Welcome to December – thankfully the last month of 2020!

The Full Moon in December is called the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon. This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark.   

I would like to share a little story about an opportunity that I read somewhere that fits our current situation.

“The Obstacle in Our Path”

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way.  Some of the King’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Moral of the story:

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances, and whilst the lazy complain, the others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.

How does this pertain to us you ask? Take a look around; are we, Lodges and Chapters, doing everything we can to provide community service?  Are we seeking out new and former members to join our great Fraternity? Or are we using the current pandemic as an excuse to do nothing, blaming the powers that be for our current situations?

I understand that COVID is a terrible thing, as both my dad and I are currently recovering from it. I also know that it affects everyone differently, but that is no reason for us to quit.  We need to be there for our members and communities. We, now more than ever, have the opportunity to be the “Heart” of our communities. Now is the time to be community leaders.

With the holiday season approaching, let’s ask, what can we do to help those in need? What can we do to help our members and community? I believe that most communities have food pantries that need supplies.  What about those animal shelters, they may also need supplies.  Let’s all take advantage of these opportunities and shine.

In closing, once again I would like all of you to put forth a greater effort in signing new and former members, along with retaining our current membership.  Let’s get over things that happened in the past, and look forward to what we can do to help the future.  Let’s all get out of the “cliques” and act as a family, make all that enter our Lodges feel welcome, needed, and appreciated. I know that with everyone working together we can be the best Association in the Fraternity.

Merry Christmas dear friends! 2020 has been the year of learning new skills for all of us(Zoom Meetings, Home Schooling, Remote Lodge Visits, Drive Through Food Services…), and you’ve really inspired me with your creativity and drive to make the most of lockdown! But in the midst of all that, I know it hasn’t been an easy time for you. I hope you can stay strong and keep safe over the holidays, and that the New Year brings more certain times ahead. I can’t wait to see everyone in person once these crazy days are over. I miss you so very much!

Until next year,

Mike Rynearson, TM