The struggle continues between how we feel in our hearts and what common sense tells us. Next month the Shrine will hold its Imperial Session in San Antonio. Decisions need to be made at that time about closing as many as six Shrine Hospitals. Restructuring the Shrine child care system will be an excruciating task that will be fought with passion and rage pitted against sound reasoning.
Shrine hospitals have provided free care to thousands of children over the years who have suffered burns or who need orthopedic, spinal cord or cleft lip and palate care. The great pride carried by each Shriner is justified, but change is always inevitable. The endowment for this great philanthropy has dropped from $8.5 billion to $5.2 billion this past year. Adjustments may need to be made now, but the bitter taste will last a long time. At a time when the economy has threatened our jobs, our retirement and our future, we don't need another reminder of the difficult period that we are going through.
There will be protests and floor fights. There will be accusations made and bad names thrown about. There will be hard feelings and frustrations. When it is done, my prayer is that we will remember we are all members of the world's greatest fraternity and that we truly are Brothers.
"I'll see you in San Antonio and so will the world." .... Neil

As some of you know, I am a part time resident of the North Dakota and a duel member of a North Dakota Lodge. I am currently holding the office of Grand Orator of this fine state and I thought that I would share this short oration that I gave last Saturday at their Grand Lodge Session. ........ Neil

Grand Lodge of North Dakota Oration 2009
By Neil Neddermeyer PGM Grand Orator


Sometimes it's hard to remember that there is so much more that unites us than divides us. Each North Dakota Mason sees the craft in a different light. Some of us only want it to be a social organization of Brothers. Others see us as an organization that has been formed only for the distribution of charity and service to others. Others still feel that we are only bound together to study the philosophies and histories of the craft. Many of us understand that we will survive only through respecting all three ideals, namely Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
Some Shriners think that the Blue Lodge is just a feeding organization for its own membership. Some Blue Lodge members discourage their members from joining the Shrine, saying that true Masonry is in the Blue Lodge. Some Scottish Rite members feel that the Blue Lodge does not have enough pageantry and some Blue Lodges leaders reject the Rites because they compete for their members' time. Some Eastern Star brothers only stay Masons so they can participate with their Chapters and some Blue Lodge Masons feel the Eastern Star is just folly. Some Lodge leaders reject anything that comes from the Grand Lodge while failing to recognize that they themselves are its voting members.
In his poem "Mending Walls", poet Robert Frost reminds us that "good fences make good neighbors", but that is not what the poem is about. The poet is really telling us "something there is that doesn't love a wall". He goes on to say "before I built a wall I'd ask to know what I was walling in or walling out." We need to know that, also.
Masonry has always been a stronghold of tolerance in North Dakota. We accept men of all faiths, creeds, social standings, ethnic groups and nationalities. We take pride in welcoming any man who has integrity and believes in God. We are inclusive and not exclusive. And yet we often have less patience for each other than we do for strangers. Are resentment and envy dividing us? Are we building walls amongst ourselves or bringing them down?
Our ritual is filled with references as to how we should treat, respect, and care for each other. Every new Mason should be thoroughly taught these ideals and every established Mason should be constantly reminded. We are our Brother's Keeper both within the Craft and in our communities in general. This concept truly came through in 2009.

The entire state of North Dakota has been challenged this year. This year will become to be known as the year of the Great Flood and the Great Recession. This year the world took notice of the principles of the people of North Dakota and took a moment to remember what true human values are really like.
The rest of the nation uses the example of North Dakota when referring to an isolated, low populated state with little sophistication. Because of reports this year on CNN, Fox News and others, that will now happen less and less. The citizens of our state will be maligned in the future only by those who have not paid attention to the true story of our people and the courage of our leaders.
North Dakotans did not expect the government to save them from the state wide floods. Instead, they went to work as a people to stand together for each other and their communities. One can not imagine a Mayor of any other major municipality calling every home in the middle of the night to raise an army of volunteers to save the city. On that night the people of Fargo took action without complaint. It is not that mayors from other states would not have been so brave; it is that they know that their people would respond only with complaints, indignation and lawsuits.
Another news report focused on the banking industry and the fact that North Dakota seemed to be the only state free from the trauma of recession, unemployment, and mortgage foreclosures. The report found that the bankers of our state showed good judgment and did not become caught up in the trappings of greed, with or without government regulation.
In a time of public heroes, it is hard to remember that the Masons of North Dakota have taught the concepts of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance along with true Community Service to their state for more than 100 years. We can't take credit for all of the noble acts demonstrated by our citizens, but it would be wrong not to think that our fraternity had less than a fair amount of influence on the heroic actions of the people of our state.
Let the citizens of other states complain about the government's response to some natural disaster. Let citizens of other states demand a bailout for their own mistakes. Let the citizens of North Dakota claim the right to those American values that made this country strong in the first place.
To once again paraphrase the words of Robert Frost, the citizens of North Dakota took "the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

(This account is fictional and very possibly, historically inaccurate.)
Old Brother: What are you doing?!
Young Brother: I'm installing a telephone.
OB: What's a tel-ee-phone?
YB: It's a way for people to call the Lodge and get information about us.
OB: Why would people want to do that? They can just come down here and ask.
YB: This machine will make it so they don't have to make the trip.
OB: But how am I supposed to meet them if they don't come down here?
YB: You meet them on the telephone. It is all about communication.
OB: You know, you have been doing a lot of stuff around this Lodge that has never been done and I am really concerned about the changes you've made. You're always bringing up the o-to-mobile and how it will help brothers get to the Lodge but you're always fixing yours. I just think all this is a fad, the o-to-mobile and the tel-ee-phone. Why can you just be happy that we still have the building or that we have some really good ritualists?
YB (gives a good-natured smile): Old Brother, you have done a lot for this Lodge and I appreciate that more than you know. In fact, the contributions that you have done for this Lodge are so very important that they inspired me to do more for her. I am merely trying to continue the strong progressive tradition that this Lodge has been known for and that you have played such a key role. I think I even remember hearing a story of how you were the driving force behind getting us radiator heat instead of a stove because it was better for everyone. I look up to you my brother and I would like to do all I can just as you have.
OB (smiles back): You know, I never thought about it that way before. I have said so many times to so many brothers that we are a progressive science but I never took this phrase to heart. Do you need any help putting this tel-ee-phone together?
YB: Actually, I think I am all done here, but I would be honored if you made the first call. Just pick up the receiver and say, "Operator."
POSTED BY THE MILLENNIAL FREEMASON

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." John Amatt,