Good afternoon my name is worship of Moses Gomez past Grand histori near the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and I’m here today at the Grand Lodge temple in Philadelphia to present my lecture freem mry in Cuba uh this has a special love in my heart because my
Parents were from Cuba so it’s very interesting that I get to speak a little bit about mry in my parents Home Country Now Cuba of course we know was discovered or not discovered because there were people there but it was discovered by Europeans on Christopher Columbus’s first visit in
1492 but it wasn’t actually settled or settled as there until 15 1511 when Diego vquez actually settled there and created a settlement on behalf of the Spanish government or the king of Spain and if you look to the left these are two one of the earliest known maps of
Cuba and it’s also one of the earliest maps of Cuba with the actual Cuban flag on it now Cuba is very interesting has a long tradition of being uh occupied or being controlled by other nations mostly the Spain but the British also had it for a short time and the first known or
Earliest Masonic activities in the island came in 1762 when the English conquered Cuba from Spain for about eight months and during that time there was an Irish regimental Lodge registered as lodge number 218 and they were actually brought the warrant with them to Cuba and operated there they were not allowed
To make Masons however they did meet as a vial Lodge and actually had meetings there now they were only there for about eight months at the most uh then it English seeded Cuba back to Spain again and then Spain had it for the next several uh about 200 years later now
During the French Haitian Wars and the independence for Haiti the revolution many of The Lodges left Haiti and traveled across the Western Shores to Cuba and landed on the Eastern shores of Cuba and there they actually chartered and operated three lodges uh that were operated under French or
Haitian Lodges at the time so m in Cuba at least dates back to 1762 and if you look there in front of you in the screen you’ll see the actual Charter of the lodge number 18 which is under a Irish Constitution Lodge and also to the right
Is the earliest known names of members that pertain to that Lodge especially those during the time of Cuba when they were in Cuba now interestingly enough the first chartered Lodge and this is very unique because not only am I speaking in the Grand Lodge Masonic temple here in
Philadelphia but the first Masonic Lodge or chartered in Cuba was by the grand L of Pennsylvania in 1804 and it was called the Temple of the theological virtues uh and again it was chartered by this great jurisdiction here and it was chared to a brother named Joseph sheru
Who many may not may know he was a Scottish right Mason and caused a lot of schez and issues with the Scottish right here in the Americas and again this is the actual warrant which is still in fantastic shape it is housed in the Grand Lodge of
Cuba museum and Library as well they have a really beautiful Library Museum there and is on display there uh of course you can’t touch it but it is in very good shape now the second patent you see here which is not in good shape uh quite beat
Up and quite uh very frail and fragile is the Charter One of the original Charters that was issued to the Grand Lodge of cologne now because Cuba was under Spanish Dominion very Catholic country as you know Catholics aren’t supposed to be Masons uh don’t tell
Anybody but I am one now the other side part was that they tried to hide the fact that they didn’t want it named The Grand Lodge of Cuba so they named that after cologne honoring Christopher Columbus hoping that the Spanish would kind of just ignore it or get fooled by it uh
However the charter originally came to be in December 5th 1859 which the charter was actually come to fruition and this was done by the Grand Lodge of South Carolina so Pennsylvania chartered the first Lodge but the actual Charter of the Grand Lodge of Cuba was given by the Grand
Lodge of South Carolina and that was done in 1859 and they went on to create three other lodges right off the bat F number one prudencia number two isan Andres number three now the interesting part about my lecture is how masy had a particular hand in the revolutions especially
During the 1800s in Cuba you know here in America itself we tend to think that the American Revolution was a masonic uh Revolution but it wasn’t it was just a revolution that had many Masons involved or played a part in it but in Cuba we see masy actually taking part in
Conspiracies and trying to bolster Revolution and independence from Spain and the great one was the great Masonic conspiracy of 1810 members of that first Lodge that was chared by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania many of those members including this brother here Hing and pante came together to create
A lodge and to be able to use this Lodge to discuss how they can actually have a revolution freeing themselves from oppression from Spain but also taking a step further not just freeing themselves from a from a monarchal rule but also ending slavery in Cuba now one of those individuals was
