MW It may be hot here in the desert, and the Lodge may be dark from Stated Meetings, that does not mean that we are not putting in work down at the Lodge Building. We have a number of new Masons that are working hard and passing proficiencies… meaning…. We have Degrees to hold! Check the calendar on this issue for dates and watch your email from Grand View as more Degrees are coming! We will be Raising a worthy Brother on August 21, and passing another on August 28, and more in early September!
Now as we come to the Hottest days of the year, I just want to remind everyone to check in on each other. When it is this hot out, we tend to let our tempers get the best of us and have shorter fuses than we are used to. So, how can we help each other out through the hottest time of the year?
We can call on each other. For this all I ask you to do is say hello to one of your fellow brothers and see how they are doing. Did they do anything exciting? Did they make a new change in their life? Are they doing well or are they dealing with a new hardship? Just by doing this simple task we help our brothers feel connected while we are dark.
Take time to check and see that you are okay periodically through the day. With the heat as crazy as it has been this summer, we need to take the time to check every couple of hours and say hey did I drink enough water today? Am I taking regular breaks to keep myself from overheating while doing things outdoors even at 5:00 AM!! If you are not doing this, then start!
Finally check in with your family. With the summer in full swing make sure that everyone around you that you interact with daily is doing ok. Dogs, cats, sisters, brothers parents and children are all important to us and we should be allowing ourselves to be more aware of them, sometimes more so than our ambitions. If we spend too much time on our work and not enough to see the summer struggles
in our home, then what was it all for?
So for my last words check in with everyone and
everything that you care about during this hot time of the year and remember to take extra time to respond and extra time to react as the longer it stays hot the easier our tempers can flare. Always do your best to keep within due bounds towards all mankind!
Fraternally, John Woode
2023 Master Gila Valley Lodge No. 9
This last month I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the retirement ceremony for my son and brother mason. After 22 years in the Navy, he made the decision to retire, spend more time with his family and become more active in his home lodge, Celina Lodge #241 in Celina Ohio. During this ceremony, I found out that these military retirements are steep in tradition and very moving. For example, the passing of Old Glory, in which I participated, the flag may be passed from the retiring service member to family members, fellow service members, or colleagues as a way of honoring their service and recognizing the impact they have had on others during their career. This evokes emotions akin to those experienced during a folded flag presentation at a gravesite, but here, the occasion is more joyous, symbolizing victory and perseverance in retirement, and the service member's return home for the final time.
The passing of the Old Glory ceremony is deeply rooted in American patriotism and symbolizes the ideals of unity, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the nation. It is a powerful and emotional tradition
that pays tribute to the American flag and the values it represents.
I have attached a copy of what is read while the flag is reverently passed from one sailor to an other and then placed in the retirees hands.
I am the Flag of the United States of America. My name is OLDE GLORY.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings I stand watch in America's Halls of Justice.
I fly majestically over Great Institutions of Learning.
I stand guard with the Greatest Military power in the World.
LOOK UP! and see ME!!!
I stand for Peace Honor Truth and Justice. I stand for Freedom!!
I am confident I am arrogant I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is held a little higher - my colors are a little truer
I BOW TO NO ONE! (cont.)
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected - I am Revered - I am loved - I am Feared!!
For more than 200 years, I have fought in Every battle of Every war;
Gettysburg, Shiloh, Appomattox, San Juan Hill, The Trenches of France, the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, The Beaches of Normandy
Petty Officer Second Class: the jungles of Guam, Okinawa, Tarawa, Korea, Vietnam and in the heat of the Persian Gulf and a score of other places. Long forgotten by all, but those who were there with me.
I was there.
I led my Sailors and Marines, I followed them, I watch over them, they Love Me.
I was on a small hill on Iwo Jima.
I was dirty battle torn and tired but my Sailors and Marines Cheered Me!!!!
I WAS PROUD!
I have been soiled burned torn and trampled on the streets of countries that I have helped to set Free.
It does not Hurt for I am invincible.
I have been soiled burned torn and trampled on the streets of my own country
And when it is done by those whom with I have served in battle. It HURTS!!!
But I shall Overcome for I am strong!!
I have slipped the surely bounds of earth and, from my vantage point on the moon,
I stand watch over the New Frontiers of Space.
I have been the silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hour comes when I am torn into strips,
To be used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the Field of Battle
When I fly half mast to Honor my Sailors and Marines
and when I lie in the trembling arms of a Grieving Mother - at the graveside of her fallen son or daughter
I am proud!
My Name is "Olde Glory" Long May I Wave Dear God, Long may I wave.
The flag is more than just a piece of cloth. It is the symbol a nation that cherishes their freedom, loves liberty and is willing to pay the ultimate price for these precious possessions.
