Funerals - Masonic Service

In this article we're going to discuss a certain kind of funeral called the Masonic Service, which is a special funeral service for men only who are a member of the Masonic Fraternity in good standing at the time of their death.

Every religion has its own way of honoring the dead. And while the Masons are not a religion per say, they do believe in a supreme being and do have their own type of funeral service.

To be eligible for a Masonic funeral service a person has to be a man for starters. Women are not allowed to become Masons but they do have their own organization and their own funeral service. This will be the subject of another article. Not only must a Mason be a man but they must also be a member in good standing, meaning that they have to have been paying their dues on a regular basis and must not have been brought up on any Masonic charges. There is also an age requirement that a man has to be at least 21 years of age to become a mason. Boys under that age, even if their fathers are masons are not entitled to a Masonic funeral.

So just how is a Masonic funeral different from other funerals? To answer that, we need to discuss some of the similarities. For starters, Masonic funeral services are held in some kind of funeral parlor or temple. The same preparations are made as far as getting the body ready such as embalming. One difference in the preparation is that the deceased has his white lambskin apron placed over the body in the casket during the service, not before. If the body is not viewable for whatever reason, be it that the site would be a bit gruesome or if there is no body at all, then the apron would be placed over the casket or urn.

The service itself begins with a prayer, usually the 23rd psalm. Unlike services performed by ministers, which are prepared in advance and unique to a degree for each service, the Masonic service is a standard ritual. In other words, the service is the same for each Mason who passes away. There is no deviation in the service except for the part of the service itself where the Mason's name and date of birth and death are given.

The ritual itself is about 20 minutes long and is done from memory. Masons spend many months learning this service which consists of over ten pages of dialogue which has to be read word for word. The ritual team consists of the person reciting the ritual, a chaplain and a marshall. Any other masons from that particular lodge also participate in the service as observers and marchers.

At the end of the service the family and friends go up to the casket to pay their final respects. A Masonic service is a great honor to a man who is a mason where the one belief is that from Earth we came and to Earth we must shortly return.

You Too Can Be A Public Speaker

Have you ever watched a speaker and said, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that"? or "That person was just so wonderful. I could never do that." Well, I've got some good news for you. You too can be a public speaker. Public speaking is a learned skill, so anyone can do it. You just need to follow some simple steps and practice, practice, practice. If you know how to talk, you can become a public speaker.

Becoming really good at public speaking requires some risk, but you have been taking risks all your life. When you were a toddler, you risked falling down when you took your first steps. You risk scraping your knees or falling when you start roller blading. You risk falling off when you start bike riding. You risk being rejected when you ask someone out on a date, and you risk getting into an accident every time you drive your car.

If you gave up after your first fall, you'd still be crawling. If you were afraid to fall off your bike, you'd still be riding with training wheels. If you were afraid of getting into an accident, you'd never get behind the wheel of a car. And guess what, you're still here - you've survived all of that. You're risk takers!! You've proved that by coming to Toastmasters. The greatest fear is that of public speaking and here you are - wanting to learn how to do it.

How many of you enjoy watching figure skating? Now, you wouldn't expect to be a world class figure skater the minute you put on a pair of skates, would you? No, you'd expect to have to practice for years before becoming that good. Nor would you expect to make the NHL without years and years of winter and summer hockey.

How many of you enjoy watching racing? Would you expect to be another Mario Andretti the minute you get behind the wheel? Now, I will admit that there seem to be a few drivers out there who think they are Mario, but most people would expect to have to practice for years before reaching his status.

Now, I think everyone here knows how to walk. When you think of walking 25 miles, it seems like a long distance, but it is actually only putting one foot in front of the other a number of times and you know how to do that. It just takes practice to go the distance. It's the same thing with public speaking. It just takes putting one word after another.

The key to getting up in front of an audience is believing that you have something to share with them that may make a difference in their lives - by entertaining them, warning them, encouraging them, or giving them direction or information.

The great thing is - you all do have something to say that people would be interested in hearing. Each of you has come through life in a different way. You may have encountered difficult circumstances and survived. Your experience could help someone else in the same situation.

If you remember jokes or enjoy telling stories to your friends, practice a little more and soon you can be telling your jokes and stories to large audiences. If you are really good at something, consider sharing the steps of how you got there.

By following the steps outlined in the Toastmasters' manuals, and with the encouragement of fellow Toastmasters, you can learn how to craft a speech and how to deliver it. You can learn how to use props, how to modulate your voice, and how to use words that your audience will understand.

You will often hear the words "stage time" used by Toastmasters. That is the only way to get better. In order to be good at anything, you have to practice. Winston Churchill overcame a speech impediment to become a master orator. He had to practice for hours to deliver a speech.

You can get very discouraged if you expect to be as good as Zig Ziglar right away. But if you listen to his story, you will find that it took a very long time before he was able to do what he does so well.

The thing to remember is that the only person you need to compare yourself to is you. You are working for your personal best, so when you are preparing your speech and practicing, all you need to ask yourself is - is your second speech better in some way than your first? Did you learn something new as you prepared for your speech? Did you learn something from the evaluative comments of others after you gave your speech? Then, that's all you need to do. You can use what you've learned to make the next speech your best to date and then use the same process for each speech you give. Just take one step at a time.

Remember, public speaking is a skill, so anyone can learn to do it. You just need to be taught how and then practice, practice, practice. Then one day someone may watch you and say, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that."

Job Hunter's Paradise

League Two Betting Review

Carlisle returned to the top of League Two after thumping basement club Rushden & Diamonds 5-0 at Brunton Park. Derek Holmes put the Cumbrians ahead after 42 seconds and it was one-way traffic thereafter with two goals each from Karl Hawley and Simon Hackney. Paul Simpsons side were 8/15 favourites on the day and 4/1 to win the division outright.

Second placed Wycombe were held to a 1-1 draw at Boston. Julian Joachim gave the home side a 56th minute lead but Kevin Betsy levelled matters 15 minutes later. This was John Gormans sides seventeenth draw of the season, something noted by shrewd punters backing at 9/4.

Veteran Ian Taylors goal nine minutes from time propelled 8/15 Northampton into the third automatic promotion spot with a victory against Torquay United on Friday night.

Fifth placed Leyton Orient kept up their promotion dreams and plunged Chester into further relegation trouble with a 2-0 win. A Matthew Lockwood penalty 10 minutes before the break and Paul Connor after 72 minutes secured a 13/10 win.

Play-off chasing Peterborough chalked up their fourth win in five matches with a 2-1 victory at Notts County. Danny Crow and James Quinn put the 9/5 Posh in the driving seat before Eugene Dadi netted a late penalty for the Magpies.

Wrexham looked set to earn victory at 9/5 after on-loan Blackburn striker gave them a 2-0 lead at Mansfield, only for Richie Barker to hit back with two goals in three minutes to secure a point at Field Mill.

Stockport kept their heads above water after coming from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Bristol Rovers. Two goals from Richard Walker looked enough for an 8/11 home win, but the Hatters fought back through Adam Le Fondre and a Mark Hughes equaliser two minutes from time.

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