Jose Antonio Aponte he was a mulat negro from Cuba of mixed race and part of the 1810 conspiracy an uprising in Havana he was one of those individuals that was actually leading the uprising after having their meetings in secrecy and some of these individuals actually caught and on April 9th
1812 these individuals were put to death in The Gallows without any trial or any type of jurisdiction or Juris Prudence they just decided that they were going to capture them throw them in in The Gallows and then they were actually killed uh to prove and go a little bit step further Jose Antonio
Aon actually was beheaded and his head was hung in an iron cage on the corner of the intersection of Bel EOS III the interesting thing part is that the Grandy building of Cuba is now built on the same corner where Jose anonio Aon was executed and beheaded and where his head actually
Hung now many Cuban Freemasons had a big interest in freeing their Nation from Spain and what makes the presence of M in Cuba uniquely responded to the role it played during the three decades of struggle for independence from Spanish rule between 1868 and 18895 which there were three
Main revolutions that were tried to put place the last one actually succeeding now these gentlemen here Jose Francisco limos Jose Maria Hera they were actually brother Masons who came from that original uh conspiracy and later on decided they were going to create a organization uh that was actually named
Lois the boulevard after Simon Boulevard the great Mason and Liberator of South America and lius begins to conspire in Cuba in 1822 using meetings of the Masonic Lodge Lo Solus created by Him with the touches signs rituals hierarchies of femry each affiliate Soul which was a member before becoming a lightning a
Full member had to recruit no less than seven new fellows with whom they maintain their links the conspiracy Rees is Solis the boulevard was one of the premature attempts to achieve Cuban Independence each member had to recruit another member whom they were granted the degree of son and those who had sworn formed
Their Ray which is a lodge it adoped this flag that you see here with a turquoise blue Center and at its midpoint a bright silver sun with a crimson circum circumference or a bright Golden Sun as you see here in the picture what is indisputable fact and
Which many have more to do with this tolerance is that the very independence of Cuba was achieved by the assistance of Cuban Freemasons now the next individual played a really unique role in the first major in the attempt at Revolution during the 1850s and his name was nisso
Lopez he was not of Cuban birth he was actually born in karakas Venezuela but immigrated to Havana and there actually became a general and he is best known for expeditions aimed at liberating Cuba from Spanish rule in the 1850s now narcisio Lopez is very unique because he actually came to America and
Became not only a Mason here in America but also tried to seek out masons in position of power throughout the south in the United States uh he spent time in Louisiana uh with with the governor who was at that time a brother Mason named Quitman he actually made it to Texas
With and met some of the early founders of the Grand Lodge of Texas Holland one and some of the individuals who after the Civil War themselves created the Grand Lodge of Texas by creating the first the first Lodge there as well he tried to befriend them as well and he
Was was seeking assistance money Aid and Manpower uh but the interesting thing was that he actually went to the Grand Lodge of Georgia and the oldest Grand Lodge of Georgia is Savannah LOD number one and in 1850 according to the minutes we see here narcissi Lopez and several
Of his major officers actually became members of this Lodge in 1850 and they also went to travel into South South Carolina as well which was the parent Grand Lodge that would eventually create the Grand Lodge of Cuba but it’s interesting how this brother traveled uh the south southern
Part of the United States from South Carolina Georgia Florida all the way across into Texas looking for assistance Aid and individuals that would help them join even in the fight together so narcisso Lopez was quite an individual in an incredible individual but the unique thing about him is that he
Created the Masonic Cuban flag and for years I looked at the Cuban flag that my parents had and I didn’t think anything of it even when I became am but when you turn the flag upright it looks like a masonic apron and it was intended to show that way the most
Eloquent testimony of freem M’s historical significance for Cuba is to be found in the loftiest symbol the Cuban flag where the Masonic ideal is concretely expressed in the red Masonic triangle placed over the three blue and two white bands a symbol that sealed the intimate connection between Cuban Independence and freeeasy for eternity
Now the interesting thing is that this didn’t happen in Cuba but it happened in l Manhattan in June 1849 the Cuban national en or our flag was made in New York City in a rooming house on Warren Streets between church and College Place brother Lopez is quoted to have saying
