a member of Henderson #477. Sadly, he was called home in 2004 after a battle with cancer. Looking back, maybe I should have pushed harder in those early years to get that petition from him, because he so enjoyed the Craft and worked tirelessly to help the Lodge. My experience, identical to that of MWB Carpenter, weighs heavily on my heart. Perhaps this can be a lesson for all of us. Go that extra step, ask the question of those relationships you value. REMEMBER, FREEMASONRY IS A FRATERNITY FOR ALL MEN. I look at my own family tree and I am able to see some wonderful examples of Masonry at work. My paternal grandfather was a Committee on Masonic Publications Larry C. Reynolds Grand Master David L. Ramsey, Junior Grand Warden Ronald D. Miller, Grand Secretary Zelwin B. Eaton, Past Editor E. Otha Wingo, Assistant Editor Steven L. Harrison, Editor, Chairman Editor Steven L. Harrison 3 2 %R[ ‡ .HDUQH\ 02 816-558-0436 / Call for Fax editor@momason.org
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editor@momason.org The Missouri Freemason (USPS 573-920) is the official publication of the Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri, and is published four times yearly. Articles to be considered for publication should be e-mailed to editor@momason.org @ g, not later than the first day of
58 Summer 2010
farmer in Ozark County, Missouri, and for most of his Masonic career he rode a horse six miles each way, winter or summer, to attend Lodge. Although he was never Master of his Lodge, four of his six sons became Masons. My father was one of those six and did become Master of Robert Burns #496 in 1941. My great grandfather on my mom’s side was a Baptist Minister, and a life long member of the Craft. At the opening of the Conference of Grand Masters in February 2010, MWB Glen Means stated, and I fully agree, that our Fraternity’s greatest strength is it’s diversity in membership. We meet as brothers, whether we have a Dr. before our name or a PhD after our name. All members have a special talent or strength to offer. Each vocation brings these strengths and talents to the table for all to benefit by. History tells us that men from all walks of life stood together as brothers and soldiers to win and secure our freedom. We have a right to be proud of our heritage. Brethren, as I continue to travel in our great state, I am proud to say that our coin sales are going very well. We have already exceeded our goal for this year, and we are not even half way through the year. Thank you Brothers for your generous support. I am looking forward to meeting and greeting as many Brothers as I can during the next few months. This is such an exciting time to be a Mason. Our membership is growing as evident by the multiple degrees many districts are doing each month. I believe the theme we employed, “Educate to Motivate� certainly applies here. We have a better education formula than ever before and that has — and is — motivating all of us to better our work and do more of it. Who did you cheat today? May God’s blessing rest upon each and every one of you. Fraternally,
Larry C. Reynolds, Grand Master
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THE MISSOURI FREEMASON