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General News

Snow, Ice, and the Warmth of Brotherhood in February

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February is the best time of year for Masons to travel! Friendship Lodge started the month off with a visit to Beaverton Lodge to retrieve a gavel they claimed from us last year. WB Don Martin (the Master of Beaverton) graciously offered WB Lee of Friendship the opportunity to close his Lodge. Not one week later however, did Kenton 145 travel en masse to Friendship – stealing away our hard-won gavel again! It seems we needn’t put away our road gear just yet. In addition to their delightful company, Kenton presented Friendship with an artifact from our past – a cigar ashtray commemorating the cornerstone laying of an addition to our former building. Read More

History & Innovation at Friendship

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This past Wednesday Friendship had the privilege of hosting several Brothers from Research Lodge, most notably WB Joseph Lambert, who we would learn was indispensable in the effort to guide the Grand Lodge of Oregon to recognize Prince Hall Masonry. This legacy was the central theme of our education for the evening. WB Daniel Gray elucidated on this history with his talk, “The Innovators”.  Read More

After 33 & Beyond: an Uncommon Mason’s Perspective

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Masonry is changing, without changing. Even if the post-war membership boom may never be repeated, younger men are coming to the light in greater numbers than in many years, changing the fabric of Masonic culture. Americans are beginning to awake from the digital trance that began with television, and to remember the power of human contact, direct relationships, initiation, ritual, and lifelong learning. All of which our Brotherhood provides. Read More

a Little Tuck-Pointing

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The Masonic Lodge experience is so intellectually stimulating. So rich with art and profound meaning in its ritual, and delightful in the opportunity for life-long friendship; that it’s easy to forget that what Masons do out of Lodge is more to the point of what defines us. Correspondingly, there are a few details from January that might have been easy to overlook.  Read More

February Stated Meeting!

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Shake off the cold and wet with Friendship in February! We’ll enjoy a hearty supper of polenta with roasted garlic, Italian peppers & onions; served with your choice of bolognaise or vegetarian red sauce. Enjoy also caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil & tomato, and served with fresh-baked herbed focaccia. Supper will promptly give way to our stated meeting, during which we will be treated to the first-ever presentation of WB Daniel Gray’s lecture, “The Innovators”. Read More

Liberty vs. Obligation

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Does liberty have limits?

On one hand, we’re taught that liberty is a principle worthy of the devotion of every Mason.  On the other hand, if you look closely at liberty’s possible ramifications, you might develop some mixed feelings. These thoughts bubble up from an illuminating educational event, recently hosted by our lodge and presented by Bro. Kent Smith.  It was titled “Liberty and the Libertine”.

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Challenge Accepted!

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Challenge coins are all the rage these days it seems. Really they are the Millennial Freemason’s version of the lapel pin. They let a Brother proudly declare their place in the fraternity and share their own story with others.  The Masons of Friendship wanted to do things a little differently though – a challenge coin which cannot be bought and isn’t simply gifted. Ours is earned by accepting a challenge. Any Brother who presents their own unique education at our meetings earns one.

It was a thrill to give out the first challenge coin of 2018 to Brother Kent Smith at our January meeting.  Brother Smith delivered a riveting lecture on the shifting meanings of the word “Libertine”, how it informed the formation of the Masonic fraternity, and why we should keep an eye to the older meaning it once bore.

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The “Why That?” Uniform

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Enough people have asked me and my brothers about each part of our uniform, that I thought I’d go ahead and put it down here in case we get asked again. Of the many traditions Friendship Lodge maintains, one of my favorites is the Worshipful Master providing the uniform for his officers. I enjoy the sense of unity and camaraderie it inspires, while helping to set the tone for that year for all the brothers of the Lodge. Not to mention you’ll probably never find a Mason saying, “no thank you, I’ve already got enough lapel pins”. The fraternity’s fascination with them is one of the eternal mysteries of Freemasonry. Read More