Freemason - Is there greatness in you? - Video

One of the greatest questions of all men regarding the decision to become part of the oldest fraternity known to man is, "How do I really know if Freemasonry is for me?".

Maybe the question should be rephrased... "Is there greatness in me?".

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Patriot Guard Riders - Taking Care of Their Own - Video

This is a brief dedication to veterans who continue to serve their country long after their tour of duty has been completed.

Patriot Guard Riders (PGR)

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Patriot Guard Riders - Honor, Dignity, Respect - Interview with a Ride Captain, Starr Marshall - Video

David Olson does an interview with Patriot Guard Ride Captain, Starr Marshall.

Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America's freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don't care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you're a "hawk" or a "dove". It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you're from or what your income is. You don't even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect. Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.

2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

Additional missions include:

*Support to wounded and injured service members
*Support for the families of service members
*Visits and activities at the VA Medical Centers and Minnesota State Veterans Homes
*Welcome Home and Deployment Send-off Missions
*Honor Missions for Veterans as requested by families

The MN Patriot Guard is a 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and acts in support of the national Patriot Guard Riders Organization.

http://www.patriotguard.org/
http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/



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The Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) - "They Ride with Respect" - Video

The Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South is a local chapter and part of a national nonprofit organization, know as the Patriot Guard Riders. Their national membership numbers have been estimated by some at nearing 500,000 and is rapidly growing.

This group composed of men and women, veterans and non-veterans, motorcycleist, and non-motorcycleist, alike, have all banded together to support our nations service members of ALL Military Branches to include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserve Components, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and their families to ensure that their service is not only appreciated, respected, and admired, but to also pay honor and tribute to their selfless service and sacrifice.

The PGR does this by notification through an elaborate process by which members of the PGR nation wide are notified of the death and immediate plans put into place to perfectly orchestrate a rally of its brotherhood to the site of the funeral, upon the request of the family. This is done for every request, for every person, that meets the above criteria, both past (anyone who has ever served in any of the above capacities) and present (those currently serving).

The PGR provides a motorcycle escort and U.S. flagline as a symbol of respect for our nations fallen heros. If you are interested in becoming part of this highly respected organization, to assist them in fullfilling this honored duty, the only thing required is a patriotic heart and an earnest desire for Duty, Honor, and Country. No money is required, just a desire to make sure our nations hero's are not forgotten.

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM recognizes the importance of this organization because we have many Masons in our brotherhood that are Veterans and are also members of the PGR. Our lodge of Freemasons recogzizes that the very principals that we hold in high regard and live by in our fraternity are exibited by the PGR as well.

Music is from http://www.af.mil/library/band/bagpipes.asp


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Patriot Guard Riders - Who are they? - Video

The Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South

You may have already seen them, they are patriotic citizens, that give of their own time to honor, and support all of America's military veterans. The Patriot Guard Riders, PGR as they are referred to, is not a motorcycle club. In fact, you don't have to ride a motorcycle to be a member. It's free to join and made up of all volunteers.

They have two (2) basic missions;

First, to honor and at the request of their family serve as escorts for our fallen heroes to their final rest. They serve as a shield against those who would disrupt and dishonor those who have fallen in service to our country.

Secondly, the PRG supports Help On The Homefront. (HOTH) This effort is to help active veterans and their families. For example, they help in building, repairing, adapting housing for disabled Vets needs.

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Masonic Membership Information - Video

Below you will find a video produced by Indiana Freemasons on YouTube and hosted by the Grand Lodge of Mississippi on their YouTube Channel. You can access this video directly through Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM on YouTube via our channel, TupeloMason... HERE!


Indiana Freemasons:
Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. It is comprised of adult men (18+) of good character from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion, who believe in a Supreme Being. Its body of knowledge and system of ethics is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, faith, country, and fraternity.


Hope you enjoy!

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The Bee Hive & The Stock of Knowledge

 In 1874 a new Masonic magazine began publication in San Francisco. The Craftsman's opening article bears these very strong words:

The day is past when the ignorant Mason can shine. The time has come when more is demanded of a 'bright' Mason than the knowledge of the Ritual. The Mason who claims to be 'well posted' must read; he must inform himself of the origin, the history, the philosophy, the laws and literature of our art, or he is a drone on our hive, and only valued for the dollars and cents he pays into the treasury of his lodge. Knowledge makes prosperity, and prosperity freedom; and he who has not these three qualifications is not a fit Craftsman, and can not be used on the building of that Temple Masonry intends to erect.


A statement like this reminds us that the Bee Hive, like the other monitorial symbols of the third degree, holds very serious and somber connotations—even a hint of warning.
We are quick to remember that "The Bee Hive is an emblem of industry, and recommends the practice of that virtue of all created beings, from the highest seraph in heaven, to the lowest reptile of the dust." But this symbol is no mere reminder to "keep busy," as so many desire interpret it. Our ritual is clear:

Thus was man formed for social and active life, the noblest part of the work of God; and he that will so demean himself as not to be endeavoring to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding, may be deemed a drone in the hive of nature, a useless member of society, and unworthy of our protection as Masons.

