From the West – August 2019

Brethren,

July has been a busy month. In addition to the Stated at which FCM Cox gave an excellent performance of his proficiency. The Grand Lodge held its golf tournament at Stone Creek for the benefit of the Children’s fund, OMCF, and the Masonic family picnic at Oaks Park.

We need to start our thinking about the appointment of a Lodge Historian. We have a very sizeable collection of records and memorabilia. This collection needs attention and some TLC . It is also important that we record for those who will follow both the landmark events of our times but also the details of the context in which they occurred.

One of the important lessons of our fraternity is the importance of storytelling. To say that we have been organized for 150 years and not be able to tell the many stories about how we got here allows this event to become meaningless. If you have an interest, WM Dave Munson would love to hear from you.

A thought from a friend and Brother:

GEOMETRY
I am geometry…
I am the line or thread… . I am the continuity of the plumb
line. And from the plumb line comes knowledge of the
physical laws of the universe. For all measurements must
follow from geometry. All science from the plumb line.

I am the principle of truth. I define constancy. I am before
logic and arithmetic rounds me. I am the space within space.
I am that by which all can be measured.
I am the longitude, and the latitude. I am the inch and every
inch of the circumference of the earth.
I am before the foundation.

I am geometry.
I am at the root of mathematics, and can be more easily
expressed as the study of measurement, properties of point,
lines, angles, planes and solids. I have given illumination to
all liberal arts and sciences, from Geodesy (the study of earth’s
size), to astronomy, from biology to chemistry.

For example, from geodesy we have learned the diameter of
our earth is 7,926.41 miles and that its circumference is 24,901
miles. It was a Greek philosopher who was credited with
assessing the earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles at about
240 B.C. His name was Eratosthenes. Our sun has a diameter
109 times larger than the earth, and 1.3 million earths could fit
inside the sun. We have learned that Mercury and Venus are
like two moths flying too close to the flame of the sun for life
to exist there. From Mars to Pluto the suns fuse fizzles out and
all those planets lay desolate and cold.

But, for earth, which is at such a precise distance from the sun
and is able to focus on the right kind of attention, so that the
sun’s great bounty pours out of space, at the speed of light,
from heaven, infusing our world with water.

The sun is a gaseous star, that’s made mostly of hydrogen,
about 70% hydrogen. Hydrogen is the first element on the
periodic table and has one electron racing around one proton,
like one earth orbiting one sun.

With best compliments:
Tofique

Warren Burkholder, SW