Living Past Masters
Masonic Birthdays
February
Harley V Coulbourn – 2/19/1975
John E Crystle – 2/28/1996
Justin F Goertz – 2/2/2015
Eugene A Lockerman – 2/9/1955
William J Loeb – 2/17/1993
Jon C Markey – 2/3/1999
birthdays continued...
William F Nutter – 2/3/1999
Larry G O'Neal – 2/8/1967
Louis G Perna – 2/1/1984
William M Rector – 2/16/1994
Dirk A Schulze – 2/11/1976
Joseph B Schulze – 2/17/1993
Harold B Watts – 2/12/1986
Kenneth E Williamson – 2/15/1989
In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a
very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner's daughter.
He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that we
would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman's daughter
Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.
The loan‐shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.
The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the
loan‐shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn't have to marry
the loan&dashshark.
Standing on a pebble strewn path in the businessman's garden, the loan‐shark bent over and picked up two pebbles. Whilst
he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he'd picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag. He then
asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.
The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done ‐ 1)Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag. 2)Take both
pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan‐shark for cheating. 3)Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black
and sacrifice herself for her father‐s freedom.
She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it "accidentally" dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles.
She said to the loan‐shark;
"Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble
I picked."
The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan‐shark didn't want to be exposed, he had to play
along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father's debt.
Moral of the story: It's always possible to overcome a tough situation through out of the box thinking, and not give in to
the only options you think you have to pick from.
Have You Considered
Leaving A Legacy?
Have you considered leaving a Legacy to your lodge, St. John's Lodge No 2? If you have, please make sure that St. John's Lodge No 2 is included in your Wills and Trusts so that your legacy can continue to help promote Freemasonry in the State of Delaware long after you have left your brethren behind. Freemasonry in Delaware has just celebrated its 200th anniversary. With your help, maybe it can celebrate its 300th one day.
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
‐ ‐ Albert Einstein
