NORTH DAKOTA
MASON
Celebrating 125 years of Freemasonry in North Dakota. December 2015 — Volume 105, No. 4 — www.ndmasons.com
Greetings from the Grand Master
M.W. Tony Telken, Grand Master
Seasons Greetings Brothers! I have heard it many times, but my how time flies. I am already more than half way through my term as Grand Master of Masons of the great state of North Dakota. Thank you Brothers! It has indeed been my pleasure. Although it is quite hectic, I still believe that a two year term for Grand Master would be a good idea. It is nearly impossible to accomplish the goals so long thought about in only twelve months. From visiting Lodges as Grand Master, to representing North Dakota as Grand Master in other jurisdictions, to carrying out membership goals, it is nearly impossible. Many exciting things are happening throughout the state! Degree work is happening in all
corners and everywhere in between. Six Brothers passed to the degree of Fellow Craft on October 31st in the Dickinson area, five on November 10th in Bismarck, more than five planned to be raised to the degree of Master Mason in the Williston area for November 21st and a large one-day class scheduled for November 14th in Grand Forks. There is even degree work happening in many Lodges that haven’t performed degree work for many years. Northern Mayflower Lodge in Cooperstown is scheduled to put on the Entered Apprentice degree on Wednesday November 18th! Congratulations on your hard work and thank you for helping spread the Light of Masonry! If we can have positive growth this calendar year, we will have four years in a row. That isn’t happening in many jurisdictions across the country. The Grand Lodge calendars are now up and accurate. Please log on to ndmasons.com and view them to plan your Masonic travels. There are several calendars so that you may choose your calendar of interest. We have a master plan of creating a one-stop calendar for all Masonic bodies so that we may eliminate conflicting dates as much as possible. If you have events that aren’t on the calendar, please email them to ttelken@ndmasons.com and dr.robertbaer@gmail.com to have them added. Dr. Bob has been
doing a fantastic job at making the postings timely and accurately. You may be aware that the Grand Masters from all jurisdictions are requested to be present at many national and international events for Blue Lodge Masonry and the appendant bodies. I had the pleasure of representing North Dakota at the Imperial Shrine session in Houston in July where our own Dale Stauss completed his term as Imperial Potentate and was elected to the Chairman of the Hospital Board of Trustees and our own Jim McConnell was re-elected Imperial Treasurer. I was the only Grand Master that had the opportunity to address the entire convention. In August I had the pleasure of representing North Dakota at the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction Centennial Biennial Session in Washington D.C. as the guest of Sovereign Grand Inspector General of North Dakota, Charles Ottem. I have never, I probably will never again, been treated so outstandingly! Don’t get me wrong, the Grand Master is treated very well everywhere he travels, but this was amazing. The entire Session was perfectly orchestrated, food and hospitality fantastic, and of course fun and eduational. Just a quick rundown on some of the other events I was able to attend are the International Order of Rainbow for Girls North
Dakota/South Dakota Grand Assembly in Mandan in July, the Midwest Shrine Association in Fargo, a 50 year Mason celebration in Cando, and The Peace Garden Lodge and Masonic Island on Lake Metigoshe in August. September brought the first quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge committees for this Masonic year in Minot, and a York Rite appendant bodies gathering in Carrington. In October I attended the 150th Anniversary of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota in the Twin Cities area, and the North Central Department Conference of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar in Sioux Falls. Of course, in between those events are some of the most fun functions such as all of the local meetings, Table Lodges, fundraising feeds, picnics, installations, etc. With all of that travel, I still feel like I am still missing many functions that I would like to attend. There is an event or two to attend on nearly every night and unfortunately I cannot make them all. I wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Peace be with you all and safe travels during the Holiday season. Keep spreading the light of Masonry. I hope to see you soon. Tony E. Telken Grand Master
Did You Know? “More than half a century passed, after the boats of the Lewis and Clark Expedition made their way down the Missouri River on August 20, 1806, before Masonry was again brought to light within the present confines of North Dakota, insofar as recorded history has revealed. This time it was not a story of exploration that came to our attention, but a record of war against the Indians and the burial of a Master Mason that has come down to us.” -- (Masonry in North Dakota - Pond -- P-15) Lt. Frederick John Holt Beever, educated at Oxford and an ordained minister of the Episcopal Church was serving as an aide on the staff of General Henry H. Sibley. While
encamped a short distance south of present day Bismarck, Lt. Beever was directed to deliver dispatches to Col. William Crook who was stationed to the west along the Missouri River.
Apparently becoming disoriented in the dark on his return to camp, Beever was killed by Indians. Upon word of his death, fellow Brother Masons were organized and conducted a Masonic service for Lt. Beever. This Masonic funeral service was the very first Masonic service ever conducted within present day North Dakota. Masons travelling to Bismarck are invited to visit the site of Brother Beever’s original gravesite, a short distance southwest of the Bismarck Municipal Airport. Directions can be obtained by calling the Bismarck Masonic Center.