Each Mason knows that he has certain obligations to every "worthy brother." While it is popular to equate worthiness with obediance to society's legal standards, this is nothing more than the same ever-shifting standard of the non-Masonic world. The ritual itself has something else to teach us. It refers to unworthiness exactly twice: first, in reference to one who refuses to comform to the initiatic process, and later to anyone who demeans himself through intellectual laziness.

The harshness of the Craft's teaching that drones are "unworthy of our protection as Masons" is based on a fact of nature: when fall arrives or resources are scarce, drones are expelled from the hive by the worker bees in order to conserve food. Drones do not build the hive, nor do they make honey. A drone's only real purpose is to mate with the queen bee, which is fatal to him. That means that any drones still in the hive as winter closes in are the ones who never mated. They are physically pushed out, banished from the protection, warmth and honey of the hive. The authors of our lectures chose a harsh reality to explain to us that Freemasonry is no mere destination to be passively enjoyed. It is something that must be continually maintained through mindful endeavor and ever-increasing knowledge. Neglect of this task can make us worthless to the Craft, little more than liabilities to our Order's noble mission, however contentedly we dine and toast.

What is required instead? Good bees and strong hives. A 1724 exposé on Freemasonry (actually written by Bro. Jonathan Swift) tells us that

A Bee has in all Ages and Nations been the Grand Hierogliphick of Masonry, because it excells all other living Creatures in the Contrivance and Commodiousness of its Habitation or Combe... What Modern Masons call a Lodge was for the above Reasons by Antiquity call'd a hive of Free-Masons, and for the same Reasons when a Dissention happens in a Lodge the going off and forming another Lodge is to this Day call'd swarming.

So the Bee Hive is actually one of the oldest Masonic symbols. Its use within the early lodges is further evidenced by the last few whimsical lines of a Masonic song penned in 1762 by Christopher Smart, the "bedlam poet":

Then fill up the Glass and be funny,
Attend to due Method and Form;
The Bee that can make the most Honey,
Is fairly the Flow'r of the Swarm.

And so it is that we have a choice of destinies. While being a mere drone does not mean physical death for us Freemasons, it does lead to a deadened awareness, intellectual poverty and ultimately failure to fulfill our Masonic potential and sworn duties. It is up to us whether our hearty festivities will be those of a merely empty and oblivious contentment, or celebrations of real wisdom gained. Those lodges that "make the most honey" will enjoy the sweetest delicacy of all: more light.

Shawn Eyer, P∴M∴March 9, 2007



from John Daye's The Parliament of Bees, 1641

[...H]ighest of all in rank, we must place that industry which is devoted to the acquisition of knowledge. This every one may combine with that necessary for his support; and every one is elevated to a higher position by every increase of knowledge that he makes. Even manual labour is best performed by men of intelligence; but knowledge leads to far better results than this, and as the mind is expanded by it, new sources of delight are opened, which never cease to flow. (Chalmers L. Paton, Freemasonry: Its Symbolism, Religious Nature and Law of Perfection, 1873, p. 184)

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SFC Billy A. Sutton, US Army - Honor Guard: Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South

Any Motorcyclst in the area that would be interested in participating with the Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South to escourt the body of a local U.S. Army soldier, SFC Billy A. Sutton, from the Tupelo Regional Airport to Holand Funeral home are requested to report to the airport at 0830 tomorrow morning to await the return of his body from overseas. There will also be an organized escourt of his body following the funeral on Saturday to the graveside in Verona, Ms. Members of Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM and Woodmen of the World will be joining the PGR of the Mid South to honor this fallen soldier. Contact information is listed below for those interested.

For more details, please read:

SFC BILLY A. SUTTON, 42, from Mooreville, MS died Monday, February 6th of natural causes while serving in Afghanistan with the 223rd Engineer Battalion of the MS Army National Guard. The family has requested the PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS participate in his services.

STAGING FOR ARRIVAL: Wednesday, February 15th at 8:30 AM, SFC Sutton is scheduled to arrive at TUPELO AVIATION UNLIM...ITED (FBO); 105 Lemons Drive, Tupelo 38801, the PGR will stage on the East side of Lemons Drive, across the street from the FBO and participate in the escort to HOLLAND FUNERAL DIRECTORS, a distance of less than 2 miles. MSG DAVID SPENCER will ride CITIZEN SOLDIER III and lead this escort.

VISITATION: The PGR will provide a US Flag line for visitation Friday, February 17th from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at HOLLAND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; 5281 Cliff Gookin Blvd.; Tupelo, 38801. Everyone who would like to honor SFC Sutton is invited to participate with us in the flag line.

