“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” -St. Paul, KJV
Last summer when my Lietta was exploring the Order of the Eastern Star with the intent of finding a community of like-minded human beings with whom she might share her own sense of goodness, we met with two beautiful spirits from the Adelphi Chapter (Spokane) who conducted a serious, sober and business-like interview with us as a response to her desire to connect.
As I knew would happen, these two ladies responded quite positively to her and in my own mind and heart I felt she was a shoo-in to be accepted.Lietta‘s father was a Mason which meant she was immediately qualified assuming there was no reason beyond connection to refuse her.
To my delight, I learned that O.E.S. is co-ed which meant I could join with her if … uh oh … I were a Mason. After some further questioning I learned that I would need to figure out how to find a Mason who might refer me to a Lodge where I would complete and submit a petition to become a Mason.
I eventually found such an individual and the process was set in motion leading to my initiation as an Entered Apprentice Mason in late October of last year.
What I’d like to share in this writing is the delightful experience of getting to know the ladies and Masonic gentlemen of the O.E.S. which has been for me almost entirely social in nature, i.e., after-meeting refreshments, dinners, and fundraisers. I enjoyed opportunities to help out with the dinners, the cooking, the cleanup and – to my own pleasure – an opportunity to provide piano music intended for ears my own age.
It’s cool to be able to play Beatle music, Neil Diamond, the Beach Boys and the House of The Rising Sun to people who know and recognize immediately such music.
I was invited to attend the annual Installation of Officers (which included my Sweetheart) which was held in the Manitou Temple on South Hill in Spokane.
Socially, the O.E.S. chapter has been there for me already. They have put Lietta to work in an intense and detailed way and have – in no uncertain terms – gotten immediately around to obtaining my petition (the same week I completed my 3rd Degree in my Masonic lodge) and completed my initiation into the chapter.
They week before that initiation, my Masonic Worshipful Master looked me in the eye and said only one thing ….
…. “Wear your walking shoes!”
Curmudgeon at Work 