~ Wisdom from our Past Grand Masters ~

By Jay Adam Pearson
Senior Grand Warden
June 2007

Now that our Annual Communication of Grand Lodge is closed, I would like to personally thank each of you that attended and participated in our Grand Lodge. To our Most Worshipful Grand Master M.W. Brother “Jerry” I pledge my continued support as you lay down your designs on the trestle board for the craft to pursue. I would like to thank the Grand Lodge Officers, who served last year, remember you will always be part of our Grand Lodge family. To each of the elected Grand Lodge Officers; thank you for allowing your name to be placed in nomination and congratulations to the craft that showed their wisdom by electing a great slate of officers. To the appointed Grand Lodge Officers; I would like to say “welcome to the team”. We each have been appointed to an office of service, so as they say in baseball “lets keep our eye on the ball”. The ball in this case is the mission of masonry.

One of my closest friends R.W. Brother Roy Ballard jokingly said “now we will see how smart you are since you will be writing the masonic education column in the Masonic Light”. R.W. Brother Roy then challenged me not to let him down. Well R.W. Brother Roy I really am not that smart, and I pray I do not let you or the craft down. Each month I will simply share with you some of the light those in the craft laid down on my trestle board. My thoughts have been running a marathon in my mind with anticipation to the new challenge of being Chairman of Masonic Education Committee. As I reflect on some of my mentors who have been called to the celestial lodge above; I am grateful and saddened at the same time. Grateful for having the honor of being mentored by M.W Brother T Harry White who said “Jay it is not what you know, but the purpose for which you know it”. In masonry we need to learn the lessons of the respective degree and emphasize that as well as the ritual. So I ask you Worshipful Master, does your lodge participate in masonic education? Do you meet four times with each candidate to listen to him and talk with him about the lessons inculcated in the degree he just received? You see Worshipful Sir it is not what you know, but the purpose for which you know it. Did you learn the ritual and become proficient so others would say “he really knows the work”, or did you learn the work because the lessons of masonry have made you a better son, brother, husband and father? If the latter is true as I suspect, then teach the lessons, after all, that is the purpose for which you learned it.

I am grateful for having the honor of being mentored by M.W. Brother H. Wallace Reid who was one of the greatest educator’s in South Carolina. M.W. Brother Wallace was a world renowned educator. M.W. Brother Wallace and my self had many things in common; one we both got our start in education in the vocational trades. One of my most priced possessions I received from M.W. Brother Wallace was the first text books he started teaching with in the vocational trades. When M.W. Brother Wallace started teaching each instructor was expected to purchase their own text books. It was in a conversation about education that M.W. Brother Wallace shared with me the most profound lesson I have ever learned. He said, “Jay many teach, but few inspire”. We can take this lesson and apply it to our masonry as well.

In this Grand Jurisdiction there must be a Holy Bible (a Holy Bible is the Old and New Testaments) lying on the center of the altar in order for a lodge to be opened. This is our trestle board and we should study it. Consider this, God took a man that was not an eloquent speaker and who stuttered, then God raised him up to be a leader. The man was Moses and he inspired a nation.

We can make a difference in our nation one life at a time. After we raise the aspirant to the sublime degree of a master mason, does he come back to the lodge to study and improve himself in masonry? He would if we inspire him. Earlier I wrote that I was grateful and saddened as I reflected on some of my Mentors. The reason I am sadden is that many of you never had the honor of knowing and talking with M.W. Brother T. Harry White and M.W. Brother H. Wallace Reid. However, if we realize that it is not what we know but the purpose for which we know it, and we seek to inspire the craft to action than their wisdom will not be forgotten. Thus we can promote each others welfare to the honor and glory of the Lord our God.

Words of the month: Baneful: Causing distress, death or ruin. Impious: Lacking reverence for God. Viz: This is a Latin word “videlicet” meaning namely.

Quote for the month: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing”. Abraham Lincoln

Thought for the month: When was the last time you thanked your mentor? When was the last time you showed your loved ones how much you love them? This is the day the Lord hath made, let us be glad and rejoice in it. After all that is why we call today the present.