STAGING FOR FUNERAL SERVICES: Saturday, February 18th at 9:00 AM at the funeral home, the PGR will provide a US Flag line for visitation until the beginning of funeral services at 11:00 AM. Everyone who would like to honor SFC Sutton is invited to participate with us in the flag line.

ESCORT TO CEMETERY: Immediately following the funeral services, the PGR will escort SFC Sutton to LEE MEMORIAL PARK; Hwy 145 South; Verona 38877 and provide a US Flag line for graveside services with full military honors.

Please join us as we STAND FOR ONE WHO STOOD FOR US ! Both escort distances are less than 5 miles, large, US Flags securely on motorcycles are encouraged.

Bill's friend, DENNIS HEAVENER is Honorary RC for this Mission and will be the last motorcycle in both escorts.

Jim Henley, NE MS PRC 662.275.0901
Don McKibben, NW MS PRC 662.509.0500

Jim Henely, Commander - NE Ms Patriot Guard Riders

Don McKibben, Commander - NW Ms Patriot Guard Rides


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Bro Christopher Michael Reid - Named "Mason of the Year"

On behalf of Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM, we would like to congratulate Bro Christopher Michael Reid for being named as "Mason of the Year" by the Grand Lodge of Mississippi.

Chris has been instrumental in the success of numerous projects over the years and has dedicated his life to promoting Freemasonry in Mississippi and serving as an example of a true "Mason" to people everywhere.

This honor which has been bestowed upon him symbolizes everything that Freemasonry stands for and a truly deserving brother has now entered into the ranks of all those brethren that were recognized before him.

Thank you Chris for your service, loyalty, and dedication to the fraternity and your passion for the craft.

Bro Christopher Michael Reid - "Mason of the Year"

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Albert Pike - Education

Albert Pike
Albert Pike
Born	December 29, 1809 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	April 2, 1891 (aged 81) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Oak Hill Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861 - 1862
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Albert Pike (December 29, 1809–April 2, 1891) was an attorney, Confederate officer, writer, and Freemason. Pike is the only Confederatemilitary officer or figure to be honored with an outdoor statue in Washington, D.C. (in Judiciary Square).

Pike was born in Boston, Massachusetts, son of Ben and Sarah (Andrews) Pike, and spent his childhood in Byfield and Newburyport, Massachusetts. His colonial ancestors included John Pike (1613-1688/1689), the founder of Woodbridge, New Jersey.^[1] He attended school in Newburyport and Framingham until he was 15. In August 1825, he passed entrance exams at Harvard University, though when the college requested payment of tuition fees for the first two years which he had successfully challenged by examination, he chose not to attend. He began a program of self-education, later becoming a schoolteacher in Gloucester, North Bedford, Fairhaven and Newburyport.^[2]

[edit]Biography

In 1831, Pike left Massachusetts to travel west, first stopping in St. Louis and later moving on to Independence, Missouri. In Independence, he joined an expedition to Taos, New Mexico, hunting and trading. During the excursion his horse broke and ran, forcing Pike to walk the remaining 500 miles to Taos. After this he joined a trapping expedition to the Llano Estacado in New Mexico and Texas. Trapping was minimal and, after traveling about 1300 miles (650 on foot), he finally arrived at Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[3]

Settling in Arkansas in 1833, he taught school and wrote a series of articles for the Little Rock Arkansas Advocate under the pen name of "Casca."^[4] The articles were popular enough that he was asked to join the staff of the newspaper. Later, after marrying Mary Ann Hamilton, he purchased part of the newspaper with the dowry. By 1835, he was the Advocate's sole owner.^[3] Under Pike's administration the Advocate promoted the viewpoint of the Whig party in a politically volatile and divided Arkansas.^[4]

He then began to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1837, selling the Advocate the same year. He was the first reporter for the Arkansas supreme court and also wrote a book (published anonymously), titled The Arkansas Form Book, which was a guidebook for lawyers.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, Pike wrote on several legal subjects and continued producing poetry, a hobby he had begun in his youth in Massachusetts. His poems were highly regarded in his day, but are now mostly forgotten.^[3] Several volumes of his works were self-published posthumously by his daughter. In 1859, he received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Harvard,^[3][5]

Pike died in Washington, D.C., aged 81, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery (against his wishes—he had left instructions for his body to be cremated).^[3] In 1944, his remains were moved to theHouse of the Temple, headquarters of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite.

[edit]Military career

Statue at Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.

