Vol. VIII, No. 2 (December 2013)
Vol. VIII, No. 2
Hiram Words Hiram Words
Page 1
••••• ••••• The official quarterly publication of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Illinois December 2013 C.E. ~ December 2543 A.I.
Brotherly Love
Companion Tim Ward, Grand Webmaster, Editor - Hiram Words The holiday season is upon us once again... it is time to eat, drink, and be merry. But that is not really what the season is about. Set aside the commercialism, the desire for physical “stuff” , the frantic need to have fun no matter what.
Most Excellent Grand High Priest’s Message
Remeber that line from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? “What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Our Illinois 2013-14 Strategic Plan contains 5 Pillars or primary initiatives, supporting the “roof of Royal Arch Masonry”. Join me in exploring one of the initiatives contained in Pillar 2 which is dedicated to improving that element that connects us all; our 4 degrees. We are building on that foundation created by these degrees, but expanding their core value by taking them beyond the walls of our individual Chapter rooms; even beyond the borders of our State. In doing so, we are not only rekindling the fires of camaraderie within our State, but magnifying the connective power of these allegorical lessons as we unite with companions of neighboring states.
As Masons we are encouraged to embrace the concept of Brotherly Love. There are many definitions but the most fitting I have found is from thefreedictionary.com: “a kindly and lenient attitude towards people”. It is considered synonymous with Charity and is related to Benevolence. Yes, Christmas is a time of religeous celebration, but after reading that definition, who can argue that Brotherly Love is not an important part of that true spirit of Christmas? So go forth my Brothers, my Companions, my dear friends; embrace Brotherly Love, show your charity and benevolence, let that be your gift to others, not just during the holiday season, but all the year round. May you all find peace and happiness and life bring you joy. Remeber your friends and know that even in hardship, you always have a Brother to lean on. Any materials you would like to submit for publication should be emailed to me directly at: ilshriner@gmail.com. In addition, I welcome any comments or suggestion on how we can improve our publication. å
Companion Alan M. Hubble, MEGHP
Chapter Camaraderie: Build good memories; Make new friends “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”, Abraham Lincoln Brotherhood. Fellowship. Camaraderie. These words describe that quality which is at the heart of our Fraternity. Understanding and inspiring this quality therefore becomes of tantamount importance to our path for the future.
Build good memories; Make new friends Reflecting on my past Masonic travels, I recall the fun I experienced when two or more of us York Rite Masons would pile into a car and set out to support another Chapter in exemplifying their degrees; sometimes it would be multiple cars from the same Chapter or in concert with other area Chapters. The drive would give us sequestered time, not unlike a lodge or chapter meeting, to banter back and forth, exchange Masonic and secular news and trivia, and to engage in what some may term, humor. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by smiling members of the host Chapter, delighted that we showed up to either assist in the degrees or to support their candidates; sometimes bringing candidates of our own. On almost every occasion, I met someone new, learned something about the local chapter or gained some tips on how we might add value to the exemplification of our degrees back home. Often resulting from the drive time there and back, I would learn something about Companions of whom I thought I knew everything. But at every event we visited, there were always elements of the familiar and elements of the new. Masons are often referred to as “travelers”; our rituals are saturated with such references. Performing degrees with Companions with whom we have never worked before, somehow made the degrees new. In working together with guys we haven’t worked with in the past, in itself creates a new connection with that team, an element of the “new”. But we also had an opportunity to reinforce the elements of familiarity based on the values that we hold in common. (continued on page 2)