Just a
Junior Deacon
by Bro. James Thomas "Jimminy" Wray
MASONIC LIGHT APRIL 5949
Way back in
A.D. 1911 the Worshipful Master of Evans lodge No. 524 of
Evanston, Illinois, found it difficult to get the Junior
Deacon to learn the Senior Deacon's Lecture. Hoping to get
results by putting the Junior Deacon `on a spot' he wrote to him
as follows: "Chicago. July 19, 1911. "Mr. James Wray,
Evanston, Ill., "Dear Brother Wray:- Tuesday next. July
25th, you will be expected to give the lecture about which I
have spoken to you. "Fraternally,
Asahel W.
Gage.
Worshipful Master. The Junior Deacon replied as
follows:
"I am just a Junior Deacon,
And my name is Jimmy
Wray.
I haven't got that Lecture learned
And there's the deuce
to pay. "I've promised and I've promised
And then some
more, I guess,
Now they say it's up to me,
And right here I
will confess: "I haven't learned that lecture,
And there's
no one you can blame
I'll just own up truth,
And say with face
of shame: "I haven't learned that lecture.
And next
Tuesday's drawing nearer
If I could hear it just once
more.
Its meaning would be clearer. So, please, kind sir,
be merciful
And Don't ask me to give,
A lecture that goes
through my mind
Like water through a sieve."
Evans Lodge
then had a good working library which was open for use by its
officers and members, not only on the nights of
its Communications, but on every week day. This source of
information contained materials not only as to the history
and meanings of Masonry but also as to it,
useful application. Jim Wray learned `what Masonry is all
about'. He applied what he learned and in 1915 he had a most
outstanding useful year as Worshipful Master, among a long list
of outstanding years in Evans Lodge. His useful and
beneficial Masonic work did not end with his year as Worshipful
Master. It has continued ever since and it is hoped that it
will long continue. "I am just a Junior Deacon" was published
in the Evans Lodge notice for September 1911. In that same
1911 notice was the following, which hints of what was being done
way- back-then in Evans Lodge to assist members and candidate
in their search for Masonic Light: "BUILDING DESIGNS: No
man should ever enter upon Masonry without some Understanding
of the nature of the society. That it has secrets he must
know. That it is the truest type of fraternity of brotherhood, he
will soon learn. Its members he will find to be, of the
substance of the community. A society of reformers who have
confined their reforming largely to themselves. The applicant
must understand that Masonry means the building of character and
ability as well as mere physical building. How and why he
can only learn be becoming a Mason. The landmarks, fixed and
plain, are there for guides. No one should ever be allowed
to conceive Masonry to be an institution of light or trifling
character. "In order that each candidate may
better appreciate the beauties and the benefits of the work,
the Worshipful Master endeavors to impress upon each before
initiation, that the degrees contain a secret system of
moral instruction by the ancient method of symbol and
allegory. That the teachings unfold as pondered and that pleasure
and profit will always be found in them. "The co-operation
of the brethren in developing this conviction will
be appreciated, and of lasting benefit to
the Craft. "It should be always remembered that
the letter "G" does not stand for goat, and that nothing
should ever be said that may by any possibility mislead a
candidate into thinking there is anything frivolous in the
work." Before the 1st degree and after each degree as
taken, the Worshipful Master suggested to the candidate that he
read specific verses from I Kings V, VI & VII; II Chronicles
II, & III; and Ezekiel XLI. When the candidate
presented himself for the 1st degree, after the secretary's
monitorial lecture, and before any ceremonial preparation, he
was courteously requested to remove his left shoe and hand it to
the one in charge of his preparation, who then placed it on
the floor by the candidate and informed him that this had a
symbolic meaning, that all of his preparation had symbolic
meanings, and that the ceremonies in which he was about to
take part had meanings that he could better understand by paying
close and sincere attention to them as they were
unfolded. After each degree there was communicated to the
candidate something of the meanings and applications of the
degree he had just been through. In those old-time days
Evans Lodge was not only building close fraternal
relations between its members individually but it was as a
body doing practical and helpful work and was assisting its
members to do the same. In the Evans Lodge December 1911
notice the following was published: "BUILDING DESIGNS:"
The designs in which all are interested are those for that
spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens. What that house is, St. Paul clearly indicated when
he said: `know yc not that ye are the Temple of God." "How
to plan the erection of this temple, the Bible teaches in its
historical account of the erection of the material temple. Life
is grouped into three divisions: Youth, Manhood and Old Age.
The development of humanity may also be divided into symbolic
epochs. These divisions are typified by the three groups
of laborers employed in building Solomon's Temple. "The
apprentices, or beaters of burdens, correspond to youth, and
symbolize man before he became the predominant creature. His
whole existence was a struggle against the inclemency of the
elements, and the ferocity of the wild beasts when he worked with
and developed strength, symbolized by Thor's hammer. His mind
was not the highly developed complex intelligence that it now is.
