The Lodge Bringing Me a Sense of Calm

It’s been entirely too long since I updated this blog, I think that is because I was traveling for work, then on vacation. Right when I was getting ready to get back into the swing of things I found out that a member from my National Guard Unit committed suicide while I was out. It was one of those sudden suicides that no one saw coming, no one knew of any personal problems and he seemed to get along very well with everyone. He worked with me on several occasions, and I always came away feeling good. I was distraught because I missed his service, something that is meaningful for me, that when a service member dies, the more people that show up in uniform where he touched their life, the bigger impact and show of support you give his family.

On Tuesday I was a frustrated mess at work, dealing with the questions and the prodding when my co-workers found out what happened, suicides are so frustrating, you really can’t put it into words. So @ 1645 I ran out going to lodge, half a mind to just go home, I figured that it had been a month since I last stepped inside my lodge and realized that I owed it to my brothers to show up (the DDGM was coming). When I drove up in the parking lot and entered the old building a sense of calm just washed over me. It wasn’t comforting or a relief per say, just a sense of calmness with everything. I met with Brother Garland and did some esoteric work in the 3rd degree. Attended the business meeting and then listened to the message from the Grand Master of Texas, Donny Broughton (which I will share in a later post), after the meeting we did some more work, and I came home not necessarily feeling better about life, but calmer, if that makes any sense.

I guess this post has no real point, beyond that the lodge provided something to me last night that I was expecting, cooling my jets and letting me just do my esoteric work. I knew that the questions, grief and frustrations would be waiting for me when I left, but I was there at that moment doing something that was contributing to the brotherhood, and it felt good.

Think I will end this post now, but wanted to get down on electrons, how it made me feel before I forget.

In Memoriam Past Grand Master Harry Cunningham

Harry Glen Cunningham, age 73, past Grand Master of Texas Masonry, died July 8, 2007.A true and dedicated Texan, Grand Master Harry Glen Cunningham was born on January 24, 1934, on a farm in the rural community of Oak Ridge near Ladonia in Fannin County, Texas. He attended two public schools, Bartley-Woods and Ladonia High School, where he graduated on June 1, 1951. He attended East Texas State Teachers College in 1952 previous to joining the United States Air Force. From June, 1953 to June, 1961, he served in the United States Air Force Security Service during the Korean and at the beginning of the Viet Nam Conflicts. He had two tours of duty overseas in Tripoli, Libya and Nord, Greenland.After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1961, he maintained his residence in San Antonio. He was employed immediately by Sears, Roebuck and Company, where he worked for 28 years in various managerial positions throughout San Antonio and South Texas. He retired from Sears on April 30, 1989. The highlight of Grand Master Cunningham's life is when he met Barbara Harn Davis at Lackland Baptist Church in 1966. They married on May 9, 1969. They have one daughter, Cye, and two sons, Sonny and Scott.

A believer of being active in community affairs, Grand Master Cunningham was very active in church, civic and community affairs in San Antonio since January, 1956. He served Lackland Baptist Church as a Sunday School Teacher, Usher, Member of Finance and Personnel Committees, and Chairman of the Long-Range Steering Committee, and trustee. The Grand Master was very community oriented. The citizens of his community elected him to the Board of Trustees of the Northside Independent School District located in Bexar, Medina and Bandera Counties. He served in this capacity for seven years. He was a former member of the National and State School Board Associations and the Greater San Antonio Builders Association. He was a Past Member and Director of the San Antonio Minority Development Council and Past President of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association of Jay High School in San Antonio. He was also a former\n member of the Valley-Hi Optimist Club, Heart Association, Boy Scouts of America and Building Committee of Northside Independent School District. Grand Master Cunningham petitioned Somerset Lodge No. 1205 in January, 1967, and was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on October 26, 1967. He served on many Lodge Committees throughout the years, serving as Worshipful Master during 1975-1976. He was honored with a Life Membership by the Lodge in 1978. He is also an Endowed Member of Henry Thomas Lodge No. 278 in Smithwick, Texas, and a member of the Texas Lodge of Research. He served as District Deputy Grand Master in 1979 for Grand Master W R Lamb and has also served on various Grand Lodge Committees. He was elected Grand Junior Warden in 1994, Grand Senior Warden in 1995, Deputy Grand Master in 1996 and was elected to the office of Grand Master in 1997. Grand Master Cunningham is an Endowed Member of the San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies, serving as\n Venerable Master of the Consistory in 1990. He was invested a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1981 and was coroneted a Thirty-Third Degree Inspector General Honorary in 1995. He served on the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Dormitory at the University of Texas in Austin since 1984. "

