Hope TBS doesn't mind, but I kind of miss these discussions, and reminders of the teachings which so oft are concluded without sufficient discussion and understanding.

6th Degree - Intimate Secretary.

In exchange for cedar trees, fir trees, and gold provided to King Solomon, King Hiram was given 20 cities in Galilee...

Duties:

B zealous, faithful, disinterested, and benevolent...  Act the peacemaker.

Lessons:

Zeal & Fidelity to duty are always rewarded...

Have to get baby to bed...  ***To Be Continued***


Obligatory baby pic...

What we are taught in the degree:

Fidelity and Zeal - To do one's duty, whether one is rewarded or not, whether your performance of that duty is recognized, or goes completely unknown to the rest of the world.  To perform that duty eagerly, loyally, and faithfully.

Benevolence - to be selfless, humbled, to do good and kind acts unto others.  To be more severe with ourselves, and less so with others.  To truly be kind and affectionate to one another.

Disinterestedness - to be liberal, but only of that which is our own; to be generous, but only when we have first been just; to give, when to give deprives us of a luxury or a comfort, this is Masonry indeed.

To act the peacemaker - Among Masons, there must be no dissension, but only that noble emulation, which can best work and best agree.  Anger makes innocent jesting to be the beginning of tragedies.  It turns friendship into hatred; it makes a man lose himself, and his reason and his argument, in disputation.  It turns the desires of knowledge into an itch of wrangling.  It adds insolency to power.  It turns justice into cruelty, and judgement into oppression.  It changes discipline into tediousness and hatred of liberal institution.  It makes a prosperous man to be envied, and the unfortunate to be unpitied.

carry on brother.

the only reason i still have my blue lodge affiliation is because it's required by the SR. I enjoy it a great deal even though i don't get to participate often. There is great value in the teachings there.