Practicing the Principal Tenets of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Adam Samuel Roth

The next time you go to Lodge and sit down on the sidelines, take a look at the brother on your right. Do you have his number in your phone? Take a look at the brother on your left. Do you have his number in your phone? How well do you know your brothers? Would you feel comfortable asking your brother for help or advice if needed? Would you help him or give truthful advice if he asked?

The principal tenets of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. These tenets are intertwined because you can't have one without the other. You cannot be one's brother unless you are willing to be true to them and give them aid. This is how you express love.

In many jurisdictions, a charge is given when a Lodge is closed. In that charge, we are challenged to remember that we have "solemnly bound" ourselves to "relieve every Brother who shall need your assistance." But do we actually do this? Do we use the excuse of our cable tow being too short too often? Being a father of two children not yet in school, I know that I am guilty of this.

Along with giving help to our brothers in need, we need to ensure that a brother is not too proud to ask for help. In many Jewish circles, you are encouraged to ask for help when you need it. When you ask for help, you are giving someone an opportunity to fulfill their obligation to do a mitzvah. A mitzvah is often translated to mean a good deed, but it actually means commandment. In the Jewish faith, there are 613 mitzvot or commandments that need to be observed. A number of them are related to being true while giving aid to those who are in need. The word mitzvah is related to the Aramaic word tzavta, which means to attach or join. By fulfilling the mitzvah and Masonic tenet of Relief, you are creating an attachment to your brother, a connection for Brotherly Love to flourish.

My challenge to you is the next time you need help, ask your brother for it. Do you need advice? Ask your brother for it. The next time you hear the call to help a brother in need, show your brotherly love and heed it.

~ASR

Bro. Adam Samuel Roth was raised in Anacostia Lodge No. 21, now Anacostia-Pentalpha Lodge No. 21, in Washington, DC and is a member of Acacia Lodge No. 16 in Clifton, Virginia. He has held numerous officer positions in both lodges. He is also a member of the Scottish Rite, Valleys of Washington (DC) and Alexandria, and the Kena Shrine in Manassas, VA. Bro. Roth is a devoted husband and father who works for a government agency in the United States of America.

MSA Issues Hurricane Relief Appeal

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

This year’s hurricane season has been particularly rough on the gulf coast area. Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas and the Houston area especially. The Grand Lodge of Texas has requested assistance and is working through the Masonic Service Association (MSA) of North America for an appeal for funds.

MSA has a long history of coordinating disaster relief appeals on behalf of the Grand Lodges of North America.

MSA has issued this appeal and donations can be made on the MSA website here: http://www.msana.com/msappeals.asp#texas or you can send a check to:

Please make checks payable to MSA Disaster Relief Fund and send them to:

Masonic Service Association
3905 National Drive, Suite 280
Burtonsville, MD 20866.

When remitting funds to MSA, please mark checks, "Texas Disaster Appeal."

The MSA appeal is the single best way to help other Masons.

As of this writing Hurricane Irma is making its way to Florida. The Tyler’s Place Podcast has put together a special episode on this storm with some great information. This episode can be accessed at: https://www.spreaker.com/user/tylersplace/hurricane-special?autoplay=true

Please keep those that have been affected by this devastation in your thoughts and prayers. As Freemasons, we have a long history of helping others, including our fellow brothers when they face adversity.

On behalf of the Midnight Freemasons, we wish the best for all those whose lives have been affected by this devastation.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington

Put Your Dues On Autopilot

Insight from a forgetful Brother

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Ryan Carl Mercer 32°

So let's face it, some of us forget to set our dues aside every year and when we get that letter from the secretary we go something along the lines of "Is it that time already?" or "I wonder how long I can ignore this before the secretary catches on...", well okay maybe the latter is just me, ha! Sometimes coming up with those funds at the end of the year can be a bit challenging, I mean it's the holidays and you've to worry about such things as travel, gifts for umpteen people and in parts of the northern hemisphere increased heating costs due to it being winter.

Brothers, I have great news for you though, you don't have to find yourself scrambling to find your dues at the end of the year nor do you have to make it a conscious effort to set the money aside throughout the year. You see, I'm going to let you in on a little trick I've successfully applied elsewhere in my life and this year have begun applying to my various dues. I've used this trick to allow me to upgrade to the latest iPhone each time a new number comes out, to cover my out-of-pocket for medical and vision expenses and as a bachelor even to fund my rather unsuccessful attempts at first dates. What is this secret you ask...

Automatic savings. Yup, that's right, automatic savings. Such an idea has long existed in the form of a "Christmas club" but I notice a lot of people don't apply it to other areas of their life. Living in the 21st century we have the wonder that is online banking (and even online banks). I've long had an account with ING, now Capital One 360, and with the click of a mouse I can create a new savings account which I can fund via my checking account with that institution. Presently I have several accounts for various estimated taxes, a personal savings, my gadget fund and my out-of-pocket medical fund. After firing off my dues check in late December it hit me "Why don't you have an account just for dues?!".

Just imagine one of these with "Dues" on it.

You see, the beauty of it is I can have a set amount come out of my checking account on a set day, weekly, bi-weekly etc. The easiest way to apply this to your dues is to make a new account with your bank of choice and name it dues, now take your current annual dues from your Blue Lodge and any other bodies you belong and then decide how often you want to automatically fund the account. For me, I find it best to have the money come out weekly and I put a bit extra in each week as I found that 10$ coming out weekly is not missed one bit. At the end of the year when I pay dues for the next any money that is left over I can use to purchase any commemorative rounds, donate to the local Masonic home, or spend on subscriptions for worthwhile Masonic publications for the next year. Doing something like this will not only make it easier for you to pay your dues with little worry, but make your secretary's life that much easier when he receives your dues in a timely fashion.

Another benefit about doing this is you have the ability to shop around for a 'high' yield savings account, start by looking at 'online' banks such as Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Synchrony Bank and FNBO Direct. Personally I use Capital One 360 and Emigrant Direct despite the fact they do not have the highest rates, but they've treated me well for more than a decade and I've never had a single problem but your mileage may vary. In closing I'd like to add that you can apply this to any area of your budget you might find that you have trouble saving for, setting up these extra savings accounts for most 'online' banks is often free and painless and by putting these small tasks on autopilot you lighten your load a bit and can focus more on the things that truly matter in life.

~RCM

Bro. Ryan Carl Mercer 32° knew he'd be a Freemason just 12 days before his 13th birthday after seeing men that had never met his father show up for his father's Masonic funeral. The caring and love those Brothers showed lit a fire that would drive him to ultimately be raised a Master Mason seven years later in the fall of 2005 at Speedway Masonic Lodge No. 729, a lodge where his father spent his youth in DeMolay. In January 2015 he joined the Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis in search of yet more light and is also proudly a member of the Masonic Society. His non-Masonic musings can be found at http://www.RyanMercer.com