Let us take the equilateral triangle for besides its Masonic significance it is also a geometrical figure the Cuban flag flew for the first time over over the sun magazine or newspaper building in l Manhattan you see in the lower left hand corner that is the actual building which
Is still there and it flew for the first time on May 11th 1850 by Moses I Beach who was actually the publisher of the sun eight days later on May 19th 1850 it flew for the first time over Cuban soil when brother Lopez carried it into the battle as a
Battle Flag when he landed at cardinas Cuba so interesting not only did he come to Cuba to seek help assistant and join Masonic lers here but he also came to New York City to create the Cuban flag which was designed sewn and created here in New York City and then flown in Cuba
Several days later now the Cuban flag has also inspired other flags now the Chilean flag and the Texas Flags kind of inspired the Cuban flag all of which have Masonic overtones but direct connections between the Puerto Rican flag the Philippine flag and the these catalonian separatist of Barcelona in
Spain their flags were also inspired by not just the colors of the Cuban flag but because of what it meant what it stood for and what they tried to achieve and eventually accomplished in Cuba so several of these countries were actually affected and also these countries in their own right had revolutions
Themselves each one led by a Freemason and again that was another reason why they I think they kind of used the Cuban flag because of what it meant to Masons around the world that Cuban Masons had created this flag as a Masonic symbol for the nation to help them rid
Themselves of the oppression of Spain and slavery now this photo here is very unique because all of these individuals which span maybe 60 years led many revolutions all these individuals were Freemasons so most of Cuba’s Freemasons most of its early presidents most of their famous revolutionary leaders outside of Fidel
Castro were all Freemasons uh and they all played a unique hand in freeing the Cuban people the Cuban country and also creating its first constitution as well and one of the earliest Revolutions in Cuba while King and fonte created the the Cuban constitution based off the American Constitution however he didn’t
Get to see it to fruition until 1895 but the Constitution that Cuba created once it was liberated after the Spanish American war was the same Constitution that was created probably about 70 years earlier when and fonte created that in that Masonic Lodge during that great Masonic conspiracy now Cuba is very uh unique
Cuba has a a long history it’s a very dedicated Masonic country uh lodges operate all year long with exception of two weeks the annual anniversary of the Revolution of 1895 which is held in May and of course the Christmas period during December other than that they meet every single week
However some lodges break it down where they have a meeting a month for a particular purpose one can be for degrees one can be for business one could be for programs educational or instructive and the other one could be for benevolence again it’s not the rule
But they are allowed to do that and many of them do as well now roughly today there are about 320 something lodges in Cuba uh with roughly about 25,000 members There are 16 provinces in Cuba each with its own District Deputy Grand Master and most of the lodges in Cuba
Operate in the scotch right but there are several lodges that do operate in the York right and last I spoke with the grandmas they had about 116 lodges in Cuba and again these are the grand seals of the Grand Lodge of Cuba now the interesting story comes
To the Modern Age when Fidel Castro is attempting a coup to overthrow fenu by Batista and in 1953 he tries to attack a Garrison in the eastern part of Cuba and he’s quickly put down he’s quickly arrested he’s sentenced he’s actually sentenced to death and he’s his death
Sentence is commuted he’s sent to prison and then he’s actually after a year he’s actually exiled and he goes to Mexico interestingly enough he followed the same path that the father of the Cuban nation and people Jose Marti followed came he was ex he tried to establish a
Foothold in revolution in Cuba he had the flea for his life he went to me he went to Mexico as well then he came to United States and spent 14 years in New York City gaining support and help and arms and money to raise again for the final Revolution of 1895 but Castro
Seems to follow the same way he actually he escapes uh they let him go he Exiles in Mexico and there he spend several years reorganizing reforming trying to come back to Cuba for his second attempt at overthrowing the government of wenu Batista and that of course happens in
1959 if you see the movie Godfather uh I think it’s Godfather too you know you know the whole story of how uh you know they they overthrow the government there however the interesting thing about Castro’s Revolution is that Cuba was the only Socialist Communist country where