Hope everyone is having a great summers and see y’all September 25
Fair Winds and following Sea’s brethren
Fraternally, Robert Malloy
2023 Junior Warden
Gila Valley Lodge No. 9
Start a coin jar and when it is filled, donate it to the Grand Lodge of Arizona Foundation. Imagine the impact the Foundation could have if all Masons of Arizona were to do this.
One Brother recollected that he had a coin jar going for years and put in all the money he find while walking. One day he found $3.55 bringing the years total so far to $669.33. Since 2010 he had found over $8800 and it has all gone to help his favorite Charity
On Wednesday, June 28, 2023 we held a Joint Informational Open House with Casa Grande Rainbow Assembly #58. Each group gave a presentation about their organizations, providing information about International, State and local going ons. After presentations and questions we broke out for treats, fruit punch and water. Then it was playing various strategic board/card games, cornhole and socializing. We had sibling prospects for both organizations. Thank you to the members of OES Chapter #28 for also attending and showing their support.
Folklore and Legend
In a German legend, God named all the plants. When a tiny unnamed one cried out, "Forget-me-not, O Lord!" God replied, "Thou shalt be your name."
During exile in 1398, Henry IV adopted this flower as his symbol and retained it upon his return to England the following year.
In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. The knight picked a bunch of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the flowers to his loved one and shouted "Forget-me-not". ( I rather doubt that when not on horseback or in combat, a knight would not be wearing his armour)
Ladies often wore it as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.
Remembrance WW I
On July 1st 1916, the battle of Beaumont Hamel, in France, took place. Just over 800 men of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment left their trenches only to be slaughtered by entrenched German machine gunfire. 272 were killed, most of the remaining were wounded (many died later from their wounds). Only 68 were left standing to
answer the role call on the next day. These Newfoundlanders lost their lives within a period of 30-40 minutes. It was a devastating blow to their families back home and caused severe hardship for many years to come. Remember there was no social system in place at that time and families were much larger.
Prior to that event, on July 1st, 1867 the Dominion of Canada was formed but it wasn’t until 1949 that Newfoundland and Labrador entered into Confederation.
Today, July 1st is a day of mixed emotions, as it is Canada Day as well. July 1st in Newfoundland and Labrador is still held as Memorial Day, not only for those lives lost in the First World War but all wars and conflicts, as well as those Canadians lost in Peacekeeping missions.
After WW I the “Forget-me-not” flower was used as the symbol of Remembrance, in Newfoundland and Labrador but the Poppy slowly displaced it on July 1st as well as November 11th.
In 2012 members of Bay Robert’s Legion Branch # 32 made the decision that the Forget-me-not flower should return to its rightful place on Memorial Day. A member of that Branch was approached and asked to design a lapel pin. Using silk Forget-Me-Not flowers and a ‘tie tac’ to attach it with, this was achieved and approved by NL Provincial Command.
In a time when many things are mass-produced in developing countries, it is comforting to know that this pin was designed and handcrafted in Port de Grave, NL, by Florence MorganThom. Florence was born here when this country was still under the British flag.
Freemasonry
In the years between World War I and World War II the blue Forget Me Not flower was a standard symbol used by many charitable organizations in Germany, with a very clear meaning: “Do not forget the poor and the destitute”. It was first introduced into German Masonry in 1926.
In early 1934, it became evident that Freemasonry was in danger under the Nazi regime. In that same year, the Grand Lodge of the Sun realising the grave situation adopted the Forget Me Not flower, as a substitute for the traditional Square and Compasses.
In 1936, the Nazis started the ‘Winterhilfswerk’, which consisted of children collecting money on the streets during certain weeks in winter. All youngsters were requested to participate, and they each were given about one hundred pins to sell. However, the money collected did not reach those in need but rather it was used for the rearmament of the Nazi war machine.
Each winter a different symbol was chosen, and that pin was the only one allowed to be worn during the time of the collection drive. This was mainly only to identify those who had already contributed. By coincidence, the pin used by the Nazis for the collection, made in 1938, happened to be the “Forget-me-not” flower, chosen by the Freemasons in 1926 and it was made by the same factory in Selb! There is no doubt that the Freemasons who attended the meeting of 1926 were glad to wear it again twelve years later.
Whether the pin was worn after the 1938 collection is hard to determine because the wearing of any badge that did not originate from the Nazi Party was a criminal offense under the Nazi regime. It is estimated that Hitler killed over one hundred thousand Masons, confiscated their property, and destroyed their records. Freemasonry went underground but still, this delicate flower assumed its role as a symbol of Masonry, surviving throughout the reign of terror.
