March 2017 Stated Communication

Brethren,

I would like to first congratulate and welcome our newly passed Fellowcraft brothers. The light in Masonry continues to get brighter as the journey moves forward. So, keep up the good work, there is more to come. I also want to acknowledge and congratulate the degree team and all the Brethren that were present at our February Stated Communication. Everyone did their part plus more, and that’s what it is going to take for us to continue improving our degree work. I thought everyone did a great job, and I look forward to watching everyone improve as we move through this year and the years to come.

The February Stated Communication provided some lessons moving forward – the first being that our Lodge should be prepared to receive any visiting Grand Lodge Officers. The Acting Grand Master of Masons of the District of the Columbia graced us with his presence, and it was up to us to receive him using the proper Masonic protocol. We were not prepared for this. Nonetheless, we put our heads together and after a quick read through of the ritual, we received the Grand Master, in not so perfect form, but we did it! As the Master of St. John’s Lodge No. 11, I take full responsibility for being unprepared to receive the Grand Master and being able to lead the Brethren in conducting the proper reception. R.W.B. Richard J. Bautista, Acting Grand Master at the time, is an understanding and patient man who worked with our ritual team to teach us the correct way the Grand Master is to be received. He was also extremely kind in his words to the Lodge and is a wealth of knowledge of all things Masonic.

The Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia, M.W.B. Roman Volsky, has implemented an initiative to enhance Lodges’ abilities and their mastery of rituals not conducted on a regular basis, such as receiving the Grand Master. He is challenging us to become better Masons by encouraging us to pay close attention to detail and training us to perform in the right way no matter what environmental factors are in play. As Masons, we must be prepared for anything big or small, and we mustn’t act with hesitation. I’m proud of our Lodge for coming together and doing our best. We will learn these rituals as we move forward, and I have no doubt in our Lodge’s ability to execute on short notice. Looking forward to seeing each and every Brother at the next Stated on March 3rd.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
James S. Parkhurst
Worshipful Master

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February 2017 Stated Communication

What a way to start off the 2017 year! We were honored to have many distinguished visitors at the January Stated including: Most Worshipful Brother Julio César Aldana, 33°, Grand Master of Guatemala and Noble Shriner, and his aid, Brother Enrique Molina, Worshipful Brother Alberto Caneto 33°, Past Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge Of Uruguay, Past Master; and Noble Shriner Luis G. Cisneros 32°, Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, Past Master and Past Potentate of Almas Shriners 2015 from the Grand Master of Masons of Guatemala. I was both excited and challenged as the Grand Master’s first language is not English nor do I speak Spanish fluently, but our translator did a great job and the Grand Master’s message was on point and one we all share as Masons. That message being that no matter where you go in the world, a Brother is a Brother is a Brother. Our tenants and beliefs in the Brotherhood are aligned and our desire to be pillars and beacons of light for our fellow man and our community are always at the forefront of our minds.

In addition to our wonderful guests, we also finished up committee appointments. I hope that each Brother appointed will take on this task with the devotion and effort they would wish another Brother to have in their place. It’s our goal to be active and engaging. This requires cooperation and effort from all committee members and the Brethren. Things will not just happen, it requires work from all of us so please take your appointments seriously and be creative, be brave, be bold, present your ideas, ask questions, and always seek to improve our community and our Lodge.

At the February Stated we will confer a Fellowcraft Degree. I hope every Brother can be there for this wonderful event. It is a special night for our Entered Apprentices, and the more support we have the greater their experience will be. As there are many opportunities for practice, I hope that this degree will be an improvement from our previous ones, and, I know, as we move forward,, our degree teams will continue to get stronger, right along with our Lodge as a whole.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the February meeting! 

Sincerely and Fraternally,
James S. Parkhurst
Worshipful Master 

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January 2017 Stated Communication

Season’s Greetings Brethren!

I would first like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and a happy New Year! I am very excited for 2017, as I am sure many of you are. This is generally the time of year that people begin setting goals for the New Year and coming up with their New Year Resolutions, only to forget about them a couple of weeks in. Luckily for us, the goals and objectives for our Lodge will not be forgotten and pushed off to another day or year. We are lucky to have so many capable, willing, and accountable Brethren that I know can ensure that our goals for 2017 are met with pride.

Our goals this year are focused around providing high quality degree rituals, bringing in candidates we know will benefit from the Craft and who are excited about receiving more light from Masonry, and also giving back and making our presence more known in our local communities.