MRE was allowed to operate I’m not going to say it was flourishing out in the open it was kept quiet it was kept on the ground but for the most part Castro did not bother the Masons now Cuba is of a particular interest again because it’s one of the few countries
Where communist and socialism was fully operating and it still operated and was permitted to organize and meet and the grand LS of Cuba never skipped the beat they didn’t have any years of interruption they didn’t miss years without Grand Master they always were able to operate even during Castro’s
Reign from 59 on to this day now but the interesting story is now there’s many stories as to why this happened the most popular story that goes is that when he did come back for his second attempt Landing in the Eastern shores of Cuba in in the early parts of
1958 again he was chased and he was running for the hills with his brother and several of his operatives as well and they realized at this time if caught they were going to be killed there was no going back to jail or being exiled he literally ran for his life and it is
Rumored that a masonic lodge in the Eastern shores of Cuba gave C Fidel and Raul and several of his Compadres and comrades of arms Safe Haven and Shelter by Brethren Masons now Castro himself and his brother were not Masons that we know of there’s no proof that they’ve
Ever been Masons however their families were known to have been members of the of masonic fraternity especially you know his his Elder family members of his media family so he did have some sort of connection Masonic wise but he himself was never am Mason that we know of has
Never been proven nor his brother but the interesting thing was that be he I guess he felt this kinship with the Masons and the fact that if it is a true story that they were the ones that saved him it is one of the reasons why Cuba flourished and actually
Operated during his entire span of Reign and to this day so from 1959 forward to now 2023 Cuban mry has not ceased to operate one day they’ve had struggles uh they’ve had financial problems of course because the state of the of the country and the Embargo placed by the American uh the
United States uh has prohibited them from even having enough regalian aprons and stuff to wear at a lodge although they are now fully wide open they can they actually perform uh ceremonies openly and publicly they’re no longer told to be kept on the ground however this was very unique because
This movement actually is a movement that allowed freem mry to continue working even on the ground during some of the harshest conditions but it was never penetrated or was never they never ceased to work or they were never uh they were never gone against their their will they actually were allowed to work
And again there is speculation as to why this is not 100% true story uh and I will give you my thoughts on why I believe at the end of this lecture as to I actually why I think Cuban freem mry actually allowed was allowed to survive in Cuba uh but
Because of this relationship with fidal again he let them go he didn’t bother them however the secretaries of the lodge did have to produce minutes to the government office and they had to send their minutes to a the government office of Cuba and there they would review it
And and read it and it was always rumored that Fidel had members of his party become Masons and join these lodges to keep their eyes and ears open and see what they were doing and of course monitor what was actually sent in paper form written as to what actually
Happened there again a lot of this has never been really proven but many of the Masons I’ve spoke to in Cuba tend to believe that they over the years especially in the early decades they did have moles or brother Masons who were who joined and were members of the
Communist party just to be able to keep eyes and ears on what they were doing and I’ll get to a reason why I’m sure they did did that now during Cuba’s long-standing history of Independence Freemasons and Masonic lodges fulfilled three key functions allowing them to survive for over 200
Years through countless Wars revolutions Imperial Rule and occupation the first one through their involvement in Masonic lodges Cubans interested in autonomy or Independence were able to meet exchange and enrich their ideas and create parallel organizations to implement them two Spanish authorities recognized and feared such bonding and nurturing the catalytic effect three many
Revolutionaries were themselves or had family or friends who were Masons then the new government was well aware of the institution’s revent and long involvement in Cuba struggle for civic life now in the Masonic LOD today which is very prevalent in many of the uh Spanish lodges or the South American
Caribbean lodges uh in a masonic lodge in Cuba the right of chain of union or Force represented by crossed hands and arms of the Brethren is symbolic of the evident Unity of the power of Mason the Brotherhood is hoping to play an important role in the future of their country as we progress
