At the conclusion of a graveside burial service of a veteran, there is usually a twenty one gun salute, the Honor Guard removes and folds the American Flag and taps is played. A member of the Honor Guard retrieves three of the expended shell casings which are placed inside of the folded flag.  At the conclusion the American Flag is presented to the family on behalf of ‘The President of the United States and a grateful nation.’  The family is informed that the three shell casings represent duty, honor and country.

Duty, honor and country the three reasons, someone answers the call of their country in time of war or to serve in the military.  They do not seek glory, honor, accolades or medals but the solitude of their families. This is why they answer their country’s call.  Perhaps it is the words spoken many years ago by Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863 in his famous Gettysburg Address that exemplifies those feelings:
“…the world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.”

Brethren, as Americans we must consider the reality of the following:
• These are serious times within our country and they demand serious actions.
• We have a duty to our families, our ancestors and our posterity to be responsible citizens.
• Freedom is not free.

If we consider the enemies of masonry to be: ignorance, fanaticism and indifference toward the needs of others; it seems we are extremely out numbered.  As masons the imagery of the compasses and its useful purposes should be well known to us.  I suggest, however, that America has today lost her moral bearing and is becoming one nation forgetting GOD, rather than one nation under GOD.

With currently over 6 billion people in the world, more than 900 million people in North American,  over 2,000,000 people in the state of Mississippi, approximately 18,500 masons in our Grand Jurisdiction and about 245 lodges – how can so few, overcome such an overwhelming indifference force?

By studying the history of military battles one can learn several lessons from military strategy and gain knowledge for the task before them. Two such examples are General George S. Patton of World War II fame and General Norman Schwarzkopf of the Gulf War.  General Schwarzkopf had studied the past wars in the Persian Gulf and developed a good strategy.  I find it interesting that General Schwarzkopf said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character, but if you must be without one, be without strategy.”
General Patton studied the war strategy of the Carthaginian General Hannibal.  Here is a quote from General Patton worthy of consideration here: “Moral courage is most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.”  Each General studied past military battles and applied what worked into each of their battle strategies. 
 
A third example that we can use when planning battles against overwhelming enemies of masonry is to remember the military last stand of the Spartans at Thermopylae?
In 480 BC, Persia assembled an invasion force of over 350 thousand to invade and destroy Greece.  The King of Greece handpicked 300 Spartans and marched to Thermopylae.  The Spartans were one of the most militaristic cultures in history and mothers would tell their sons “come home with your shield or be carried on it”. The Greeks made their stand at a mountain pass 50 feet wide. The Persians outnumbered the Greeks 50 to 1.  The Spartans fought in platoons called a “phalanx “, which was a group of 8 men across and 4 deep.  In the first day of battle, an attacking force of 5000 Medes were defeated and their dead bodies were used to build a wall to mock the Persians upon their return on the 2nd day of the battle. 

Treachery would rear its ugly head and a Greek traitor went to the Persians and sold his integrity, by informing them of a goat path that went around the Spartans position.  The 300 Spartans would be out-flanked but they welcomed death and fought all the more fiercely.  The Spartans would make their last stand on a small hill after withdrawing from the pass and four times the Persian advance was repelled with heavy losses.

What does this have to do with us as masons?  The goat path in our masonic battle is the “ante room.”  We must not only guard against cowans and eavesdroppers from entering our lodges, but those who merely seek entrance into Appendant Masonic Bodies for personal gain.  We cannot allow the unskilled and unworthy to enter by way of the “goat path”; they would have outflanked us as the Spartans were.  These seek glory, titles and self-gratification.  Masonry is not for everyone and everyone is not for masonry.

A Mason is prepared first in his heart by applying the tenants of masonry long before he hears them in the work.  A man does not become a mason first in his ear or when someone solicits him for membership.

The path of enlightenment does not begin in some club or sports-bar. Therefore when you hear someone complaining about our membership declining, remember we will not defeat the enemies of masonry by mere numbers. We will win with our fraternity dedicated to duty, honor and country.  So if you are disheartened, think of quality not quantity and remember the last stand of the Spartans at Thermopylae.  A Spartan leaves the battle field with his shield or upon it.  A mason should realize that life is not about self and leaves the battlefield of life with his honor intact and with his dying breath say’s – “my life you may have, but my integrity you cannot.”

Fraternally,

Kenneth E. Dyer
Grand Master