Lebanon Lodge #22 Barry Klopfer

Lebanon Lodge #22 Lodge #22

By Barry Klopfer

Lebanon Lodge #22 has existed in the Gallup area continuously since 1896.

Centuries ago, stonemasons constructed many magnificent buildings, cathedrals, and structures throughout the world.As they built structures, the entry level for new stonemasons was as an apprentice - learning tools and skills of the trade. They advanced to become a journeyman and when they had developed their skills, became master masons.

Over time, the stonemasons relaxed the requirements for membership in their guilds to include those men who were not stonemasons or builders, but who were deemed to uphold the same levels of values and integrity. In today’s Masonic lodges, new members advance to different levels of membership through degrees; EnteredApprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. Degrees are plays or theatrical productions, in which the new member participates and utilizes stonemason’s symbols to teach.

The Masonic degrees teach life lessons - honor and integrity, being a person on whom others can rely, being both trusting and trustworthy, realizing that we have a spiritual, as well as a physical and emotionally mature self-control, and of knowing how to love and be loved. Masons also hold regular business meetings where they enjoy the fellowship of others, support charity and philanthropies and develop skills such as leadership and public speaking.

Lodges also have events and meetings to which the public is invited. These can include various educational and entertainment events, such as, picnics, annual installation of officers, cornerstone laying ceremonies, and Knights Templar Observances for Christmas and Easter. This year we will be hosting three traveling musicians for our house concerts, beginning with guitarist Kray Van Kirk of Alaska who will be joining us inApril. Then two concerts will take place in June and September. We host a local Grief Support Group, a Storyteller and Poetry Group, The Forum where a variety of topics are discussed utilizing the Masonic principles of education and civil dialogue, and will hold a public art, photo, and poster show in May. All of these events are open to the public.To obtain information on upcoming public events, send an email to GallupEvents@yahoo.com.

Academics of music and architecture, historians, sociologists, cultural anthropologists, and representatives of other disciplines have found that Freemasonry runs as a thread through many of the events which have shaped the political, economic, cultural, and social world we know today in areas, such as individualism, democracy, human rights, rights of workers, arts and architecture, public education and health.

The Masonic fraternity in Gallup includes several related groups; the York Rite Masons, Knights Templar, and Shriners. Masonry teaches that each person has a responsibility to make things better in the world and in addition to self development, they do this by supporting charities and philanthropies on both a national and local level. Our local support is often done quietly, like helping a widow pay her electric bill, buying coats and shoes for disadvantaged children, supporting our local food pantry, or helping to pay for wreaths on the graves of veterans at Christmas.

On a national level, we support leading medical

research programs; including cardiology, curing and/or alleviating medical conditions stemming from vascular diseases, prevention and care for diseases and conditions of the eyes in adults, children and infants, as well as others. This research benefits our local area in increased medical knowledge.

We support a visitation program at all of the national Veteran’s Hospitals, provide free eye exams for seniors without insurance and who haven’t had an exam in at least 3 years and the well known burn, orthopedic, spinal cord, and cleft palate deformities care and treatment provided at no charge to children at the 22 Shriner’s Hospitals throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. In fact, $2 million dollars is provided every day for our worldwide charitable and philanthropic programs. The majority of those funds and services go to those who are not Masons.

A spiritual belief is required for membership, although Masonry is not a religion. Masonry encourages every Mason to be active in the religion and church of his choice. To be a Mason, one must be at least 18 years of age, an area resident for at least 6 months, be financially able to pay an initial fee and annual dues, and willing to commit time and effort to regularly support and attend lodge functions.

We don’t ask men to become members. Becoming a Mason is a commitment -- so once a man decides he would like to be a member, he can ask a Mason or contact the local lodge for an application at lebanonlodge22@ yahoo.com. Once the application is returned, the lodge will appoint several men to meet you and your family, to find out a bit about you and you can ask questions about Masonry. Then these men report back to the lodge and the lodge votes on the application. To become a full member can take from a few months up to a year, depending on the individual.