Saturday, August 16, 2008

Specialis Procer...Our First Degree

Last evening the members of Specialis Procer Lodge U.D. conferred our first degree on Bro. Kevin Hoffman. Generally one would think that the first degree conferred by a new lodge would be the Entered Apprentice, but we Gnemeth Lodge in West Des Moines allowed us to confer the Master Mason degree on Bro. Kevin.

Bro. Kevin is the real life brother of our Senior Warden, Bro. Kurt Hoffman...now these young men are not only real life brothers, but also Masonic brothers. Kurt had the honor of raising his brother to the sublime degree of a Master Mason...that is something that I'm sure is not common. Bro. Randy Simmons conferred the degree and Bro. Tim Bonney portrayed King Solomon in the second section. This was Tim's first time being K.S. and he did a great job. I know he had some jitters...I remember my first time!

Kevin will be moving to Florida today to go to college. I do hope that he seeks out a lodge in Florida to attend.

As I sat in the Senior Warden's chair last night, I had a lot of thoughts going through my head. One of the thoughts that I had was how this was another "first" for Specialis Procer. Some day somebody will read the minutes of the lodge and read about the first degree that we conferred and wonder what the evening was like. Another thought that I had was how cool and refreshing the air was that was coming through the open windows (at least for the first part of the evening). How many times do we go to a degree anymore and the windows are open with the breeze drifting through with the sounds of the outer world in the background. I thought about George Carr last evening. George would have been proud to have seen us raising a new brother to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in his beloved Scottish Rite Temple, a place he dearly loved. I also thought of the committment level to FreeMasonry that was exhibited in that room. The brothers that were there last evening live Masonry every single day. I also set there and thought about what Bro. Kurt has contributed in the short time that he has been a member of our gentle craft. This young man has contributed more in the past few months than a lot of our brothers do in their entire lifetime. It is refreshing to see a young man so committed and so understanding of what Freemasonry is really all about.

2 comments:

Jeff said...

Masonry is real life.

Luz do Oriente said...

Dear Brother
I don't know where your Lodge is located but your comments make me think on the diversity of our Obediences. In the Latin world we are very strict on the symbolic and esoteric meaning in what we do. Sometimes I listen around the comment that we take it to serious and freemasonry is, basically, an occasion or a pretext to have some drinks and chat with the guys. Is there any true in this? If this is right probably most of us [and the Brother you mention]has probably better things to do than make perambulations around. No? Fraternally. L&O