209 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
209 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.III January, 1925 No.1
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TO SYMPATHIZE
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by: Unknown
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"To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all, but
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particularly on Masons, who are linked together buy an indissoluble
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chain of sincere affection. To soothe the unhappy, to sympathize
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with their misfortunes, to compassionate their miseries and restore
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peace to their troubled minds is the great aim we have in view. On
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this basis we form our friendships and establish our connections."
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A careful reading of these sentences used in many Masonic Monitors is
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the only guide any Master Mason, no matter how inexperienced, really
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needs to point the way to Masonic Charity.
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Yet, charity as practiced by the Fraternity is not well understood by
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many Masons and almost invariably misunderstood by the profane world.
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Masonry is not, "Perse," a benevolent organization. It is not formed
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for the purpose of mutual relief from pecuniary distress, and its
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finances are neither gathered nor managed with that end in view. For
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those who wish fraternal insurance, a sick benefit organization, or a
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fraternal provisions for old age, there are many orders, run with
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wisdom and excellent in execution.
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Masonry is something much greater; it ministers to a man's heart and
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mind rather than to his body. True Fraternal affection and pity for
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the unfortunate lead Masons to take care of their dependents, to
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establish homes for their aged and infirm, to give to the needy and
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to relieve the distressed. All lodges spend money for charity; in
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many lodges it is the largest item of expense.
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But the greatest charity which Freemasonry provides for its members
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is charity of thought; the greatest relief it can render is relief of
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the spirit.
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The individual brother, newly raised, is often perturbed as to where
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his individual Masonic Benefactions should begin and end. Oddly
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enough, his geographic situation has much to do with the answer he
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must make. In the larger centers he will find a Masonic Board of
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Review, the business of which it is to relieve the distress of worthy
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Master Masons, their widows and orphans when the case is beyond the
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jurisdiction of an individual lodge. Thus, a stranger in a large
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city, in need of Masonic assistance, should not try to obtain it from
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an individual Mason or lodge, but from the organization maintained by
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Masons for that purpose. The individual Mason, solicited for help by
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one claiming to be a Mason, can do no better or more wisely than to
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refer such an appeal to the Board for action.
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If this seems colder than the degrees seem to teach, reflect that all
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Masonic actions may have two angles; and that open-handed relief
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given by the individual Masons in good faith to a Masonic impostor,
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ridicules the Fraternity and nullifies its efforts. And, alas, there
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"Are" Masonic impostors; men without heart or conscience who are
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either renegade Masons in fact, or who fraudulently have obtained a
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Masonic card and pretend to a knowledge of Masonry they do not have,
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all for the purpose of living by their wits off the good will of real
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masons.
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It is better that the individual Mason contribute to the upkeep of a
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rascal, than, that he refuse a worthy appeal. In localities where
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there is no Board of Relief to investigate, satisfy yourself of your
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applicant's character and honor as best you may, and then give
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according to your means.
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Luckily for us all, our charity is highly organized and well
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administered. Few organizations can get more actual relief than our
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Fraternity for the money expended. Masonic Homes are institutions
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where relief is given the aged and infirm, the orphan and the widow;
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these, our guests, are not recipients of charity, but of the
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affectionate care which all brethren give to those they love. These
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homes are wonderful institutions, but they are not compelled to ask
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individual contributions from lodge members; they take their chief
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support from regular appropriations made from dues or fees, or both.
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It is charity of thought and act rather than charity of money and
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material things that demands a Masons attention. Here the field is
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as wide as the world and activities have no limit. The most common
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opportunity given to us all is that of visiting the sick. Only a
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brother who has been ill, especially if in a hospital or in a strange
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city who, because of their common brotherhood, has received visits
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from men he has not previously met, truly understands the beneficial
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effects of such examples of Masonic charity. Doctors tell that such
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visits have often done more than all their medicines; there is
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nothing more heartening to a man, feeble and ill, than the thought
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that someone cares.
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Another charity which we can all extend is that of faith.
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When our brother fails in business; when our brother is accused of
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some offense; when our brother is criticized; when our brother is in
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any trouble whatever; the helping hand extended, the words "My
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Brother, I believe in you, I am with you," mean much . . . Oh, so
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much. And they cost . . . just nothing at all!
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And the most beautiful charity of all . . . charity of opinion! This
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we can all give in large measure, pressed down and running over,
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thirteen to the dozen! Let us not be judges of our brother! Let us
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not try to make ourselves the keepers of his conscience. Let us,
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indeed, "in the most friendly manner remind him of his faults," but
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let us first be very sure that our own houses are not of glass. Let
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us speak no ill of a brother; let us keep our critical thoughts to
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ourselves. Let us remember that as we judge him, so must we be
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judged; that the Fraternity and its reputation do not depend upon
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what we think of him, but what the world thinks of us!