He knew only simple and direct effort, symbolized by the
straight line of the twenty four inch gauge. The working tools of
the apprentice teach the necessity of directness of
thought and strength of character. "The fellowcrafts or
hewers correspond to manhood, and symbolize man in the
second stage of development when he notes the orderly or
geometric tests, tries, and by the aid of his working tools,
symbols of his faculties, he learns to use the materials
and forces about him. The ability to work with the fellowcraft
tools makes life easier and more secure and gives opportunity for
the development of the higher faculties. "The masters, or
chiefs over the work, correspond to old age, to man developed
until he becomes a builder, a designer. a creator, he molds
all nature in forms of his own design. He grows corn of the
quality he wants, the orange without seed, and the rose of a
color to suit his fancy. His working tools are all the
implements, but more especially the trowel, the symbol
of cementing, of uniting, of building. "The stories of
which the temple is composed are thoughts, words and deeds. The
master with the trowel of constructive thought unites the
symbolic stones into a temple of character and ability. The Bible
teaches that these stones must be perfected in the quarries
where they are wrought. There will he no tools to alter them
later neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron, is heard
in the temple while it is building. The necessity for perfection
of each thought, word, and act is therefore apparent. "The
Biblical account of the building of Solomon's Temple is most
perfect symbolism. Being Truth, its application is universal
and the lessons to be learned from it are limited only by the
ability to understand its teachings. The benefits we receive
are limited only by the ability to apply the teachings to the
problems of life.' During "Jim Wray's year", way back in
1915, he and `the old Past Master of 1911, spent a Sunday in
the Iowa Grand Lodge Library which the then Grand Secretary.
Newton Ray Parvin. opened that day for them. There they
visited with several Past Grand Masters and other brethren who
had attained to Old-Age. There that day Jim Wray arranged with
our beloved Brother Joseph Fort Newton to come to Evanston and
deliver an address on Masonry to the members of Evans Lodge,
their families and their neighbors. This address was published
in pamphlet form. It has recently been republished in the Masonic
News and also as a Craft Fellow's pamphlet, revamped it
has become the title chapter of Newton's book, "The Men's
House". In addition to Newton's address Jim Wray that year
had talks given in the Lodge, by members of the Lodge, on the
first three degrees of ancient symbolic Craft Masonry and
other appropriate subjects. Several of these talks and
numerous `Masonic Jingles', "By Jimminy," were published in
masonic journals. Some of the Worshipful Masters "Jingles' and
the talks on the 1st degree and on the 3rd degree were that
year published in "The Builder", the Journal of the National
Masonic Research Society, which evolved into the
Masonic Service association of the United States. These two
talks were published as booklets by the Grand Lodge of Iowa, and
ordered read in every Iowa Lodge. They are preserved in Volume
15 of "The Little Masonic Library". published by the National
Masonic Service Association. The Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts in their 1944 "Manual" for use in their District
Lodges of Instruction refer to these two talks. The Grand Lodge
of Iowa have a small booklet for each candidate after he
has received each degree. In his remarkable booklet "The Third
Degree' he has explained the Word perhaps better than anyone
else. It is not surprising that in Evans Lodge, more than
thirty years after those `old-time days' a score of old-time
members of those days have attended their mother
lodge. Results follow causes with
geometric certaincy. Masonry teaches that "Old Age" is the
symbol of a Master. James Thomas Wray, who signs himself
"By Jimminy", entered the Illinois Masonic Home Family at
Sullivan on August 10th 1948. Before the end of his first two
weeks there he received many letters and post cards
from members of his lodge. Dr. Dwight F. Clark, a senior and
most outstanding `M.D. of Evanston, president of one might almost
say the, Evanston Historical Society, and old-time member of
Evans Lodge and the physician who made the health certificate
for Jim's admission to the home wrote to him that the Home
Family was to be congratulated on having him a member because he
would be a valuable addition to any group. Not all members of
the Home Family are as fortunate as Jim in being remembered by
old friends Jim's sympathy inspired the
following: FORGOTTEN MEN
There arc men who arc
forgotten
When they move into the Home.
They have lost all
their loved ones
And are too old just to roam, If you
could see the faces
When the mail man goes his round,
No
letter or post card for you today
How simple that all
sounds. They look forward daily
For a word from you or
me
Just a letter or a post card
That is all it has to
be. If you have a relative
Or a friend who is living
here
Just send him a card or letter
He will like it, never
fear. Don't let him think he is forgotten
And has been put
upon the shelf.
There is no way of telling now
But you may be
here yourself.
By JIMMINY.
The OLD
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