…presented at Onondaga Lodge No. 519, Onondaga, October 26 2004.

Masonry is fast approaching it's third century and we celebrate 150 years in 2005. Many masons especially newer brethren may view masonry as an unchanging monolith constant and unvariable. We are all admonished to keep the landmarks sacred and inviolable.much time and effort have gone into keeping the ritual as constant from district to district, indeed one of the or ig inal reasons that there are ddgms is that back in the 1700s the ritual was beginning to vary from lodge to lodge. Once the present structure of grand lodge was formed, uniformity was desired. But we are not unchanging. There have been many changes and advancements over the years. In 2000 the ceremony of installation was altered by grand lodge to stream line the proceedings. Even the word initiation means a new beginning. The word is derived from "initium" meaning a break away from old.

Let me conclude with an apologue and an aspiration. In "the chronicles of israel " it may be read that after long prepatory labour, after employing the choicest material and the most skilful artificers, solomon the king at last made an end of building and beautifying his templeand dedicating to the service of the most high so that the glory of the lord shone through the whole house .

So if we can have it so may it be with our temple of the masonic order. Change is inevitable and we as craft masons can make a difference, and may your l ig ht continue to shine. God bless.