Then in 1947, the Grand Lodge of the Sun was reopened and the little blue flower, the Forget-me-not, was proposed and adopted as an official emblem to remember those who had survived the bitter years of semidarkness, bringing the Light of Masonry once again into the Lodges. Today, in Germany, the Forget-me-not is an interchangeable Masonic symbol with the Square and Compasses.
So, let us keep and wear the “Forget-Me -Not”, at all of our lodge meetings. Do this to remember all those who have died because of their membership in our Masonic Brotherhood and also those who today live in countries where those governments persecute them.
Take out a one-dollar bill. The one-dollar bill you’re looking at first came off the press in 1957 in its present design. This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It is actually material. We’ve all washed it without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used, the contents we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look. If you look on the front of the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal. On the top you will see the scales for a balanced budget.
In the center you have a carpenter’s square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the key to the United States Treasury. That’s all pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know. Turn it over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The first Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved. If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid. Notice the face is
lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the West or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is un-capped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin’s belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything. “IN GOD WE TRUST” is on this currency. The Latin above the Pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, “God has favored our undertaking.” The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, “a new order has begun.” At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776. If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States. It is also the centerpiece of most hero’s monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States, and is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean. The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong,
and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England. Also notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. In the Eagle’s beak you will read, “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, meaning, “one nation from many people”. Above the Eagle, you have thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows. They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in Latin above, 13 letters in “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 on the shield, 13leaves on the Olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you look closely, 13 arrows. And, for minorities: the 13th Amendment I always ask people, “Why don’t you know this?” Your children don’t know this, and their history teachers don’t know this. Too many Veterans have given up too much to ever let the meaning fade. Many Veterans remember coming home to an America that didn't care. Too many Veterans never came home at all. Share this story so people can learn what is on the back of the UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL and what it stands for.
Fraternally,
Dewey Jefferson
2023
Senior Warden
Gila Valley Lodge No. 9
In modern parlance, Calling someone "Nimrod" is thought of as derogatory. But, in Masonry, the story and character of Nimrod has deep roots.
According to Albert Mackey's famous Masonic Encyclopedia, the legend of Nimrod's connection to Freemasonry dates back to the Old Constitutions. References can be found in both the York and Cooke manuscripts. Nimrod was purported to be a great hunter and an architect of many cities, hence his tie to Freemasonry.
The idea of Nimrod being an insult may stem from extra-Biblical traditions that connect his involvement to the fabled Tower of Babel. However, some scholars believe the negativity to be more modern contrivance, dating to the 1930's, when Bugs Bunny used the name "Nimrod" to taunt Elmer Fudd.
The Pinal County Animal Care and Control is once again full of dogs and needs our help again. Please bring in your old blankets and dog toys for us to donate for our next Stated Meeting!! There will be a box for collection of the donated items!
Other items that are needed: Cleaning supplies - Blankets and towels – Peanut butter (xylitolfree) – Pet Food Medicine - Office supplies - Grooming tools
Grand Care (GCARE) is designed to support Arizonans by funding one-time medical care payments or by reimbursing co-payments for Arizona citizens who receive medical care because they suffer from a "chronic disease" constituting a chronic health condition. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control defines "chronic diseases" as those conditions that exist for at least, but no less than, one calendar year and require ongoing medical attention or limited activities of daily living or both, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's Disease, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes, and Stroke.
We are committed to helping those with chronic illness deal with the high cost of medical care, prescriptions and co-pays. We understand hardships are caused for basic living needs when one is living with a chronic illness. Our organization is committed to operating with excellence while providing ser-
vice.
Grand Care is an Arizona non-profit corporation and gratefully accepts IRS 501(C)
(3) tax-deductible contributions from individuals, business and groups
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission. You can mail donations to P.O. Box 64251, Tucson, Arizona 85728 4251 or send them securely through our certified PayPal account.
https://azgcare.org/
The George Washington Memorial Society comprises a select group of members who are dedicated to supporting the Memorial and its Mission. The purpose of the Society is to raise support for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial’s operations and to increase awareness of the Memorial’s mission among Freemasons and the wider community.
The emblem of the Society is a special version of the official crest of The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. An image of the Memorial building in the center of the emblem serves as an important reminder of the commitment that each member of the George Washington Memorial Society has made.
Please note that GWMS membership is for individuals only. Lodges are encouraged to consider the Society of Washington Lodges, and other opportunities for support are available for lodges and other organizations as well.
Charter Membership is conferred for contributions of $1,000 or more to the Memorial with the membership application, and $250 or more per year thereafter.
Your Memorial Society dues benefit our annual fund, and are put to use to support the daily operations of the Memorial. To support the restoration work, consider an additional contribution to the Landmark Century Campaign.
2023-24 Grand Master F. & A.M of Arizona
