The Chaplain’s Corner – December 2017
As this Masonic year is ending, this is my last article and I pray for it to be the most important one that I have written.
Thanksgiving is over, and we are into the Christmas season. I want to leave you with thoughts that if you put into action, will make Washington Lodge #46 a very dynamic, thriving lodge.
You are on the verge of new leadership. Of all the Masonic poems that I’ve read, and I’ve read at least a thousand, this one by Brother Edgar Guest stands out to me.
“I’d rather watch a winner, than hear one any day
I’d rather have him walk with me, than merely show the way
The eye’s a better pupil, more willing than the ear
Find counsel is confusing but example’s always clear
The best of all the coaches, are the ones who live their creeds
For to see the good in action is what everybody needs
I can soon learn how to do it, if you show me how it’s done
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run
the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do
For I may misunderstand you, and the high advice you give,
But there is no misunderstanding how you act and how you live,
Yes, I’d rather watch a winner, than hear one any day
I’d rather watch a leader, modelling the way.”
As an elected or appointed officer, can you provide that leadership of loyalty, of energy, a positive attitude, being dynamic, enthusiastic, risk-taking, a strategist, honest, inspirational, and prestigious? Can you provide that kind of leadership; so that Freemasonry will continue to be the most dynamic, the most powerful, the most prestigious and greatest organization in the world? That’s a challenge I leave with you.
Yes, give your Brethren that encouragement; that they are important; that they are appreciated; before it is too late; before we lose too many Brethren in Freemasonry.
Now, for your friends, family, and co-workers, at this Christmas season, I’ll leave you with another poem.
“If you have a tender message,
Or a loving word to say,
Don’t wait until you forget it,
Just whisper it today.
Those tender words unspoken,
That letter never sent,
Those long awaited messages
That wealth of love unspent.
For these some hearts are breaking,
For these some loved ones wait.
So give them what they need,
Before it is too late.”
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Chaplain for the last two years. It has been a rewarding experience, and I’ll miss every one of you. As Spock in Star Trek said, “Live long and prosper!”
In Masonic Service,
WB Ken Hall, Chaplain
