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Brethren:
As the sun rises in the East with all its splendor to bring light and luster to a new day, so do the Grand Lodge Offices start this new Grand Lodge year bringing a new dawn to Florida Masonry. Our 181st Annual Grand Communications are over and I personally would like to thank you for the privilege you have bestowed upon me by allowing me to serve you as your Senior Grand Warden.
This new dawn brings many exciting ways that each one of 47 plus thousand Masons can participate. Masons were never intended to be idle, as operative or speculative Masons, we were destined to be constantly working to improve ourselves and to service humanity.
This year our Grand Master, MW J. Dick Martinez has worked together with the Deputy Grand Master, Senior and Junior Grand Warden, to bring this Fraternity as one. Collectively we have developed short and long-term plans for our Fraternity. I have never heard of this being done before, we need your help aid and assistance in carrying out this plan. With you “The Craft,” anything can be accomplished. Remember we are at the helm of this ship for a very short time, the constant power that propels this ship is “The Craft” and that never changes, without you we are but frail and feeble beings.
So my Brothers there is plenty of work to get done, business as usual will be a thing of the past, status quo has received its last rights, a new dawn has arisen, we are looking for success, and we expect nothing but the best, as “Masons always rise to the occasion”. Come forth my Brothers, and join hand in hand, together we are unstoppable.
We often talk about the Masonic Family and after recent experiences and discussions, I wonder if this is a dysfunctional family typical of today’s society or the traditional Family of Masons working together as our ritual says of “who can best work and best agree”. I believe we are a Family of Masons, and as a family, we will come together for the good of all our family members.
We have been working together diligently, in preparation for this year, and when given the opportunity to work together we have seized the moment. We bring you good tidings from many of our Masonic Families; we will continue to work when and where possible with all of our Masonic Family as time and mutual agreements permit, for the benefit of the Masonic Family.
This year we are very fortunate to have the York Rite Bodies working together with the Symbolic Blue Lodges and we thank the leadership of the Grand York Rite Bodies for their foresight, especially for the join efforts of our Flagship Charity the Masonic Medical Research Laboratories and our new Campaign For Life “Every heart beat counts.”
This is just one of the ways we are working together with the York Rite Bodies across the state, we will soon be unveiling some of the other programs as they come closer to fruition, and our family ties strengthen with mutual cooperation. My Brothers as it was said before, we are living exciting times in our Fraternity. Who would have thought that the Grand Lodge and the Grand York Rite Bodies were working toward the same goals to improve our Masonic Family until dialog was opened, and the moment was seized, mutual benefits expounded, goals set, and Brotherly Love prevailed among those “who can best work and best agree”. Welcome, our good and faithful Companions and Sir Knights and join hand in hand with us, towards a new dawn of Brotherhood.
Another Masonic Family member, who has reached out to grasp our hand offered in Brotherly Love has been the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and what a great opportunity this is my Brothers. The greatest philanthropy in the world with the greatest purpose to help kids in need, working together in unison, to promote the Masonic Family, and Masonry’s most basic goal of a “Brotherhood of men under the Fatherhood of God helping humanity”. What better way can anyone help humanity than to take care of the most vulnerable in our society the Children. Our Shrine/Masons have been dedicated to that goal since 1922 with 22 Hospitals and Burn Centers across North America.
We appreciate the opportunity to mutually help, aid and assist each other. As Brothers, we took and oath to help each other and our Shrine Brothers need us to help them in their humanitarian efforts of helping our children. This can be done through donations, but more importantly when we ourselves get involve and share the task as members of the Shrine. So come on and join the Grand Lodge Officers in the Shrine, together we can make a difference. Let Florida be a leader not only in Symbolic Masonry, but also in the York Rite and Shrine forging ahead as one Masonic Family.
My Brothers for years the Shrine has helped Masons with their constant publicity and recognition. Their brochures have always expounded their Masonic connection, how to become a Mason and our principles and ideals of “making good men better”. They assist our Lodges with their Past Masters Unit in Degrees, they provide their Shrine Centers for us to meet on special occasions such as the Grand Masters Official Visits to the District at no cost, they assist us helping our Masonic Youth, just to name a few, and do you know why? It’s simple “They are us; we are ONE in the same”.
My Brothers in closing I ask you to come and join with your Grand Line Officers not only in your Symbolic Lodge, but also in your local York Rite Bodies and Shrine as we work together “Making Good Men Better in Brotherhood”. Remember, “MASONS ALWAYS RISE TO THE OCCASION”.
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