Forward now the other interesting part is why it’s more evident why Castro really didn’t go after him because the grand LGE building of Cuba is a very beautiful historical building and at one point it was one of the tallest buildings in have but when you walk inside you see these
Murals on these walls and all these murals are as they were when they when this Temple was first built uh many many decades ago way before Castro and all of the figures depicted in this in these murals that you can actually depict the face some of them are just group of men
With no faces but most of the individuals all the individuals you see here that have a discernable face were Freemasons and were at some point some sort of leader in some sort of Uprising or revolution or trying to overthrow the Spanish government and it’s amazing that this building was not touched now during
The Cuban Revolution of Fidel in 1959 uh there was quite a lot of havoc and chaos and as the years progress you had the Bay of Battle of Bay of Pigs uh and then it was a total Embargo of the island of Cuba by the United States and
Then it became total enemies Cuba and United States because Cuba sided with Russia and became alliance with Russia which uh had repercussions on his own country there but the interesting thing is that none of these murals or this building was touched a lot of casinos and and what they call this capitalist
Imperialist ownership of of land and and property and businesses was all SE seized by the government however any remnants of masonic life was untouched now if it was an American company they they destroyed it they trashed it because didn’t want no association within a capitalist country
However if you look to the National mic Museum here inside the building of the Grand Lodge of Cuba uh you will see busts of American Patriots Washington Ben Franklin Abraham Lincoln and it’s very unique as you see down the aisle here this’s the front entrance here it’s very
Unique that even when that hatred between Cuba and America grew they didn’t touch any sign of American leadership in this building here this Grand Lodge has a lot of American artifacts including the American flag a lot of bust of American Patriots and at no time was it ever destroyed or touched
It was kind of off limits which is very rare considering the hatred that the two countries had amongst themselves and that uh he would allow these American icons and figures and resemblance of American uh our country there in that Grand Lodge of CU as you see here is the statue of
Lincoln uh these are just some of the pictures here in homage to Jose Marti which is the father of the Cuban people in the Cuban Nation similar to George Washington here for America for our people here and you say nothing was touched everything was left alone nothing was destroyed nothing was
Touched of course over the years and decades the building has fallen into disrepair the lack of funds the lack of materials has really uh strain the Masons and our brothers in Cuba but they are making great strides to actually be able to re build a building to restore
It the only downside was that all buildings or these type of buildings in Cuba you had to give x amount of rooms to government offices so when you go travel there today it’s 11 stories this building probably the first two floors are Masonic the next five or six floors
Are governmental offices and then the floors on top uh the top floors are the Masonic Grand Lodge room the museum and Library so you had to give to the government offices however unlike we do here in America if the government has an office here they pay rent or they have
Uh they actually support it or maintain the building in Cuba that wasn’t the case so the government office got to live got to use those rooms for free and unfortunately they didn’t do anything into the upkeep of the building so it’s been up to the Masons 100% to maintain
It and I was just uh the bottom leth hand figure there is the brother to the left pointing at me is brother Victor he’s a good friend of mine a 33rd degree m from Cuba and he is the caretaker of this Museum and library and he has with
Along with many other BS uh several months ago went on a complete work on this building they painted they cleaned all the sculptures they redid Lighting in the building trying to get it into the modern era trying to get it a little bit more appeasing and maintaining the building
Again it’s a very great expense ex money that they don’t have and materials is not often easy to come by there in Cuba again this is just a building from the outside it is World famously known because it does have a huge globe of the
World on top of it and on top of that sits the square Encompass for all to see uh and this was very iconic uh during the years prior to Fidel Castro when Cuba was a the hot spot of the world when it came to Resorts and and beaches
And having a good time uh the pictures to the left there again Victor and and our brothers and also the individuals on top who work for the Grand Lodge office the grand secretary the grand Treasurer and many of the staff members that are painfully going through all these
