200 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
200 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.VII September, 1929 No.9
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SUGAR COATING MASONIC EDUCATION
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by: Unknown
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However improper curiosity may be as a principal motive for applying
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for the degrees, it is probable that no man ever passed through the
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West Gate for his initiation as an Entered Apprentice without an
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eager desire to know "what will happen next?"
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Immediately thereafter the candidate usually develops a healthy
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curiosity as to the "why" of that which "happened next." Entered
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Apprentices and Fellowcrafts are generally hungry for explanations of
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the reasons and for the motives behind the words and acts of a
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degree.
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Man is incurably curious; his desire to know and to understand is the
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mainspring of invention, discovery, civilization and progress; it is
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the driving force which leads men to learn.
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Worshipful Masters can - and many of them do - make use of the desire
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to know, to make better Masons of the brethren of their lodges.
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Masters are charged with the duty of giving the Craft "good and
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wholesome instruction," or causing the same to be done. But one of
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the principal methods developed by Masonic educators, the
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"educational meeting," is a method of instruction more injured than
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helped by its name! For many brethren had boyish experiences with
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"education" which lead them to associate with that word a process
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which is dry, dull and uninteresting.
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What is here called a "sugar coated" Masonic educational meeting is
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just the reverse; interesting, intriguing, alive, vital and
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satisfying a great curiosity. Lodges which have tried any of the
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educational experiments here listed usually repeat them, and almost
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invariably the repetition is to a "packed house."
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Here are some suggestions for "sugar coated" educational meetings;
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all of them have been tried, and all found successful methods of
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interesting the Craft in the various phases of Freemasonry.
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1. BREAKING RULES TO MEND THEM
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Certain unwritten rules of Masonic conduct, as well as some specified
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by Grand Lodges, become so much a matter of custom in lodges that
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many brethren lose sight of the reasons therefore, if, indeed, they
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ever knew them.
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The Worshipful Master may arrange a program in which a number of
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brethren, instructed beforehand, to deliberately commit or attempt to
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commit infractions of the rules. When the error is made, the Master,
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or some previously instructed brother (a Past Master), explains the
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mistake and the reason for the rule. For instance, in most
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Jurisdictions it is not considered courteous for a brother to pass
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between the Worshipful Master and the Alter (except when in the
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process of conferring a degree). When the instructed brother crosses
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the lodge between the Altar and the East, the Master may admonish the
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"culprit" that it is not considered proper, and call upon some
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previously instructed Past Master to explain that, in theory, the
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Great light and the Square and Compasses on the Altar; are dedicated
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to God, the Master and the Craft; and, therefore at no time should
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his view of them be interrupted. A brother who attempts to leave the
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room during a ballot may be corrected and the reason given; Grand
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Lodges usually hold that a ballot on a petition, interrupted by any
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one entering or leaving the room, is invalid, since such an action
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may interfere with the secrecy of said ballot. Similarly, a brother
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balloting may object to the officer in charge of the ballot box
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standing so close to the altar that he might discover how a brother
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votes. Either or both of these incidents provide an excellent
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opportunity for a little talk upon the sacredness and secrecy of the
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Masonic ballot, and its importance. Others are: speaking more than
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twice to the same question, speaking without being recognized,
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speaking without rising, addressing an individual brother or the
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lodge instead of the Master, making a motion to appoint a committee
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with certain specified personnel, offering a resolution "to adjourn"
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or to "lay a motion on the table," are suggested infractions of
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Masonic law and custom, all of which may be corrected in an
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educational meeting in an interesting way.
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2. DISSECTING A DEGREE
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Especially recommended for lodges which have little work to do is the
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dissection and explanation of the first section of any degree. A
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dummy candidate is initiated, and the ceremony interrupted at each
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stage by some brother who offers a little explanation of the
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symbolism of that part of the degree; entry, circumambulation, rite
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of destitution, the antiquity of the Apron, origin of the Lesser
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Lights, etc. Such dissection and exposition of parts of a degree
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require some little study by those who take part, but by giving each
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brother who offers an interruption only one subject, the work of
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preparation is minimized and the variety increased by having many
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take part.
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It is suggested here that inquiry be first made of the District
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Deputy, or the Grand Master; in some Jurisdictions the practice of
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using a dummy candidate has been frowned upon, as derogatory to the
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dignity of our ceremonies. When it is explained that the purpose of
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the idea is educational, however, it is probable that no difficulty
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will be experienced in obtaining cooperation from those in authority.
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3. YOU MUST - YOU MUST NOT!