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So shall we offer the truest Masonic charity, and some day find that
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it comes back to us many fold.
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In each of the great majority of Grand Lodge Jurisdictions there is a
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Masonic Home, to which the Fraternity invites as its beloved guests
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those Masons, Mason's widows, dependents and children who are not
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otherwise protected from need or sorrow.
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Guests of a Masonic home are no more objects of charity than is the
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mother who blesses by her presence the home you support; or the
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father or grandfather whose place at your fireside, left vacant,
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could never be filled. For these, our well beloved brethren and
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their loved ones, we delight to care, to make their lives easy and
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happy, to relieve their distress, not as "Charity," but as a grateful
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and devoted service we render to those we love, and those dear to
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those we love, "Because" we love them!
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You, as a Master Mason, contribute to the support of your Masonic
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home. A certain proportion of the dues you pay to your lodge is set
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aside for the maintenance and support of that Masonic Home. And you
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may . . . many Master Masons do . . . feel that your duty ends when
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you pay that which your By-Laws demand of you.
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But there is nothing easier in this world than "Check-Benevolence."
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It requires neither care, nor attention, nor time, nor effort to
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write a check. Any one can do it who has a bank account!
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But he who gives "Time and Service" gives mightily. Your Masonic
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Home probably is not in need of your services; it has its own paid
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staff, and needs no outside assistance, so far as routine duties are
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concerned. But no one can pay another to do for that Home what you
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can do - visit it!
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Don't say, "I live too far away." In miles you may live too far away
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to go often in person; it will pay you to go once, at least, to see
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for yourself the outward and visible expression of the "Brotherly
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Aid" which is here practiced in its most beautiful form. Nor do you
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live to far away to write a letter now and then, to some Master Mason
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who lives in that Home.
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"But, I don't know him!"
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Make it your business to know him! You and he have knelt at the same
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Altar. You have taken the same obligation. You belong to the same
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Order. You are brothers. Do you "Need" an introduction?
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Send him a line! Send him a magazine. Send him a newspaper. Send
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him a clipping, a joke, a verse; it doesn't matter much what you
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send; the point is that you must take a real personal interest in
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your brother, who is too old to work, too ill to labor, too
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handicapped in some way to make his way unaided. Masonry puts its
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strong right arm under his feeble body and helps him over the rough
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places. He has borne the heat and burden of the day; you are young
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and strong. You would spring forward with much joy to help an old
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man across a crowded and dangerous street. Well, here are old men
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crossing the crowded Street of Life and the helping hand of a younger
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brother is a comfort and protection.
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Man may not live by bread alone. Give these, our guests, the best of
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food, the finest of care, the most comfortable of homes, and they
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cannot go happily down the hill to their Journey's End if we withhold
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that touch of affectionate brotherhood which can only personally be
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given.
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Do not think that Masonry neglects her guests. Lodges frequently
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arrange and conduct entertainment, or religious service, or plan an
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outing. But necessarily these are all impersonal. What you can do
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is give the "Personal Touch."
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And then . . . the children! For there are many children in Masonic
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Homes; little ones whose Master Mason Father has answered the Last
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Call, whose Mother cannot undertake their support, or who may have
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"No Mother." You don't need to be told what to do for children - "Or
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Do You?"
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The widow of a Master Mason of a certain lodge fought a game fight as
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long as she could; then asked for help. The lodge saw that she and
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her little daughter became guests of the Home. The lodge looked
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after them well, too; the daughter had a business education as soon
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as she was old enough. A little group of men used to meet after
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lodge for a midnight lunch; they were the bone and sinew of the
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lodge. And every man put a coin in a cup when he paid his check, and
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on birthdays and at Christmas time the result of that coin-cup went
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to the little girl for her very own - to purchase those things which
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even the best of Homes does not buy. And there was many an extra
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contribution to her happiness; wives of lodge members took her to the
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theater and the concert and the lecture; lodge members took her and
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her mother for automobile rides; there was always a subscription to a
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magazine being paid by some one . . . for these were the dear ones of
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a Master Mason of that lodge.
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And that lodge is no different, and no better, and has no finer men,
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than your lodge, than any lodge!
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Your Masonic Home is "Your" Home, if you need it. It is also your
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home in the sense that you are a host. Those who live there are your
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guests. Make them happy! It costs so little, it means so much, it
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takes so little time, and makes so much for Brotherhood.
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There was once a Son who taught the world of the Fatherhood of God.
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And He Said, "Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these . . . !"
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