Upon the Square

Brothers, as this is my final comment to my brethren as the Master of Corinthian Lodge,  I can't believe all the fun I have had this year. We have traveled to many Lodges this year. We have tried new things and I think we have given our new brothers a better experience in joining the Lodge. I started this year with a pledge to do new things, but really, it wasn't new things at all but a reimagining of the original work of the Masonic fraternity.

First, we have performed two Entered Apprentice Table Lodges and they have been incredibly popular and fun. As a part of these Table Lodges, we have hosted two sitting Grand Masters who have taken a part in the fun. I can't speak for the candidates but my guess is that they have had a lot of fun as well and have seen that we are dedicated to their learning and growing as a brother. My hope is that they will enjoy the labors and privileges that come with being a Mason.

We tried an experiment to give a personalized third degree to each of our candidates. I remember the dedication of the brothers that day. Not only did we have brothers of our Lodge but also distinguished, visiting brethren including Most Worshipful Brother Phil, Worshipful Brother Bill, and Brother Nick jumping in to do great degree work. As I look at how this experiment worked out, I can see that these brothers saw that we were dedicated to them so they have dedicated their work to us. The idea of a personalized degree is not a new idea but the original design of our Fraternity and I hope to see Corinthian continue doing this into the future.

We have also done a terrific job restarting the delivery of the Courier but more especially, expanding our web presence. The website done by Brother Dan is outstanding and has led to many new petitioners for degrees and affiliation to our Lodge. We have made it easier to update brothers and sisters on the goings on at Corinthian, Myrtle, and the Farmington York Rite bodies on our calendar and have made contacting the officers as easy and as seamless as can be.

We had our first ever pancake breakfast for our scholarships and successfully raised enough money for one scholarship. This event also highlighted our Lodge, our Fraternity, and our history in Farmington. Many families got to see just how interesting we are. This is the type of PR we want to have in the community. Thank you all. Special thanks go to Brother Rick for his perfect planning of the event and Brother Jarrod for his complete dedication to make the Breakfast perfect.

We are also very close to bringing Masonic youth groups back to Farmington. Because of the hard work of Kerry and Kate Hanson, Bethel #88 is within months of being reconstituted. As we begin the final preparations, I need all the brothers to pitch in. The girls would need at least one brother to serve on the Guardian Council. The brother would need to be certified which means that he needs to go to a certification class. If you have questions, let me know and I'll connect you to the right person.

Finally, I am glad to have seen the expansion of education, including the degree lectures being given to our brothers, so that our Lodge can continue to dedicate itself to those three tenets, Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. I have been very happy to read some selections from the Edward R. Murrow collection, "This I Believe." These papers are filled with so many insights that transcend the time when they were written. I hope to continue presenting these thoughtful essays and hope that we can discuss them.

As I transition to my new role as Lodge Education Officer, I hope to continue our Lodge's tradition of great degree work and ritual. I want to bring to my new role a desire to make each officer and curious brother proficient in our ritual. The only way to separate ourselves from the Rotary, Lions, or any other fraternal organization is through our ritual. I would like to set up a day each month that we study Masonic ritual and discuss other Masonic educational topics. This need not be at the Lodge Hall but can be done at different brothers' homes. If you would like to help me with this, please contact me.

I would like to congratulate Brother Steve, tradition prevailing, and I am thankful for all his help. I only hope to be of as much help to him as he has been to me. Brothers, you are all in my heart and you have been a great resource. Your labors this year have done so much for the Craft in the south Metro and I couldn't have done any of what we accomplished by myself. Thank you all.

Nick Johnson
Worshipful Master, Corinthian Lodge No. 67

Darkness to Light

Brothers, as we cruise through the wonderfully warm summer months (if this rain would give us a break), I would like to tell you what we have done and my plans for the coming months out of darkness. 

I want to congratulate our newest Master Masons, Brothers DeAndre, Jarrod, and Steve, who have done an admirable job of learning their proficiency exams and presenting themselves as extremely active and dedicated Masons. I would also like to thank our degree team who allowed me the opportunity to do an experiment; we performed the full second section of the third degree on each of the candidates. It was a long but extremely rewarding day. We had the help of both Most Worshipful Brother Phil Soderberg and Worshipful Brother Bill Callister and made an event that I think all the brothers will remember. Awesome job to all.

This summer, we will be traveling including a trip to Saint Paul Three and potential Lake Harriet visit as well as a return to Braden and perhaps even to St Louis Park at Templar Lodge. If you want to go, contact me and we’ll set up a carpool. We’ll also be cleaning the highway again on August 21st. Please attend if you can and children and significant others are welcome. Call me at or send me an email at njohnson(at)corinthian67(dot)org.

Now, on to the new business. We are reviewing the bylaws and a copy will be sent to all brothers for review in the September Courier. Not much has changed except the dues structure. All comments and questions are welcome. We will be hosting the Friendship Night on the first Tuesday in September, which is the 7th. If you know of any men whom you believe will make good Freemasons, let me know their contact information so that we can send them an invitation. We will do a first reading of the petitions after the Friendship Night program. We will have our Dusty Square and Compass on the 21st of September and should be fun. We will also be voting on petitions that day as well. Finally, on the first Tuesday in October, we will be doing our EA/Table Lodge program. The price hasn’t been set but will be for our September Courier. 