Records and painfully trying to secure them trying to restore them trying to uh make copies of it so that we can share in the wealth of knowledge of Cuban freeming now patriotism or conspiracy the one thing which stands out in all of the history of Cuban freem is the
Persecution which the Brethren have had to undergo as a result of their belief charges have been made that these Brethren conspired against the government but did not many American Brethren also conspire against the English government in the early history of our own country do we condemn them for having so conspired Washington one
Of the chief conspirators has become the father of our nation honored and respected because he stood loyal to an ideal shall we condemn these early Cuban Patriots for doing the same thing in the span of 1868 to 1870 the number of lodges in Cuba was reduced from 30 to just seven many Freemasons
Were imprisoned and the grandm of the Grand Lodge of cologne at that time Jose Buel was shot along with many other brothers who were charged with the crime of freem however a common theme throughout this time period and the three Wars of Independence for Cuba is that freem led
The fight against the Spanish Crown now Brethren my last kind of pitch talk here is one why do I think Fidel let masy operate of course we know the overall number one rumor is that Mason loders gave him safe haven when he was running for the hills for his life doing the the
Second attempt at overthrowing the government of Cuba but that may be so and true but I believe that Castro C was a smart guy he wasn’t he wasn’t a dumb guy I mean he he was very well educated came from a very wealthy family and Castro knew how to manipulate people he knew
How to talk to the crowd he knew how to talk to people and he realized that in all the other communist countries and socialist countries around the world they had a tendency to remove the history remove the culture and replace it with their own now if you go to Russia during the
Time with Stalin all of Russia’s history was kind of wiped off and everything you would see was either lennin or Stalin it’d be a statue or a painting or Monument even though Stalin was still alive he honored himself and we see this throughout many communist and socialist countries around the world again Cuba
Being the only one that M was allowed to operate the other significant part is that I believe the real reason I believe in my heart is that Castro knowing the history knowing his people and knowing how other communist and socialist countries acted and how rebellion was always nipping at their heels
I would venture to say that he realized that reading the history of the Cuban people in the Cuban uh past especially during the colonial period he realized the tenacity of the Cuban people to want to be free and independent and eradicate slavery I’ve been able to demonstrate
And show you here briefly how Cuba played a significant role and masy played a significant role in many of the revolutions that were aimed to overthrow Spanish Dominion of rule and to have freedom and democracy and eradicate slavery at every step of the way every time a dictator or a nation would come
In and Conquer masy always played a hand in trying to overthrow that and I believe that Castro realizing this saying every step of the way every major event every battle these guys have always been here going after the people attacking going after the crown going after a dictator Castro I believe realized this
And say you know what if I take the people’s history away if I take their leaders away their founding fathers their Rich Legacy and if I come down on mly sooner or later they’re going to still meet they may not meet in a lodge they may meet in a basement they may
Meet in a bar or a Tavern or restaurant but these guys for 150 years have proven that the seeds of discontent were sown in Masonic Gatherings or Masonic meeting places with Masons and he realized if I now come in here and strip them of masonry strip the people of their
Culture and their legacy they’re going to come after me as they’ve done for the last 150 years in my heart I believe Castro was small enough to say you know what I’m going to leave the people their Heroes I’m going to leave them their liberators I’m going to leave them their
Bing fathers in their legacy and I’m going to leave freem mry alone they’re not going to be out there in public they’re not going to be parading around town with ceremonies and Cornerstone and corn wine and oil and all the other trappings of masonry they’re going to
Work on the ground as long as they don’t get in my way I’m going to let them be and for all of Castro’s time including after his death till now free masy has been allowed not to flourish 100% sometimes but allowed to work and meet undisturbed all these
Years and now free m is wide open again in Cuba it is growing again it is growing by Leaps and Bounds uh it is getting worldwide recognition many jurisdictions outside of Cuba are now recognizing Cuba and Cuba recognizing them as well but that is my take on why