That being said, we will be conferring a Fellowcraft Degree on Friday, February 3rd. This should pro- vide ample time for each Brother to practice for the degree. It is my hope to coordinate two in person degree team practices before the evening of February 3rd. I encourage each Brother to do their best to perform their place’s or station’s role in the degree work. We have been inching closer and closer over the years toward performing quality degree work, and have significantly reduced our dependence on outside assistance. It is my hope we can continue that progression and continue to grow in our knowledge, understanding, and application of the lessons we teach in each of the degrees. The applica- tions of the lessons are truly the important parts, and we have to do our best to communicate those lessons clearly and effectively.

This month, Worshipful Brother Ron Perkins, P.M., ascended to meet the Great Architect. He was an active member of our Lodge since before my initiation and was always a beacon of positivity and light for all Masons alike. Lodge won’t be the same without W.B. Perkins around, but we can rest assured knowing he is no longer sick or suffering and has moved onto a better place. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please keep the Perkins family in your prayers.

Again, Happy Holiday and Happy New Year! Those that are traveling, please travel safely and remem- ber to practice patience out there amongst the crowds! See you all in 2017!

Sincerely and Fraternally,

James S. Parkhurst Worshipful Master

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December 2016 Stated Communication

Greetings Brethren,

I welcome you all to the beginning of a new Masonic year! I thank you for your confidence in me and your assistance in operating this Lodge moving forward. It is my desire that each and every Brother feels like they are not only a part of this Lodge, but a part of something even larger than that, the entire Masonic family. It is also my desire that we all work together to ensure that our events are well coordinated and planned, that our community beyond the Lodge’s walls is aware we are here and that we are having a positive impact on the community we live in.

I want each Brother to know that I am approachable on any subject and that my interests are aligned with the interest of the Lodge as a whole. To continue WB Nalty's legacy theme; we are about to embark on yet another new chapter in our Lodge’s long book. How we as a lodge will make it unique will be up to us. Working together I know we will have a great year, raise many great men, and continue to accomplish our goals as a Lodge and as a Brotherhood.

This year’s Officer Installation Ceremony is open to family, friends, Masons, and non-Mason alike. I encourage you all to please invite your families and others so they can continue to be engaged with the Lodge.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
James S. Parkhurst
Senior Warden, Worshipful Master-elect

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November 2016 Stated Communication

Greetings Brethren!

I want to thank everyone that attended the Grand Lodge Visitation at the October Stated. I also want to give thanks and recognition to those Brothers who stepped up into chairs they have not sat in before. A special shout out goes to W.B. Stevenson, P.M., who had only moments to prepare himself for his role, he did a fantastic job, and we were able to open lodge without issue, and almost on time. The Grand Master and Grand Lodge Officers heard a healthy report from our end, and their acknowledge- ments of our improving strength as a Lodge were numerous and thoughtful.

This Grand Visitation was particularly memorable in that in coincided with the passing of a long time brother and Masonic scholar and contributor, M.W.B, Bill Chaney, Past Grand Master, and he was one of P.M. John Regner’s Masonic mentors. WB Regner was honored that night as our Fidelity Medal holder. A beautiful prayer was delivered to honor our recently lost M.W.B. Chaney during that cere- mony. It was truly a beautiful experience considering the situation.

In addition, we were also blessed with the Grand Lodge awarding the first ever in DC’s jurisdiction, a 70-year pin to our Brother Jack Barnes. At age 92, he has been a Mason since he was 22 years old. It was truly astounding to be a part of that ceremony, and it was an honor meeting a Brother of our Lodge that has been around Masonry for as long as he has.

I hope that as the months go on each of our Stated Communications can be as memorable at this one was. Brethren, I really want to make this upcoming year as enjoyable and educational as possible. I would like all the Brethren to think about and communicate to me some of the things they would like to learn about Masonry during this upcoming year or other activities they think would be great addi- tions to our schedule. The more effort we put into having productive and memorable communications the more value we can extract. So please do not hesitate to inform the Lodge of suggestions and ideas. 

Fraternally,
James S. Parkhurst - Senior Warden 

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October 2016 Stated Communication

Greetings Brethren!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable September and has been able to get out and enjoy the relatively mild month thus far. As you all know, I am writing “From the East” this month because our Worshipful Master has made his transition from Washington, DC, to London and will not be able join us for the remainder of the Masonic year. I look forward to serving the Lodge and will do my best to ensure that St. John’s Lodge No. 11 meets the expectations set forth by Worshipful Brother Nalty and that his goals and objectives for the remainder of the year are achieved.

Those who might have forgotten, October’s stated will entail our Grand Lodge Visitation Ceremony. It is essential that all attend, if within the length of your cable tow to do so. This will demonstrate to the Grand Lodge that we are a thriving lodge and that we have Masons dedicated to the craft and to their fellow Brethren.