We have a lot planned but as we continue to grow, we will see the benefits of all this work more and more.

Nick Johnson
Worshipful Master, Corinthian Lodge No. 67

Strength to Support

Brothers, we will be going dark soon, and all though we are technically closed during the summer, we still have some fun events lined up. We still have three candidates going through degree work. They are Fellowcraft and are seeking further light. The date is set for Saturday, June 12th, starting at 1:00 pm. We are also going to try something different by having the first section together but then the second section will be done long form for each candidate, and then the lectures given to all three in full form. This is a major undertaking and will take most of a day but I know we can do it. What we need are brothers that are willing to take a part. If you know a part or would like to learn a part, please let me know at either millennialfreemason@gmail.com or you can call me.

With all the degree work that we are doing, I am proposing a new schedule system. I would like to see our degree work be performed in this manner; the first Tuesday will be for degrees while the third Tuesday would be for business and education. I would also like to propose that we have our First meeting in September be our Friendship Night. We could then open later in the night and read any petitions that we have received. The second meeting would be our Dusty Square and Compass and we could also ballot on that night. The first meeting in October would be the first degree. I think this schedule works and fits our work schedule.

Also, we are continuing our travels in the great state of Minnesota. In May, we visited Faribault Lodge. There we met Jimmy, Dave, and the other brothers of that Lodge. While there, we received the new “traveling mechanism”, a broadswoard with Faribault Lodge No. 9 laser etched on the blade. It is beautiful and will be on display at our third degree on June 12th. In June, we will be visiting Mizpah Lodge in South Saint Paul. It’s an interesting visit for me since one of my childhood friends is the Junior Warden of that Lodge. He and I literally grew up across the street yet he went north and I went south. And we will likely be visiting perhaps Hastings, Red Wing, Lodge #19 or Saint Paul #3. If you want to join us this summer, let Rick, Steve, or I know and we’ll set up a carpool.

The other major event will be our fundraiser on June 19th at the Farmington Masonic Temple. This pancake breakfast is for our Scholarship Fund. We haven’t done a fundraiser in a few years and may be a little rusty but I think we have the tools to make this breakfast a success. The pancakes will be made for us by Chris Cakes, a company that works with organizations like ours. We will be on the hook for serving but we would need only six to help out. Please plan on attending and to sell tickets to your family, friends, coworkers, even potential candidates to our Lodge. If you have questions, please contact our Senior Deacon, Rick Vance.

Finally, as I made transparency a necessary tenet of my year, we are reviewing the Bylaws. One of the major revisions that we must consider is our dues structure. As you know, the economy has been depressed but signs are beginning to point to recovery. Furthermore, the Grand Lodge has been quite loudly informing Lodges that a per capita (what we send to Grand Lodge per member) increase is being seriously considered. I am proposing that we do two things, 1) we split what the per capita and what we receive, 2) we consider a dues increase for what we, as a Lodge, take. The dues would round up to the nearest 0 or 5 amount. In raw numbers, the proposal would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 per year, which would break down to $51 to us and $29 to Grand Lodge. If the Grand Lodge bumps per capita to $35, the dues would be $90. I believe that this balances our immediate needs and also those needs in the future. I do not want to bind the hands of my successors. The dollar does not have the same strength it once did and we must keep pace with its purchasing power. If you have concerns or questions with this proposal, please call me or come to the business meetings on the third Tuesday in September, October, and November. Obviously, this is a major proposal but we must consider it for our continued strength.

Nick Johnson
Worshipful Master, Corinthian Lodge No. 67

Spreading More Light

Brothers, we are having a very successful year. Starting this month, we will be beginning another round of degree work for Steve Nelson and Brian Hoyland. We will begin our degree work with a four to seven toast festive board after the degree. The degree will start at 6:30 pm on April 20th. We would also like to try something different, an outdoor Third Degree. If you own a farm and are willing to host the third degree, please let me know at njohnson(at)corinthian67(dot)org.

All three principal officers and myself as well as our Secretary, made the trek to the Granite City, Saint Cloud, to again share fraternal greetings with other Lodge leaders at the 157th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, A.F. & A.M. Mentorship is a major push for the Grand Lodge and I think this is applicable to our Lodge. Looking at the Annual Report published by the Grand Lodge, more men are now withdrawing from Minnesota Lodges than are dying. That is a problem that I don't want Corinthian to have. Thankfully, we have Brother Wayne pushing forward our own Mentorship program. However, we need all of you to help. We need both proficiency coaches as well as dedicated mentors to help our brothers learn our ritual and stay active in our Lodge. Contact Brother Wayne if you would like to help.