A believer of being active in community affairs, Grand Master Cunningham was very active in church, civic and community affairs in San Antonio since January, 1956. He served Lackland Baptist Church as a Sunday School Teacher, Usher, Member of Finance and Personnel Committees, and Chairman of the Long-Range Steering Committee, and trusteeThe Grand Master was very community oriented. The citizens of his community elected him to the Board of Trustees of the Northside Independent School District located in Bexar, Medina and Bandera Counties. He served in this capacity for seven years. He was a former member of the National and State School Board Associations and the Greater San Antonio Builders Association. He was a Past Member and Director of the San Antonio Minority Development Council and Past President of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association of Jay High School in San Antonio. He was also a former member of the Valley-Hi Optimist Club, Heart Association, Boy Scouts of America and Building Committee of Northside Independent School District. Grand Master Cunningham petitioned Somerset Lodge No. 1205 in January, 1967, and was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on October 26, 1967. He served on many Lodge Committees throughout the years, serving as Worshipful Master during 1975-1976. He was honored with a Life Membership by the Lodge in 1978. He is also an Endowed Member of Henry Thomas Lodge No. 278 in Smithwick, Texas, and a member of the Texas Lodge of Research. He served as District Deputy Grand Master in 1979 for Grand Master W R Lamb and has also served on various Grand Lodge Committees. He was elected Grand Junior Warden in 1994, Grand Senior Warden in 1995, Deputy Grand Master in 1996 and was elected to the office of Grand Master in 1997. Grand Master Cunningham is an Endowed Member of the San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies, serving as Venerable Master of the Consistory in 1990. He was invested a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1981 and was coroneted a Thirty-Third Degree Inspector General Honorary in 1995. He served on the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Dormitory at the University of Texas in Austin since 1984.

Grand Master Cunningham was a member of San Antonio Chapter No. 381, Royal Arch Masons, San Antonio Council No. 14, Royal and Select Masters, San Antonio Commandery No. 7, Knights Templar, Texian York Rite College No. 60, Saint Anthony Conclave Red Cross of Constantine, Texas College, and Societas Rosicruciana. He was also a member of Alzafar Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. of San Antonio, San Antonio Council No.261, Allied Masonic Degrees, Omala Grotto of San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston No. 17, National Sojourners and invested with an Honorary Legion of Honor, Albert Pike Chapter of DeMolay. Grand Master Cunningham and his wife, Barbara, were Members of Somerset Chapter No. 730, Order of the Eastern Star, in Somerset, Texas. They were also members of District 5, Section 7, Past Matrons and Past Patrons Association in San Antonio as well as District 5, Past Matrons and Past Patrons Association. The Grand Master served twice as Worthy Patron of Somerset Chapter No. 730. He served as Grand Sentinel (19861987), Associate Grand Patron (1987-1988) and as Worthy Grand Patron of the Grand Chapter of Texas (1988-1989).

Grand Master Cunningham was a member of San Antonio Chapter No. 381, Royal Arch Masons, San Antonio Council No. 14, Royal and Select Masters, San Antonio Commandery No. 7, Knights Templar, Texian York Rite College No. 60, Saint Anthony Conclave Red Cross of Constantine, Texas College, and Societas Rosicruciana. He was also a member of Alzafar Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. of San Antonio, San Antonio Council No.261, Allied Masonic Degrees, Omala Grotto of San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston No. 17, National Sojourners and invested with an Honorary Legion of Honor, Albert Pike Chapter of DeMolay. Grand Master Cunningham and his wife, Barbara, were Members of Somerset Chapter No. 730, Order of the Eastern Star, in Somerset, Texas. They were also members of District 5, Section 7, Past Matrons and Past Patrons Association in San Antonio as well as District 5, Past Matrons and Past Patrons Association. The Grand Master served twice as Worthy Patron of Somerset Chapter No. 730. He served as Grand Sentinel (19861987), Associate Grand Patron (1987-1988) and as Worthy Grand Patron of the Grand Chapter of Texas (1988-1989).

Doing My Part

I have been spending every spare moment I can trying to learn the Senior Deacon’s part of the EA and the lecture. I am told that while giving the lecture I sound like Jesse Jackson, and not so much of myself. While I have no idea what my brothers are talking about, I will take that as a compliment.

The EA lecture is by far the easiest out of the three to learn, as it is similar to the catechism, where as the FC and MM are not. The flow (at least to me) is a little bit more logical than the other two; Brother Thomas has started the FC and has been more frustrated than I have seen him in recent times. I enjoy learning/reciting the lecture as it brings a sense of familiarity and stability, and that is something that Masonry offers us in our day to day lives that isn’t easily achieved in today’s world. I have changed jobs 5 times in the last four years, and have moved into two different houses, and my wife has gone from making 55k a year to 30k. The lodge has been around since 1911, and isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future (regardless of the roof issue), it’s a fraternity of men that can be a cornerstone of a community of men’s lives. That is something that can be lost in today’s world and easily found again if one searches out for it. Its moral teachings, betterment of man and stability is what I think attracts younger men to the Craft today, and while every generation will have its different motivations for joining the Craft, we are all Masons, something that we all need to remember.

Sorry to go off on a tangent there, my point in learning the lectures of Freemasonry, I see as my duty as younger Mason. I am not the best memorizer, or orator, but as they say practice makes perfect, that and I have a very patient instructor, and for that I am very grateful.