I wanted to share some of the thoughts and reactions that I had and felt following this month’s Grand Lodge Leadership Conference. The conference was not only educational it was also a great opportuni- ty to meet other Masons within our jurisdiction. I had many discussions with other “soon-to-be Wor- shipful Masters” about combining our efforts to engage further into our local communities. We dis- cussed working together to organize events and fundraisers, and discussed the advantages of traveling and visiting other lodges around the city in an effort to learn new things and encourage fellowship between lodges. Most seem to agree that they thought it was not only beneficial to visit other lodges to learn and to see how they do things, but also encourage visitors to come to our Lodge. It puts the pres- sure on the members to perform well and to be efficient when others are visiting. I believe this type of pressure is positive and pushes us to become better at rituals and degree work.

One of the major topics discussed at the conference was effective communication. Communication is essential, and, if not done effectively, can sometimes cause more trouble than good. I want us all to focus on communication moving forward. I want thought-out opinions to be expressed. I want con- cerns, comments, and questions to be addressed. I want to be part of a lodge culture that encourages input and the free flow of information to our Brethren. This is our Lodge, not just the pillar officers’ Lodge and that is something that we cannot forget. We are all in this together, and it’s going to take all of us as a unit to ensure that things are done at the will of the Lodge. So please, I encourage you all to be open with your thoughts, be open to receive other’s thoughts, and be open to change if at the will of the Lodge. Our job is to ensure that our Lodge remains operating for eternity, and our decisions should be reflective of this philosophy.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon. 

Fraternity,

James S. Parkhurst, Senior Warden

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September 2016 Stated Communication

Brethren,

I wanted to use this Lodge Bulletin to enter into the record the Masonic Education piece I did at the August Stated on the Forget-Me-Not flower and its importance to Masonry.

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The Forget-Me-Not is the colloquial term for the genus of flowers called Myosotis (Greek for “Mouse’s Ear”). There are actually 74 accepted species who all get the name Forget-Me-Not, and share very similar characteristics: about 1 centimeter (cm) in width, having a yellowish center, and 5 petals (usually in the colors of pinks, blues, and whites).

The mythology around the flower began in Germany, where the story is told that God named all the plants and a tiny unnamed flower cried out, "Forget-me-not, O Lord!" God replied, "That shall be your name!” The importance of the flower continued, and in 15th Century Germany, men and women tended to wear them as to not be forgotten by their lovers.

The English use of the Forget-Me-Not name came from England’s King Henry IV, who adopted the flower as his symbol while in exile around 1398. When he returned to England shortly after, he directly translated the German name “Das Vergissmeinnicht.”

The role of the flower in Masonry began in 1926 when the Grand Lodge of Zur Sonne in Bremen, Germany chose the emblem to remind Masons of the “Poor and Destitute” and not to forget their Obligation, specifically to those groups. 

Unfortunately, with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany in early 1930’s; Masons became a political target for the new regime. One of the first edicts put out by Adolf Hitler was to have the Nazi control all manners of education within Germany, and the second, to make Masonic membership a crime against the State. Hitler saw the allegory and symbolism of Masonic history as counter to the “actual” German Aryan history, and in league with the “Jewish Conspiracy.”

Masons aware of this threat to themselves and the Craft, decided to cease using the publicly known Square and Compass, and instead used the Forget-Me-Not as a signal to other Brothers.

While the Masons were able to keep the secret of the Forget-Me-Not emblem throughout the war, the relentless attacks by the Nazis could not be held off forever.

Sadly, shortly after, Adolf Eichmann, who would go on to later orchestrate the horrible “Final Solution,” raided the Grand Lodge of Germany and was able to acquire records (including names and addresses) of the most of the 85,000 Masons in Germany at the time. His orders were to eliminate these ‘Enemies of the State’ which he did with terrifying results. It is estimated that only about 5000 Masons managed to go into hiding with Lodge documents and associated paraphernalia. Many of the others would be executed immediately, charged in shame State courts, or sent to Concentration Camps.

Masons within Nazi capture regions throughout Europe during World War II were found similarly to be political undesirables and enemies of the State. Those sent to Concentration Camps were given an inverted Red Triangle, the same symbol shared by political prisoners: social democrats, socialists, trade unionists, communists, and anarchists.

The total number of Masons killed by the Nazi regime is unknown, but many have put the value between 100,000 to 200,000.