I believe M was allowed to operate in Cuba unrestricted like that because Castro realized that if there was going to be any problems or any type of Revolution aimed at overthrowing him chances are because of the history it was going to happen in a masonic lodge or within
Masonic circles so if I let these guys meet I let them have their meetings if I plant some of my guys in there just to keep an ear out as soon as something comes up that could be a threat I would be the first one to know I would nip it
In the butt and make sure Squall it and squash that so it won’t become a problem when you oppress people when you keep people down and take away their rights and their freedoms the there’s always going to be a way for them to find a way to fight
And gain those freedoms back and Castro I think was small enough to say hey if it’s going to happen it’s going to happen with the Freemasons let them be let them work let them meet quietly I’ll keep an eye on them but that’s my take
On I what I believe is why M was allowed to operate in Cuba now the other reason why overall masonry is such a wonderful organization because masonry is a perfect institution made up of imperfect men all men ER and all men make mistakes now Brethren Mas has a wonderful core values
Has wonderful tenants but I believe the greatest core value that we have is that for centuries masy has allowed for men to meet regardless of the color of their skin regardless of their Creed their culture their faith their language their religion or what country they came from
It allows men to come together the rich the poor the noble the elite it doesn’t matter it allows us to come together it allows us to agree with each other it allows us to disagree it allows us to debate but at the end of the day we come
Together never breaking that chain of Union and I think that’s the greatest core value that our fraternity offers that nobody else offers around the world this wonderful unique opportunity for centuries meeting like this where most religions you’re not allowed to meet you’re not allowed to have masonry many monarchal empires on World
Forbid M to operate because one way of being able to dominate a people is by keeping them deaf dumb and blind and also by stricking away their freedoms and their rights and M has always had these freedoms in the lodge we freely elect our officers we freely pay our bills and
Do business in a lodge but most importantly we freely are able to discuss and engage each other freethinkers thinking a better way and a better future and I think that’s one of the greatest reasons why free mway has always been a threat to many of these institutions because of how we meet and
How we’re able to discuss and out most of all how we’re able to leave a lodge without having butchering one another masy to me is very important especially now in the times we’re living here in this country and around the world I think masy need the world needs
A slice of masy because of the actual things we’re dealing with now I think it’s very important that we come together and realize that masy offers something to the world that they can take a lesson from that men can come together in the bonds of Fellowship without wiing one another and that’s
Very unique and many organizations and Many religious backgrounds and dogmas it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to get men from all different walks of life to come together and be able to have this type of meeting discuss and yet leave in the end of the day without breaking that
Chain of union now in closing the master will close the lodge by giving the charge and at the end of that charge some jurisdictions are quite different but for the most part there’s a part that goes every human being deserves a claim upon your kind offices
Do good unto all men especially those of the household of faith why would the Master charge the Brethren with his last breath his last order to go out and do what we do here and bring it to the world because I believe freem mry was not only started created but serves a
Purpose to where what what happens in a lodge how we conduct ourselves how we treat each other how we respect each other how we tolerate each other how we have diversity I think those are the really core values that we have and I think the master of wants us
To take this and take it into the world don’t close the the altar don’t leave the lodge and leave the goodness that happens here I think he wants us to take it to the world and show the world how Masons act and that the world can
Act the same way we don’t always have to like each other we don’t always have to agree with each other but at the endend of the day we have to respect each other and that’s the ultimate call and core value that we have in mry and Brethren
It’s been an honor and pleasure to speak with you here today I hope you enjoy it may God bless you all may God bless the United States of America may God bless all our veterans past and present all our First Responders and healthcare workers because it is by their sacrifice
That we meet here today as free men and Free Masons and most especially may God continue to shine His blessings on the greatest fraternity world free mry thank you
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