We are changing up our Officers' meeting. Instead, I will be calling them Planning Meetings. We will have these planning meetings off site from the Lodge building, either at the Long Branch or at the Eagles. These Planning Meetings are open to all brothers and will began at 6:00 pm on the first Tuesday of each month. I will post where we are meeting on the Lodge door, so please come on out.

We also have our Awards Night planned for April 16th starting at 6 pm. This year, we will be giving out the Mason of the Year award, Certificates of Appreciation, as well as our Year Certificates. We will also be acknowledging our widows and will have a great time toasting and having fun. Contact the Junior Warden Joel Wolfe, if you plan on attending or reply to the eVite that was sent out.

This year, I will also be giving the Hiram Award to a very worthy brother, Worshipful Brother Hugh Swift. Stay tuned for more details but we will be holding it in September. I am honored to be able to give this award to the hardest working Mason I know. We will let you know the date when it has been set but we would love you to attend.

We have much work to do in regards to the Highway Cleanup project that we began last year. We will begin our required three times of cleanup on April 24th starting with lunch at 12:00 pm and the street cleaning at 12:30 pm. We need at least ten but no more than fifteen people to help. Bring your family along and have some fun. Contact me if you'd like to help.

Also, this summer, I would like to finally cleanup the club room. We will plan over the next two months what we will be doing in that room. Kerry Hanson has created a great plan for that room and I would like to get that plan into practice. More details to follow.

Finally, if you have any concerns or suggestions, just let me know. You can contact me at njohnson(at)corinthian67(dot)org. Thank you brothers and the fun just keeps rolling along.

Nick Johnson
Worshipful Master, Corinthian Lodge No. 67

How Good and How Pleasant

Brothers, can you believe the fortuitous year we are having? Currently, we have had one brother raised at the one day class, four candidates going for their Master Mason degree, one who is working on his Fellow Craft degree, and at least one petition, possibly two, plus other men eager to join in the fall. We are doing so well that I need your help. I need brothers who know parts of the ritual to speak up. Last year, we developed a “depth chart” of brothers that knew different parts in our ritual; I want to go one step further. We have many brothers that haven’t been asked to do a part. I would like to invite any of you who would like to try out a part to come on out and give it a go. Want to do a lecture? Want to learn one of the big parts in the third degree? Please let me know. You don’t need to be a Past Master or line officer to deliver the lectures, or take a part in the third degree; you only need the drive to succeed and a willingness to try something new. In addition, the Grand Lodge offers Lecturer Certification giving you recognition and clout to travel to other Lodges to give lectures to those Lodges that need help filling those parts.

As I mentioned above, we will be having a third degree scheduled for March 16th. Myrtle Chapter will be providing dinner for ten dollars. The third degree at Corinthian Lodge has always been a spectacularly run event. If you can make it out to Lodge, it would be wonderful for our new brothers to see a great show of support as they reach the pinnacle of Ancient Craft Masonry.

We have also been in contact with the Bro. Jimmy Harris, the Grand Inner Guard of the Grand Guardian Council of Job’s Daughters in Minnesota, about potentially reviving our Bethel. The Worthy Matron, Kerry, and I have discussed its feasibility and I think it looks quite auspicious. However, if we do start a Bethel meeting in Farmington, we will need help from the brethren, both in volunteer time and also having their daughters join Jobbies. If you are interested in reviving this Bethel or have any comments, please email me at njohnson(at)corinthian67(dot)org or call me.

Later this month, the Wardens, the Secretary, and I will be attending the 157th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota at the Kelly Inn in Saint Cloud. The motions before the conclave have been printed in the “Minnesota Mason” for your perusal. I am very excited to represent our Lodge as Master of Corinthian Lodge; I have had a great time these last three years and I wouldn’t have traded them for anything. All Minnesota Masons are invited to attend this great and informative conclave of great Masonic minds so come on out.

On April 16th, we will be hosting the combined Awards/Widows Night Table Lodge.  I encourage all of you to attend. I will be MCing the event this year and with the help of our great Junior Warden and the Stewards, we should have a great time. The cost will be roughly $25 per person, and yes, this is a Table Lodge, so be prepared to toast heartily.

Finally, we are devising some fundraising opportunities and will be rolling those out very soon. In the past, we have run the corn dog stand at the various town festivals with somewhat mixed results in recent years. However, that being said, it is possible to fundraise and have fun, and we are exploring many options. We have been visiting different Lodges and I have seen a great many ways for Lodges to raise funds while having fun doing it. If you have any advice or know any good fundraising opportunities, please contact Rick Vance or myself.

Brothers, Masonry is about to experience a boom and our Lodge is poised to experience more interest. Whether it’s the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown or a renewed fraternal spirit in this country, we must not lose sight of this wonderful chance to bring good men to light and make them better men. We have many volunteer opportunities and I would appreciate any help that you would like to give, whether it’s cleaning the Lodge, helping with the cemetery, organizing fundraising events, or passing Masonic education to the newest generation of Masons at a Lodge meeting. We have a great Lodge and I think we all can be proud of the work we do.

Nick Johnson
Worshipful Master, Corinthian Lodge No. 67