Ironically, the factory used to make Masonic Forget-Me-Not pins in the 1920’s and early 1930’s was requisitioned by the Nazis in 1938 to make Forget-Me-Not pins for the new Nazi Charity Organization. This organization was meant to force average Germans to pay for the State’s social programs (pensions and insurance) so that money could be used instead for weapons and rearmament projects.

The Masonic use of the flower would continue throughout the war, with Masons in hiding, and those in the Camps wearing them to show their true dedication to the Craft. Actually, the Nazi’s use of the flower for their own devices, actually gave Masons some ability to be covertly public.

In 1947, as Germany begun to come out of the darkness of Nazi control and the defeat by the Allied Powers; the Grand Lodge of the Sun chose the Forget-Me-Not as a memorial to those Masons who had lost there lives, and those also who had lived through the darkness. The Light of Masonry in Germany was to be rekindled.

In 1948, the newly reformed first Convent of the United Grand Lodges of Germany, would proclaim the flower as a remembrance for all Masons who had died during World War II.

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Bon voyage, Worshipful!

Fraternally,
Ryan Nalty Worshipful Master 

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August 2016 Stated Communication

Brethren,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this [ed. second to] last Lodge bulletin as the sitting Master in the East.

As most of you are aware, my wife and I will be moving to London in September to begin Masters programs. While this represents a major step forward in my life, it sadly also means stepping away from Washing- ton, D.C., and St. John’s Lodge No. 11.

It has been one of my proudest accomplishments to be a part of this illustrious and noble Craft, and even more to do it within the halls of St. John’s. This Lodge has seen so many Masons traverse through, that I feel incredibly honored to be a name within the many great chapters this Lodge has written, and will continue to write.

To the Brethren, thank you all for being my Brothers, my confidants, and, importantly, my friends. I know that the bounds of Brotherhood are not easily broken by any length of distance.

Especially now, in the ever more chaotic world in which we live, the importance of Brotherly love and esteem is ever more paramount.

So, I leave you with the words of 1980’s American musicians and philosophers, Bill S. Preston, Esq., and Ted "Theodore" Logan;

“Be most excellent to each other”

Fraternally,
Ryan Nalty Worshipful Master 

June 2016 Stated Communication

Brethren,

First, it is really excited to have EA Brothers Timbers and Smith join the Craft and St. John's.

I thought this was a good point to reminder ourselves of what we were looking for when we first joined Masonry.  We all came with different passions, needs and thoughts of what this journey meant to us.  Personally, I wanted to be a part of something bigger than just myself, and in full honesty, I wanted to join a fraternity that was willing to not just support me, but also my wife and potential children.  Some may a support or safety net, I call it a family.

As I mentioned in Lodge, we are reminded that this is a lifetime commitment and journey. When we put on the apron, walk into the Lodge room; we are reaffirming our pledge to be a better man, to seek the just path.  But in reality, we should be wearing those aprons each and every moment of our lives.  The Lodge room moves with us, everywhere we go.

While on the surface this can seem daunting and arduous; remember the "me" becomes a "we".  As Masons, we walk our own life paths, but paths are blessed when in the company of friends.  Each and every brother supports one another, from the EA to the Past Master.  

And most importantly, everyone has something to teach about life, and everyone needs to learn.

Fraternally, Ryan Nalty, Worshipful Master

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May 2016 Stated Communication

Brethren,

I wanted to use my place in the Lodge Bulletin to discuss the power of debate and discourse. With the U.S. election cycle all around us, it can be very difficult to sometimes see that debate has a purpose and a nobler truth.  Often now, debates have become about talking points, press conferences, or tweets to a captive and agreeable audience. The chance to have an honest debate and really understand issues, now long gone.

I am reminded of the quote from US Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes:

There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with skylights. All fact collectors with no aim beyond their facts are one-story men. Two-story men compare reason and generalize, using labors of the fact collectors as well as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, and predict. Their best illuminations come from above through the skylight.

Masonry was founded as a place, no...a sanctuary, for three story men.  We seek to look at the world, its facts and its generalizations with an illumination that few others ever seek.

Today, one could even assume that Justice Holmes would likely even create a new status of basement intellects, as facts have become less valuable than opinions and passions.  Our abilities to see opposing viewpoint as valid seems to be lost in this world of instant media and self-selection of information.

We as Masons must keep discourse alive.  If you look at our Lodge, we have many Brothers, with different political viewpoints, different outlooks on life, but we can all sit as equals in our great temple of Brotherhood.  We must attempt to bring that intellectual equality to our lives every day.

If only the world could look a little more like the Craft.

Fraternally, Ryan Nalty, Worshipful Master

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