Living Past Masters
Masonic Birthdays
March
Charles J Arcaro ‐ 3/27/2013
Thomas J Atkinson ‐ 3/6/2002
Dennis C Boettcher ‐ 3/7/1979
Joel R Brewer ‐ 3/23/2014
David M Cannon ‐ 3/24/1997
William E Carey ‐ 3/1/1978
Edwin S Carlisle ‐ 3/21/1990
Robert L Fols ‐ 3/1/1978
Bruce H Gordon ‐ 3/17/1968
Thomas M Gott ‐ 3/30/1983
Raymond L Gravatt ‐ 3/17/1968
Donald J Hammond ‐ 3/27/2013
James J Howard ‐ 3/25/1970
Charles Keskemety ‐ 3/5/1958
Jeffrey T Lank ‐ 3/5/2014
Daniel W Lord ‐ 3/5/2014
Robert R Mason ‐ 3/27/1974
Gregory W Pine ‐ 3/15/2012
Ricky Reyes ‐ 3/18/2004
Stephane G Sabourin, WM ‐ 3/3/2010
Kenneth E Sherwood ‐ 3/2/1966
birthdays continued...
Paul H Steel, PM ‐ 3/24/1976
Zachary A Taylor ‐ 3/15/2012
Wayne L Thomas ‐ 3/30/1988
Edward P Travers ‐ 3/18/1964
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty&dashseven years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.
"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.
She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."
"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the
next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine"
as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she
reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced
and stepped up to the podium.
As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed
she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is
killing me!"
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you
what I know. We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy,
and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.
You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't
even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If
I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That
doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly
usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with
regrets."
She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out
in our daily lives.
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully
in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that
it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.
That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up.
‐ ‐ Walt Disney
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.