Post by staffs on May 27, 2007 20:55:07 GMT
THE PROVINCE
When a man becomes a Mason –
Takes that first decisive pace –
A brand-new way of life he may well find,
Where all his friends are Brothers –
Caring naught for creed or race –
And the cares of outside life are left behind.
Time goes by, he’s passed and raised,
Gets a Collar, does his best,
Progress slow, at first, but moving ever faster,
Finds himself next in the South –
Year goes by, he’s in the West …..
Then suddenly he finds – he is the Master!
All too soon, before he knows it,
His Great Year has flown away,
His successor’s Installation is at hand.
Then a year as I.P.M.,
After that there comes the day
When he joins the ‘Wallflowers’ – happy little band!
There he sits with all the others
Who, like him, the Chair have passed –
Hoping for a little Work to do some day;
Sees the Masters come and go
With the years, until, at last,
A “Letter from the Province” comes his wy!
But, no resting on his laurels
For the man in Blue and Gold,
Now he serves the Province, and his Lodge, and all;
He is mentor, and consultant,
Friend and guide to young and old,
And, it seems, at everybody’s beck and call!
It’s, “Oh, Brother So-and-so,
“Next meeting, please accede
“To give the ‘Charge’, we know you’ll do it best!”
Or, “Could you take this Office,
You are just the man we need,
“And old Brother Whatsit really needs a rest!”
And, “Don’t forget the L.O.I.,
“For Installation’s near!!”,
And, “Brother! Don’t forget the next G.P..!”
And, “Brother, we just learned
“Brother Whoostit can’t be here,
“So would you kindly act as A.D.C.?”
But of all Provincial Officers,
Will you spare a special thought
For the topmost branches of the !Province Tree! –
The Provincial Grand Master
And, in very close support
His Deputy and his Assistants Three!
With their many, many duties –
Consecrations to attend,
Dedications, Installations hundred-fold –
Like those other top-most branches
May they never break, just bend
Neath the pressures of the Offices they hold.
And, springing from those Branches,
Is Blue and Golden flower –
From tree-top to the lowest branch below;
As healthy trees all flourish
With every passing hour,
So may our Province prosper, bloom and grow!
KEN BROWN
*********************
When a man becomes a Mason –
Takes that first decisive pace –
A brand-new way of life he may well find,
Where all his friends are Brothers –
Caring naught for creed or race –
And the cares of outside life are left behind.
Time goes by, he’s passed and raised,
Gets a Collar, does his best,
Progress slow, at first, but moving ever faster,
Finds himself next in the South –
Year goes by, he’s in the West …..
Then suddenly he finds – he is the Master!
All too soon, before he knows it,
His Great Year has flown away,
His successor’s Installation is at hand.
Then a year as I.P.M.,
After that there comes the day
When he joins the ‘Wallflowers’ – happy little band!
There he sits with all the others
Who, like him, the Chair have passed –
Hoping for a little Work to do some day;
Sees the Masters come and go
With the years, until, at last,
A “Letter from the Province” comes his wy!
But, no resting on his laurels
For the man in Blue and Gold,
Now he serves the Province, and his Lodge, and all;
He is mentor, and consultant,
Friend and guide to young and old,
And, it seems, at everybody’s beck and call!
It’s, “Oh, Brother So-and-so,
“Next meeting, please accede
“To give the ‘Charge’, we know you’ll do it best!”
Or, “Could you take this Office,
You are just the man we need,
“And old Brother Whatsit really needs a rest!”
And, “Don’t forget the L.O.I.,
“For Installation’s near!!”,
And, “Brother! Don’t forget the next G.P..!”
And, “Brother, we just learned
“Brother Whoostit can’t be here,
“So would you kindly act as A.D.C.?”
But of all Provincial Officers,
Will you spare a special thought
For the topmost branches of the !Province Tree! –
The Provincial Grand Master
And, in very close support
His Deputy and his Assistants Three!
With their many, many duties –
Consecrations to attend,
Dedications, Installations hundred-fold –
Like those other top-most branches
May they never break, just bend
Neath the pressures of the Offices they hold.
And, springing from those Branches,
Is Blue and Golden flower –
From tree-top to the lowest branch below;
As healthy trees all flourish
With every passing hour,
So may our Province prosper, bloom and grow!
KEN BROWN
*********************