Masons honor educators, student

Pictured, from left, are Ananda Kuchinsky, student award recipient, Wayne Jones, and Susie Clark, faculty recipient.

Last week, members of the Bullard Masonic Lodge No. 785 took time to honor members of the community.

On Thursday, the lodge presented the annual Community Builders Award to Jim Wright, Superintendent of the Bullard Independent School District.

This award is given on behalf of the lodge each year to

a individual who is a non- Mason and has distinguished themselves through their service to their community, government, church and to humanity in general.

At the same meeting, the group presented its annual Maribeau B. Lamar Awards to a worthy and distinguished student and faculty member of the Bullard Independent School District.

This award is given by the Lodge in celebration of Public Schools Week in memory of a "Brother Mason" and "Our Father Of Texas Education."

The award is named for the second president of the Republic of Texas, who is regarded as the state's "father of education" for his efforts to establish an education system in Texas.

Wayne Jones, left, Worshipful Master of the Bullard Masonic Lodge presents the group's annual community builder's award to BISD superintendent Jim Wright, right. Center is Lynnetta Wright.

Freemasonry is the oldest fraternal order in the world. Lodges stretch around the globe. It is religious in character, but it is not a religion. It is founded upon the basic principle of the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God.

No one is asked to express a particular belief about God.

Freemasonry practices a selective charity, founded on the principle of brotherly need.

One of Mason's objectives, according to its literature, is the making of better men. Its teachings include brotherhood, morality, justice, tolerance, citizenship, education and freedom of ideas, of religious choice, of expression.

This basic unit of the organization is sometimes called the "Blue Lodge," sometimes, the Craft Lodge, but it always operates under standards prescribed by a Grand Lodge.

There is no higher Masonic authority than a Grand Lodge, and each Grand Lodge is the sovereign authority within the state or country over which it claims jurisdiction.

Officers of each lodge are the Worshipful Master (the term worshipful being used after the old English manner, meaning respected) and the senior and junior Wardens.

In addition, each lodge has a treasurer and secretary as well as two deacons. There are also stewards, who see to the preparation of food, its service, and perform other duties. There is a chaplain, charged with offering prayers and reading the Bible at certain times. The officer without the door is the Tiler, who guards the lodge from intrusion.

Membership, because it is a fraternity, is limited to men. Those who wish to becomes members must meet certain recognized requirements, including, Masonic literatures states -- high standards of character and reputation.

It does not require that its members subscribe to any particular creed, or belong to any particular church.

Leaders said that in order to become a Mason, a man must seek out a member and ask to join. He must then fill out an application, have two Mason sign a petition, vouching for his character and qualifications.

He must also receive unanimous ballot of the members of the lodge to which he applies for the degrees, who are present when his petition is voted on.

Freemasonry came to America about the third decade of the Eighteenth Century when Lodges were established in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.