When the Mexican-American War started, Pike joined the cavalry and was commissioned as a troop commander, serving in the Battle of Buena Vista.^[3] He and his commander, John Selden Roane, had several differences of opinion. This situation led finally to an "inconclusive" duel between Pike and Roane on July 29, 1847 near Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[6] Although several shots were fired in the duel, nobody was injured, and the two were persuaded by their seconds to discontinue it.^{[citation needed]}

After the war, Pike returned to the practice of law, moving to New Orleans for a time beginning in 1853.^{[citation needed]} He wrote another book, Maxims of the Roman Law and some of the Ancient French Law, as Expounded and Applied in Doctrine and Jurisprudence.^{[citation needed]} Although unpublished, this book increased his reputation among his associates in law. He returned to Arkansas in 1857, gaining some amount of prominence in the legal field and becoming an advocate of slavery, although retaining his affiliation with the Whig party. When that party dissolved, he became a member of the Know-Nothing party. Before the Civil War he was firmly against secession, but when the war started he nevertheless took the side of the Confederacy.^[3] At the Southern Commercial Convention of 1854, Pike said the South should remain in the Union and seek equality with the North, but if the South "were forced into an inferior status, she would be better out of the Union than in it."^[7]

He also made several contacts among the Native American tribes in the area, at one point negotiating an $800,000 settlement between the Creeks and other tribes and the federal government. This relationship was to influence the course of his Civil War service.^[3] At the beginning of the war, Pike was appointed as Confederate envoy to the Native Americans. In this capacity he negotiated several treaties, one of the most important being with Cherokee chief John Ross, which was concluded in 1861.^[3]

Pike was commissioned as a brigadier general on November 22, 1861, and given a command in the Indian Territory.^[3] With Gen. Ben McCulloch, Pike trained three Confederate regiments of Indian cavalry, most of whom belonged to the "civilized tribes", whose loyalty to the Confederacy was variable. Although initially victorious at the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) in March, Pike's unit was defeated later in a counterattack, after falling into disarray.^[3] Also, as in the previous war, Pike came into conflict with his superior officers, at one point drafting a letter to Jefferson Davis complaining about his direct superior.^{[citation needed]}

After Pea Ridge, Pike was faced with charges that his troops had scalped soldiers in the field. Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman also charged Pike with mishandling of money and material, ordering his arrest.^[8] Both these charges were later found to be considerably lacking in evidence; nevertheless Pike, facing arrest, escaped into the hills of Arkansas, sending his resignation from the Confederate Army on July 12.^[8] He was at length arrested on November 3 under charges of insubordination and treason, and held briefly in Warren, Texas, but his resignation was accepted on November 11 and he was allowed to return to Arkansas.^[3][8]

[edit]Freemasonry

Part of a series of articles on Freemasonry

Core Articles Freemasonry · Grand Lodge · Masonic Lodge · Masonic Lodge Officers · Grand Master · Prince Hall Freemasonry · Regular Masonic jurisdictions · Continental Freemasonry History History of Freemasonry · Liberté chérie ·Masonic manuscripts [show] Masonic Bodies [show] Views of Masonry [show] People and Places [show] Other related articles This box: view   talk   edit

He first joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1840 then had in the interim joined a Masonic Lodge and become extremely active in the affairs of the organization, being elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction in 1859.^[6] He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the remainder of his life (a total of thirty-two years), devoting a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of the order.^[9] Notably, he published a book called Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in 1871, of which there were several subsequent editions.

Pike is still regarded in America as an eminent^[10] and influential^[11] Freemason.

• 

  Morals and Dogma (1871)
 
• 

  Pike in Masonic regalia
 
• 

  Portrait by Mathew Brady

[edit]Poetry

As a young man, Pike wrote poetry which he continued to do for the rest of his life. At 23, he published his first poem, “Hymns to the Gods.” Later work was printed in literary journals like Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine and local newspapers. His first collection of poetry, Prose Sketches and Poems Written in the Western Country, appeared in 1834. He later gathered many of his poems and republished them in Hymns to the Gods and Other Poems (1872). After his death these appeared again in Gen. Albert Pike’s Poems (1900) and Lyrics and Love Songs (1916).^[12]

[edit]Selected works

• Pike, Albert (1997). Book of the Words. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-161-1.
• Pike, Albert (1997). Indo-Aryan Deities and Worship as Contained in the Rig-Veda. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-183-2.
• Pike, Albert (1997). Lectures of the Arya. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-182-4.
• Pike, Albert (2004). The Meaning of Masonry. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-4179-1101-8.
• Pike, Albert (2002). Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry. City: Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7661-2615-3.
• Pike, Albert (2004). Morals and Dogma of the First Three Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry. City: Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1-4179-1108-5.
• Pike, Albert (2001). The Point Within the Circle. City: Holmes Pub Grou Llc. ISBN 1-55818-305-1.
• Pike, Albert (1997). Reprints of Old Rituals. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-983-3.

[edit]See also

	United States Army portal
	American Civil War portal

• List of American Civil War generals
• Treaty with Choctaws and Chickasaws

[edit]

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education",  which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry. It is for educational purposes only! All credit given to for content obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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