MAGLOGuinn

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OSCAR ALLEN GUINN, JR.

Grand Chaplain; Masonic Speaker

REMARKS

AT THE SEPTEMBER 1975 QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION

Beginning on Page 1975-175, following the presentation of a Joseph Warren Medal:

"Most Worshipful The Grand Master, Most Worshipful Sirs, Right Worshipful Brethren, Worshipful Brethren and Brethren All:

"The Grand Master has just honored me in such a way that I do not know what to say. My heart is too full to adequately express my thanks. I sincerely hope that I may be able to sewe in some way to show my appreciation to Masonry. Next to my family, and my Church, Masonry has meant more to me than anything I have known. Wherever I have gone, the bonds of Brotherhood made in the Masonic Fraternity have been beyond words. My deepest appreciation for the honor you have given me.

"The Grand Master has asked that I share with you a summary of what I said at a Service in Old North Church, on April 19, 1975, in which we honored the men of the pre-Revolutionary and Paul Revere Lodges.

"At that time I asked the question, For what are you willing to Die?

"A few months ago, I drove up to a stop light, and while waiting for it to change noticed the license plate on the car in front. It was from New Hampshire, and as you know, the motto on it is - Live Free or Die. This started me to thinking, and as I drove down the road I thought of Patrick Henry, my fellow Virginian, who once said, 'Give me Liberty or give me death.' Nathan Hale came into my mind. I know some historians doubt the event, but I like to think he said just before being hanged by the enemy, 'I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.'

"Later I read in the paper, that opposition had arisen in New Hampshire to that motto. One man went so far as to say, 'There is nothing in New Hampshire for which I would give my life.' I began to ask myself, Why? Why had we lost this attitude that was so evident among our forefathers?

"To have this sense of dedication, one must have respect for ; admiration for; love for someone or something. It requires a sense of the Holy in Someone (God) . . . in Something (Country, Society, Church, Family, Fraternity), that demands my BEST... my ALL.

"The attitude today is not so much an antagonism to ideals, goals, and purposesl as it is a spirit of 'I couldn't care less.' It is a neutrality that is neither hot, nor cold; and a great Prophet said, it would be 'spewed out of the mouth.'

"But, what is the solution? How can we build again this dedication?

"It cannot be bought. We have come to the place, where we feel that if the proper amount of money is available, then nothing wili be impossible. We have tried to by friendship, loyalty) respect and love. But, we have failed completely. Some parents ask me, 'What is wrong? I have given my children everything. Why don't they love and respect me?' I asked a young man once, "Your parents gave you everything you ever desired. They went without and gave to you. What is wrong? Why do you feel as you do?' He replied, 'They gave me evirything but themselves.' Their money had not bought respect and love. It cannot gain dedication to anything!

"I believe that respect, admiration and love are SPIRITUAL. You can say that respect for my nation is materialistic. This is true, when we pay our income tax, when we answer the call to the Armed Services, and in many other ways show our submission to the State. But, that is NOT respect and admiration in the deepest sense. I might become angry at many of the physical aspects of my Nation. I 'boil' at tax time; I can resent actions and words of executives, legisiators, or judges. But, they are only outward symbols of our Nation. Our Nation is an Ideal. It is what God wants us to be! It is not what the Nation does, but what she can do, and be!

"Joan of Arc did not die for a spineless and corrupt Charles VII. She did not die for the French noblemen, nor for the corrupt Government. She died for France - a dream she had of what France could be and should be. This is true for us today, whether we talk about the Nation, the Church, the Family, or our great Fraternity. I am not always happy with what my family does, nor what my Church does; but I am willing to die for what they should be, and for what I hope them to be.

"This concerns the spiritual loss of Trust and Faith. We must find some way in which we can rebuild this foundation of Trust . . . Faith . . . Respect . . . Love. For if we are must know for what we are willing to give our BEST, our ALL . . . that for which we are willing to die."

AT THE JUNE, 1977 QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION

"Most Worshipful, The Grand Master, Most Worshipful Sirs, Right Worshipful Sirs, Worshipful Brethren and Brethren All:

"The Grand Master has asked that I speak on the theme, A New Masonic Year.

"There are two statues that have interested me for many years, both are of Indians. One you know well, but you may not have seen the other one. In front of the Museum of Fine Arts here in Boston, is The Appeal to the Great Spirit by Cyrus Dallin and in Wisconsin is The End of the Trail by James Earl Fraser. As you know, the Boston statue shows a fine Indian Brave astride his horse. His arms are lifted in prayer and dedication to the Great Spirit. There is strength, hope and faith in this beautiful statue.

"Fraser created his masterpiece for the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. It was later moved to Wisconsin, and a bronze duplicate was placed in South Carolina. (Fraser, by the way, is the man who designed our old Buffalo Nickel.) In this work, there is an Indian sitting on a horse, too. But, that is almost the only similar fact. The Indian is drooped over the horse, which seems to be dead tired. Both look as if they had come to the end of their lives.

"Many have seen these statues as symbolic of the fate of the Red Men a{ter the coming of the White Men. In the East, the Indians met and welcomed the foreigners. There was hope and a belief that the Great Spirit would bring Friendship. But, after years of conflict the Indian is beaten. He is at 'The End of the Trail', and there is little left for the future.

"But, I want to think of these statues as somewhat symbolic of a Masonic Year. New officers take leadership. New dreams are seen by the new Master, and the Lodge looks toward a new dawn; new members, good ritual, increased attendance, and greater brotherhood. Then ambushes come from some critical members; reinforcements do not arrive; and we begin to droop.

"A good meeting raises hope. The District Deputy gives encouragement. A visit to a nearby Lodge reveals greater problems than we have, and, we ride again into battle! But, the year begins to take its toll, and finally when June comes we are tired. When the next Master is installed, we look back over so many things we wanted to do, many things we would like to have changed. But, a new year is here! And a new brave Master is ready to ride into his year.

"I may have simplified the pictures, but each of us recognizes some of the events. In preparation for a new year, we must know that no successful year is possible if only one, or two carry the entire load. A Lodge must be a Lodge, which means members collected. There is strength in numbers, also greater knowledge.

"One or two really significant goals should be set and attained. I have known Masters who made such great plans that no one could have accomplished all of them. It is far better to aim high on a few projects and achieve them. We have so much to offer to men and the world, that each of us can find an area of greatest interest.

"My prayer is that we can begin our year with great anticipation and appeal to the Great Spirit to guide and help us. And, it is possible that our 'End of the Trail' will look like the statue, but will resemble the one in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. For with God, all reasonable things are possible.


Distinguished Brothers