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The average lodge member knows little about Masonic Law. The very
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term "Jurisprudence" seems repellent. Yet Masonic Law is intensely
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interesting, and may be made to appear so to the lodge by any brother
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who will devote a little time and attention to developing a talk on
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those parts of our legal system which most intimately touch the
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brethren. Masonic Law is vastly different from civil law; most
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Masonic Law is a matter of "thou shalt" rather than "thou shalt not."
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A few salient points chosen for their interest to the average Mason,
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and explained; first, as to their origin; and second, as to their use
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or necessity will interest the lodge. It is not at all an arduous
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task for a clever brother to arrange such a talk. He may use any
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good book on Jurisprudence as a foundation, Mackey or Pound for
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choices, as both are complete and concise.
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4. COMPETITION IS THE LIFE OF - EDUCATION!
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The more brethren that take part in an educational meeting, the
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greater the enjoyment. No scheme for an educational meeting yet
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developed exceeds the lodge contest in this respect, since it gives
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everyone in the lodge room an opportunity to participate.
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The educational contest is conducted by a Master of Ceremonies asking
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a series of questions, carefully prepared in advance, the correct
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answers to which can be given in a word or two, a date or a name.
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Supplied with paper and pencils, the brethren write and number their
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answers to the questions, as they are asked. Then they exchange
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papers, the correct answers are read, and the brethren mark the
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replies "right" or "wrong" according to the facts. The winners, of
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course, are those who have the greatest number, the next greatest and
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the third greatest answered correctly. Interest is such a contest is
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increased by offering prizes. These may be very inexpensive; a good
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Masonic book, a subscription to a Masonic Magazine, a Masonic lapel
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pin are all appreciated.
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The questions should not be complex; answers should be facts, not
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opinions. For instance, "In what lodge was George Washington
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raised?" "Who is the Grand Master in this state?" "How old is this
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lodge?" "How many lodges in our Grand Lodge Jurisdiction?" These
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are the type of questions that need only a word or two for an answer
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with facts. Such questions as "Do you think Masonry is a religion?"
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should not be included, since any answer must be an opinion, not a
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fact. Questions like "Explain the part Freemasonry played in the
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Revolution" should not be asked, as it would require a lengthy reply.
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In giving out the correct answers, a clever Master of Ceremonies will
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be able to offer some "good and wholesome instruction" of Masonic
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value; for instance, if the question is: "How many landmarks are
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recognized in this Jurisdiction?" If the correct answer is "twenty-
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five", the Master of Ceremonies may explain that some Jurisdictions
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have less, others more; that many Jurisdictions have adopted Mackey's
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list, while others have condensed Mackey's twenty-five into a lesser
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number; which, never the less contains all of Mackey's points, and so
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on.
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A lodge debate will draw a crowd and keep it interested for the best
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part of an hour, with pleasure and profit to all. Debating teams may
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be composed of two or more brethren on each side of the issue; two to
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a side usually produces a snappier debate than three. Some questions
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of universal Masonic interest should be chosen; such as "Resolved,
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that dual membership is advantageous to the Fraternity," or
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"Resolved, that Masonic trials are better conducted by a Grand Lodge
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Commission than a particular lodge."
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Such debates should be planned well in advance. An impromptu debate
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often produces amusing results. Two captains are chosen; each
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captain chooses six debaters. The Master then announces the subject.
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Each debater is given two minutes and must sit down when the gong
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rings at the end if his time, even if in the middle of a sentence.
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The simpler the subject, the more lively the debate. Such questions
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as "Resolved, that this lodge should start a library," or "Resolved,
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that the fees for the degrees are too low" (or too high!) will
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produce more debate than more abstruse questions, because brethren
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seldom argue well on difficult matters unless they have previously
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spent some time in preparation.
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It is not suggested that these "sugar coated" methods of holding
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Masonic educational meetings should replace older, tried and true
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forms in which some learned brother delivers an address upon a
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Masonic subject, or presents an illustrated lecture. The speaker and
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the lecturer we have always had with us; illustrated lectures on
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Masonic subjects will always be of interest to the Craft, as will the
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well conceived and delivered address.
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But we tire of anything in too great qualities. Quail is considered
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the best eating, yet it is a restauranteur's tradition that no man
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can eat a quail a day for a month!
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The Masonic educational meeting conducted on new, different lines -
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of which the above list is only suggestive, not complete - will
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largely "take the curse off" the word "educational" meeting.
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Brethren who are provided with "sugar coated" education do not stay
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away on "educational nights" but come out in full force. Once the
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lodge members begin thinking "I wonder what new idea the Master will
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spring tonight!" when an educational meeting is announced, and the
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Stewards will have to go to the basement after extra chairs.
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Sugar coated pills do the same work as those more difficult to
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swallow - and they are much easier to take!
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